Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 Tender Mercies

   The two combatants faced each other with legs crouched and arms spread
wide.  In the ceremonial firelight, the oil on their naked skin glinted. 
Slowly the wrestlers circled one another, waiting for a chance to grapple
with the other.

   "Get him Nordan!" A man cried out in support of the smaller wrestler. 
Smaller at 6 and a half feet tall and easily 260 pounds.  The larger
wrestler was just shy of 7 feet tall and weighed closer to 300 pounds then
250.

   Catcalls and jeering nearly drowned out the cry of support as the
barbarian tribe rooted on their champion, Thorgrim.  His friends (most of
the tribe) called him Crusher.

   Feigning a trip, Crusher lured Nordan to rush him.  Nordan realized his
mistake and tried to stop when the larger mans fist sailed out and
connected with his chin.  Nordan stumbled back quickly as Crusher sought to
press his advantage with another swing.  He was stepped at the edge of the
circle as a group of barbarians caught him and pushed him back into the
ring.

   Nordan lowered his head and went with the momentum, charging forward and
roaring loudly.  Crusher met the charge head on, barely moving as Nordan
crashed into his midsection shoulder first.  He grinned to his tribe and
grabbed the challengers arm so that he could twist it up behind Nordan's
back.  Nordan grimaced in pain as his shoulder threatened to dislocate.

   "That looks painful," a dark skinned elf muttered to no one in
particular.

   Nordan's supporter nodded his head and replied, "Aye, it does!"

   Looking about him, the dark elf found he was as tall as the average
barbarian at just over 6 feet tall.  His companion beside him was perhaps
the shortest one there, save for the children, at only 5 feet 7 inches. 
"Why are we doing this again, Pompey?" He asked.

   Pompey opened his mouth to answer but grimaced in sympathetic in pain
instead.  Nordan's position had worsened.  Crusher had maneuvered so that
he know had his arms locked about behind Nordan's back and lifted him off
the ground.  It was his namesake position, and he was using it well to
crush the life out of Nordan.

   "Shouldn't we do something, Kelnozz?" Pompey asked, clutching the spear
he held in his fist.

   Kelnozz looked around at the cheering tribal warriors.  "Only if you
want to get us killed too."

   Nordan's veins were popping out in his head as he struggled to fight
back the growing pain in his back.  His head rocked forward and a stunned
Crusher dropped him and stumbled backwards, blood exploding from his
shattered nose.  Nordan crashed to the ground and fell to his knees,
fighting to keep from passing out.

   He regained his feet and walked stiffly towards Thorgrim.  The larger
barbarian shook his head, spraying blood everywhere, and grinned at Nordan.
Nordan met the grin with his fist, bashing out several teeth.  He then
locked arms with the larger man and began a test of strength as they
circled one another and tried to drive the other to the ground.

   Loud cheering erupted amongst the barbarians.  It was a rarity that
anyone ever challenged Thorgrim.  He was the undisputed champion of the
tribe.  Their hooting and hollering was giving Kelnozz a headache, and
making Pompey's head swim.

   The cheering fell quiet as Crusher fell to his knees, overwhelmed by the
slightly shorter man.  Nordan let go of his arms and Crusher fell to all
fours.  Wasting no time, Nordan grabbed the behemoth by the inner thigh
with one hand and the shoulder with the other.  Grunting, he lifted him in
one smooth motion over his head.

   The barbarian tribe was stunned.  As one, their mouths stood open in
shock.  Crusher lay stunned himself, but was amazed at the strength in
Nordan in spite of himself.  With a heave, Crusher went sailing into not
the first or second, but the third row of barbarian spectators, taking
several of them down.

   The crowd remained silent, uncertain of what to do since their champion
had been beaten.  After a few moments of peaceful respite, Crusher forced a
path through the crowd and walked back out to stand in front of Nordan. 
With blood running down his face he grinned a broken toothed smiled and
raised Nordan's hand in the air, proclaiming him the champion.

   The crowd slowly took up a cheer, but by the time it was done, it's
volume had surpassed anything that Pompey or Kelnozz had heard before. 
Indeed, the sarcastic elf considered himself most likely stricken deaf by
it and the ringing in his ears afterwards.

   An hour later, with Nordan cleaned up and once again wearing his furs,
the three companions sat at a table feasting.  When the feast was finished,
Helmut, the chief of the tribe stood up and raised his goblet for silence.

   "Our kinsmen comes to us to ask for our help, he has been judged worthy
by a test of strength, will you hear him?" He called out in a powerful
voice.

   The response was overwhelming.  Men beat goblets, daggers, drumsticks,
and whatever else they had at hand on the table in approval.  Helmut nodded
to Nordan and sat back down.  Nordan smiled sheepishly but stood up in
spite of it.  Once the cheering died down he began.

   "My friends and I have traveled further then most of you have.  We have
been to the cities across the great Lands End Mountains to the east and
seen many things.  We have fought many creatures, and we have lived.  We
have fought, and slain, dragons!  Now I have bested your champion, will you
hear me?"

   Again the barbarians cheered unanimously in approval.  Kelnozz looked
heavenward while Pompey found himself getting caught up in the revelry.

   "We came of late from Yolarch, a city that plagues our ways of roaming
and living off the land as the Gods intended us too.  While there, we were
betrayed and barely escaped with our lives from the foul wench that rules
that den of filth.  I made a vow to her that I would not rest until her
city was sacked to the ground and she felt the tender mercies of a
pillaging barbarian hoard!  Will you aid me in this call to plunder?"

   The tribe seemed to hesitate, thinking about what Nordan asked.  Knowing
that to wait was to lose his chance, Nordan jumped on the table and kicked
a full goblet of ale into a group of men sitting at another table.

   "Her soldiers harry our ancestral lands, driving us from it.  We must
fight back!  Fight with me and we will destroy the bitch-queen of Yolarch!
I have seen her palace, and with your help, we can have much plunder.  I
promise you wine, women, song, and wealth unmatched if you aid me."

   In ones and twos, then more and more until another fevered roaring could
be heard, the tribe agreed to aid their long gone brother returned home. 
After what seemed an eternity of it, they had settled down enough so that
Kelnozz could think again.  Helmut came over and sat with them at their
table.

   "Tell me the story of how this happened," He said, bringing a haunch of
steaming venison with him.

   The companions looked to each other and then began there tale.  "We had
returned to Trillindad from the east by ship.  Easier that way then
crossing those Lands End Mountains!  We'd spent some time there visiting
with Pompey's family before he got thrown out again," Nordan began.

   Kelnozz picked it up, "There was this nice tavern down by the docks...

   ...The three adventurers, having squandered all their money on ale,
wenching, and other wasteful ventures, had signed up with a merchant named
Therius Magnus for caravan guards.  The caravan only consisted of one wagon
though which meant little pay.  The route was from Trillindad to Yolarch,
passing along the rode through Lizardshome Swamp.

   For two weeks of sheer boredom the companions guarded the wagon and
talkative merchant from the dust on the road and the occasional weary
traveler.  Then the dusty plains outside of Trillindad turned lusher and
greener.  Soon they passed through occasional farmlands, though the farms
were rare as even this close to a major city-state such as Trillindad,
bandits and roving groups of monsters were not uncommon.

   The green pastures and farmlands gave way to longer, thicker grasses and
trees.  Another day put them in the outskirts of the Lizardshome Swamp. 
Few travelers past this way, save in great numbers, for the lizardmen that
made their home in the swamp were fierce and often unforgiving of any
trespassing on their territory.

   Sure enough, they had been attacked.  Lizardmen swung from the trees on
thick vines, landing atop the covered wagon to give battle.  At the same
time they rose up from concealment in the waters of the swamp beside the
road.  The guards and merchant found themselves quickly outnumbered nearly
4 to 1.

   What the lizards did not understand was the prowess and might of those
very same guards.  Nordan, with his great strength and skill with his
hammer easily dispatched the first lizardman to come at him, causing the
others to advance slower and more cautiously.  Pompey had set his spear and
impaled a lizardman that swung down from a vine to attack.  Freeing his
spear, he turned to face the others emerging from the waters.  Driving the
wagon, Therius fought to keep his horses from panicking while the chaos of
battle raged around him.  Unseen by him, Kelnozz leapt from the ground to
the top of the wagon, barely touching the side of it to aid his ascent, and
used his twin longswords to dispatch the green humanoid about the skewer
the merchant.  Then he turned to deal with the other scaled attackers atop
the wagon.

   In a matter of moments the lizardmen lay dead and the guards had little
to show for their efforts save heavy breathing and a grin stretching from
ear to ear on Kelnozz's face.  Nordan searched the corpses, finding little
of value.  Even there weapons were rusty, poorly tempered, and in some
cases little more then tree limbs used as clubs.

   They continued on, anxious to be away from the ambush site.  Therius had
then confided in them that they might expect a few more assaults, and not
necessarily by lizardmen.  The cargo they carried was none other then the
magically sleeping son of the Priestess-Queen of Yolarch, Lesbiche Wollust.
Prince Ragnar had been kidnapped and magically suspended several months
past after a night of drunken celebration of his coming of age and
acceptance by the people of Yolarch as their future king.  Due to his being
a loyal servant of Lesbiche, Therius had tracked him down and stolen him
back from his captors.  Unfortunately, only Lesbiche could perform the
magical ceremony necessary to bring the man out of his sleep.

   Grumbling at their luck, the companions had little choice but to
continue on.  Word apparently spread amongst the small communities of
lizardmen, for though they felt watched on many occasions, three days later
they left the swamp behind them.  A stream paralleled the road they were
on, but other then that no reminder of the swamp was left.

   Another two days saw them entering the southwestern gate of Yolarch, and
upon seeing Therius, the guards took them straightaway to see the
Priestess-Queen of the theocratic city, though no fanfare or celebration
was announced.  Once in front of Lesbiche, the companions were surprised to
find that court had been dismissed prior to their arrival, and further,
that they met with her in her private chambers.

   She thanked them repeatedly, seemingly the grateful mother throughout.
Rewarding them with much gold, they felt quite proud of themselves and
their sudden turn of luck.  Pompey, however, felt something was amiss
throughout the performance.  As soon as they were dismissed from her
presence to special rooms in the palace she herself had arranged for, he
let his feelings be known to his companions.

   Nordan blew such ill thoughts off, explaining that they were due the
reward.  Kelnozz was not so quick to invalidate Pompey's hunch, however. 
Either that or he merely sought an excuse to get himself in trouble again.
Regardless, he was out later that night, prowling stealthily about the
palace.  He returned to Lesbiches private chambers and, distracting the
guards by setting a harmless trap for a servant (tripping him up and making
him spill his platter of dirty dinner plates), he slipped inside her suite
of rooms.  Immediately he felt the unexpected emptiness of the rooms.  She
was not there.  Searching about, he discovered a secret door in a wall near
her large bed that she had poorly tried to conceal.

   Slipping through the darkened passage, Kelnozz briefly wondered how
humans and other races without the ability to see as well in the dark as he
could managed to get by.  Convinced even more of the superiority of the
dark elven race, he stopped at an intersection of passages and realized he
had no idea which way to go.  Randomly choosing, he turned right at the
intersection.  A few more turns, seemingly random, and he opened another
secret door.  This one turned out to be the Queen's audience room. 
Shrugging, Kelnozz returned the way he had came and took a different turn
at the last crossroads.

   He must have explored the passages for hours.  He discovered a long
tunnel that seemed endless.  He guessed that it must lead out of the city.
Another tunnel returned him to his own rooms.  Further searching revealed
the kitchen, two of the guard rooms, a harem in which slept eight scantily
clad women, and finally the one which made him stop, a hidden room devoted
to some dark god.  The temple was occupied as well, by none other then the
Queen herself.  Therius Magnus was with her, and so were a few initiates
and disciples of the evil religion.  What made Kelnozz's breath catch in
his throat was the figure on the alter.  Her son.  The Queen was indeed a
priestess, but not of the order the people of Yolarch suspected.  Instead
of worshipping the generally benign God of Law and Order, Celos, she gave
her soul to Bavorish, the God of death and murder.

   Kelnozz could barely stop to appreciate Lesbiches jewelry adorned but
otherwise nude form.  He noted that she must have magic aiding her, for she
did not appear nearly old enough to be the mother of her recently
rediscovered son.  He turned immediately to warn his companions when he
heard something that made him stop.  It was the noise of whimpering.

   The prince, barely old enough to be a man, was magically held upon the
altar spread eagled.  For one so young as to have only just reached his
majority, to be bound naked was no doubt a terrifying experience.  He bore
it well, considering Lesbiche's chanting and behavior.  She held a wicked
looking dagger with 4 curved blades coming out of the hilt.  Not knowing
how he knew, Kelnozz knew what the dagger was meant to do.

   Lesbiche finished her chanting and crawled atop the altar with her son.
There was no doubting her beauty, for her well rounded breasts swung freely
as she leaned over the boy and her curved hips settled about his waist. 
Her long brown hair fell about the Ragnar's face, hiding his terrified
expression from Kelnozz.  The dark elf watched the evil priestess grinding
her hips against her sons, drawing an erection from the barely adolescent
boy in spite of the terror in his eyes.  Satisfied, she threw her head back
and allowed everyone to see the glint of lust in her eyes and the wicked
smile she wore on her face.  Lifting up her hips, she drove herself down on
the boys burgeoning manhood.

   Kelnozz's disgust took form at that point.  Red eyes glowing with rage,
the dark elf pushed open the secret door and burst into the room. 
Lesbiche's eyes flew to his and the evil grin she wore chilled him to the
bone.  Unholy guards came at him, overriding their surprise.

   Kelnozz disemboweled the first one, then ducked the halberd of the next
one and drove a longsword through the mans throat.  He walked towards the
altar, intent upon destroying the evil priestess when he had to stop and
deal with two more guards that had not reacted as quickly.  The first of
these felt Kelnozz's steel in his stomach, and the second fell back cursing
as a deep wound opened along his sword arm.  Kelnozz turned to continue his
assault upon the altar when he heard Therius finish chanting and a chill
crept over his limbs.  He took two more steps before he found his limbs
refusing to obey him.

   Helpless, Kelnozz watched as the boy whimpered and pleaded with his
mother to release him as she raped him.  Nature took its course, however,
and very soon the young man was fighting against what was happening inside
of him.  The queen moaned loudly as her own powers were being augmented by
the sexual energy flowing into her.  She raised up so that she was sitting
upon her son, still riding him to their inevitable orgasm.  The sacrificial
dagger was raised high in anticipation of the result of their writhing and
pumping thighs.

   Kelnozz gritted his teeth and fought against his imprisonment, but other
then a bare minimum of facial muscle control, he could do nothing.  Behind
him, Therius was using his dark powers to save the mortally wounded guard
and then heal the other one.  The first two were clearly dead already.

   Kelnozz felt an overpowering sickness pass through him as the energies
in the room began to manifest.  Ragnar could fight it no longer, and he
thrust up into his mother, filling her with seed as though she were one of
the many courtesans he had tumbled throughout his youth.  Lesbiche drove
the dagger down at the same time, the blades magically opening and spearing
into the prince's chest.  Her own orgasm overtook her then, making her
writhe and grind her sex against her dying sons.  They writhed against one
another briefly, then she pulled the dagger free from his chest, holding
his still beating heart within it's blades.  With each beat blood spurt
onto their naked and sweaty bodies.  In spite of her sons final moments,
she continued to grind herself against him, using her fey powers to draw
every last bit of life from him.

   Kelnozz watched in growing revulsion as the young man he had returned to
his doom finally went limp, seeming to sag and deflate in death.  Lesbiche
continued to writhe against him, milking the corpses member and bringing
herself another orgasm in the process.  Satisfied at last, she climbed off
of her murdered son and knelt in front of the altar.  She began chanting
again, completing the ritual by causing magical flames to erupt within the
dagger and consume the cooling heart.

   With the ritual completed, she rose and turned to face Kelnozz.  Knowing
him helpless, she walked up to him and ran her fingertips along his jawbone
seductively.  Inside he trembled with rage, but outside only the glow of
his eyes showed his mood.

   "You have witnessed something few people not of our order can boast to
have seen," She whispered in his ear.  "But don't worry, you won't escape
with your life to tell anyone of it."

   She backed up and smiled wickedly at him.  He knew nothing of fear, only
loathing and hatred of the woman before him.  More so when she stepped
forward again and began to undo the ties on his breeches.  "It works best
when the sacrifice is a virgin, but alas, keeping young Ragnar from sex
would have driven his nannies insane.  All the more so since one of them
was his first."

   "The ritual has to take place when they are adult," She continued,
rubbing against him with her hands.  "The sacrifice to Bavorish instills me
with great power and extends my life years beyond count.  He may have made
a good King one day, but only by deposing me as Queen.  Unacceptable."

   "You and your companions will be killed and put on display in the public
square for the murder of my son that my faithful servant Therius so readily
recovered from his kidnappers," She said, having told Kelnozz all she
wished of the ritual he had just witnessed.  She dropped Kelnozz's breeches
and took his flaccid member in her hands.  "Just so you know the true
futility of your situation, my son was never kidnapped, he escaped on his
own when he chanced across this hidden temple to My Lord Bavorish and
discovered the truth while wandering through the hidden passages in hopes
of returning secretly from a celebration with the commoners of his coming
of age."

   Kelnozz found that he could actually grind his teeth in frustration now,
though further movement seemed impossible.  Lesbiche sank to her knees in
front of him then, still fondling him.  "Normally I prefer the love of a
woman," she explained to him, "but tonight I'm in the mood for some dark
meat."

   Kelnozz may have been unable to move, but he could still feel.  And what
he felt was her mouth descending upon him.  He groaned quietly and fought
within himself to deny her any satisfaction.  Fighting against her skills
and talents proved even more difficult then fighting the spell that held
him, however, and soon he found himself growing in her mouth.  She looked
up at him and smiled wickedly, redoubling her efforts.

   However, the distraction served to distract Kelnozz from the spell
imprisoning him.  He realized all of a sudden that he was rapidly gaining
more control of his movements.  Moving carefully so as to not alert them,
he had most of the control of his arms back, and even limited mobility of
his legs.  His rage turning cold, he waited a few more precious seconds for
the spell to wear off.

   Lesbiche was having more of an affect upon him then he realized as well.
Knowing how close he was, she continued her assault upon him with her
mouth. She raised her dagger high above her head in a two handed grip with
the intent of thrusting it into Kelnozz's chest when he exploded in her.

   A distraction caused Lesbiche to stop momentarily.  Kelnozz quietly
breathed a sigh of relief, he wasn't fully able to move yet but he had been
very close to losing his heart.  A full ten soldiers led in a bound Pompey
and Nordan.  Nordan was naked, captured in his sleep, while Pompey had
slept in his armor and expected trouble.  Both were without weapons,
however.

   "You should listened to me!" Pompey hissed to Nordan, upon seeing the
scene before them.

   "Welcome," Lesbiche said huskily.  "I can't remember ever having so many
to sacrifice to Bavorish, he will surely look upon me with favor.  As well
the people of Yolarch will lend me their support in getting over my son
being murdered by three assassins claiming to be my friends."

   Pompey fought against his bonds, murder clearly in his eyes.  Nordan
stood there, seemingly calm, but by his increased breathing and the look in
his eyes, it was obvious murder was indeed on his mind, but not the type
Lesbiche had spoken of.

   "Bitch, I'll not rest until this town is razed and you have felt the
tender mercies of a barbarian horde!" Nordan spat out finally.

   "That would indeed make a grand sacrifice, but I think not, my tribal
friend.  No, instead I'll finish your dark elven friend here then your
other companion.  He is short, but I've heard men from Trillindad are well
gifted.  Finally, seeing how they faired, it will be your turn, I can
already see that you will not disappoint me," she smiled as she looked
straight at his revealed manhood.  "I don't think you'll have quite the
long spear your elf friend has, but it certainly looks to be a wide enough
ram to tear down my gates."

   With that in mind, she turned her attentions back to Kelnozz's still
hard member.  Kelnozz groaned as his torture was begun anew.  This time,
however, he was free of the spell and ready to move.  Waiting for her to
descend upon him, he dropped one sword and reached behind her head.  He
yanked her head into his crotch, forcing himself into her throat
unexpectedly.  Lesbiche's eyes flew open as she began to gag on him.  He
held her there for a moment, then pushed her away roughly.

   Leaping up, Kelnozz left his breeches on the ground.  Coming out of the
distraction, one of the new guards rushed him.  He rolled away as the guard
swung his short sword at him, and came up with his dropped longsword in
hand, allowing him to fight two handed again.  Before the guard even turned
around, Kelnozz had hamstrung him and turned to rush towards his friends.

   Nordan gritted his teeth and roared as he flexed his muscles.  The ropes
securing his arms frayed and then burst under his great strength, allowing
him to grab the guard nearest him and break his neck.  He picked the guard
up and threw him into another one coming towards him, giving him enough
time to untie to rope around his feet.

   Pompey continued to tear at his ropes, but was unable to do anything
with them.  He did, however, manage to use his plumed helm to advantage as
he smashed it into the guard holding onto him.  The guard stumbled back,
momentarily senseless.  Pompey took steps as long as the ropes would allow
him and moved to Nordan's side.

   Kelnozz heard some chanting and instinctively knew what was next.  He
dropped a sword again and pulled a dagger from his belt.  Turning, he threw
it, unsure of his target due to his haste.  The dagger bit true, however,
hitting Therius in the hand and interrupting his spell casting.  Kelnozz
grabbed up his longsword while using the other one to deflect a spear
thrust at him from a guard.  He used the reacquired longsword to run the
guard through, then he was back on his feet and running towards the secret
door.

   Seeing Kelnozz meant to escape, Nordan grabbed Pompey and threw him over
his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.  Pompey's grunt told him he was fine,
so Nordan ran to Kelnozz and ducked into the passage.

   Kelnozz led them to the passage he suspected led out of the city,
leaving a still retching Lesbiche behind with her guards.  The tunnel did
indeed lead out of the city, ending at a very large rock.  Nordan finally
put Pompey down and moved to the rock.  Kelnozz cut Pompey's ropes and the
warrior cursed under his breath as blood returned to his limbs.  He glared
at Nordan throughout.

   Grunting in exertion, the stone finally rolled away from the cave
opening enough for the three of them to slip through single file.  Outside
Nordan again put his shoulder to it and slowly sealed the secret tunnel
off.

   "You could have helped," He said, looking at his companions.

   "I wanted to see if you could do it," Kelnozz said, already looking
about and getting his bearings.  "We're East of the city."

   "Let's head east then," Nordan said, moving forward.

   Pompey and Kelnozz looked to one another then, as one, shrugged and
followed him.  "Why east?" Pompey asked.

   "I mean to make good on my threat," Nordan said.  "My tribe hunts this
land and lives nearby."

   "Ha!  That's why you came to us with no breeches!" Helmut said around a
mouthful of venison.  "And why you were naked without even a weapon!" This
to Nordan.  "A good story, I see why you wish this place ruined.  Ah, to be
young again."

   "I will send runners to the other clans out in the morn.  Eat, drink,
and wench now, for tomorrow we may die!" Helmut said, echoing the
barbarians code of life.  "We will plunder this city in less then one
moon."

   Nordan drained his horn of ale and slammed the table in appreciation. 
"This will be a good fight, uncle!"

   Pompey looked around and noticed Kelnozz had gotten up and moved off. 
He slipped away from the table and wandered off a bit looking for him.  He
found him sitting on a log at the edge of the barbarians camp site, staring
into the clear night sky.

   "Problems my friend?" Pompey asked, sitting beside him.

   "No, I just wished for some respite from the feasting."

   "Do you think we stand a chance?" Pompey asked after a moment of shared
silence.

   Kelnozz chuckled and turned to look at the shorter man.  "I don't really
know, but it will be a lot of fun."

   Pompey watched Kelnozz get up and walk back to the party, wondering why
he stuck around his friends with their warped sense of what they considered
fun.

   "I'd say we took them rather by surprise!" Pompey called out to Nordan
as they ran through the streets of Yolarch towards the palace.  Nordan
grunted agreement, looking about as they charged a group of guards
defending the palace.  Helmut ran beside him, a feral grin on his face as
he relived his youth.  A few other barbarians ran with them as well,
screaming their battle cries as the battle was joined.  A small group of
barbarians, including the three companions, had come forth at dawn and
acted as common travelers intent upon entering the city.  At the gate the 8
of them drew weapons and struck down the guards.  For nearly 15 minutes
they fought a vicious battle to hold the gatehouse, but it was a battle
that they won.  They lost 3 barbarians in that fight, but the rest of the
horde hiding outside the range of the guards night vision had gained the
gate before they were driven back.  With the gate captured, it took some
time to secure a foothold in the city.  Once that was theirs though,
Yolarch was theirs for the taking.  They raced through it, fighting pockets
of soldiers throughout, but meeting little organized resistance.  The
palace was where the true fight would be, and both defender and attacker
alike raced for it.  "What happened to the elf?" Nordan asked, hitting a
defenders shield so hard with his hammer that both shield and the mans arm
were broken.  "I don't know," Pompey said, leaving his spear imbedded in a
defenders chest and pulling out his gladius.  "He said something about
meeting up with us at the palace." Nordan grunted again and continued to
pound away at the defenders.  Their group was the first to reach the
palace, before many of the city watch had even reached it.  A few more
minutes of fighting and a brief hole opened around them.  "Get inside,
lad!" Helmut shouted, blocking a sword with his axe.  "We'll hold them off,
you two get in there and end this!" Nordan looked about for a moment,
hesitating.  Pompey had no such qualms, however, and after grabbing his
spear and ripping it free from the corpse that sheathed it, he grabbed
Nordan's arm and tugged him toward the open doors of the palace.  Nordan
stumbled at first but quickly caught up, having been committed to a course
of action.  They raced through the halls towards the Queens audience
chamber, passing many terrified servants and scribes along the way. 
Finally they stood before the double doors of the audience chamber.  It was
barred shut.  Growling, Nordan tried kicking it open, to no avail.  He
backed up and charged it, shoulder lowered.  Pompey grimaced as there was a
loud cracking noise when Nordan connected with it.  The doors shuddered and
seemed about to give, but in the end it was they that held and Nordan that
picked himself off the floor.  "There must be another way in!" Pompey said,
looking about frantically.  "Use this," Nordan said, pulling a stone statue
of a beautiful girl across the floor.  Pompey nodded and together the
picked up the heavy statue.  Taking a practice swing first, they soon had
the makeshift ram ready and it crashed into the doors, thudding loudly
against them but causing no additional damage.  They swung it again and
again, but after 10 swings the doors had only warped a small amount more
and Pompey was forced to drop the heavy ram.  "C'mon lads, we can take this
down!" Helmut said, running up beside them.  Pompey and Nordan glanced at
him, seeing the blood running from a gash on his forehead and another on
his cheek.  He sported some similar wounds on the rest of his body, but
nothing was deep enough to be dangerous.  Nordan nodded and threw his
shoulder into the door again.  Helmut attacked the other door the same way
and over their heavy breathing and straining the large bar prohibiting
entry could be heard to be cracking.  Pompey dropped his spear and jumped
between the two barbarians, throwing his shoulder into it as well.  While
nowhere near as strong as the others, he was a long time soldier and had
developed more then the average amount of muscle over the years.  With all
three of them straining at it, the doors soon gave in, pushing in with a
last groan of twisted wood.  Pompey grabbed up his spear and thrust it into
the neck of the first guard to rush them, allowing Helmut and Nordan to
clear the doors enough for them all to advance and ready their weapons. 
Pompey found himself set upon by a group of 3 soldiers, and Helmut was
stopped from helping him by 4 others.  Nordan charged Lesbiche, who sat
upon her throne on a dais at the other end of the audience hall.  On his
way there one of her advisors made some hand motions towards Nordan and he
gritted his teeth expecting a magical spell to hit home.  When nothing
happened he relaxed a bit.  Just then silky strands of magical spider
webbing floated down about him, sticking to him and trapping him in their
midst.  Nordan howled in rage and tore at the webbing, finding it separated
fairly easily under his strength, but he had a lot of it to get through
still.  Therius stood nearby Lesbiche as well, and he once again began to
invoke his spell of paralysis.  Helmut had disabled one of his opponents
and killed two already, so he was his first target.  Triggering the spell,
Therius was shocked to see Helmut completely unaffected by it.  He figured
it out when he saw a ring on the barbarians finger glowing briefly as it
absorbed the magical powers of the spell.  Uncertain of what else it might
absorb, he redirected his next spell towards Pompey.  Pompey had just
finished slaying two of his own opponents, and the third charged towards
him with his sword raised.  Pompey was raising his spear to block the sword
when the spell hit him and froze him in place.  The guard had been ready to
avoid the block and skewer Pompey with his longsword.  However, with Pompey
frozen, the guard merely ended up crashing into the head of the spear
prematurely.  Had Pompey been able to, he would have fallen to the floor
laughing at the circumstances; himself held immobile while the guard stood
transfixed upon the point of his spear, coughing up blood and dying
rapidly. His hidden amusement turned to alarm when he saw the wizard upon
the dais begin another spell towards Nordan.  Nordan had made it nearly
halfway through the 20 feet of magical webbing when the spiraling ball of
flame came floating rapidly towards him.  Having fought wizards before, he
knew he was in trouble and he turned and dove back the way he had came. 
The ball of fire hit the ground right in front of where he had been and
exploded.  Nordan felt himself thrown further from the blast, landing
painfully on the ground.  As well much of his body hair had been singed,
but overall he was not hurt to badly.  All of the webbing had been
vaporized by the spell.  Helmet and Nordan advanced side by side, having
nothing but a good 40 feet of open space between them and the dais. 
Lesbiche rose from her throne, letting her robe part in front to reveal her
nakedness beneath.  Her pet wizard beside her stepped closer and readied
another spell.  Therius was on her other side, and he called upon the dark
powers of his God, preparing a spell that would surely suck the life from
the barbarians.  "I applaud you on getting this close, but now you will
die," Lesbiche said, apparently unfazed by the destruction done to her
city. "Before you die, you will pay a thousand times for the interruptions
you have caused me.  You will beg for death long before I give it to you!"
"Therius, immobilize them!" She snapped.  She turned when her command was
not immediately carried out.  She saw Therius' mouth opening and shutting a
few times before he finally said, "I...  I can't..." Snarling she hissed at
him, "Why not?!" "Because he's dead," Kelnozz said, stepping out of the
shadows behind him and pushing the evil priest so that he lost his balance
and fell to the floor.  A dagger protruded from his back, sunk into the
hilt.  "You!" Lesbiche hissed, seeing Kelnozz pulling one of his long
swords out.  "You expected Prince Ragnar, perhaps?" The dark elf asked,
smiling sarcastically.  "Did you come back to let me finish what I
started?" She asked, still certain of her victory.  Kelnozz reached behind
his back and untied the thong to a warhammer he had liberated from
Lesbiche's armory from his weapon belt.  It came free in his hand and he
tossed it high in the air towards Nordan.  "No, I came to see you destroyed
once and for all!" He said, drawing his other sword finally.  Seeing the
hammer coming towards him, Nordan took aim at the wizard, who had begun
another spell, and threw.  His aim was as true, and his hammer crashed into
the wizards forearm and then side, knocking him to the ground and taking
the breath from his lungs.  Nordan then caught the hammer that Kelnozz had
tossed to him from the sky before it reached the ground.  Lesbiche incanted
her own spell and a glowing spectral mace appeared in her hand.  She caught
Kelnozz unaware with this and swung at him, nearly connecting.  He figured
the mace had some evil ability to it, so he determined he would do whatever
was necessary to stay out of it's reach.  With Therius dead, Pompey
suddenly found himself free to move again.  He pulled his spear free from
the dead guard and ran towards the dais, trying to get there in time. 
Nordan and Helmut moved closer as well, intent upon reaching it, but not
wanting to interfere with Kelnozz's battle.  Kelnozz easily dodged away
from the evil priestess' mace, and in return he used the flat of his blades
on her, stinging and slapping whenever an opportunity presented itself. 
The rage and embarrassment of such treatment showed itself in her erratic
attacks.  Before long she lunged at him, overbalancing herself.  Kelnozz
spun around behind her and, with a laugh, delivered a solid kick to her
backside.  Lesbiche was launched off the dais and on to the floor in front
of Nordan and Helmut.  The barbarians quickly secured her, making certain
that she was bound and gagged so she could cast no more spells.  Trussed up
as she was, they tore off her robe and openly admired her naked form. 
"You'll not get away so easily!" They all spun to the mage's words, seeing
him back on his feet and already beginning a new spell.  With none of them
close enough to stop him, they realized they were doomed.  Fate intervened
in the form of Pompey's thrown spear.  It took the mage in the belly,
doubling him over and relieving him of any bladder control problems. 
"About time you helped out!" Kelnozz said, hopping down from the dais and
grinning towards Pompey.  The elder warrior shook his head but couldn't
help but grin back at the dark elf.  They clasped hands and turned back to
Lesbiche.  "What shall we do with her?" Pompey asked.  Nordan and Helmut
were already removing their breeches.  "I'm going to keep my promise,"
Nordan said, maneuvering her into a position more to his liking.  Pompey
shook his head and turned away.  "You don't want to help punish her for her
crimes?" Kelnozz asked, stepping beside him.  "No, it's not my way.  I
prefer my women willing," He said.  "Aye, me as well, what say we go and
find some willing women once this silly ruckus is over?" Pompey looked at
the elf to see if he was serious.  Seeing he was, he shook his head again
and said, "You're crazy, Kelnozz!" "I may be crazy," Kelnozz said, "but
you're the one that keeps following me!" Pompey stopped short as the elf's
words hit him.  Then he started laughing and hurried to catch up to his
friend.





















   The evening sun shone down warmly on the backs of the grazing herd of
deer.  Of the six deer, the buck in charge of his does caught an unfamiliar
scent and looked up nervously.  From his other side a reassuring hand
lightly touched upon its coat, stroking it soothingly.  At first startled,
the buck did not instantly bolt.  It regarded the tall black skinned elf
that had managed to sneak into the midst of the herd and catch them
unaware. Still uncertain, the deer again caught the strange scent, this
time stronger and closer.  It detected danger in the scent, causing it's
ears to prick up and it to move nervously.  Kelnozz tried again to soothe
the dear, but it was too nervous now.  It grunted a warning to it's does
and they all turned to run.  The does ran away, but the buck took three
steps before it's flight ended in a crash to the ground.  The dark elven
warrior sighed and slid his blade back into its scabbard.  He walked over
to the body of the slain deer and noticed the beautiful 8 point rack the
severed head still boasted.  "How'd you manage that?" Kelnozz's friend, a
short human warrior dressed as a gladiator asked.  "Not as easily as it
should have been, the two of you need to bathe and stay downwind next
time!" He replied.  "You nearly made me lose the kill, and we would have
then gone hungry tonight." The other warrior, a giant of a man called
Nordan, laughed loudly and said, "If not this deer, then another we would
have found!  You worry too much, Kelnozz, let us eat!" Kelnozz scowled good
naturedly at the gruff barbarian.  Pompey knelt down and began to dress the
deer.  "Do we camp now or continue to the tower?" Pompey asked, trying to
determine how he should deal with the meat.  "The wizard's domain is half a
day distant still," Kelnozz said, already surveying the area they were in
for a good campsite.  "Aye, it's settled then, we camp!" Nordan said
happily, pulling out a skin filled with mead and draining half of it in one
pull.  The three companions started a fire, spit the carcass, and roasted
it while setting up the rest of their camp.  The sun set as they began
their meal.  "Do you believe the townsfolk?" Pompey asked after they
finished their meal and sat quietly.  "About what?" Kelnozz asked.  "That
this wizard is protected by demons?" Kelnozz shrugged.  "What difference
does it make?" "I just like to know what I'm going to be facing," Pompey
grunted, irritated by the casual attitude Kelnozz held towards such
powerful beings.  They lapsed into silence for a time, and finally the
silence was broken by the snoring sounds coming from Nordan.  Kelnozz
smirked while Pompey shook his head in continuing disbelief at how easily
his companions dealt with things.  "I'll take first watch," Pompey offered,
figuring he wouldn't be sleeping for a while.  Kelnozz nodded and lay down
on his own bedroll.  In seconds he was asleep.

   They moved out the next morning.  Already 3 days out from the town of
Sanctuary, they moved more cautiously now.  Ahead lay the demesne of a
powerful wizard said to plague the inhabitants of the surrounding lands. 
Fortunately, the only civilized lands nearby belonged to the people of
Sanctuary; a rough and hardy lot to be sure.

   "Are the priests right?" Pompey asked during their midmorning trek.  "Is
this wizard truly trying to summon a being able to lead a force of darkness
aimed at dominating the world in his name?"

   "He's a wizard, who knows what he wants," Nordan said gruffly, his
distaste for wielders of magic showing.

   "They believe it, and more importantly, they are paying us to deal with
it, which is something we need after that incident the two of you got us
into when we met that merchant caravan."

   Nordan chuckled and Pompey sighed at the memory.  "Yes, they cheated at
cards better then we did."

   Kelnozz shook his head disapprovingly and walked on in silence.  The
other two followed suit.  Another hour of walking had them fording a
stream, and as soon as they set foot on the opposing bank all three of them
felt the change.

   The air became colder, and a chill ran down their spines.  The chatter
of insects and birds dropped off abruptly, leaving them in eerie silence in
an otherwise bright and cheery day.  Kelnozz motioned for his friends to
wait behind while he scouted ahead.

   Chafing at the caution, the two warriors waited while the dark elf
sneaked ahead.  Their wait was not overlong, though the fifteen minutes
seemed to be hours.  Kelnozz returned and motioned them to quietly follow
him.  Preparing their weapons, they followed the quiet rogue as he slipped
through the increasingly dark and foreboding forest.

   Ere long they hid in the underbrush at a tree line where the forest
ended and the clearing that the tower stood within began.  The tower
stretched up roughly 60 feet into the sky.  A plain oaken door bound in
iron stood at the base of it, with a sculpted statue of a horrific creature
on each side of the door.  The statues resembled a cross of something that
was half vulture, half man.  Pompey suppressed a shudder as they examined
the tower and it's surroundings.

   "You know that those statues are anything but statues, don't you?"
Kelnozz asked.

   Nordan grunted and Pompey nodded his head yes, though in truth he had no
idea.

   "Any other ways in?" Pompey asked, hoping the magic in his spear was
enough to pierce the hide of the magical guardians.

   Kelnozz shook his head and stood up to prepare for the conflict.  He
drew his twin long swords and waited for his companions to join him.  "We
must strike quickly and true, for the wizard will no doubt know of our
assault as soon as it is begun.  Nordan you take the door, Pompey and I
shall defeat the guardians."

   Before anyone could respond, Kelnozz was off.  Pompey cursed and set off
after him, lowering his spear at one of the guardians.  Nordan let out a
war cry and joined them.

   As they neared the tower, the statues shimmered and came alive.  Their
flesh faded from a stony gray to a pallid white.  They both screeched
loudly, brandishing lethal looking claws.

   Battle was joined.  Kelnozz deftly avoided the razor sharp talons and
let his swords bite deeply into the demonic guardian.  Pompey used the
length of his spear to keep his assailant at bay, swinging it back and
forth to keep the creature from closing.  Nordan ignored them both and
swung his hammer at the door.

   The door shattered in a magical explosion under the powerful onslaught.
Nordan staggered backwards a few steps from the force of the explosion. 
Shaking his head, he shrugged off the effects of it and plunged into the
tower.

   Kelnozz cursed at Nordan and adopted a more offensive role against the
demon he fought.  The demon was able to slash twice at Kelnozz in this way
before the magical blades the elf wielded found a home in it's ribcage. 
The creature screeched weakly and dissolved into smoke, dispelled back to
the hell it had been summoned from.

   Pompey took an opening he had and plunged his spear into the bowels of
the demon he fought.  It howled in rage and agony and grabbed onto the
shaft of the spear.  Pompey pushed forward, certain it would try to rip it
out.  Instead, the demon pulled on the spear and pushed it's body forward,
impaling it even deeper but bringing Pompey closer.  When Pompey realized
what was happening, he dropped the spear and struggled to pull the gladius
from his belt.  The guardian was to close by then though, and it's talons
slashed down at him, cutting him deeply on the arm and latching onto his
shoulder.

   Kelnozz ran inside to find another shattered door and a entry room
beyond.  To the side a stair case wound around the outer wall of the tower,
leading up.  Seeing some blood stains along the wall, Kelnozz knew Nordan
had gone this way.  He followed quickly, taking the steps two and three at
a time.

   The next room up was a living quarters and study.  Great book cases
lined the walls, filled with arcane texts.  The stairs continued up, and
now the sounds of battle came from above.  Muttering oaths under his
breath, Kelnozz continued up.

   What awaited him was a surprising sight.  The wizard stood behind a
podium with scrolls stretched across it.  In front of him lay a summoning
circle with a pentagram engraved upon the floor within it.  The wizard was
chanting and a white glowing portal was slowly taking shape within the
circle.

   "Kill the wizard!" Nordan shouted.

   Kelnozz's attention switched to Nordan and he saw that he battled
against a terrible foe.  A demon with 6 arms, a cruel and wicked looking
weapon in each hand.  The upper body of a well proportioned woman and the
lower body of a snake.  The demons tail was in fact wrapped around one of
Nordan's legs, immobilizing him effectively.

   Obeying his wishes, the elf dropped one of his swords and drew a dagger
from his belt.  Flicking his wrist, he smiled vindictively as the wizard
jerked back from the impact and stuttered his incantation.  The look of
pain on his face disappeared as he realized what had happened.  He
struggled to regain control of the spell, but it was too late.  The magical
energies took on a life of their own.

   Reclaiming his sword, Kelnozz hacked at the tail that his friend was
caught up in.  In a spray of black ichor, the tail was severed and Nordan
free.  Howling in barbaric glee, he charged forward, swinging his hammer
without abandon.  Kelnozz leapt beside his friend and joined the attack,
driving the wounded demon back and finally backing it against a wall. 
Using coordinated attacks, they beat past the 6 deadly blades it wielded
and struck again and again, until the supernatural being was weakened
enough to allow them to strike a blow that dispatched it back to the abyss
from which it came.

   "You fools!  You ruined my spell and caused all of us to die!  But I
will make sure you die first!"

   Both of them spun about quickly to see the wizard raising his arms. 
Blood flowed from the dagger still impaled in his belly, but this time the
spell completed as intended.  A searing beam of fire shot out from each
hand, striking each of them and driving them back as the tried to escape
the agony of the spell.

   The wizard began another spell, knowing that the invaders still lived.
Before he could finish it he jerked forward.  The arcing electricity that
had begun to gather around his hands instead began to flow down into the
wizard.  It made him spasm and convulse, finishing off the job of killing
him.  The magical electricity arced up the metal shaft of the spear
transfixing him and entered the hands and body of Pompey.  Pompey was blown
back by the force of the magic and slammed into a wall before crumpling to
the floor unmoving.

   The magical summoning in the middle of the room continued to grow and
pulse.  Nordan finished rolling around putting out the flames on his furs
and proceeded to help Kelnozz take off his nearly red hot chain mail.  Once
free they watched the rogue summoning, both of them injured but ready to
fight again.  Pompey remained motionless, with neither of them certain if
he still lived.

   The light continued to grow brighter, and soon they could see a humanoid
shape outlined within it.  With a final brilliant pulse of energy the light
receded and the standing figure collapsed to the floor.

   When their vision cleared, they saw that what had been summoned did not
appear to be a ferocious demon.  It did not have the looks of a
bloodthirsty minion of hell.  In fact, it looked about as harmless as a
kitten.  What it appeared to be was a wet and naked young women only
recently come into her prime.  Her magical origins were nearly confirmed
when they looked at her though, for her form seemed beautiful above and
beyond what was mortally possible.  Long flowing black hair graced her head
and a figure the Gods would be hard pressed to recreate.  She rolled over
and groaned as she opened her eyes.  They saw that the only hair that
appeared on her body was on her head.

   "What manner of being are you?" Kelnozz said, eyeing her warily.

   Nordan was speechless, finding the object of beauty something that
nearly separated his wits from his body.

   The summoned creature looked at Kelnozz in surprise.  She looked at her
surroundings and quickly jumped to her feet and tried to back up.  When she
reached the edge of the circle, however, she was unable to retreat any
further.

   "What are you?" Kelnozz asked again, taken back by the creatures
defensive behavior.

   The girl frowned, and opened her mouth and made a noise.  Neither Nordan
nor Kelnozz could understand her, however.  At that time the girl seemed to
realize that she was naked.  Her arms quickly sought to conceal herself,
though obviously it did little save make her look more appealing.

   "Wait here," Kelnozz told them, not caring whether the girl understood
or not, and went downstairs to the wizards bedchamber.  He poked around
very carefully, mindful of magical traps, and found a spare robe that was
the wizards.  He noticed the magical runes and insignias on it and
shrugged, figuring it was better then nothing.

   Returning he found Nordan staring lewdly at the girl, who looked
increasingly uncomfortable.  "Be ready," He warned, and stepped towards the
circle.

   Scuffing his foot across the line of powder that formed the circle,
Kelnozz broke the circle of protection.  He advanced upon the girl, his
stance ready to spring away in a second if she threatened.  Gingerly she
reached out and took it from him, retreating beyond the circle to put the
podium between herself and them before she quickly donned the robe.  When
it was about her, she shivered briefly in spite of the heat in the room.

   Less self conscious, she spoke again, "Who are you?"

   Kelnozz was surprised that he could understand her this time.  "Nay
lass, who are you?"

   She realized they were the ones holding the weapons and in control of
the situation.  "Um, I'm Alesha.  Alesha Koronski."

   "Are you a demon?" Nordan asked, his mind free to work now that it
wasn't preoccupied with her nudity.

   "A...demon?" she asked cautiously.

   "Yes, a demon...  a being from the abyss, summoned by the wizard to lead
his armies to conquer the world," Kelnozz said, his eyes narrowing as he
examined her.

   "No...  no, I'm just a girl.  I was taking a bath and my little brother
was being a brat and trying to get in the bathroom.  He finally picked the
lock and opened the door up quickly, it hit the sink and my blow dryer fell
off and I was terrified that it was going to fall in the bathtub and
electrocute me and I....  And I would die...  is that what happened?  Am I
dead?  Is this Heaven?  Or...the other place?"

   Kelnozz raised his hand to try and stop her talking.  Once started, she
didn't appear to want to stop.

   "Nay girl, you are not dead.  This wizard," Kelnozz kicked the wizards
corpse, "was trying to summon a great demon or devil when we intruded upon
him.  We stopped him but not early enough, instead his spell went awry and
it appears to have conjured you instead."

   "Um...a wizard?  Magic?  Where am I?" She was clearly having trouble
absorbing everything told to her.

   "Where are you from that you know not of this place?" Kelnozz
interrupted.

   "St.  Petersburg.  Florida."

   Kelnozz and Nordan looked at each other for an answer.  Neither had one,
so they turned back to her.

   "This is Belurian, two days northwest of Sanctuary," Nordan answered.

   "Nordan, check on Pompey," Kelnozz said, remembering their fallen
companion.

   "Where on earth is Belurian?" Alesha asked in a small voice.

   "This world is known as Viconia, not Earth, though the earth is indeed
beneath us."

   "I'm not on Earth anymore..." The girl collapsed to the ground, fainting
from the sudden shock of her situation.

   "Some champion of evil," Kelnozz muttered as he went over to her and
made sure she wasn't injured.  He picked her up easily and carried her over
to where Nordan knelt next to Pompey.

   "How is he?"

   Nordan looked up at Kelnozz and shook his head.  "The demon wounded him
badly, perhaps enough to kill him, given time.  But the wizards magic made
sure of it."

   Tightening his jaw, Kelnozz nodded.  They left the tower then, leaving
it as they had found it, plus two corpses.  Outside the tower they noticed
that the evilness in the ground and air had abated with the death of the
wizard.  Figuring themselves safe, they set up camp outside the tower as
night was fast approaching.

   Alesha woke soon but stayed mostly quiet, huddling within her new
garment.  Finally she said, "What's this...  um...  this place, what's it
like?"

   Nordan looked to Kelnozz and shrugged, indicating the elf should field
the question.  "What do you mean?"

   She forced her gaze away from the fire and looked at him.  "What are
you? I've seen black people before, but never like you.  Your eyes...  your
ears...  they're different."

   Kelnozz smiled, "I'm a dark elf.  Pretty average for my race.  There are
no elves where you come from?

   She shook her head, tears coming to her eyes.  "What else is there
here?"

   Kelnozz tipped his head to the side, trying to think of how to answer
her.  "Well, there are dwarves, halflings, orcs, light elves, ogres,
giants, trolls, lizardmen, dragons, and the list goes on and on.  Most
anything you can think up has existed here at one time or another."

   "I feel like I'm in a bad movie," She muttered, staring back into the
fire again.

   Kelnozz chuckled at her tone, even though he had no idea what a movie
was.

   "Kel, how come we can understand her now and she us?" Nordan asked,
finishing up with cleaning the rabbits they had snared for dinner.

   "I think it's that robe I found for her.  See the sigils on it?  I
believe it's a wizards robe."

   "Should she be wearing it?" He was spitting the first rabbit.

   Kelnozz shrugged.

   "Jesus Christ!  Quit talking about me as if I'm not here!" Alesha
snapped, jumping to her feet.

   "Who?" Both men asked, looking around quickly.

   Alesha's stopped pacing and stared at them open mouthed.  "Jesus Christ,
son of God," She whispered, afraid to hear their response.

   "Never heard of him," Nordan said, finishing the last rabbit and
beginning to roast them.

   "Which God?" Kelnozz asked, trying to be a little more calming to her.

   Her jaw snapped shut and she closed her eyes tightly.  Finally she took
a deep breath and said, "I need to take a walk and get some fresh air."

   Kelnozz frowned but Nordan said, "Be wary, it should be safe around
here, but some other minions of the wizards may still be about."

   "Yeah, sure.  Whatever.  Look, I'll be fine." With that, Alesha walked
off into the darkness of night.  After a few moments, Kelnozz scowled and
rose to his feet as well.

   "Where are you going, the rabbits are almost done," Nordan said,
scowling at what he knew was the answer.

   "I'll be back, I'm going to make sure she doesn't get herself killed."

   Snorting, Nordan went back to spinning the conies over the fire.

   The girl had stepped on rocks and sharp twigs several times so far,
leaving her feet sore and bleeding.  She sighed when she came to the quiet
stream that marked the edge of the sorcerers lands.  Sitting on the bank of
the stream she let her feet dangle in the water to soothe them.

   She had no idea where she was or what was going on, but she did have to
admit that it was very pretty here.  Not to mention much cleaner.  Even the
air smelled cleaner.  Colors seemed more vibrant and she just felt more
alive then she had before.

   Still, she was terrified of what was happening to her.  Not only was she
stuck with two strange looking and acting men, but they had both seen her
naked!  Not even her boyfriend had seen her like that before.  The black
one was nice at least, but he looked so odd with those high cheekbones and
pointy ears.  A black Spock!  She giggled briefly at the thought of it. 
She always hated that show, Star Trek, but her father had watched it enough
she knew that Kelnozz looked like a Vulcan.  Except for his eyes.  In the
light they looked only a little odd, being lavender in color.  But when it
had gotten darker, they had almost seemed to glow with an inner light. 
Then there was the other one, Nordan.  She had known his kind before.  A
bully and a brute, he used his strength before what little mind he had. 
And when his mind did come into play, it was often his other head that did
the thinking.  The thing that really upset her was their response to God.
She'd always been rather borderline on religion, but she had been baptized
and believed in God.  If they didn't know about God, then she was even more
alone then she thought possible.  Her thoughts were interrupted when she
heard a shuffling in the brush on the other side of the stream.  Looking up
she saw it move and then first one figure came out, then another and
another.  Finally a full eight figures stood on the far shore, considering
her.  They were roughly her height, a few inches shy of six feet, but all
were stocky.  One of them stepped forward into the moonlight and Alesha
felt her breath catch in her throat.  It had a face that was a cross
between a man and a pig, with emphasis on the snout.  The creature in
question turned to the others and grunted out something to them that she
couldn't hear.  Then all eight of them charged across the stream towards
her.  She tried to get to her feet and run, but she tripped on the robe and
heard it tear as she fell to the ground.  Struggling again, she made it to
her feet as the creature grabbed a hold of her robe from behind.  She
opened her mouth to scream but was stopped short when it's hand closed over
her mouth.  Grabbing each of the orcs hands, she pivoted so that the orc
flew over her shoulder and slammed into the ground.  Another one grabbed
her before she could do anything else to it though.  Refusing to give in to
her panic, she stabbed her heel into the orcs instep.  It howled in pain,
then had the breath knocked from it's lungs as her elbow hit it in the
abdomen.  It released her and hopped back.  Taking her chance, she again
tried to run.  The first orc on the ground grabbed her leg on her way past
though, tripping her.  The others then surrounded her.  The orcs spun her
about and began grunting quickly to each other.  Alesha was still able to
understand what they were saying because of the magic of the robe, and she
wished that she hadn't been able to do so.  One held her while another
pulled out an evil looking dagger and used it to cut her robe free from
her. Twice in one day, Alesha found herself stark naked in front of
strangers.  She was crushed against the ground and held under the rotting
breath of one of the orcs while it worked at its breeches.  In a few short
seconds to terrifying to remember, She felt the orc grunt in victory and
she felt it's hard member press against her.  She fought and twisted
against it, but her strength was no match for the brutal rapist.  She
shrieked in agony when the orcs manhood violated her, tearing her
maidenhood in a vicious thrust.  Her will was broken, she lay limp under
the orc as it rutted against her, sliding faster as it lubricated itself in
her blood and juices.  The pain and the shame seemed somehow distant to
her, and her mind floated in a haze.  Dimly she realized that the orc no
longer held its hand over her mouth, and that her shriek might bring help.
She nearly chuckled at the thought of help, and realized it did not matter
to her.  Her attention focused as the orc raping her grunted again and
thrust into her even harder, then filled her with its evil seed.  The
warmth inside of her was a counter-point to the cold feeling that grew in
the pit of her stomach.  She looked at the orc as it climbed off of her and
vowed then and there that it would pay for what it had done to her. 
Another orc took it's place as soon as it was off of her, and she laid
there helpless, thinking that perhaps if she let them have their way with
her they would let her live so she could exact her vengeance.  The orc
groped at her breasts, squeezing, pinching, and scratching them while it
used its cock to batter away at her wounded sex.  After a few excited
thrusts, it found the entrance it sought and plunged deeply into her,
sending shocks of agony anew into her.  In no time she felt another warm
splash of liquid.  The body on top of her stopped moving and collapsed on
her, crushing her under its weight.  She realized that it did not get up
from her, and after a few more seconds of coherent thought she further
realized that the liquid had splashed across her face, throat, and chest,
as well as inside of her.  She brought her now free hands up to touch the
liquid.  Looking at, she realized it was the orcs blood.  She grabbed the
orc and rolled it off of her, gritting her teeth as it pulled free of her.
Once the orc was off she saw that six of the eight orcs lay dead or dying.
Another soon joined them and the remaining orc had started to run away. 
Kelnozz pulled a dagger from his belt and threw it, ending the orcs flight
in a grunt followed by the crash of it falling into some bushes.  The elf
walked up to the wounded orc and pulled his dagger free from its hamstring.
The orc turned to see him, then tried desperately to crawl away from him.
Kelnozz raised a sword and prepared to end the wretched creatures life. 
"Wait!" Kelnozz and the orc both looked back to Alesha, who had risen from
the ground and now walked towards them.  A look of determination was on her
face, and combined with the blood on her upper torso and surrounding her
lost virginity, she looked to be an angel of doom.  "Stake him to the
ground," She demanded, towering over the orc.  "Got any rope?" Kelnozz
asked, keeping the orc from moving by placing a foot upon it's chest and
keeping his sword at it's throat.  Alesha turned to the slain orcs and
glanced them over.  She saw a couple of them carried a length of dirty and
torn rope.  Moving quickly, she pulled the rope free from their corpses and
returned to Kelnozz.  "You want them tied up, you do it." She nodded,
strangely silent, but then sank to her knees beside the orc and began tying
it up.  After a few minutes she was finished and the orc had it's arms
secured behind it's back and each leg tied to a tree, spreading them wide.
Kelnozz put his sword away and sat down on a nearby rock to watch.  "What
are you going to do?" He asked curiously.  "This is the one that raped me
first," she explained, as if that was enough.  Kelnozz nodded, figuring she
wanted to slowly kill it.  He was concerned when he saw her pull the orcs
breeches back down.  His concern changed forms when she grabbed a fist
sized rock in her hand and raised it above her head.  The orc's mouth
opened in a silent scream as her hand descended and crushed it's testicles.
With a mixture of amusement and pity, Kelnozz saw the orc pass out from the
incredible pain that Alesha had inflicted on it.  She stepped back and
glared at the orc for a while, still no emotion evident on her face.  She
moved to the stream and, cupping her hands, brought some of the cool water
over to the orc and splashed it on it's face.  The orc awoke sputtering,
then immediately grimaced in pain and began breathing heavily.  "Give me
one of your knives," Alesha said to Kelnozz, still staring at the orc. 
Kelnozz frowned.  Instead he hopped off the rock and picked up a discarded
short sword one of the orcs had carried.  He handed that to her instead. 
"Good idea, this is dull and rusty," She observed, examining the weapon as
though she knew what she was looking at.  Kelnozz bit back his chuckle and
watched as she again knelt down by the orc.  She took his flaccid member
and placed it on the ground between his legs.  Touching his ruined sack
caused him to whimper in pain.  With one hand holding his penis to the
ground, the other brought the tip of the short sword to rest on the base of
the orcs manhood.  Slowly, she pushed, making the orc scream in agony at
first, then once it was mostly severed, it again passed out from the pain.
Seeing her sport done, she finished the dismembering quickly and left it
there on the orcs chest.  Alesha returned to the stream and did her water
trick again to the orc to force it awake.  When it came to its senses this
time its eyes were watering in pain and it moaned constantly.  She slapped
it hard across the face to get its attention then spoke to it in it's own
language.  "I hope you die, asshole!  But maybe I'll get lucky and you'll
live.  You'll never do to anyone what you did to me though, and you'll live
forever in pain and ashamed.  It won't make it up to me, but it helps."
Kelnozz was surprised by her.  He kept his chuckle to himself that time too
though.  Alesha used the short sword again to sever the ropes that bound
the orc.  As soon as it was free, it cupped it's hands to it's ruined
groin, then howled in agony again at the pain the contact with it's
swelling genitals caused.  It stumbled to it's feet and in a crouch, tried
to run away from them.  "Teach me how to use this," Alesha said after a few
moments of silence.  "You want to be a warrior?" Kelnozz asked checking the
bodies of the orcs for any coins or other valuables.  "I thought that the
self defense class I had taken was enough to keep myself safe.  But it
wasn't.  I've nothing left now.  I want to get some of it back!" She looked
at Kelnozz and saw him looking back at her.  "Tell me everything of this
world.  This isn't a dream, and if I can't go back, I'm going to succeed
here," She explained to his questioning look.  "I was a 22 year old little
girl earlier tonight.  I'm different now.  Things that used to matter to me
don't now.  Going to college or becoming a doctor doesn't matter to me
anymore, since I'm stuck here.  I suppose I should be thankful to be alive,
since my hair dryer falling in the tub would have killed me, but I want
more then to be alive.  I want revenge.  My life was ruined, everything I
wanted and hoped for is gone.  Somebody or something is going to pay for
that." She was talking more to herself then she was to him, but Kelnozz
listened raptly.  Much of what she said made no sense to him, but he had
encountered beings from other planes of existence before, so he was not
bothered by it.  "Clean yourself in the stream, then we'll head back to the
camp." She nodded and walked back into the stream.  Finding a deep pool,
she knelt down and was able to fully immerse herself.  Coming back up, she
worked her hands through her hair and over her skin rapidly, trying to
scrub the blood and grime and other filth from it.  After furiously
scrubbing until her skin was raw, she finally gave up and came ashore.  Her
manner seemed to have softened, and she looked as though she had been
crying.  Kelnozz politely ignored her puffy red eyes as she stood before
him.  "I'm ready." "Do you want to steal some of the clothes from the
orcs?" He asked her gently.  "No, I'll get something else from that tower."
Her voice seemed drained and empty.  Kelnozz nodded, realizing she had
endured a lot better then many would have.  He led her slowly back through
the forest to the camp.  As they grew closer, they saw a flickering light
ahead.  They realized it was a fire.  A very large fire.  At that
realization they began to run.  Leaving the edge of the forest they saw the
wizards tower engulfed in flames.  Alone between them, a figure was
silhouetted by the firelight.  It turned when it heard them and their fears
were put aside as they saw it was Nordan.  "What happened?" Kelnozz asked.
"Went in the tower to search for some gold, took the sword that demon snake
bitch dropped before we slew her, then I started going through the wizards
stuff.  I grabbed a couple of books and saw a ruby fall from the ceiling."
Kelnozz brightened, hoping some of the books had been saved.  "Remember
that mage we fought back in those mountains near Land's End?  I thought it
might be the same kinda thing, so I got the hell out of there.  Got lucky,
no sooner then I left the door it blew up.  The fire is from that," Nordan
explained.  "And the books?" Kelnozz asked.  Nordan nodded to a bag filled
with the tomes on the ground nearby.  He noticed Alesha was naked again,
and that brought a smile to his face.  "What were you two doing?" He
grinned lecherously.  "She found a group of orcs before I found her,"
Kelnozz said, glaring at Nordan to shut him up.

   "Oh." Nordan said, catching Kelnozz's look and not pressing the matter.
"What am I going to wear?!" Alesha asked, realizing that her stolen
wardrobe of wizard robes had just gone up in smoke.  "Nothing," Nordan
said, grinning again.  "Don't be so worried, feel how warm it is?  It's
cool right now, normally it is warmer here.  Many people go nude in part or
in full here.  Not much protection in a fight, but someone like you could
use that to her advantage," Kelnozz explained.  "What do you mean?" She
asked, not catching on.  "You're a beautiful woman, one of the best I have
ever seen," He said to her, heading back towards the campfire.  "And now
that you're not trying to hide yourself from us, you're acting much like
the people here do." Alesha blushed and self consciously moved to cover
herself.  She realized it was useless and gave it up, but now that she was
fully aware of it again she was again self conscious.  "Thank you, I think.
But um, I mean...  Well, you guys have seen me a couple of times now, and
you've helped me, but won't complete strangers try to do what those pig-men
did to me?" "Those were orcs," Kelnozz offered.  "Oh, some of them might
try," Nordan said casually.  "If you let them." Alesha looked at the
hulking barbarian and nodded after a moment to show she understood.  "Well
then, I guess for now this is my outfit.  Until I get money and new
clothes, that is." They retrieved the bag and returned to their campfire to
eat the now cold rabbits.  Kelnozz rifled through the contents of the bag
and pulled out the weapon that Nordan had mentioned.  It was a very finely
crafted katana with runes etched along the back edge of the blade.  "Here,
this will work much better then that orc sticker you have," Kelnozz handed
the sword to Alesha.  "And you can sell that other sword and have some
money for food or clothing." She took the weapon and was surprised at how
light it felt in her hands.  Prior to that night she'd never held a weapon
of such sorts in her hands before, yet this one seemed to fit in her palm
very nicely.  It was even warm to the touch.  She recognized the design of
it a moment later from several bad movies she had seen in her life.  "This
is a katana!" Nordan grunted and Kelnozz looked at her curiously, wondering
why that excited her.  "No, I mean, this is a katana!  Something from my
world...  are there Japanese people here too?" "Japa-what?" Nordan asked,
tossing the bones of his dinner in the fire pit.  "Don't think so," Kelnozz
said, equally at a loss to explain what a Japanese was.  "Katanas are used
primarily by the elves, both light and dark.  The demon probably got it
from a light elf as repayment for some favor it needed." "Oh," She said,
disappointed.  "Hey, I don't have that robe on and we can still understand
each other!" She exclaimed, excited.  "And I was able to talk to that orc
after I'd lost my robe too!" Nordan looked at Kelnozz and saw he was only
half listening.  "Maybe the magic from the robe was permanent," He offered,
not being sure.  Thinking about it, Alesha lay back on the ground and
stared into the beautiful night sky.  A night sky filled with strange
constellations.  Tears again filled her eyes as she drifted off to sleep.
Kelnozz continued to examine the books in the bag, being careful not to try
and open them if they seemed magically guarded.  At long last he sighed
contentedly and placed them all back in the sack.  He looked around and saw
both his companions asleep and most of the night gone.  Figuring sleep a
lost cause at that point, he remained awake and on watch, paying close
attention to watch Alesha.  He knew she would have to learn much by the
time they made it back to Sanctuary or she would be in trouble as bad as
what the orcs had done to her.  Or worse.  Nudity was common, but beauty
such as hers was nearly unheard of.  A few hours later Nordan snorted and
woke up.  Letting loose a belch, he nodded to Kelnozz then rose up and
walked a few paces away from the dead fire pit.  Dropping his breeches, he
began to relieve himself.  "Oh God, I didn't need to wake up to that!"
Alesha swore quietly, staring straight at Nordan from an angle that allowed
her to see him quite clearly.  Nordan looked at her and winked lewdly,
which drew a grimace from her.  Kelnozz chuckled and rose up to begin
readying their gear for travel.  "OW!" Alesha almost screamed as she tried
to stand up.  "What's wrong?" Nordan asked, returning to pick up his pack.
"Damn I'm sore!" She cursed, cupping her hands over her belly protectively.
"Can you walk?" Kelnozz asked, helping her to her feet.  "I think so," she
said after taking a few steps and trying to stretch out a little bit.  "But
not to fast please!" They nodded and finished gathering their gear in
preparation for heading back to Sanctuary.  "What am I going to do with
these?" Alesha had picked up both the katana and the short sword.  "Carry
them," Kelnozz said, hiding his amusement at her discomfort.  Her mouth
hung open for a moment as she digested that, then finally she snapped it
shut, realizing that being pretty would get her nothing in this world.  Her
parents had been wealthy enough and their station high enough that she'd
never had to do much in the way of work, other then keeping herself in
shape, and now she discovered that she was about to get a hard lesson in
humility.  They set off soon thereafter, setting what felt to Alesha to be
a pace meant to drive her into the ground.  By the ease with which Kelnozz
and Nordan walked she could tell they were used to going faster.  Gritting
her teeth against the pain in her loins and her feet, she vowed that her
first purchase would be a pair of shoes.

   "If we cover enough ground, I'll start showing you how to use that blade
when we camp tonight," Kelnozz offered to her in what he hoped would be
encouragement.

   "If I'm still alive," she muttered back to him, but forced a smile of
thanks on her face anyhow.

   "Tell me of religion here," Alesha said, trying to get her mind off her
discomfort.

   Nordan chuckled and quickened his pace to scout ahead while Kelnozz was
left with the task of educating the girl on the workings of Viconia. 
Inwardly he groaned, it was going to be a very long day.











































   Under the calm surface of the Swiftwater Sea a school of fish swam
lazily, sunning themselves.  Smelling danger in the waters, they came to
attention and dived for the safety of the depths.  To late to do any good,
a shark passed through the waters they had inhabited merely seconds before.
Undaunted, it swam on in search of new prey.

   A few minutes later the shark caught the scent of blood in the water. 
Growing hungrier, it knifed quickly through the water.  It was to be
rewarded as well.  Few other predators swam through the waters yet,
allowing it to pick the tastiest of the morsels.  Seeing one form still
thrashing on the surface, the shark circled it once then darted in towards
it and sank it's teeth into the morsel.  More a snack to the great shark
then anything else, it gulped the dying seaman into it's gullet nearly
whole.

   "Sharks down there," A sailor called out amidst the fury of battle.

   "Feeding time!" Nordan said with a grin.  The pirate he battled turned
to flee from the insane barbarian.  Not quick enough, he felt himself
picked up from behind by Nordan and, with a heave, found himself flying. 
The flight was short lived, for soon he was swimming.  Panicking, he
floundered in the water trying to stay afloat.  Unable to swim, his
desperate gasps brought as much water as air into his lungs.  He was saved
a death by drowning when another shark came upon the scene, it's razor
sharp teeth biting him cleanly in half.

   Elsewhere on the grappled ships, the fighting was equally fierce.  The
lines grappling the ships together had been severed, allowing them to begin
to float apart.  Many pirates had already crossed over, however.  Nordan
had leapt atop the pirate ship to take the fight to them, leaving him hard
pressed amongst the remaining pirates.  Kelnozz would have joined him, had
he not been concerned for Alesha in her first large battle.  She stayed
back trying to remain hidden behind the defenders on the forecastle of the
merchant ship.  Kelnozz kept an eye on her while easily dispatching anyone
that came too close to him.  Still, the chaos of battle occasionally saw
her putting her newly earned skills to use.

   "You're a pretty one!" A pirate snarled at her, admiring her body as he
slipped through a break in the defenders.  Kelnozz saw him out of the
corner of his eye, but he was hard pressed against three of the attackers
himself.

   Since arriving in this strange world nearly a month past, Alesha had
come to terms with never seeing her family or friends again.  She had
accepted being ravaged by orcs, though she still had nightmares of it at
times.  She had even grown accustomed to the majority of the strange beings
that inhabited Viconia, though she had been told she had seen only a
fraction of them all.  Having frequented topless beaches where she came
from, she was even able to deal with how little thought or concern people
there gave clothing.  She had to admit that it was hot enough most of the
time that her own outfit was more a blessing then anything else.  But what
she could not get used to was the lust filled looks she was given because
of how she looked.  She did, however, learn to use it to her advantage
early on.

   The pirate advanced on her, noting her drawn katana but not paying it to
much concern since she didn't hold it in a very threatening way.  His eyes
kept being drawn to her naked upper torso, however, quite fascinated by her
large and well rounded breasts.  Alesha thrust her chest forward, waiting
for her attacker to make his move.

   He stumbled forward, lowering his own sword momentarily.  She struck
then, her katana slicing up and across.  The pirate laughed at how easily
she was fooled into thinking him distracted.  He batted aside her sword and
leapt into her with his body.  She could do no good with her katana in such
close quarters, but his cutlass was designed for it.

   Alesha still had one weapon, her body.  Always a strong believer in a
woman's right to defend herself, she had trained early in life in such
maneuvers.  Not as addled this time as she had been against the orcs, she
was ready to defend herself properly.  She dropped her useless sword when
he held his cutlass against her naked belly.

   "What 'ave we here?" He spit out, grinning lecherously and sliding the
tip of his cutlass upwards from her belly towards her cleavage.

   Kelnozz finished off the last of his attackers as Alesha was being
threatened by the pirate.  He turned to help her but was beset by yet
another pirate, keeping him away.  He fought furiously, leaving the pirate
at first stunned by the display of swordsmanship, then disarmed.  With a
kick to the pirate's chest, he stumbled off the foredeck they were standing
on and fell to the main deck of the ship, quickly lost in the milling
bodies that fought for advantage.

   Spinning about again, he saw Alesha's foot raise up and her heel connect
with the pirate's chin.  He stumbled backwards, dropping his scimitar so
that he could raise both of his hands to his battered jaw.  He spit
something out at her and charged towards her, blood running out of his
mouth.

   Before Kelnozz could get there to save her, he discovered she hardly
needed saving.  She grabbed his hands as he rushed her and fell to her back
on the deck.  Her foot in his stomach, she launched the pirate directly
into the railing.  His head cracked into the solid beam, but it held. 
Uncertain as to his fate, She leapt to her feet and stood over him. 
Knocked senseless, the pirate stared up at the beautiful woman that wore
only a loin cloth and weapons belt.

   "Am I dead?" He mumbled, thinking this an angel sent to fetch him.

   "You'll get to that in a minute," She said, grabbing onto his arms and
pulling him up to hang over the railing.

   The pirate realized she was about to dump him overboard and he screamed.
Then he screamed again at the pain in his jaw.  He fought against her,
trying to kick back.  Alesha chanced letting him go for a moment and drove
both her hands into the man's spine, dislocating it badly and making him
stiffen in pain.  He screamed again as the water then rushed up to meet
him, as well as the waiting jaws below.

   "Well done," Kelnozz said, offering Alesha her dropped weapon.  "Next
time try using the sword, it works better."

   Alesha blushed and took the blade back.  "Thanks," she mumbled.

   Kelnozz grinned and opened his mouth to say something when Alesha's eyes
focused on something behind him.  He began to turn about when a giant hand
clasped over his shoulder.  Another hand grabbed his thigh and before he
could do anything, he was lifted bodily into the air.  Looking down he saw
a giant of a man holding him above his head.

   "Put away your sword, little girl, or the elf goes for a swim!" He
demanded, a playful tone in his voice.

   Alesha hesitated a moment then reluctantly knelt down and put her sword
on the deck.  The large pirates grin disappeared when she lunged forward
though, driving her palm into his groin.  The pirates eyes crossed and he
collapsed to his knees with a mighty, "Oof!".  Kelnozz fell to the deck
himself, rolling away from the pirate.

   He rose to his feet with a sword in each hand, but stopped to see that
Alesha had kicked the man again, stunning him with a heel to the forehead.
He teetered back and forth, his eyes fighting to refocus.  She retrieved
her katana again and prepared to take her first life with it.  She
hesitated, and in that moment he regained enough of his wits to roll clear
of her and regain his feet.  He drew a mighty two handed sword and grinned
at her again.

   "Good fight, wench!  I can't wait to make you nurse my injuries later!"

   Alesha blanched while Kelnozz snarled and leapt in at him.  With his
great sword he parried both of Kelnozz blades and his strength set the
elf's hands to ringing.  Before Kelnozz could recover he had advanced on
Alesha.  She held the sword in front of her in a defensive posture Kelnozz
had taught her.

   Ere any of them could make another move, a shadow fell across them then
passed away.  Surprised, they glanced at what could have made it and saw a
giant tentacle had emerged from the water and towered above them.  Five
other tentacles wrapped around the pirate ship and were squeezing the life
out of it.  The sound of rending wood proved what would be it's eventual
fate.

   "Kraken!" Cried out across the deck.  Men on the doomed ship leapt off,
wishing to face the merchant defenders or the sharks instead of the kraken.
Then the ship was torn asunder, parted in half at the middle.

   The three of them watched in horror as both halves of the ship began
sinking rapidly in the water.  The krakens tentacles disappeared
momentarily, but then reappeared around the sides of the merchant ship. 
Alesha screamed then, causing both Kelnozz and the pirate to turn to look
at her.  One of the tentacles had wrapped itself around her and was raising
her up to claim her as a snack.

   "I wasn't done with her yet!" The pirate said, running towards her and
brandishing his great sword.  Less then a step behind Kelnozz also ran
toward her.

   Side by side, Kelnozz's swords and the pirates hacked at the rubbery
tentacle.  The tentacle shuddered and released Alesha, quickly disappearing
over the side of the ship.  The two men looked at each other, breathing
heavily.  After a moment of silent understanding, they nodded to each other
and turned to Alesha.

   Alesha looked at the angry red marks the suckers on the tentacle had
made on her skin, but ignored them as more important things made themselves
apparent.  The ship rocked and swayed as the kraken attempted to dispose of
it.  She got back to her feet and looked at the two man towering over her.
Seeing some strange sort of agreement, she paid the pirate no heed.

   "What now?" She asked Kelnozz.

   Kelnozz looked about, unsure of what they could do against such a mighty
creature.  "We fight!" He said, running towards where the nearest tentacle
was grappling the ship.

   The pirate and Alesha joined him, running towards it and hacking at the
rubbery limb.  Their blows did little damage, but with all three of them
hacking at it, soon they cleaved it in half.  The attached portion slid
back into the water, retreating to protect itself from further injury.  All
over the ship men were hacking at the tentacles, but even a severed one
would soon return from the depths to attach itself again, bloody and raw
stump being the new end.

   The creaking sounds gave way to sounds of cracking and tearing wood.  A
large section of railing was torn away mid-ship.  Then a mast was toppled
over, breaking off just above the deck.

   "Abandon ship!" The captain cried out, blood gushing from a wound in his
forehead.

   Sailors, both merchant and pirate alike jumped overboard, feeding the
growing frenzy of sharks below.  "What do we do?" Alesha asked, knowing she
should be afraid but somehow acting calmly in spit of it.

   "Lifeboats!" The pirate called out, looking about as another section of
the middle of the ship collapsed.

   All three of them looked about, but none of the lifeboats that remained
were in any condition to be seaworthy.  "If we jump, the sharks get us.  If
we stay here, they still get us sooner or later, that or the kraken.

   "I've heard of krakens taking prisoners," the pirate said, "the longer
we live, the longer we have a chance of getting away."

   Kelnozz nodded, looking about for any last minute ideas.  A widening
crack was appearing in the middle of the ship now.  He motioned for them to
follow him and he ran to the forecastle door.  He opened it and motioned
them inside.  Securing it behind them, they ran in further and ducked into
the captains cabin.

   The ship shuddered and split in two, like it's companion ship earlier.
Unknown to them, the kraken's ten tentacles wrapped around their half of
the ship and pulled them under the water.  They descended deeper and
deeper, stumbling back and forth with each burst of acceleration.  Water
leaks sprang from the walls, ceiling, and floor.  Before long the water had
risen to their chests.

   They heard a muffled grinding noise and felt the ship jerk beneath them
more violently.  The movement ceased, however, and they knew they had come
to a rest.

   "What do we do now?" Alesha asked, struggling to keep her head in the
few remaining inches of air in the cabin.

   Kelnozz was likewise treading water to breathe, and looked about
nervously.  "Well, if the water gets much higher, we open the door and take
our chances."

   The pirate was standing on a chest in the room and managed to not need
to swim to breathe as he was already very tall.  He grunted agreement and
drew out his great sword in preparation.

   "How are you going to swim with that in your hands?" Kelnozz snapped at
him.  The pirate muttered something under his breath but put his sword
away.

   "How can you tell what's going on?" Alesha asked.

   Kelnozz realized her terror must be complete, she was human, she
couldn't see in the dark.  "I'm an elf, I can see in the dark."

   Alesha remained quiet, not wanting to waist her air with words.  They
quietly swam in the cabin, waiting to see what happened next.  The water
did not continue to rise.  Long, terror filled minutes past before they
noticed the water had instead began to lower.

   "Be ready!" Kelnozz hissed suddenly.

   Alesha was about to ask him what he was talking about when she heard the
noise.  Someone or something was outside of the door clearing the debris so
that it could be opened.  In the darkness Alesha could see nothing, but by
carefully feeling about she oriented herself towards the door.

   Someone or something beat against the door, trying to force it open. 
All of the water in the room pressing against it prevented that from
happening though.  Soon the inhabitants could here what sounded like axes
striking it.  The water level in the cabin was slowly draining, but enough
remained when the axes broke through hinges on the door to send it and the
companions rushing out the doorway.

   They bowled over 3 humanoid forms searching the wreckage on their way
out.  They came to rest in the hallway outside the cabin, but were coughing
up water and unable to make their escape in the darkness.  Grabbed by scaly
hands all about them, they were bound with sodden ropes and carried away
ere they could mount any resistance.

   "Who are you?" Alesha asked, hugging her arms to herself for a sense of
security and to hide her nudity from the strange man caged with her.

   "Garet," He grunted, paying no attention to her.

   "Where are we now?"

   The pirate with her looked around the small room they were locked in. 
It was roughly 20 feet square, with a chamber pot in one corner and ledges
carved out of rock on the other walls sticking a foot out.  A glowing green
lichen covered the walls, casting a faint ambient light about them.

   "In a cage," he said gruffly, moving to examine the stone that their
captors had pushed up against the doorway into their room.

   "Why?" Alesha asked.

   The pirate sighed and turned to her.  "They're probably saving us for
food!  Now shut up wench and let me think!"

   Alesha's eyes grew wide at his rebuke, but she kept her mouth shut.  She
sat back on one of the ledges and stared into space, thinking.  Since she
had been brought to Viconia, one bad thing after another had happened to
her.  First arriving naked and defenseless, then being raped by orcs.  Then
forced to walk nearly 50 miles in two days by the only people she could
begin to call friends with no shoes or clothing.  On top of that two
grueling hours of practice each day with the katana she had acquired.  Then
a week spent in a small and dirty town filled with drunkards and ruthless
cutthroats in which she was constantly on the defensive.  Sure, lots of
other men and women were partially or totally naked, but it didn't make her
feel any better.

   Her first positive feelings began when she'd managed to sell the short
sword she'd gotten from the orc that had taken her virginity and buy some
clothes.  Not much, a pouch, boots, and a loin cloth, which offered little
protection.  Still, the scant modesty she appreciated.  She also acquired a
scabbard for her katana in that deal, but had since lost the sword and the
sheath.  Still, the two weeks they'd spent in the town called Sanctuary had
allowed her minor wounds to heal and for Kelnozz to train her how to use
the sword, as well as explaining the realities of the new world she found
herself in.

   Thinking of Kelnozz, she found herself wondering more and more about
him. In spite of his elfin looks, she found herself attracted to him. 
Still, his aloofness kept him distant.  Nordan, their other companion,
certainly let her know time and again what he would enjoy doing with her
(or to her), given the opportunity.  She steered clear of him though,
preferring to spend her time with Kelnozz, who seemed to bear no interest
in her in that way whatsoever.

   She had learned that the lack of concern over clothing and the sexual
interests of Viconia resembled the ancient history of her own world, both
Roman and Grecian, from what she remembered.  She had seen whores of both
sexes being used by both men and women, making her wonder if Kelnozz's lack
of interest in her was due to his preference for boys.  Not having the
courage to ask, she had never said anything to him about it though.

   Before having any chance to observe his behavior and find out, she had
been set upon by some drunkards.  Her scream had brought Kelnozz over in
time to slay one and send the other running.  Searching through the corpse,
they learned that Alesha's attacker had been none other then the son of the
ranking master of the thieves guild in the town.  Knowing their lives
forfeit it they stayed, they found Nordan busy drinking his reward and
caught sail within a couple of hours on a ship heading for the Northern
part of Viconia.  Along the way they had the misfortunate of being laid up
for a few days by becalmed seas and then attacked by pirates as they took a
shorter and more dangerous route to make up for the lost time.  Alesha's
train of thought was dispelled when she heard her latest companion grunting
with exertion.  She saw him struggling to move the rock blocking them in
the cave, to no success.  "What's the point?" She asked, her voice
defeated. "I mean, if you open it, that will just bring more those scaly
looking things in here to lock us back up or kill us!" With a final useless
push, Garet turned to face her.  "I'm not going to die down here, woman! 
And those scaly things are called lizardmen!" "Look," she said, raising to
her foot and advancing on him menacingly.  "I've been attacked again and
again today, half drowned, nearly eaten, and now you want me to shut up? 
I've had it with this damn place, I want to go home!" Garet looked at her
and started laughing.  "Aye, we'd all like to go home." Alesha knew he did
not understand what she was talking about when she said home, but it could
not help her from starting to laugh too.  Before anything else could be
said, the rock was moved away from the door with a loud grinding noise. 
Two lizardmen waited outside the doorway and two entered; all of them had
tridents and spears.  The two of them were led out and taken to another
cave.  This one had no rock in front of it, but it was under constant guard
by two lizardmen.  Inside of this room they found a small community of
people.  Mostly human, a few elves, a halflings, and a dwarf made up the
group.  This cave had the same lichen along the walls and ceiling that the
larger underwater cavern outside had, as well as their prior cell.  It had
what appeared to be several rooms, however.  The lizardmen left once they
were in there, allowing them to talk to the other prisoners.  The others
were dressed in varying states, though mostly they wore less then even
Alesha did.  Of both genders, they had the pale and hopeless look of people
that had been kept prisoner for a long time.  "New victims," A man said,
grinning madly.  "Welcome to our humble home." "Where are we?" Garet asked,
surprising Alesha.  "Who knows?" He cackled, then beginning to laugh
insanely.  "Somewhere under the Swiftwater Sea," One of the tired looking
elves said.  "In the lair of the kraken." "What are we doing here?" Alesha
asked slowly.  "Are we...  food?" "Maybe," The elf said, staring off out
the doorway into nothingness.  "They keep us here to work and to breed. 
Sometimes they come and take some of us away and they don't come back."
They saw that the speaker this time was a middle aged woman that was
nursing an infant.  Even the babe seemed depressed and indifferent to it's
surroundings.  "Ha!  You made it!" Alesha looked up to see Nordan stride
powerfully into the room from one of the other caves theirs connected to.
"I thought you dead!" Alesha cried, comforted to see him and throwing her
arms around him gratefully.  "Bah, not so easy to kill me," He said,
surprised at her affection but smart enough to enjoy it while he could.  "I
clung to the other ship as it sank, finding an air pocket and riding it
out. Didn't realize that giant squid had a hold of it 'til it was to late!"
"Is Kelnozz here too?" She asked, looking about again.  "I thought him with
you," Nordan responded, losing some of his good humor at the prospect of
another fallen companion.  "He was in the ship that sank with us, but it
was dark and I couldn't see him, then the lizardmen captured us and I
didn't hear from him anymore either." Nordan grunted, cheering up a little.
"That elf has a way of getting himself lost at times, I'm sure he'll show
up.  Now who's this?" Alesha turned to Garet and said, "He's one of the
pirates, name is Garet, looks to be a relative of yours from his size!"
Indeed, Garet looked, if anything, larger then Nordan.  Like the barbarian,
Garet was obviously also from the same genetic pool.  They eyed each other
warily for a few minutes before Nordan offered his hand and said, "We are
enemies no longer, will you call me brother?" Garet remained uncertain for
a moment before offering Nordan his own hand and saying, "Aye, Garet of
Clan Laughingwolf be my name." "Nordan of Clan Helmsmasher." And like that,
the two of them were fast companions.  Alesha wondered at how they could do
that, but had to admit the circumstances were hardly ordinary and teamwork
seemed their only hope.  The three of them prowled around the cave complex
looking for any means of escape.  Other then the depressed prisoners, they
found nothing.  As time passed, they began to realize that they were
getting depressed as well.  "What do you eat and drink?" Alesha asked one
of the prisoners.  "What they bring us...either fish or some of the
mushrooms and seaweed that they make us farm.  There's an underground river
in another cave that we get water from twice a day." He responded,
stretching himself out on the ground and preparing to sleep.  "An
underground river?" Garet asked, his interest piquing.  They looked at each
other, the same thoughts mirrored in their eyes.  "Get some sleep, tomorrow
they put you to work," The man said, closing his eyes and dropping off. 
They settled in but were unable to sleep.  Finally the exhaustion from high
strung nerves and all the activity claimed Alesha.  Garet and Nordan fell
asleep soon thereafter themselves.  The sounds of their fellow prisoners
waking roused them up.  Nordan had to nudge Alesha to wake her.  Two
lizardmen entered the cave under guard from two trident and shortsword
wielding guards.  They brought in several large fish and tossed them on the
floor.  Another one carried in two buckets filled with water.  The
prisoners descended on the food hungrily, tearing the fish apart with bare
fingers and eating them raw.  Hands covered in fish parts cupped water and
drank from the buckets.  All in all, a very disgusting ritual, and Alesha
had to force herself to drink some of the water.  She could not make
herself eat any of the sushi.  Nordan and Garet had no such problem,
realizing that they must keep there strength up.  After they had eaten and
the buckets were removed, another lizardman entered and pointed to several
of the prisoners, all men and including Nordan.  They were then led out of
the cave towards the large field of mushrooms.  Another lizardman entered,
though this one was not dressed in the simple harness and weapons as the
others were.  This one appeared to be some sort of shaman, having fish
teeth strung on a necklace, and other items of animal totems on his person.
It came to each of the woman and touched their stomachs with its rough and
scaly hand.  It pointed to two of them, and another guard led the two
woman, Alesha and a young woman with dark hair, out of the cell.  Another
guard led Garet and 3 other men out after them.  Both Nordan and Garet kept
their eyes open and looked around the dimly lit large cavern.  The ceiling
of the cavern was at least 30 feet above them, with it stretching away from
the underwater lagoon for several hundred.  Stalactites hung down from the
ceiling, join with the few stalagmites to large to be broken off and
removed.  Further away from the lagoon then the prisoners cave cells were,
they saw other caves leading away from the large cavern.  The mushroom
field was near the lagoon, and sitting beside it was the remnants of the
two ships that the kraken had dragged under.  "How do they keep fresh air
in here?" Nordan asked the mushroom farmer that was showing him how to tend
the mushrooms.  They used the waste from the prisoners as fertilizer,
something that Nordan was far from enjoying.  "You call this fresh?" the
guy teaching him responded bitterly.  "I once saw that shaman dancing and
carrying on and casting some spell.  As soon as he was done I felt a breeze
of fresh air," Another prisoner nearby said.  Nordan pondered that and
wondered if he could use it to their advantage.  As the day wore on, he
began to wonder about Alesha and Garet, what they had been slated to do
that day.  And for that matter, what had happened to Kelnozz?  Alesha had a
sneaking suspicion as to what was going to happen, but she desperately
hoped that she was wrong.  They were led into another of the caves, this
one guarded both outside and within by two guards.  Once inside the shaman
motioned towards them into the room.  "What are we supposed to do?" Alesha
asked nervously.  "This is the mating chamber," One of the men said,
sounding bored instead of excited.  "WHAT?" Alesha said, her worst fears
confirmed.  Garet chuckled under his breath at the irony of the situation.
"You must mate at least once before they let you leave.  It's better if you
just agree to get it on," The man said.  "Why is that better?" Alesha said
scornfully.  "Because if you don't, they make you." Alesha turned to see
the other woman had said that.  It brought tears to her eyes to see such a
thing, a young woman in her prime, so bitter and resigned to a life filled
with pain and hardship.  She nodded though, understanding the futility of
her position.  "Well Garet, looks like you get your chance with me after
all," She finally said, her voice mixed with bitterness and fear.  Garet
moved towards her and nodded.  He took her hands in his and said in all
seriousness, "I am sorry.  I promise I will be gentle." She nodded, trying
to smile understandingly.  Taking her hands, she lowered them to her hips
and unbuckled her weapons belt.  Wondering why she bothered with it at all,
as she had no weaponry anymore.  Next she untied her loin cloth and let
that fall to the ground as well.  Falling to her knees in front of Garet,
she untied his breeches and pulled them down over his heavily muscled legs.
His soft member sprang out from a patch of black hair to point at her. 
Taking a deep breath, she reached up and touched it.  It jumped when she
grabbed hold of it, but she was determined to get this over with as quick
as possible.  Garet groaned when her mouth descended on him.  He'd lain
with many women, and this was nothing new to him, but it had been some time
and Alesha's mouth was so hot and wet that it made him fight himself to
keep from ramming himself down her throat.  He could also tell that she was
struggling to keep her mouth opened wide enough, as he was well endowed. 
Alesha could sense the fight within him, and using skills she'd learned on
her own world with her boyfriend, she fondled his balls with one hand and
gripped the base of his cock with the other.  Pumping her head up and down
on it, she tasted the seminal fluids coming out of him.  Garet was in awe
at how quickly he was ready to explode.  He pulled himself free of Alesha's
sucking mouth and knelt down beside her.  Then they laid down with one
another and he moved between her legs.  The lizardmen around them were
forgotten.  Alesha looked over and saw that the girl was on her hands and
knees and one of the men was behind her, rutting away.  She gasped as
Garet's cock brushed against her sex.  He reached down and parted her
nether lips carefully, then placed his hard on against the opening to her
womanhood.  She bit her lip and nodded to signal him to go ahead.  He
slowly thrust forward, impaling her a little bit at a time.  After several
short thrusts to minimize her displeasure, he was buried within her. 
Alesha felt filled with his cock.  While it stretched her out to her limits
at least it was not nearly as painful as the experience with the orc
deflowering her had been.  Garet waited patiently for her to signal him to
continue, fighting the urge to plunge into her again and again with
reckless abandon.  When she nodded again to him, Garet began slowly rocking
his manhood in and out of her.  As she relaxed and nature began to take
it's course, her juices started to lubricate things.  This allowed Garet to
speed things up gradually, until he was thrusting against her quickly. 
Alesha gasped, beginning to actually feel pleasure.  She ground her hips up
at Garet, telling herself that she was just trying to get this over
quicker. In reality though a fire had begun to light in her and she sought
to fan it's flames.  Garet could tell by how flushed Alesha was growing
that she was beginning to enjoy what was happening.  He stopped thrusting
into her and rolled over so that she was on top.  Alesha was uncertain at
first, but then Garet pulled her closer to him so he could nibble and
suckle at her magnificent breasts.  The feeling of his tongue, lips, and
teeth drove Alesha wild, and her hips started bucking against him
instinctively.  In no time, Garet found himself breathing heavy and ready
to explode in her again.  He reached around and grabbed her ass, pulling
her onto him harder and harder.  Alesha grunted each time she slammed down
on him, grinding her clit against him.  Then she felt his fingers behind
her teasing around her juicy hole where they were joined temporarily.  The
sensations were delicious and she was quickly growing lost in them.  Garet
fought to keep his climax in check, but he knew that he had seconds left,
if that.  He took his fingers that were slick with her juices and without
any warning, plunged one into the second knuckle in her ass.  Alesha could
not believe what Garet had just done to her.  More importantly, she could
not believe how it felt.  She felt herself tense up and release entirely at
the moment.  She came explosively, going rigid.  Through the mind numbing
pleasure, she drove herself down on him, impaling her sex on his shaft and
her ass on his finger.  She felt Garet's cock swell and explode within her,
the hot bursts of his seed driving her further over the edge.  At long
last, she collapsed on top of him, spent.  Garet remained under her,
carefully supporting her until she found the strength to rise on her own.
After a few moments of respite from the horror of their predicament,
everything flooded back into her and she rose back up from Garet, a part of
her feeling a sense of loss as his softening member slipped out of her. 
Her knees weak, she gathered up her sparse clothing and put it back on,
already feeling her loin cloth collecting his semen as it began to drain
out of her.  Under other circumstances, she knew it would be a pleasant
reminder of a wonderful encounter.  The other girl was then servicing a
second man, but he grunted and came in her with a spasm.  The girl got up,
her face blank and emotionless, and the man quickly recovered himself.  The
stood up and prepared to leave, the fourth man all but ignored.  Before
they were allowed to leave, the shaman checked the girl to make sure her
partners had indeed ejaculated into her, and to her horror, it stood in
front of Alesha next.  Knowing resistance futile, she reached down and
pulled her loin cloth to the side to allow it to see that she was indeed
filled to overflowing with Garet's juices.  They were then led back to the
cell and kept imprisoned in there until Nordan returned soaking wet but
otherwise clean.  Dinner of more fish and water was served to them, and
this time Alesha forced herself to eat as well, for she was famished. 
"What happened to you?" Alesha asked, anxious to keep from explaining what
she had endured.  "Spent the day being a farmer," Nordan snorted, clearly
not pleased with his new vocation.  "Covered in filth, at least they let us
dive into the lagoon and clean off before we came back." "Learn anything?"
Garet asked, understanding how deep a blow it must have been to the
powerful warriors pride.  "Ha!" Nordan guffawed.  "I know how to grow
mushrooms underground!" "What of you?" He asked, anxious to be get away
from the memory of his days work.  "We were taken away for breeding," Garet
said.  Alesha blushed, deeply embarrassed.  Nordan looked at Garet
enviously and stared lewdly at Alesha a moment.  "Some people get all the
luck!" "You think I wanted to do that?!" Alesha snapped at him, rising to
her feet and coming at him.  Nordan held up his hands in a show of peace
and said, "Nay lass, I'm sure you hated every minute of it!  But it had to
be better then digging through offal with your bare hands!" Alesha scowled
at him, then looked to Garet and saw him smirking.  She found it infectious
and finally laughed.  "Yes, I guess it was kinda fun once we got past the
awkwardness.  Besides that, the joke is on them, I can't have children, I
have something doctors call Unspecified Ovarian Failure." Her laughter died
at the thought of never having any children.  Then instead of getting sad,
she grew angry again.  "And I'll be damned if I'm going to let them use me
as property for whatever purpose they want!" Nordan raised an eyebrow as he
looked at her then nodded.  "I know not what an Ovarian is, but I agree
that we must make an attempt.  If only we had our equipment." "Do they save
any of it or is it just thrown away?" Alesha asked, coming upon an idea. 
"Well, do any of you sheep have anything to say?" Garet asked, joining in
and getting the attention of the other prisoners.  "Won't do you any good,
fool," one of them muttered.  "Even if you did arm yourself, where would
you go?  It's to far to the surface, and there's no other way out!" "Death
in defense of freedom is better then life in slavery," Alesha said, drawing
surprised and approving looks from both of the barbarians.  "Then death
you'll find, I suppose it's the same as anything else down here," the man
said fatalistically.  "They keep anything they consider valuable, coins,
gems, objects the consider pretty.  The rest of it they put back in the
ships for the kraken that's in charge to drag off to a watery grave." "Then
that's where we need to go, since we haven't seen anyone carrying our
stuff," Alesha said.  Nordan nodded.  "When?" Garet asked.  "No time like
the present." She said.

   Kelnozz crept carefully along the edge of the mushroom garden, thankful
for the hundredth time that they were large enough that he could hide
amongst them by moving in a crouch.  He cursed again the extra equipment he
carried with him.  From scouting the cavern out, he had learned of where
the prisoners were kept, as well as the location of the freshwater stream
and a few other interesting caves.  He had managed to stay in the cabin
when the water flushed his companions out, and the distraction they had
given the lizardmen allowed him to empty out and then slip inside the chest
the former captain kept his valuables in.  By the time the lizardmen had
returned to search the ship for valuables, he had slipped out of it and
climbed through a hole in the hull to hang outside the ship, obscured from
the cavern by one of the other ruined ships.

   When they'd given up, he had returned inside and his friends weapons and
other equipment the lizardmen found useless scattered about the ship.  He
gathered it up and stored it away for their escape attempt.  Then he'd
begun scouting the place out.

   Now he knew it was what they considered nighttime down here, though time
had little to no meaning.  He cursed the lack of shadows the dimly glowing
fungus produced and prepared to sprint across the cavern to the prisoner
quarters.  Considering the 80 foot run, he doubted he would be able to
surprise the two armed guards.  Still, if he was quick he should be able to
defeat them.

   The scream caught him unaware.  Looking up quickly, he saw that both of
the guards were surprised too.  They rushed into the cave, wondering what
was going on.  Kelnozz looked about and saw other lizardmen were pouring
out of different caves in curiosity as well.  His elven eyesight was able
to pick out a scuffle inside the room, and he knew if he wanted to help his
friends, now was his best chance.

   One guard kept the other prisoners at bay, while the other moved forward
to strike down Nordan, who advanced on a cringing and retreating Alesha. 
She retreated through another doorway to a different cave and Nordan
followed her through, seemingly intent on causing her harm.  Once the guard
began to come through the doorway, his trident was grabbed from him by
someone to the side.  Surprised, it fell from his grasp and he scrambled to
draw the shortsword at his side.

   Alesha ran forward before he could draw it and jumped into the air.  She
landed with one foot in its chest, the other its throat.  It stumbled
backwards, falling to the floor.  She rolled and came up to her feet before
it could, planting another kick with her heel to it's face and knocking it
back down.  Shaking it's head, it struggled to rise but she dropped on it's
throat with one of her knees, crushing it.  The lizardman thrashed beneath
her clawing her legs and body as it struggled to breathe.

   Garet and Nordan moved past them and confronted the other guard that had
rushed to its companions defense.  Garet locked up the guards trident in
the one he had liberated, and Nordan stepped around behind it and caught it
in a powerful bear hug.  The lizardman dropped its 3 headed spear and
reached up with it's hands to claw at Nordan.  It jerked and stopped
struggling when Garet's trident pierced its chest, spearing both lungs and
heart.

   They looked back to see a scratched and bloody but otherwise unharmed
Alesha walking away from the corpse of the lizard man she had slain. 
Nordan nodded approvingly, then they turned to rush out of the cave.  The
other prisoners looked on with false hope, some even daring to consider
joining them.

   "You might need these, we've got company coming!"

   They stopped abruptly at those words.  Kelnozz stood in the doorway and
quickly unpacked and dropped all of their spare gear on the floor.  Garet
grinned as he picked up his great sword.  Alesha grabbed her katana and
threw her arms around Kelnozz happily.  Nordan laughed loudly, securing his
warhammer in hand.

   "What took you so long?" Nordan asked, stepping out of the cave beside
his friend as the first lizard men reinforcements arrived.

   "You know I like to make an entrance," Kelnozz said parrying a thrust
from a lizardman and riposting with his other sword to end the creatures
life by spitting it's chest.

   Nordan laughed again and set his own hammer to work blasting aside a
trident thrust and crushing the skull of the wielder on the back swing. 
Garet ran through the doorway and brought his great sword to bear upon an
unsuspecting lizardman's unprotected neck, leaving Alesha to come out last
and discover the last lizardman lizardmen quickly butchered by the three
men.

   "More come!" Garet hissed, pointing towards the lagoon.

   "This way, we've only one chance and that's pure luck!"

   They followed Kelnozz as he led them away from the advancing lizardmen.
A few more appeared out of caves ahead of them, but they cut them down
quickly.  Soon they arrived at a smaller cave.  They ran into it, stopping
when they saw it a dead end.

   "This is your idea of luck?" Alesha was incredulous.

   "No, there is a river here," Kelnozz explained, heading behind a large
stalagmite.  They saw that there was indeed a river flowing there, the rock
had been worn away around it to allow a hole some 4 feet in diameter to
lead into the blackness below.  The sound of rushing water could be heard.

   "How far down is it?" Nordan asked, keeping an eye on the door way that
would be filled any minute with pursuit.

   "Not very, perhaps 4 feet to the water, but beyond that I don't know
anything," Kelnozz said.

   "You don't know anything about it and you want us to jump in there?"
Alesha was growing even more incredulous by the minute.

   "Great caverns, tunnels, and passages run underneath the length and
breadth of Viconia, perhaps this stream will take us to them, I don't
know," Kelnozz explained quickly.  Alesha just stared into the darkness of
the hole, terrified by what it represented.

   "Nordan, you go first, then you Alesha, then Garet and finally myself."

   Nodding, Nordan lashed his hammer to his belt and took a deep breath. 
With a wave and a grin, he jumped through the hole, making a splash and
nothing else.  Alesha stared at it, hesitating with fear.

   "Go, damnit woman!" Garet snapped, readying his great sword as the
lizardmen ran into the room and charged them.

   Kelnozz turned to push her in when Garet brought his sword back for a
mighty swing.  The flat of the blade glanced off of Kelnozz's head, sending
him reeling.  Alesha gasped in fear as he disappeared through the hole. 
Knowing him doomed, she forgot her inhibitions and dove in after him. 
Garet cleared the first rank of attackers with a mighty sweep of his sword
that sent blood and a few limbs flying.  Glancing back he saw that his
companions had fled.  Seeing them safely away he grinned at the lizardmen
and charged.  A bloodcurdling oath upon his lips, battle was joined.  In
the background he could faintly hear the shaman chanting.  The rock around
his feet took on a life of it's own and clutched at his feet, rooting him
in place.  His grin still in place, he worked at his feet while his sword
swung time and again at the increasing ranks of enemies.

   The cold water brought him back to his senses, but it was to late to
breathe.  Finding himself short on air, Kelnozz tried to fight the current
and swim upwards.  The unforgiving ceiling of the cavern prevented him from
finding any air, however, and his fingers were bruised and bloodied.

   Suddenly something was grabbing at him.  He felt it and knew that it had
to be Alesha...  unless Nordan had done the impossible and not only fought
the swift current but also grown boobs.  Nice boobs at that.

   Then Alesha was bringing her head to his and trying to kiss him.  He
thought her finally mad, trying to do something like that at a time when
his lungs burned for air.  Then their lips touched and the bubbles she blew
at him made him understand.  He met her lips with his and let her blow her
air into his mouth.  His lungs were grateful for it, but the frenzied
activity made it hard for him to keep from gasping for more.  He made
himself calm down and after a count of 30, he returned the air to her.

   They continued doing this, growing lightheaded and losing a little air
each time.  Kelnozz felt Alesha growing limp in his arms, and he shook her
roughly and gave her every last bit of air he had.  She stirred at this and
clung protectively to him as the current buffeted them and pushed them
along the rocks.  Then they were falling.

   Alesha lost track of Kelnozz in the fall.  It was too dark to see
anything, but she did notice that they appeared to be in a regular
waterfall, meaning there should be air to breath.  When she hit the water
below, she swam as hard as she could to get back to the surface.  Breaking
free, she took a deep breath, grateful for the fresh air again.  Her heart
was racing from the near suffocation, so it took her a moment to regain her
composure.

   Then she remembered Kelnozz.  With all of his armor, he would sink to
the bottom if he could not swim.  She inhaled deeply and dove blindly. 
Swimming towards the turbulence in the water, she found the bottom quickly
enough.  The pool was only 20 feet deep or so beneath the waterfall,
growing quickly shallow away from it.  She felt about, hoping desperately
to find him.  Not finding him near the waterfall, she let herself feel the
current.  It pulled her to her left, so she swam the way, feeling about the
bottom.  Sure enough, she found the elf's foot.  Tracing it up his body,
she grabbed him and wrapped her arms just under his shoulders.  With a few
powerful strokes she broke the surface of the water, holding him above
water.

   Thankful of her time spent in her prior life as a lifeguard along the
coast, she swam towards where she remembered it getting shallower.  She
soon felt the rock beneath her feet and was able to drag him out of the
water and onto a sandy shore.  Still unable to see, she checked him for a
pulse and breathing.  His pulse was weak, and he didn't appear to be
breathing.  Working quickly, she flipped him over and guessed at a
location. Using the flat of her hand, she pounded on his back, forcing some
of the water out of him.

   She flipped him back over then and tilted his head back so that she
could begun performing CPR on him.  After breathing for him a few times he
began jerking and she backed away so he could start coughing.  She turned
him on his side and he wretched the water out of his lungs painfully.

   A hand touched her shoulder from behind then, causing her to scream in
surprise.  "Are you okay?" Nordan's disembodied voice said.

   Gulping down her panic she nodded, then realized it was dark and he
couldn't see her.  "Yes," she said at last.  "Kelnozz nearly drowned
though."

   "Ha!  I doubt it, nothing seems to be able to kill that dog!" Nordan
responded, coughing up some water himself.  "I kept offering to help you
but you ignored me."

   "Sorry, I was so caught up in saving him I guess I didn't know you were
there," She said, her hand rubbing up and down Kelnozz's back as he rested
in the sand, breathing painfully.

   "Now we're even," Kelnozz finally said, his voice weak but humor still
in it.

   "What do you mean?" She asked, pulling her hand back.

   After another fit of coughing, Kelnozz responded to her, "I saved your
life from the orcs, now you've saved mine from the water."

   Alesha was glad it was dark in there, so no one could see her blush. 
Kelnozz's quiet chuckle reminded her that he could see in the dark though,
making her blush even more.  "So now what?" she asked, trying to change the
subject.

   "Now we rest," Kelnozz said.

   "After all that you want to rest?" Alesha asked, suddenly realizing she
was exhausted but not ready to give up yet.

   "Aye, I've not slept since we encountered the pirates," Kelnozz said. 
"Now I've been drowned on top of that, I think I deserve a nap!"

   Nordan guffawed at that, "About damn time you slept!  I'll keep first
watch."

   "How?  It's dark in here," Alesha said as she fought off a yawn.

   "Don't need to see to keep watch," Nordan said smugly.

   Alesha shrugged.  She was more concerned with sleep.  She lay down on
the shore and by closing her eyes had a brief sense of déjà vu to when she
had dozed on the beech of her own world so many times.  Sighing at the
loss, she let the memory go and soon joined Kelnozz in the world of sleep

























   They had moved very slowly at first, both Nordan and Alesha unable to
see anything.  Kelnozz led them through the caves and tunnels, always
trying to move up when he could.  Kelnozz's pack had some food and water
stashed away in it, but after three days of eating sparingly, they had
eaten the last of it.  Water they found often enough that they could
refresh themselves and fill the single waterskin they carried with them. 
Without food they found themselves growing weak with hunger on the fifth
day.

   Salvation came to them on the 6th day.  At first thinking themselves
seeing things, they soon realized they weren't hallucinating.  Light
spilled into the passage from up ahead.  Forcing themselves to not rush
forward, they advanced slowly upon it.  The cave emptied into a larger
cavern lit by a staff with a magically glowing globe atop it placed in a
sconce on each side a ornately carved entrance.  The carving depicted
serpents, demons, dragons, and other fey creatures writhing about one
another.

   "What is this place?" Nordan asked, squinting to see through the
painfully bright light.

   Kelnozz advanced on it and studied it carefully without touching
anything.  After a few moments he said, "I'm not sure.  Doesn't look
friendly though."

   "I thought you knew about these underground tunnels?" Alesha said,
hysteria touching the edge of her voice.

   Kelnozz glanced at her sharply.  "I said I knew of them, not that I had
ever been there."

   "Let us find out," Nordan said, Reaching out and grabbing one of the
magical torches from a sconce.

   Kelnozz scowled, not sure his companions rash actions were wise.  When
nothing adverse occurred, he grabbed the other torch and handed it to
Alesha.  Kelnozz then took the lead to keep the light behind him so it did
not interfere with his night vision.

   The passage beyond the entranceway turned smooth and well formed. 
Perhaps natural at one time, it had been carved out to a uniform 8 feet
high by 6 feet wide.  The passage stretched onwards and upwards for several
minutes.  Then abruptly it ended by joining a passage that intersected it.
They stood at the intersection for a minute silently, peering both ways
down the passages.

   "We need a dwarf," Kelnozz muttered, uncertain of where to go.

   "Why?" Alesha asked, remembering the short and stocky people from her
time in Sanctuary.

   "They're great underground, could get us out of here in no time," He
answered, already heading off towards the left.  Nordan shrugged when
Alesha looked at him questioningly, then he followed the elf.  Alesha stood
there a moment, staring both directions, then hurried after.

   A few passages branched off from the one they were on, but they opted to
continue forward on it.  More magical torches began to adorn the walls,
lighting the passage well.  Nordan and Alesha dropped theirs to free their
hands when they realized they could count on the torches to light the way.

   Kelnozz stopped and held up his hand in warning.  Alesha opened her
mouth to ask what he was doing when she heard the noise that had stopped
him, the sound of many booted feet walking along the corridor.  She was
excited to find other life on one hand, and terrified that they would be
enemies on the other hand.

   "Move back!" Kelnozz hissed.  To late though, for ahead a group of
people had rounded a corner in the passage.  Everyone stopped instantly and
stared at each other.

   "Run!" Kelnozz said, drawing his swords.

   "Why?  They're elves!" Alesha responded, confused.

   "Light elves!" Nordan told her, grabbing her arm and pulling her behind
him.  He readied his warhammer.

   The light elven company split into two groups.  Six of them charged
forward while 4 remained behind.  The four remaining behind were paired in
twos.  Each pairing carried a stick between them with something large
hanging from it.  They had no time to determine what they were carrying
though, for the elves reached them.

   Nordan and Kelnozz defended themselves as best they could in the
corridor.  Their swings careful due to the cramped space that standing side
by side provided them, they at least kept their opponents similarly
handicapped.  The noise of steel striking steel echoed through the tunnel,
sure to bring reinforcements.

   "Flee, I will hold them!" Kelnozz said, driving his opponent backwards
with a furious series of attacks that only lightly wounded him.

   "Nay!" Nordan grunted, slamming his hammer into the shield of a light
elf and breaking its arm.  "We live or die together this time!"

   Kelnozz batted aside the attack from his racial enemy and scored a deep
wound on the light elves thigh.  The elf fell back, trying to escape
Kelnozz's wrath.  The dark elf took that opportunity and called to his
friend, "Then we run now!"

   Nordan swung wildly at the light elf's head, making it shrink back away
from him.  He then turned tail with the elf and ran.  The elves behind the
front ranks were unable to get around them, allowing them a brief moment to
escape.  Seeing a hesitating Alesha in front of him, Nordan scooped her up
easily and tossed her over his shoulder as he ran.

   The pursuit was quickly joined, driving them to run faster.  They ducked
into the first passage they encountered, taking them in a circuitous route
through the tunnels.  A few more random turns in an effort to lose their
pursuit did them no good save getting them thoroughly lost.  Alesha
struggled on Nordan's shoulder, causing him to set her down so she could
run with them on her own.

   "Why can't we lose them?" Alesha said between gasps for air.

   "Like me, they can see the heat in the air, that's how I see at night,"
Kelnozz answered her, breathing well and obviously in far better shape then
her.

   "So?" She asked again, beginning to feel her side start to cramp up.

   "They see our footsteps on the cooler rock floor," He said.

   Alesha lapsed into silence then, still not knowing how it was possible
without the technology of her birth world, but willing to accept it for
lack of a better explanation.  Then they came to another T in the corridor.
To the right they could see the four elves that had remained behind the
patrol.  They'd set their cargo down and had drawn weapons.  Seeing the
companions, they shouted alarm and charged after them.

   Knowing themselves lost if they fought them, Kelnozz turned to the left
and led his friends on.  They had to run faster as those elves behind them
were fresh.  Alesha gasped, running on pure willpower and adrenaline, her
stamina already gone.

   They came to a large staircase in the passage, and without any
hesitation charged up it.  Nordan tripped on the stairs, falling painfully.
Alesha stopped and helped him to his feet, leaving an unknowing Kelnozz
ahead of them.  They struggled back up, Nordan limping at first from an
injured knee, but ignoring the pain and forcing himself on in spite of it.

   At the top of the stairs Kelnozz found himself in an open air courtyard.
Free of the caverns he felt like shouting triumphantly.  However, the large
number of light elves in the courtyard precluded him from any celebrations.
A brief moment of silence rolled over the compound, then Kelnozz regained
his wits and was off at a run again, sprinting towards the main gate in
hopes of getting their before the light elves could react.  Beginning to
tire, a run of 200 yards was beyond any hope and he knew it.

   Nordan and Alesha reached the courtyard to see Kelnozz disappear in a
group of easily 20 light elves converging on him.  She started to run
forward to help him when Nordan grabbed her from behind.  He shook his head
and limped off towards the side to hide behind a building to the left of
the rock wall.

   "What now?" Alesha asked, winded and stunned at the loss of Kelnozz.

   "The fool elf gave his life so we could escape," Nordan said, exercising
his wounded knee cautiously.

   "How?"

   Nordan looked up and saw the wooden wall of the fort beside them.  He
looked about a moment longer before he grabbed hold of Alesha by the waist
and hoisted her up so she could grab the pointed tops of the logs forming
the twelve foot tall wall.  She grabbed on to it and managed to swing
herself over.  The tower guards were preoccupied with the continuing battle
in the center of the courtyard, allowing her to escape unseen.  She dropped
to the ground, rolling when she hit.

   A moment later she wondered how Nordan was going to get out when she saw
his hands at the top of the wall.  He pulled himself over as well, hurrying
to avoid discovery.  He fell to the ground and landed with a thud. 
Struggling, he regained his feet and limped over to where Alesha waited. 
She put her arm around him and felt something wet.  Looking at her arm she
saw it was blood.

   "How did you get hurt?" She asked him, concerned.

   "Was in a hurry, tore my side on one of those logs.  No time now, worry
about it later," He said, wincing with each step.

   Escape was moments away for them, with all the elves attention directed
inwards toward the events unfolding in the courtyard.  With Nordan trying
his best to erase their tracks, they disappeared amidst the forest of
evergreens surrounding the light elven outpost.

   Kelnozz fought like a man possessed.  It was easily his finest moments
as a warrior.  In moments a handful of his skilled and dangerous opponents
lay dead or dying around him.  Still more pressed in, stepping over their
fallen comrades in hopes of defeating the hated dark elven invader.

   The hairs on the back of his neck raising to let him know he faced a new
threat, Kelnozz glanced upwards and saw a wizard screaming at the light
elves surrounding him.  Not waiting for them to hear, Kelnozz seized the
initiative and ended the life of another elf in a fountain of blood from
his neck.  He sprung through the opening before it could be filled and ran
like the wind.  His fatigue was forgotten amidst his exhilaration.

   The light elves shouted and gave pursuit, screaming at him like dogs
yapping at his heels.  The wizard's commands started to be heard, however,
and the pursuit lessened.  Kelnozz ran for the gate, seeing it close but
low enough that it looked easier to climb over it then anywhere else.  In a
situation with no options, it was the best chance he had.

   Risking a look over his shoulder, he saw the elves had stopped chasing
him.  Looking up nervously, he saw the wizard finish his incantation and
gesture towards him.  A fiery ball sprung forth from his hands and rushed
towards him.  Kelnozz scowled and dropped to the ground.  The magical bolt
passed just over his back, warming him with it's passage.  It slammed into
the gate of the complex and exploded violently.  The force of the explosion
washed over Kelnozz, stunning him for a moment.  In spite of the concussive
effects, he stumbled to his feet off balance and half ran, half stumbled
towards the gate again.  The fireball had blown the gate off it's hinges,
allowing him an escape route if he could make it.

   Screaming in outrage, the elves charged him again, gaining ground at
first but not enough by the time the dark elf had shaken the effects off
and was moving at full speed.  The wizard called for the pursuers to hold
back again, but his plea was lost in the chaos.  Scowling, he began his
spell regardless.

   Kelnozz made it through the destroyed gate and lunged to his right. 
Just in time, the wizard had sent an arcing bolt of lighting towards him.
Three elves closest behind him took the brunt of the bolt, their screams of
agony frozen in their throats.  It passed close enough to Kelnozz that he
still felt the muscles contract in his left leg, forcing him to drag it
painfully for a few steps before it began to obey his commands again.

   Out of immediate danger from the warriors in the outpost, he opened up
his stride and worked the kinks out of his leg, grunting at first with each
painful step but soon enough feeling had returned to so that it behaved
normally.  The remaining warriors charged after him out the door, distance
very slowly opening up between them.

   An arrow from one of the guard towers narrowly missed Kelnozz's throat,
skipping off his chain mail covered shoulder instead and imbedding in the
ground.  Cursing the Gods under his breath, he began weaving back and forth
as he ran.  More arrows followed him, one ripping a hole in the side of his
tunic and deflecting off his chain mail.  The steady flight of arrows kept
his pursuers from getting too close, however, so as long as he could avoid
them he counted them a blessing.

   His blessings ran out when an arrow impaled him through the right calf.
He stumbled with the injury, and that saved him from the flight of arrows
aimed at his head.  Another one did catch him in the left side of the
chest, hitting a ring in his chain mail perfectly.  Grunting at the shock
of the wounding, he reached around to his side and snapped the arrow shaft
off outside the wound.  Grimacing, he fought against the agony and forced
himself to move into the cover of the evergreens, following the cliff wall
that formed the back wall of the outpost to the right of it.

   The trees provided him cover from the archers, but allowed his pursuers
to close with him.  Limping along, he cleared the forest and stared ahead
at a clearing that ended in a cliff overlooking some sea.  He reached the
edge of it and peered over the edge.  Straight down 40 feet if it was an
inch, waves crashed against the rocks of the cliff.  Behind him the elves
spread out, knowing him wounded but still very dangerous.

   "Time for you to die, cousin!" One of them said in the elven language to
him.  The light elf stepped forward and brandished his katana.

   "Perhaps, but not at your hands," Kelnozz said, leaping with his
unwounded leg off of the cliff.  The fall seemed to last forever,
weightless and flying.  The elves above stared in disbelief at his suicidal
plunge.  An unheard splash marked where he hit the water.

   Nordan shivered in the surprisingly cool night air.  He had taken fever
with the injury he had received in his side.  Alesha had cleaned and
dressed it with a skill he found surprising.  She mentioned something about
learning to be a healer before she had come to Viconia when he asked her
about it.

   Then they had moved out again, heading further west.  Not only west, but
they had also climbed steadily.  Uncertain of where they were, they made a
cold camp and went again without any food.  Alesha knew that they would
have to eat soon, especially if Nordan was to overcome his fever, but their
exhaustion overrode their hunger.

   When they awoke the next morning, Nordan was even worse off.  Having
taken off his dressing, Alesha found his wound to be angry and enflamed
with infection.  Nordan had trouble staying focused and was sweating
profusely.

   "We won't survive without food," Alesha said, rubbing her hands in the
brisk morning air.  "And I won't survive without clothes!" she quietly
added to herself.

   "Can you set snares?" Nordan said through the haze of fever.

   Alesha shook her head, worried that they might have escaped impossible
odds to be claimed by hunger.  She looked away from Nordan so that he would
not see her eyes tearing up in frustration.  She looked back after she had
gotten her emotions under control and saw him slowly rising to his feet.

   "What are you doing?" She asked, seeing the look of pain on his face.

   "We need food," He explained, shaking his head to clear it and testing
his arm on his wounded right side.  "You can't hunt, so I must."

   "But you're sick!  Without rest you might die!" She stammered, standing
beside him and helping him stay balanced.

   "Aye," he admitted, closing his eyes for second, "without food we'll
both die."

   Alesha stood there watching helplessly as Nordan slowly bent to pick up
his hammer then straighten and move away from their campsite.  "What can I
do?" She asked meekly, considering herself a failure.

   "I'm not sure," he stared at her for a moment.  "What can you do?"

   Stung, Alesha stayed motionless.  Nordan turned and half walked, half
teetered into the woods.  Once outside of the campsite and around some
boulders, he shook his head to clear it again and straightened himself up a
bit.  Walking more normally, he set out to gather some game.

   Alesha looked about the makeshift campsite, looking for some meaning
behind it all.  She tried to figure out what it was that she could do.  She
ground her teeth in frustration, tears coming to her eyes again.  Had she
the tools and technology she was accustomed to, it would be so simple for
her.  Penicillin, needle and thread, antibiotics, proper bandages, even hot
water would have helped her treat Nordan's injury.  Learning how to hunt
instead of opposing the senseless killing of innocent animals while
younger, taking more interest in useful skills instead of socializing and
trying to be a prim and proper person.

   "I can help."

   Alesha's breath caught in her throat.  She spun about quickly, her wet
face and running nose forgotten.  The source of the voice was a man dressed
in a simple brown woven robe.  While his robe was simple, nothing else
about him seemed to be.  Alesha could only think of him as beautiful. 
Brown wavy hair and a deep blue eyes, she felt an instinctive urge to trust
him.

   "Where did you come from?" She said, self consciously wiping her cheeks
clean of tears.

   He smiled, and Alesha was stricken again by how handsome the man was. 
"That's not important," he said, his voice a melody in her ears.  "I heard
you crying and came to investigate.  Tell me what the problem is, child,
and I will aid you if you simply ask it of me and accept my help."

   Fear not holding her anymore, she opened her mouth and it all spewed
out. Her sense of loss, her feelings of frustration and inadequacy, her
uselessness, loneliness, and her history since come to Viconia.  Whether
the strange man understood all of it or not, he smiled and nodded
encouragingly to her throughout.  When at least she was finished, she again
wiped the tears from her cheeks and blushed with embarrassment at unloading
so much on a stranger.

   "Please," she asked, "who are you?"

   The man smiled encouragingly at her.  "I roam the world looking for
those to help further my cause, perhaps you are one of those people willing
to do so?"

   Alesha found herself nodding, knowing nothing bad could come from
someone so beautiful.

   "Good, then my child, I can help you with many of those things, perhaps
all, though some must come from yourself, do you want me to do that?"

   Alesha nodded again, entranced by him.

   "Then all you must do is ask for it and accept it," He said, smiling
again.

   Alesha stared at him a moment, wondering at the strangeness of it all. A
cool breeze blew through, reminding her of how much time had passed and how
Nordan had not returned yet.  "Please help us...me.  Please help me."

   His grin this time was one of triumph.  "Place these roots and herbs on
your friends wound, it will help him heal and fight the fever," the man
handed her a small pouch that was full of roots and herbs she could not
identify.

   He then held out his arms and she instinctively approached him. 
Stepping within his arms, she let him hug her to him.  He felt warm through
his robes, making her realize she had forgotten how much chillier it was
where they were.  His hands pulled her face up to his from where she had
buried it in his shoulder.  His lips then touched her forehead, so hot they
nearly burned her.  She felt the warmth spread throughout her body. 
Certain she was imagining it, she found herself much calmer and more
relaxed then she had been.  She almost felt as though she had gained more
awareness.

   "Tell no one of our meeting," he cautioned her, stepping away from her.
"I am a strange man and I like to be left alone in my travels.  You are
deep within the Periphery, and few men would come here that could be called
good or noble."

   Alesha nodded, accepting what he said.  She noticed again how beautiful
he was as he backed away from her.  "Wait!" She said, "Is there nothing I
can do for you?  You have helped me, can I not take some of the loneliness
away from you?" She took a step towards the man, moving with a fluidity and
sensuousness she hadn't thought she possessed.

   He smiled at her, "You are a quick learner, child, and you shall do
well. I will visit you again in time, but for now look to your companion,
he is an hours walk to the west, falling unconscious as we speak.  Look for
a stream that bends about a rock fashioned to look like a man's manhood,
you will find him near there."

   Alesha remained standing motionless.  While not sexually experienced, no
man had ever turned down what she offered whenever she had offered it
before.  She felt a sense of longing for him, but he turned and walked into
the woods to the west.

   She snapped out of her momentary daze and hastened to grab up the few
belongings they had.  She hurried to the west, following the man, but could
find him nowhere.  At a loss, she continued west, wondering how she was to
find Nordan when she often had trouble finding her way to the outhouse.

   After several minutes she looked about and wondered at how much clearer
things looked.  She could smell the sparse forest around her better, the
colors seemed more vivid, and she even felt more in touch with what was
going on around her.  So much so that she was not surprised when she saw a
wild turkey nearby drinking from a stream.  Slowly and carefully, she drew
her katana.  Stealthily, she approached the turkey from behind.  Over the
babbling brook, it never heard her approach.  Her cut was so swift that it
never felt her blade bite through it's neck either.

   Having found a stream, she continued to follow it west, the sun dipping
dangerously low and making her think she was lost before she found the
penis shaped rocks.  Two small rocks indeed sat at the base of a longer one
sticking into the air.  Not only that, but the top of the rock seemed
larger then the shaft of it.  She blushed at the sight of it, and glanced
around quickly.  Braced against a tree and hidden behind a screen of brush,
she found him.

   "Nordan!" Alesha said softly, gently nudging him with her hand.  He
stirred and slowly opened his eyes.  He stared at her for a moment before
comprehension dawned on him.

   He opened his mouth but she put her finger to his lips to keep him
silent.  Working quickly and efficiently, she put the contents of the pouch
in a new bandage and applied it to his side, which had grown even more
infected looking.  It had began to stink as well, making her wonder if it
wasn't to late.

   She had him drink from some water she brought up from the stream cupped
in her hands, then set about making a fire while he fell back asleep. 
Taking flint and steel from his pouch, she gathered some brush and for the
first time in her life managed to start a fire without having a flame
provided for her.

   Taking a dagger from Nordan, she dressed and cleaned the turkey.  Using
a stick she found, washed, then dried and hardened over the fire, she
impaled the turkey and made a spit.  Wandering about a bit, she found
various herbs and spices that she hadn't known about before.  Using them on
the turkey, she soon had dinner ready for them.

   The smell of cooking meat finally woke Nordan up.  Still weak, he was
nevertheless ravenously hungry.  Between the two of them, they ate the
entire turkey, though the large barbarian had more then Alesha did.  Soon
afterward, he fell into a healing sleep.  Alesha checked him again and
found his fever reduced and even the swelling around his wound receding. 
Amazed, she let him sleep and took watch so that she could ponder the
strange events of the day surrounding her.

   Another thing that she soon found herself amazed by was the temperature.
She knew beyond a doubt that it was growing cold again as night fully
descended, yet she felt comfortably warm.  She could also somehow identify
the plants surrounding her without a problem, and she'd never been
interested in gardening before.  Even flowers never did much for her, for
that matter!

   As night deepened, the temperature lowered further.  Alesha remained
comfortable in spite of that, uncertain as to how she could feel so warm
when she could see her breath in front of her face.  She checked on Nordan
and discovered that his fever had broken.  He slept now to regain his
energy, not to fight the infection.  However, she could see how chilled his
weakened body was.

   Making a decision, Alesha laid down beside him, cuddling up against him
and twining their bodies together so that she could hopefully share her
warmth with him.  Nordan clung to the warmth she provided, relaxing a bit
in his sleep.

   When they awoke in the morning it was still chilly out, but by sharing
their body heat they had survived the cold.  Alesha bit her lip, afraid to
move but afraid to stay there, wrapped in Nordan's arms with her back to
him.  His breathing changed and she knew he was awake.  Her worries were
confirmed when his hand slid slowly down her arm to rub over her side and
hip.

   Nordan pulled his arm away then and cleared his throat.  Alesha laid
there, temporarily disappointed as he rolled away from her and stood up. 
She shook her head slightly and stood up as well, turning to face him.

   Nordan took the bandage off of his side and stared at the wound in
shock. A weeks worth of healing had taken place overnight.  "How did you do
this?" He asked her, staring at her in surprise.

   Alesha blushed, but was unable to tear her gaze away from his.  "I um...
In my world I was learning to be a healer...  They taught us how to do
things like this there," She mumbled the last, knowing it was a lie but
hoping he'd believe it.

   "Is it magic?" Nordan asked, suspicious.

   She shook her head quickly to allay his suspicions.  "No, it's just what
we learned to do.  In my world there is no magic."

   Nordan nodded slowly.  "Sounds like a good world."

   Alesha smiled at the memory then looked around her.  "No, I think I
prefer your world more, it's more clean and untouched."

   Nordan grunted, his attention caught up again by her body.  In spite of
having seen her in the same or less every day for the past month, he was
stricken again by her beauty.  Shaking his head at the thoughts, he turned
and worked at restarting the campfire.

   "Why don't you look at me?" Alesha asked softly, stepping towards him.

   Still gazing at the slowly growing flames, Nordan answered after a
moment, "You are for Kelnozz, not for me."

   Alesha pondered that for a moment, wondering if what he said made sense.
Realizing it was of no concern, she said, "But Kelnozz is dead."

   Nordan took a deep breath and looked up at the sky, as if searching for
something.  "No," He said, "he is still alive, I think he will outlive us
all."

   Alesha laid her hand tenderly on Nordan's shoulder, getting his
attention.  "Right now you and I are here, am I so ugly you don't want to
look at me?"

   Nordan turned around slowly, then stared into her eyes for a moment. 
Finding himself drawn to her, he crushed her to him and kissed her
passionately.  Their hands flew over one another, caressing, holding,
stroking, and removing clothing.

   They ended up on the ground, with Alesha reaching down to find Nordan's
manhood.  Stroking his already erect cock, she guided him towards her open
legs.  Never known to waist words, Nordan let her lead him into her
wetness. Surprised at how ready she was for him, he was able to sink his
entire barbaric girth into her with ease in spite of her tightness.  He
groaned happily as Alesha moaned in fulfillment.

   As Nordan began thrusting into her, Alesha felt totally satisfied and
content.  Right then, at that moment, everything was perfect for her.  She
moaned and panted nonstop, her senses opening up to everything around her.
She felt the energies of the elements surrounding her, infusing her.  The
air, the earth, the water, and the flames they had rekindled.  Nordan lost
himself inside of her clutching sex, grunting mindlessly as he pounded into
her time and again.  Nothing mattered except driving her to her climax and
then filling her with his seed.

   Alesha's cries of passion urged him on, as well as her legs wrapping
around him and pulling him into her as deeply as possible.  Having seen
Nordan's cock, she was amazed she could take all of it as easily as she
did. Thick and long, it nonetheless slid within her easily, setting up
wonderful friction.  With each thrust his pelvis ground against her slit,
teasing her clit and making her gasp.

   Soon Alesha found herself growing more excited then she had when Garet
had mated with her.  Her fingernails scratched at Nordan's back, raising
welts and drawing blood.  The pain drove Nordan crazy, making him pound
against her furiously.

   Alesha found herself reaching a plateau of pleasure.  Everything around
her took on a surreal cast, allowing her to see the aura surrounding the
living things around her.  She gasped in surprise at the beauty of it all.
Nordan found himself on the edge, driven to thrust into her faster and
harder.  Alesha urged him on, begging him to fill her and never stop.

   Nordan had no recourse but to meet her demands.  Inhaling deeply, then
letting out a loud grunt, he slammed his massive cock into her sopping
pussy one final time, knocking the breath from her.  Nordan shuddered as
Alesha's quim massaged and sucked at his exploding manhood.  The seed
rushed from him in powerful spurts that made him gasp in pleasure and pain.
Alesha gritted her teeth to keep from screaming as her climax overtook her.

   After several post-coital thrusts, Nordan stared down at her with a
strange look in his eyes.  Alesha finally opened her eyes, a look of peace
and happiness on her face, and stared back at him.

   "What's wrong?" She asked softly, her hand coming up to rest on his
cheek.

   "Just wondering what will happen when we find Kelnozz," Nordan said.

   Alesha smiled and used her muscles to tease Nordan's spear that impaled
her.  Nordan groaned at the sensation.  "What ever happens, happens," she
explained grinding herself slowly up against him.  "This was my way of
saying thank you for all the help you've given me.  I don't want you to
think this means anything beyond how much I appreciate your companionship."

   Nordan nodded, both grateful to hear that and a bit disappointed.  He
pulled himself back from her then, sliding out of her clutching sex
reluctantly.

   "I hope to show you my thanks many more times as well," Alesha said,
taking his limp cock and licking up and down it before sucking it into her
mouth to clean their juices off of it.  Nordan grinned and when she
released him, returned to stoking the campfire with fresh deadwood.  Once
it was blazing away, he pulled his breeches back on and picked up his
hammer.  "I'm going to find some breakfast," he said, staring at her nude
body laying in the sun with latent lust.  Alesha winked at him and smiled.
"Can you leave me your sharpest dagger?" Nordan shrugged and pulled a
dagger free from his boot.  He handed it to her and then walked off into
the surrounding wilderness to find something to eat.  Alesha took his
dagger and moved to the cool stream.  She waded into it then sat down on a
rock just under the surface of the water.  She could feel the texture of
the water, and it felt delicious on her skin, but she remained comfortably
warm in spite of it.  Shrugging, she used the edge of the dirk to scrape
away at the hair that had grown on her since she had entered Viconia. 
Unable to find an appropriate blade, and more concerned with other things,
she had let her body hair return.  Realizing how disgusting she felt with
it, she endured the razor burn as she shaved away all of the hair under her
arms, on her legs, and surrounding her recently deflowered pussy.  As the
flowing water of the stream washed over her and cleaned her out, her sexual
high began to abate.  She started wondering what it was that had come over
her.  Always afraid of Nordan, she had been certain to avoid letting
anything of that sort happen before.  Sure, she found him attractive, he
was quite possibly the largest and most powerful man she had ever seen. 
Incredibly muscular, she had no doubt he could have easily defeated any of
the men she had known in her life in tests of strength.  But that strength
also scared her.  Not only that, but she had even cleaned him off after he
had finished fucking her!  She was amazed at her audacity in doing that. 
She had given guys blow jobs before, that was nothing new to her, but she
had only tasted herself a couple of times.  It was wrong to do that, a
crime against nature!  Secretly she had always reveled in it, and she knew
that, but she refused to accept it.  Outside of her alarming sexual
behavior, she was confused about the other changes coming over her.  Being
able to identify and use the plants around her, sneaking up on the wild
turkey from the night before, seeing and feeling the things she had felt.
It was all so much for her to become accustomed to.  And she knew that the
strange man from the day before was responsible for it.  It scared her and
at the same time it made her feel more comfortable.  For once she felt like
she was not helpless and lost in this strange new world.  Nordan returned
with a rabbit, already skinned and cleaned.  He stared at her for a moment
as she rose from the water, glistening and wet.  Alesha had to suppress the
urge to seduce him again as he looked at her, and she sat on a rock while
Nordan cooked the rabbit.  By the time they had finished cooking and eating
the rabbit in silence, Alesha had dried off enough to put her loin cloth
and belt back on.  "How do you know Kelnozz is still alive?" She asked
Nordan at last.  Nordan kicked dirt over the fire and pondered the
question. "Not sure, I just don't think he is dead." Alesha nodded and
wondered herself.  "How do we find him then?" She asked.  Nordan finished
burying the fire then looked at her.  "You are the one full of surprises
lately, why don't you tell me?" Alesha could see there was no malice in
him, but some suspicion and uncertainty.  She sighed deeply and wondered if
perhaps she did know something.  She took a deep breath and closed her
eyes. Thinking of Kelnozz, she pictured him in her mind and slowly turned.
At first there was nothing, but as she turned she began to feel a pulling.
"He lies that way," She said, opening her eyes and pointing forward.  She
was pointing to the Northeast.  "How?" Nordan asked, glancing to the
Northeast then looking back at her.  Alesha shrugged.  "I don't know,
Nordan.  I honestly don't know." Still eyeing her suspiciously, Nordan
turned to the direction she had pointed and began walking that way. 
"Wait!" Alesha called out, running up to him and grabbing his arm.  He
turned to face her, his face unreadable.  "Yesterday, when you left, a man
found me and came to me." Nordan's eyes widened as the tale spilled out of
what had happened.  She finished it by saying, "He was a beautiful man,
Nordan!  Simple and dressed like a monk or a woodsman, but so handsome he
didn't even seem human!" Nordan nodded his head then.  "Methinks you have
met Carson, God of Nature." Alesha's jaw dropped and her hands flew to her
open mouth.  "You mean...  a God?  They can do that?" Nordan's laughter
bellowed out.  "Aye lass, they can do most anything!  That's why they be
Gods!" The blood slowly drained from her face, she took a couple of
staggering steps and sat down on a fallen tree.  "But do they do stuff like
that?" Nordan shrugged.  "I've heard stories of men and women saying they
have met the Gods." Alesha remained sitting for a moment, still stunned and
unable to comprehend it all.  Then the irony of it struck her.  20 plus
years spent on her world worshipping the one true God with no sign or proof
or appreciation, and less then a month here and already having met and
apparently been claimed by a deity.  She started laughing just short of
hysterically.  After a few minutes she wiped the tears from her eyes and
stood up.  Nordan looked at her questioningly but she merely motioned for
him to lead the way.

   They set out, stopping every couple of hours for Alesha to try and
determine if they were still heading in the right direction.  It grew
increasingly difficult as the day progressed.  Likewise Alesha grew
increasingly flushed and aroused.  Uncertain as to why, she nevertheless
had a difficult time waiting through dinner before she bedded Nordan again.

   After a fit of passion to rival the mornings events in duration and
excitement, if not release, Alesha found herself easily able to locate
Kelnozz...or what she thought was Kelnozz.  "We're closer," she said,
grinding her cum filled slit back at Nordan who was kneeling behind her and
breathing heavily from his release.

   "Huh?" Nordan asked.

   "We're getting closer to Kelnozz."

   Nordan scowled and pulled himself free of her.  "You think of him while
we do this?"

   Alesha spun about quickly, feeling the loss of having him inside of her.
She squeezed her muscles tightly, trying to keep his seed inside of her. 
"No!" She said desperately.  "I wasn't doing that, I noticed how much
harder it was for me to find him as the day went on and I got hornier, I
wondered if I would be better at it if I was relaxed."

   Nordan still looked at her suspiciously, leaning back against a rock. 
"Please Nordan," she said, crawling over to him, "understand that when I'm
with you, you're all I need to think about!"

   To empathize her point, she scooped him up in her mouth again to clean
him off.  He groaned at the sensation, but let her continue.  In a few
moments she could tell his reservations had faded away.  He began to grow
hard again in her mouth as her tongue worked over the slit in the end of
his cock.

   Alesha's head continued to bob up and down on his member, her jaw felt
stretched as far as it could go when he was as hard as he could be.  Her
hand wrapped around the base of it and stroked it up and down in time with
her head.  Nordan's hands found their way to her head, not pushing or
demanding, simple letting her know he enjoyed what she was doing.

   Relaxing herself further, Alesha pushed deeper with each thrust.  She
straightened out her head with her body as much as she could and forced
herself to ignore her gag reflex as the head of his cock repeatedly brushed
the back of her throat.  Nordan was moaning happily by that time.  Growing
accustomed to the feel of him, Alesha took a deep breath and pushed a
little deeper, having trouble getting it past the bend in her neck until
she swallowed.  Then it slid down her throat easily.  She pumped him in and
out of her throat a few times, actually wishing that he was longer so that
she could take him deeper.  Then again, any longer and she might begin to
wonder if she was having sex with a horse!  That obscene and disgusting
thought made her moan.

   Nordan couldn't believe what she was doing to him.  It felt incredible.
He had lain with many woman, and performed all sorts of sexual acts, but
never had one been able to do what she was doing to him.  Unconsciously,
his hips bucked up against her face in time to her descending head.  He let
out a cry of frustration when she pulled her head free of him.  She
breathed in deeply and went at him again, licking the spit from her mouth
and throat off of it.  The aggression that she displayed while sucking on
him drove him crazy with need.  He wanted to mount her again, but the
feelings she was giving him now were as good or better.

   Having caught her breath, she again held it in deeply and swallowed his
cock.  Nordan felt himself growing faint as extra blood poured into his
manhood.  He was close and he knew it.  His hands tightened their grip on
his head and he began thrusting himself into her mouth.  Alesha smiled,
lost in her depravity.  Her hands flew to his hips and urged him to fuck
her face.  Nordan needed no urging, he pistoned in and out of her rapidly,
bruising her lips with his groin.

   He lost track of himself when her hands reached down to fondle his sack.
Unable to breathe, he exploded violently in her throat.  Alesha let the
first blast slide down her throat, but pulled his spouting volcano back to
her mouth to taste his spooge as it drained from him.  Having tasted sperm
once before on a date long ago, she was certain she would hate it again,
but she was so caught up in the moment she was behaving like someone else
entirely.  Instead of it tasting disgusting, she found herself shocked to
learn that it was delicious.  She sucked at his cock, squeezing and pumping
it to get every last bit out of it.

   Nordan at last had to fend her off of him, pushing her away from his
sore and shrunken penis.  Looking at her, he saw a sex starved animal.  In
spite of his greater size, skill, and strength, he was afraid of her for a
moment.  He brushed the thought away from him quickly and grabbed onto her
as she came back towards him.  He shook her roughly, snapping her out of
her sexual frenzy.

   "Oh my God...  I...  I'm sorry, Nordan," Alesha said, sitting back on
her legs as she realized what she had been doing.  "I've never been like
that....  That was...  well, it was incredible!"

   Nordan laughed and nodded.  "Aye, that it was!  You might want to clean
your face up though."

   Alesha's hand rose up to her face and she wiped some of his juice on her
finger.  She looked at it then stuck her finger in her mouth and sucked it
off.  After a low moan, her finger returned and tried to scrape all of the
rest of his seed into her mouth.  When she could get no more of it, she
stopped and came back to earth.

   "What's happening to me?" She asked a bit nervously.

   Nordan had already moved closer to the fire and laid down to sleep for
the night.  "Didn't notice anything, just you relaxing and letting yourself
have some fun."

   "But I have never been this much of a sex fiend!" She protested.  "The
Gods play games with us often.  He gave you a gift, perhaps the price is
becoming aware to you now," Nordan offered, drifting rapidly towards sleep.

   Alesha pondered what Nordan had said, wondering if that was the case and
if so, what it meant.  Would she gain more power each time she had sex? 
Would she lose her power if she did not have sex?  Thoughts and questions
plagued her mind as she fell asleep curled up against Nordan's body.

   They continued their journey at dawn, after sating Alesha's growing
lust. Walking through the day, the traversed great hills and forests.  Days
turned into a week, always leading them to the Northeast.  Each morning and
night, and occasionally during a mid day break, they coupled with each
other.  Nordan had never known a woman so completely lacking inhibitions,
and Alesha slowly became accustomed to the incredible sexual hunger she
felt...  as well as how it grew in her.

   At long last they came upon a ridge overlooking a valley.  At the end of
the valley sat a castle long since gone to ruin.  Alesha no longer needed
to close her eyes to locate Kelnozz.  "Kelnozz is there," Alesha said,
pointing to the castle.

   Nordan grunted, figuring as much.  He looked around for a way to get
down into the heavily wooded valley.  "Let us camp here for the day and
head down there at night.  Should be easier to get in then."

   Alesha agreed and they set up a cold camp, unwilling to alert anyone by
lighting a fire.  "Want to help me recharge before we head in?" Alesha
asked Nordan, running her hand over one of her breasts and idly pinching
the nipple between her fingers.  Nordan laughed and caught her up in his
arms.

   "Today we enjoy each other's company, for tomorrow we may be dead!"
Nordan quoted a barbarian proverb.  Words were soon lost to them, to be
replaced with more animalistic grunts as they went after each other in a
sexual frenzy.

   All to soon they came together in a powerful climax.  Kissing
passionately through it all to make as little noise as possible, Alesha's
teeth drew blood from Nordan's lips as he pumped his load deep inside her
belly.  After a few moments of laying their locked together, they
reluctantly parted and set about watching the castle for any signs of
movement and to plan their assault.

   The dark elf awoke sore and weak.  He looked around him and saw that he
was in a cave.  He was resting on some bedding made from several cured
animal hides.  Underneath it was the rocky floor.  A small campfire burned
nearby, the smoke wafting up through a fissure that went he knew not where.
He saw his clothing and equipment was stacked nearby, including his
weapons. Breathing a sigh of relief, he wondered how he had come to be
there.  And where exactly he was.































   "Wondered if you'd wake up, I did."

   Kelnozz looked quickly to the origin of the voice, then almost
immediately regretted moving his head so quickly.  It was a human man, out
of his prime but still able.  The man was grinning, his white teeth shining
through the bushy beard and mustache that had grown on him.  He wore
leathers for clothing, and stirred a pot hung over the fire pit.

   "Who are you?" Kelnozz asked.

   "Aye elf, that's a good question!  But it's not important...what's
important is who you are.  Aye aye, who are you?" He said, dipping a bowl
in the pot and handing it to Kelnozz.

   Kelnozz saw and smelled the stew, and without further words fell to it.
He quickly learned how sore his side still was as he tried to move to eat.
Remembering more, he tested his leg and found the calf still equally
painful.

   "My name is Kelnozz Risingmoon, and I appear to be indebted to you," He
said once he had finished the bowl of stew.

   The hermit grinned and took the bowl back.  "You were a sore sight,
that's for sure!  Took me a while to fix you up.  Though I'd lost you with
all the bleeding."

   Kelnozz could see that the hermit was tottering on the edge of madness.
"How long have you been here?"

   "How long?  Hmmm, don't rightly know.  Ever since the change took me, I
guess.  But don't worry, the change won't get you, I'll make sure of that!"

   "Where are we?" Kelnozz asked, checking the bandages and finding them
clean.

   "Where are we?  Ha!  We're here!  We're else?" The man cackled and
finished his own bowl of stew.

   "How long has it been?" Kelnozz asked, growing frustrated at the crazy
old man.

   "I found you two days ago on the shores of the Swiftwater Sea," He said,
his laughter dying down.  "Last time somebody got washed ashore there it
was nigh 20 years ago...and it was me!" He cackled again at that, but it
lacked any real mirth to it.

   Kelnozz ignored the pain in his side and leg and rose up enough to stare
directly into the man's eyes.  What he saw surprised him.  "Tell me old
man, who are you really?"

   The man met Kelnozz's gaze evenly.  "It's not important elf, let it go."

   The man turned away but Kelnozz reached out and grabbed him by the
shoulder.  "I think it is."

   Spinning around quicker then he looked possible the man had knocked
Kelnozz's hand away and held a dagger between them.  "I used to be called
Aquinar Belisarius, elf, and I was the champion of Celos in my time," he
hissed at Kelnozz.  "Now will you let it go?"

   Kelnozz settled back on the skins, grimacing at the unhealed wounds. 
"Aye, friend, for now I'll let it go.  Why do you play at being mad?"

   The hermit laughed bitterly.  "I've been here 20 years, madness would be
a welcome release.  It keeps the light elves and the goblins away, they
think me a harmless raving lunatic...harmless unless they trespass on my
lands, that is!  Nay lad, I'd embrace madness gladly if it would come, but
I've erred so badly that I'll not get away so easily."

   "Where are we then, hermit?" Kelnozz asked, growing more and more
curious.

   "Inside the periphery, boy-o.  Deep inside it.  Only way out of here is
through league after league of lands roamed by giants, light elves, orcs,
and their kin, or the Swiftwater Sea, which you've discovered isn't much
safer!"

   Kelnozz nodded and laid back to think.  Before he knew it, he was
sleeping again, recovering from his wounds.  Aquinar watched him for a few
minutes before moving out to the entrance of the cave.  The sun was setting
behind the mountains to the west.  In the east the edge of what he could
feel was another full moon began to show itself.  Sighing, Aquinar left the
cave in a trot, putting as much distance between it and himself as he
could.

   The mournful howl of a wolf awoke Kelnozz.  He found the fire had died
and night had come.  Grimacing, he rose up from his bedding and examined
his bandages.  The hermit must have been a talented healer, for while still
sore, his wounds were healing nicely.

   Kelnozz gathered up his equipment and put it back on.  He examined the
cave, heading deeper into it.  It turned out to be more of a fissure in the
rock face then anything else, for it did not head back very deep.  Kelnozz
did discover Aquinar's possessions, however, and he found himself
impressed. A suit of plate mail, looking recently polished and well
maintained, was laying in a corner under another animal skin.  Kelnozz
reached out and picked up the sword that was sheathed and laying with the
armor.  Drawing it carefully from it's scabbard, he marveled at the
craftsmanship and feel of the blade.  Certain it was no match for his own
blades, he was nevertheless impressed with it.  Testing the edge with his
thumb, he was amazed to find himself bleeding from a shallow cut.

   Replacing the weapon, he began to explore more of the hermit's belonging
when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise.  He dropped his hands
to the hilts of his swords and turned around to face the opening of the
cave.

   A lone wolf stared at him, a look of sadness in it's eyes.  Kelnozz
stared back at the wolf, waiting for it to make a move.  Finally it did,
turning away and loping off into the night.  Kelnozz breathed a sigh of
relief and limped back to the camp fire.  He piled some fresh kindling on
it and blew the still glowing embers back to life.

   An exhausted looking Aquinar trudged into the cave an hour before Dawn.
He locked gazes with Kelnozz, to weary to speak, and then moved to his own
bedroll where he collapsed and fell instantly to sleep.  Kelnozz watched
him for few minutes, studying him carefully, then dozed himself.

   "Have a problem with wolves around here?" Kelnozz asked the next day.

   Aquinar glanced at him sharply.  "What do you mean?"

   Kelnozz shrugged and said, "A wolf visited this cave last night, it
didn't seem threatening though, and it went away."

   Aquinar shook his head and sighed quietly.

   "Does that happen often?" Kelnozz asked, pressing him for information.

   "What?  Oh, sorry, I'm not used to other people being here," Aquinar
said.  "Sometimes it does, but rarely."

   "How are you feeling?" Aquinar asked, changing the topic.

   Kelnozz tested his leg and his side.  "Still sore, but healing well.  My
thanks to you, you are a skilled healer."

   Aquinar grunted acknowledgement and returned to sharpening his dagger on
a rock.  "You should move on soon, it is dangerous here, more so then you
realize."

   "Oh?  I can take care of myself," Kelnozz said, watching Aquinar
carefully.

   "I'm sure you can," he replied, "but there are strange and dangerous
powers that vie for control in this valley.  I'm cursed to stay, but you
should leave."

   "You've mentioned this curse a few times, what is it and how did it
happen?"

   Letting out a sharp scornful laugh, Aquinar shook his head, "None of
your concern, elf, I was tested by Celos and found wanting, and have thus
fallen from grace."

   Kelnozz shrugged.  "If that is how you wish to live, then may you have
the best of life.  My thanks again for rescuing me."

   Aquinar watched Kelnozz walk to the mouth of the cave and glance about.
Then without even a glance back, he stepped out of the cave and headed down
the hillside to the west.  Aquinar scowled, glad to be rid of the
troublesome elf.  He talked to much and asked to many questions.  Aquinar's
life was his own business, and his problems his to bear.

   Kelnozz found his the stiffness in his side and leg slowly leaving as he
exercised it by moving.  He knew that he would pay for it later, but for
now he could do without the distraction.  Since leaving Aquinar, he had the
feeling that he was being followed.  For most of the day he had moved west
through the forested valley.  As twilight approached he set up a camp and
started a fire with his flint and steel.  Draping his cloak around some
rocks and branches he had pulled together, he crept off to the side to lay
an ambush for whatever it was that pursued him.

   Moving quietly as only he could, and possessing an unnatural patience,
he circled behind his unknown shadow and studied him carefully.  After a
few moments, the man moved out of a shadow into the moonlight.  In the
increased light Kelnozz's elven eyes were able to identify him easily.  It
was as he thought, Aquinar came after him.  Dressed in his armor this time,
not his leather.  Kelnozz knew the armor to be more then just finely
crafted, but surely magical as well to allow him to move as quietly as he
did.

   Aquinar scowled when the twin blades rested lightly on his shoulders. 
"Well done elf," He muttered, turning slowly to face Kelnozz with his arms
out to show him unarmed.

   "Why do you follow me?" Kelnozz asked before noticing the sweat on
Aquinar's face and his pale color.

   Aquinar stepped out of the moonlight and into the shade, seeming to
relax a little.  "I had to make sure you were leaving," he said.

   "What's wrong with you?  Are you injured?" Kelnozz asked, seeing the
hermit close his eyes and shudder as if in pain.

   Aquinar sat down heavily, taking a deep ragged breath.  "Nay, 'tis no
wound that ails me.  It's something far deeper."

   "You saved my life," Kelnozz offered, "what can I do to aid yours?"

   Snorting in derision he said, "Bah, nothing.  I am beyond help." The
winds blowing through the top of the trees moved the branches aside enough
for the moonlight to shine down directly on Aquinar's face.  He grimaced
and moved abruptly, as if in pain.  Out of the moonlight again he growled
deep in his throat and then calmed.

   "Tell me of your curse, graybeard, or I head back to your cave and stay
with you!" Kelnozz threatened.

   "If you feel indebted to me, then leave me alone!" Aquinar said through
clenched teeth.

   "I think not," Kelnozz responded.

   Aquinar glared dangerously at Kelnozz, his muscles tensing up beneath is
armor in preparation to spring.  A cloud passed in front of the moon then,
making the night that much darker.  As if a weight was lifted from him, the
hermit grew less agitated.

   "Long ago I was one of Celos' chosen holy warriors.  A paladin.  Few
were the peers that I had, and great honors and glories were heaped upon
the Church of Celos in my name.  I grew pompous and vain over time. 
Victory after victory, I knew no equal that my skills and divine powers
could not overcome.

   "After championing a cause in the North, I took ship to the south,
intent upon heading to the isles to the east of Belurian so that I might
bring the law and order of Celos to the savage natives there.  My ship
encountered a storm.  A storm so great that we were blown off course and
eventually overwhelmed by the seas.  As far as I know, I alone survived."

   The cloud passed over and the waning moon shone down around them again.
Clearly irritated again, Aquinar said, "Please, help me find some darker
shadows."

   Kelnozz took Aquinar's hand and led him deeper under a copse of trees
that let none of the direct moonlight in.  Aquinar leaned against a tree
and breathed deeply to regain his composure.

   "Washing up on the shore, I had nothing but what you see on me now. 
Recovering my health was easy, as I was still in Celos' good graces at that
point.  So then I set out to discover what it was that Celos had destined
me for.  What I found was not what I was expecting."

   Taking a break to drink some water from a skin at his side, he wiped the
sweat from his face before continuing.  "There is an ancient ruined castle
at the mouth of this valley.  It lies to the west, and is the only way out
of here save for scaling the peaks of the mountains.  In my arrogance, I
approached it, certain anything within could not stand up to my prowess.

   Approaching the ruined gate, Aquinar surveyed the ruined battlements and
escarpments of the castle.  Once mighty and easily defended, now it could
be taken by an army of children.  Surely no match for him alone.  He strode
through the gate, wondering what brand of evil, if any, could dwell within.

   As soon as he set foot within he could feel the evil surround him. 
Shaking it off and erecting a mental defense against the invasive foulness
of the castle, he drew his sword and moved within the courtyard.  Around
his very eyes the castle shifted and blurred.  When it cleared, he saw
himself standing inside a very finely maintained and cared for fortress.

   Knowing it to be false, he pushed himself onward through the bailey and
towards the inner keep.  A scream of terror pierced the air.  Running now,
Aquinar did not see the shapes detach from the shadows behind him and
follow him into the manor house.  He ran as if a man possessed, forgetting
the illusion of the castle and instead focusing on the sound of a woman in
need.

   Bursting through a great set of double doors he found the source of the
scream.  Already dead was a small child, dogs tearing at her corpse. 
Likewise a man hung from a rope tied to a tall pillar about his wrists.  He
had been disemboweled, the last life in his eyes fading as he looked at
Aquinar pleadingly.  More wolves lapped up the blood at his feet and
feasted upon his entrails.

   A girl whimpered.  Looking to her, Aquinar saw a beautiful young woman
that had been stripped naked and tied to a table.  She was murmuring,
"Daddy," over and over as she stared at her father's remains.

   Looking about the room, Aquinar saw a man sitting in a throne on a small
dais.  He stared back at Aquinar, grinning.  Aquinar could sense the evil
emanating from the man.  Other then the feasting wolves, several people
were arranged about the room.  Men and woman in varying states of dress

   Knowing himself outnumbered, in spite of his devotion, Aquinar acted
before the unholy inhabitants could.  Working quickly, he severed the ties
on the girls wrists and legs.  Kicking a wolf away that came at him, he
picked the girl up and retreated towards the door he had entered through.
Seeing several armed guards waiting down that hallway he set the girl down.

   "Stay behind me!" Aquinar said before charging into the midst of the
soldiers.  Terrified to the point of madness, the woman numbly followed
him.

   Fighting furiously, Aquinar laid about him with skill worthy of the
champion of Celos.  His divine might flowing through the blade, each time a
hit was scored on one of the evil minions it shrieked in pain and the wound
hissed with the power of divine retribution.

   Aquinar slew the last of the guards in short order.  Looking about he
saw reinforcements rushing from the throne room.  Grabbing the hand of the
frightened woman, he ran from the manor into the courtyard.  In the bailey
of the keep they stopped running, breathing heavily.  The girl whimpered in
fear again.  Standing just inside of the gates was the lord of the castle.

   "I know not what evil magic you have used, but stand clear of us or by
the mite of Celos I shall strike you down!" Aquinar called out to him.

   The man grinned again, a flaming sword appearing out of nothingness in
his hand.  "Come, champion of good, and let us see who is the stronger!" It
said, it's voice clear and strong.

   "Wait here," Aquinar told the girl, letting go her hand.  He gripped his
holy symbol in his now free hand and approached the man.  "Celos shall see
to it that I defeat you, fiend!"

   Battle was joined.  For a long moment the two sparred with each other,
coming close to one another but never landing a blow.  Aquinar backed off,
breathing heavily, and noticed his opponent was unfazed by their exertions.

   "Were is your God now?" It asked him, grinning widely.  Nordan saw the
sharpened points of his canines and knew that he faced a being that was not
human.

   "He is with me, foul one, and he shall see to it that I strike you
down!" Aquinar answered, launching a fresh flurry of attacks.

   A scream pierced through his battle haze.  Glancing back, Aquinar saw
the wolves circling around the girl.  Diverted, one of the attacks his
enemy launched breached his defenses and slipped in the crease of his armor
at his left elbow, biting painfully into him.  Grimacing in pain he
returned his attention to the fight and fought on.

   The girl kicked out at a wolf when it snapped at her, making it yelp in
pain and jump back.  She barely avoided another one that lunged at her from
behind.

   "What will you do, holy man?  Save the girl or destroy me?" the man
asked, stepping back and tossing his sword to the ground.

   Glancing at the girl, he saw her on her feet still, but the wolves still
gathered round her.  Further back a crowd of people waited, watching the
battle.  Judging her safe a moment more, he turned back to his adversary.

   "I shall destroy you!" Aquinar growled, lunging forward and plunging his
sword deeply into the man's chest.

   "And now where is your God?" The man said, laughing.  His laughter grew
more and more sinister, then he dissolved into mist and disappeared.

   Shaken by what had taken place.  Aquinar turned again when he heard
another scream.  Seeing the wolves lunging at her, he ran to her aid. 
Slicing the head off of one and kicking another away, he picked the girl up
from where she'd collapsed on the ground and ran out the front of the keep.
The remaining wolves and people chased him to the front gate, but once he
was beyond it they stopped and howled angrily.

   Aquinar carried the girl far from the evil castle before setting her
down on a bed of pine needles.  Taking some water he washed her wounds and
roused her from her faint.  She groaned painfully when she awoke.  Nordan
looked at her body, trying hard to ignore her womanly areas.  Several bites
on her legs and arms bled freely, as did some tears on her midsection.

   "Why didn't you save me?" She asked quietly.

   "You are safe, milady, I've slain the lord of the castle and we've
escaped!" Aquinar said, trying to staunch the flow of blood from the more
dangerous wounds on her.

   "I so tired...  am I, am I dying?" She asked slowly, her voice thick.

   "No, you'll live, I will heal you," Aquinar said, struggling to channel
the power that he wielded as a paladin into healing the young woman.

   When nothing happened, Aquinar let out a strangled gasp.  He tried again
and again, demanding Celos to aid him.  The girl passed out again from the
loss of blood, and finally Aquinar was left with no choice.  Stripping off
his armor, he shredded his tunic with his dagger and tied the makeshift
bandages around her.

   He laid close to her that night, keeping her warm with his own body heat
and trying to comfort her with a human touch.  Throughout the night he was
plagued with alternating worry and anger as to why Celos had abandoned him
and refused his demands to heal the girl.

   When she awoke before dawn the next day he was still holding her tightly
and trying to figure out why he could not help her.  She turned to face
him, smiling still half asleep and nuzzling into him.  Her hand crept down
to his crotch, cupping his manhood in her hand.  Snapping out of his
reverie, Aquinar was about to tell her to stop when he realized she wasn't
aware of what she was doing.

   Nearing 30 years of age and of chastity, Aquinar inwardly groaned as he
felt himself growing erect.  Her hand cupped his erection better and gave
it a faint squeeze every time his heart beat.

   "I beg you, torment me no longer!" Aquinar gasped finally, unable to
control himself.  "I have taken a vow of chastity!"

   The woman looked up at him and smiled.  "You saved me, I want to show my
appreciation to you," She pouted.

   "A simple 'thank you' will suffice," He said, torn by his bodies desire
and his vow.

   "Thank you," She said, smiling again.  "I'm so cold and so lonely, can't
you please just hold me and comfort me?"

   Aquinar struggled to find an excuse not to do so, but his chivalric vows
prevented him from doing so as she had moved her hand off of his aching
manhood.  He nodded to her and she smiled.  Turning about, she pressed her
back into his chest and her butt into his groin to spoon with him.

   Aquinar cursed his vow of chastity, for any sane man would be taking
advantage of her at this point.  He sighed and realized that was what made
him so much better then any other man.  That got him lost in thoughts of
why Celos had abandoned him again the night before.  So lost in thought was
he that he didn't realize the steady pressure that the woman had been
putting on his groin, very slowly and gradually grinding her ass into his
cock.

   By the time Aquinar realized what was happening, he was so far gone that
he knew he had to get up and leave the girl for a few moments or he would
be lost.  He couldn't make himself get up though, sealing his fate.  When
the girls leg lifted ever so slightly and her hand slipped between her legs
to fondle him through his breeches, his last resistance was shattered.

   "After all these years of service, I deserve a reward!" He said,
reaching around and fondling the girls breasts.

   She moaned in his hands, pushing her ass back at him harder.  Together
they scrambled to lower his breeches, allowing his manhood to spring free.
Wasting no time, Aquinar plunged himself into her soaked depths.  He let
out a long and deep moan at the feeling of having his cock buried inside of
her.  She pushed against him, forcing him in deeper, and Aquinar's 30 years
of pent up sexual frustrations burst at that point.  He grunted and
unleashed a torrent of his seed inside of her.

   She moaned at the feeling of being filled by the paladins hot cum.  She
tried thrusting her hips back at him more and more, making Aquinar slam his
own against her.  Staying hard after filling her, he let himself go and
rode her for all he could.  The position was awkward though, and the girl
rolled over on her hands and knees.  Anxious to be back within her, Aquinar
knelt behind her quickly and got his first look at her quim.  Engorged with
blood, he could make out her clit just barely hanging through her spread
lips.  His cum ran down the inside of her thighs and marked the opening to
her sex.  Guiding his cock, he sank quickly into her depths again.

   They fucked feverishly for several minutes, until Aquinar began to lose
himself again.  He closed his eyes and bucked against her with all he had.
Unseen and unheard in front of him, the girl had began to growl deep in her
throat like an animal.  Grunting, Aquinar felt his balls tighten up again
and another torrent of his cum burst free from him and flowed deeply inside
of her clutching pussy.  He fell forward, his arms landing beside her head
as their hips continued to thrust against one another.

   Aquinar knew the girl was climaxing as well, for the sound she was
making as well as the way she convulsed around his cock.  Then he felt a
sharp pain in his arm.  It caused the last few surges of his orgasm to
explode violently, then he shuddered and collapsed on top of her.  After a
few second he regained his composure and pulled himself free of her,
groaning in horror at what he had done.

   His horror grew when he looked on the girl and saw that she had changed.
A fine silver down covered her skin.  She turned to look back at him and he
saw that her face had begun to take on the shape and cast of a wolf.  Numb,
he looked at his arm and saw where she had bitten him deeply enough to draw
blood.  He stumbled backwards to his gear and drew his sword and pointed it
at her.

   "What's wrong, my champion?" She said, her voice sounding strange and
guttural with the change she was undergoing.  "This is what you let happen
to me!"

   "No!  I...  I had to slay the evil one, that's what I'm supposed to do!"
He called out, confused.  "Celos relies upon me to slay all that is evil!
Including things such as you, vile trickster!"

   Gaining certainty, Aquinar advanced on the she-wolf and raised his sword
to deliver a killing stroke.  She looked at him sadly for a moment, then
ran off into the woods.  Aquinar watched her flee from him, knowing he
couldn't match her speed.  He sat down after a moment, stunned by what had
happened.  His sword fell from nerveless fingers and he hung his head in
his hands and began to weep.

   "The change took me the next full moon," Aquinar finished, his voice
flat.  "Now every full moon I am forced to change and hunt like a wolf.  On
the nights surrounding the full moon, I can fight off the change, but it is
hard and it took many years to learn how to control it." He paused a moment
thoughtfully before saying, "I've not aged a day either, to return to
civilization and watch those around me grow old and die?  Bah, better I
find death alone myself."

   Kelnozz listened to his story, withholding any judgment on him.  "In the
20 years since then have you ever seen her again?"

   Aquinar shook his head.  "Nay, lad, I have not.  Nor have I been able to
regain Celos' blessing, though I strove so hard to do so in the beginning."

   "I'm not one to offer advice on the Gods," Kelnozz said with a chuckle.
"I've little use for them myself."

   Sighing unhappily Aquinar said, "Aye, it seems I'm the same way these
days."

   "What say you get some payback then?  I need to get out of here and it
appears that castle is the only way to do it."

   Aquinar looked at Kelnozz for a good long time before nodding his head
and saying finally, "Though I think it death to do so, I am tired of living
like this, I must reach an end of it, one way or another!"

   "Then at first light, we march on the castle!" Kelnozz said.

   Aquinar nodded, lost in thought.  They returned to Kelnozz's fire and
rested the few hours they had left before dawn came.

   The afternoon sun shown down on the abandoned castle.  Great holes in
the walls and the rotted gates.  They stepped in through the main gate and
looked at the empty bailey.  Kelnozz looked to Aquinar for guidance.

   Shrugging, Aquinar said, "This is how I came before, but this time it
looks the same still.  Let us advance."

   The two moved through the bailey and entered the main courtyard of the
castle.  An iron portcullis, rusty and pitted with age, squeaked loudly as
it fell behind them, in the inner bailey gate.  They turned to look at it,
then turned back to face the hoard of things emerging from the ruined
buildings.

   An army of skeletons began to assemble itself around them.  Advancing
mindlessly, the undead were upon them before they had a chance to properly
understand their situation.  Kelnozz slashed at the horde of undead time
and again, easily dispatching the mindless animations.  Celos, after a few
moments of uncertainty, also got into the battle, driving back anything
that came at him.

   "Follow me!" Celos cried out after several minutes had passed and their
foes continued against them.  Both warriors were wounded with small
scratches in several places, but nothing slowed their movements save the
growing concern of fatigue.

   Forging a path through the skeletal horde, they made it to the manor
house and slipped through the doorway.  While no door remained to close,
the skeletons did not pursue them inside, but instead began to return to
the buildings they had emerged from.

   "You okay?" Aquinar asked, breathing heavily.  Kelnozz nodded after
checking his minor scrapes and cuts.

   Spending another moment catching their breath, they moved down the
hallway, with Aquinar leading the way.  Kelnozz kept checking behind them
for pursuit, giving him little chance to react when the floor opened
beneath Aquinar.  Kelnozz managed to leap to the side and avoid the trap
door in the floor, but Aquinar fell through.

   Lunging to the pit in the floor, Kelnozz beat his fist on it angrily as
it closed up.  Examining the floor carefully, he could find no sign of the
trap door.  Even going so far as to walk over it, he could not find it. 
Scowling angrily, he looked about, trying to find a way to go down and find
Aquinar.  Seeing nothing readily, he moved down the hall cautiously.

   Following the directions Aquinar had given him from his 20 year past
visit, Kelnozz came to the doors to the throne room of the castle.  Taking
a deep breath to steady himself, he swung his arm around a few times to
make sure his healing side wound wouldn't interfere.  Then he pushed open
the doors and boldly walked in.

   "Hello lover."

   Aquinar picked himself up from the floor.  He looked up and saw the
chute he had slid down, then looked about until he saw the woman that had
spoken.  It was none other then the same girl he had failed to rescue
twenty years past, looking exactly the same.

   "What...  why are you here?" He stammered, his mouth suddenly dry.

   Pouting seductively, she walked towards him and said, "after you turned
me away, where else could I go?  Lord Thexx took me in and forgave me for
trying to leave.  He's been wonderful to me since then, even promising me
that you'd return one day and that I could have you."

   Aquinar forced his eyes off her nude body as she slinked towards him
hungrily.  He glanced about the room and saw a door on the far end of it,
behind her.  He looked back at her as she stopped in front of him and
dropped to her hands and knees.

   "What's wrong, don't you want me?" She pouted, arching her back so that
her ass stuck in the air.

   Aquinar was paralyzed.  He felt stirrings within him that he'd only felt
once before.  A great pressure was building within him, he shook his head
in denial, trying to clear his mind.  The woman moved closer, brushing
against his leg with her face.  Then she turned away from him, letting him
see her glistening and ready sex.  She moaned and stuck herself even higher
in the air.

   "Come my hero, I'm ready for you, take me like you did before!" She was
nearly panting she was so turned on.

   The scent of her aroused pussy reached him, letting the beast within
know that she was in heat.  He growled deep in his throat, fighting with
himself.  His codpiece grew tight about him as his body began to betray
him. Lurching to his feet, he stumbled behind her and sank to his knees,
reaching for the straps on his armor.

   Shoving his weapon belt aside, he glanced at his sword and saw the holy
symbol carved into the hilt.  It gave him pause and a moment of strength.
Sensing his hesitation, the woman thrust back at him, rubbing herself
against his armored crotch.  Aquinar stared down at her, his senses
enflamed with need.

   "My Lord Celos, I have failed you time and again, but I beg of you to
give me strength," he pleaded.

   "Take me now, I need you!" She hissed at him, looking back over her
shoulder at him.

   Aquinar fought through the spell that her body had worked on him and
gripped the hilt of his sword.  A brief moment of hesitation in which he
felt on the verge of madness followed.  Then with a strangled gasp he drew
his sword and plunged it deeply into the back of the seductress, pinning
her to the floor.

   She screeched and howled in agony, writhing under the blade.  Gaining
strength and resolution, Aquinar held firmly, keeping her immobile.  After
thrashing about some more, she shuddered again and began to change.  Before
his eyes, Aquinar saw the woman become less and less a woman and more a
wolf.  When she finally lay still, he saw a cross between the two species.
Covered in fine silver fur and sprouting a tale, she otherwise resembled a
human woman.

   Aquinar shook his head to clear it.  Rising slowly, he pulled his sword
free and looked about the room again.  He glanced at the slain she-wolf
again, confused.  Falling back to his knees, he reached through a pouch at
his side and pulled out his holy symbol.  He stared at his for a long
moment before bowing his head and letting loose a great racking sob.

   "I know I am impure in your eyes, Lord," he began.  "I know I have erred
many times and gone against your teachings.  I beg of you to turn your eyes
upon me now, for I seek to try to right those wrongs and vanquish the evil
of this place.  I devote this crusade to you.  My failures have been my own
doing, not yours.  I pray that I am strong enough to succeed in this."

   Rising to his feet, Aquinar put the holy symbol around his neck and felt
a sense of peace settle over him.  Holding his sword in hand, he advanced
to the door and opened it, uncertain of what his future held but ready to
face it regardless of the consequences.

   "Welcome to my humble home."

   "I enjoyed the warm reception," Kelnozz replied, sizing up the man
sitting on the throne.  A slim and small man, he nevertheless exuded a dark
and powerful charisma.  Kelnozz could almost sense a chilling dread
emanating from him.

   "I like to keep the riff raff out," He said, smiling coldly.  "To what
do I owe the unique honor of a visit from a dark elf?"

   "Traveling salesmen, you looked like you could use some new murals on
your walls," Kelnozz replied dryly, stalling for time.

   "Ha!" The man laughed, genuinely amused.  "Indeed I could, but I've not
heard of a dark elf this deep within the Periphery for hundreds of years,
so I'm forced to doubt you."

   "You seem to know well enough then, why am I here?"

   Chuckling as if to a private joke, the man said, "I believe it has
something to do with that fallen knight that refused my hospitality so many
years ago.  At this very moment though he is enjoying the company of a long
lost friend of his."

   "But where are my manners!  I get so few guests, I fear I let them
slide," He said, dropping the tension from his voice and speaking
pleasantly.  "I am Baron Thexx, ruler of this castle and the lands
surrounding it."

   Kelnozz glanced about, realizing that on his finest day he couldn't
stand against the many men and women in the throne room.  He realized with
a start that he had almost fallen under the man's spell, for everyone
within the throne room was dressed in rich clothing and decorated finely.
The doors and walls and surrounding were likewise in fine condition,
appointed luxuriously.  Kelnozz forced himself to remember that it was an
illusion, in reality the walls and ceiling were falling apart.

   "And you are?" He asked, nonplussed by Kelnozz's silence.

   "Sorry, was just admiring your décor," Kelnozz said.  "I am Kelnozz
Risingmoon, most recently of the Cloudchaser, shipwrecked in the Swiftwater
Sea."

   "Ah, that explains it.  Well my friend, now that you are here, I hate to
tell you that safety is your chief concern.  My lands are surrounded by the
savage wilderness and occasional groups of your cousins, who would be none
to happy to see you, I imagine."

   He paused for a moment, as if listening to something only he could hear.
"Indeed, return over the Periphery is all but impossible as well, for it
lies several leagues to the south, or even further to the north.  But I
think that is not your chief concern right now."

   Kelnozz listened carefully to Baron Thexx, making plans on how to get
out of the throne room without being delayed by the guards.  "What is my
greatest concern then?"

   Grinning fiendishly, the baron made a motion with his hand.  A
shimmering orb appeared in the middle of the room.  "This."

   Instead of a magical attack, as the elf feared, instead the orb acted as
a window.  It showed the bailey of the castle, and in there two people
walked.  Kelnozz recognized them instantly, Nordan and Alesha.  He also
noticed that he had been in the castle longer then he thought, for night
had fallen outside.

   "You're sure he is in here?" Nordan asked.

   "Yes," Alesha responded, stepping around some rubble in the inner
gateway.

   "Nice place," she commented, nudging the shattered remains of a skeleton
with her toe.

   Nordan grunted and knelt down to check the corpse.  "Looks like it's
been dead for a long time, but the bones are on top of some tracks."

   Alesha closed her eyes and concentrated on figuring out what had
happened.  With a gasp she opened her eyes and looked around again.  In her
mind's eye she could see the horde of undead fighting against Kelnozz and
his companion.

   "They were here," she whispered, her heart beating quickly.  "He was
with someone else, and together they fought through an army of skeletons
and went in there."

   Nordan looked where she was pointing.  Gripping his hammer tightly, he
set out towards the manor.  Alesha followed closely behind, gripping her
katana hilt tightly but not drawing it.

   Inside the manor their perception changed.  Gone was the rubble and
ruin, replaced by the illusion of grandeur and luxury.  "How can this be?"
Nordan asked, looking out the door behind him to see the courtyard still
falling apart.

   "Magic," Alesha whispered, amazed at it anew in spite of her own
mysterious abilities she was discovering.

   Nordan scowled and headed down the hallway.  Checking each door along
the way, they found several empty rooms of varying purposes.  Ignoring side
passages, they pushed deeper into the manor.

   "Nordan wait!" Alesha called out.  Nordan stopped to see her staring
down a side passage.

   "What?" He asked, impatient and distrusting of magic, but torn by
knowing he had to rely on it to help them.

   "There's something over here," she said, already walking down a side
passage.

   Nordan looked to the double doors at the end of the hallway not 30 feet
away and ground his teeth in frustration.  Cursing the Gods, he quickly
overtook her and led the way again.  They stopped at a door at the end of
the hallway.

   Alesha nodded to Nordan.  He opened the door quickly and stepped in to
allow him room to swing his hammer if need be.  The sight inside was not
what they had expected.

   "Welcome!" Said a surprised red haired woman.  She was laying on a bed
nude, with her legs spread.  One hand was buried in the red hair below,
pleasuring herself, while the other pulled at the small nipples on her
large breasts.

   "Excuse us!" Alesha said, her eyes wide in surprise.  Alesha was
blushing as well, and started to back up out of the room.  More then just
embarrassment caused her to blush, she was instantly aroused by the sight.

   "Wait, don't leave!" The woman said, jumping off the bed and coming
towards the surprised invaders.

   Nordan knew what was happening was to good to be real, but the
attractive redhead coming at them short circuited his thinking.  He glanced
at Alesha and saw that she had already fallen prey to the woman, even if
she didn't know it herself.

   "Wouldn't you rather stay and watch?" The woman asked seductively,
trailing her glistening fingers along Nordan's cheek, allowing him to catch
her scent on them.

   "Or help?" She directed the last to Alesha, whom she had reached out and
caressed with other hand.  Alesha's breath caught in her throat as the
woman cupped her breast and gently tweaked her nipple.

   Nordan was shocked when Alesha beat him to the punch and embraced the
woman, kissing her deeply.  It did little more then stoke his raging fires
more, causing him to grab both of them up and push them towards the bed. 
In a rush, they moved to the large bed and resumed their kiss, their hands
stroking up and down each other's bodies.

   Nordan followed them, his breeches strained by his growing manhood. 
Tugging them down, he climbed onto the bed with them and was immediately
satisfied to feel the redhead turn her attention to him and take him deeply
into her mouth.  Deprived of her mouth, Alesha groaned.  She looked at her
briefly, enjoying her nudity as she lay on her side sucking deeply on
Nordan's cock.

   Nordan nearly lost control when the woman moaned around him.  Looking
down her saw Alesha had moved behind the woman and was busy trying to stab
her tongue into the redheads sex from behind.  Frustrated at how hard it
was to reach her, she grabbed the woman's hips and twisted her so that her
ass was on the bed and her legs spread invitingly for her.  Diving in,
Alesha used her lips, teeth, and tongue to ravish the woman.  Part of her
mind was in shock at what she was doing, but realizing how good and natural
it felt, that part quickly dissolved.  Uncertain of what she was doing, she
made up what she lacked in experience with enthusiasm.

   With the two beautiful women laid out before him, and the talented
cocksucker working at him, Nordan quickly lost control.  He groaned and
thrust himself at the woman suckling him, blasting her tonsils with his
cum. She gathered the impressive load in her mouth, refusing to swallow. 
Her hand continued to jack the last of his orgasm into her mouth while her
tongue tickled the head of his manhood, driving him crazy.  Finally she
relented and sat up.

   Alesha fought against the hands pulling her up, but relented eventually
to discover the redhead trying to kiss her.  Seeing the drops of cum that
had leaked out around her lips, Alesha dove in for the kiss.  They woman
shared Nordan's seed between them, each savoring the taste and texture
repeatedly before eventually swallowing it.  When it was gone and their
desires driven to the edge and beyond, Alesha found herself being pushed on
her back on the bed.  The woman then slid down her body, savoring licks and
kisses on her body along the way, taking special care to lavish attention
to Alesha's breasts.  When she moved lower, she yanked the ties loose on
Alesha's loin cloth and tossed it off the side of the bed.  Nordan was
amazed to find himself still aroused beyond reason.  Seeing the woman bent
over, her mouth devoted to driving Alesha to the edge of sanity, he aimed
himself at her glistening snatch and impaled her in one smooth thrust.  She
groaned into Alesha's quim, feeling herself filled.  The three of them
rutted away at each other, doing their best to push the next person in the
chain over the edge.  Every time Alesha grew close she felt something
holding her back, what it was she was unsure.  She groaned in frustration
and twisted her nipples harshly in an attempt to get herself to cum. 
Nordan had no such problem, as he felt his cock milked by the expert
muscles of the woman.  He grunted and slammed into her deeply, filling her
again with his essence.  He felt himself weaken as he did this, but the
delightful agony of the orgasm was more intense then any he had ever felt
before.  Again he was amazed to find himself remaining erect, but he
thanked the Gods that he would not have to take a break as he continued to
hammer away at the temptress between them.

   "The fallen hero is enjoying my hospitality," Baron Thexx said, breaking
Kelnozz out of his trance as he watched his companions with the woman. 
"And now your friends are benefiting from my charity as well.  What can I
do for you?"

   Kelnozz knew Baron Thexx to be evil.  He knew that Alesha and Nordan
would continue as they were until they were killed or killed themselves. 
He was unsure of how he knew it, but it was as plain as day to him.  He
knew as well that Aquinar was most likely in similar trouble.  He looked
around, noticing that many of the people in the throne room had disrobed
themselves, standing about in various states of undress.  All of them were
extremely attractive as well.

   "And you do this out of the kindness of your own heart, of course,"
Kelnozz said, walking around the open area at the base of the dais and
examining the people as they displayed themselves for him.

   "Of course!  I seek to allow my guests to be as comfortable as possible!
You should enjoy your stay while you are here," Baron Thexx said, watching
Kelnozz with interest.

   Kelnozz grinned and shook his head.  "Any chance I can gather up my
companions and we can simply leave?"

   Thexx frowned.  "I'm afraid not, Kelnozz, you see it's rare that we get
visitors, so we hunger for their, shall we say, company."

   Kelnozz nodded.  "I expected as much."

   The baron opened his mouth to say something but instead watched in
shocked rage as Kelnozz's swords seemed to leap into his hands and slay
first one then another of his loyal courtesans.

   "Guards!" He called out finally, rising to his feet himself.  On the
floor the guards and other people swarmed Kelnozz, trying to immobilize him
with the press of their bodies if nothing else.

   Kelnozz was too quick for them though, slaying two more and slipping out
of the ring of humanity.  He darted up the stairs of the dais to the top to
see Thexx glaring at him, his eyes red with power and fury.  He opened his
mouth and growled at him as the elf advanced.  Kelnozz swung his longsword,
expecting to meet flesh, but instead nearly lost his balance when the blade
passed through the mist that the baron had turned into.  Kelnozz watched
the vaporous baron swiftly float away.

   Cursing, Kelnozz turned to face the guards that rushed up the dais
towards him.

   Alesha still could not reach her peak, and it began to concern her.  She
let go her senses and focused on nothing.  Almost instantly she could sense
the strange aura of the room.  She knew there was some sort of magic at
play, and that it was because of this magic that she was not able to cum.
Reaching out experimentally with her mind, she altered her aura enough to
keep the strangely inhibitive powers in the room from affecting her. 
Almost instantly she returned to herself, overcome with the sensations. 
She knew she was free of the spell, but the pleasure she was receiving was
undeniable.  Unable to fight with herself, she let herself go as the woman
lavished attentions on her clit with her talented tongue.  The orgasm that
washed over her was extremely powerful.  Alesha didn't know how long it
took her before she came down from her high, but she enjoyed it immensely.
Still, something was missing from it, for in spite of all it's glory, she
didn't feel the way she had when Nordan and she had coupled.  That brought
her back to the present, and she examined their situation without the
trappings of any spells affecting her.  She felt a pinch near her pussy and
then an overwhelming ecstasy threatening to take her away.  She shuddered
at it and fought the urge to let go.  Looking down she saw the woman was no
longer feasting upon her sex, but was instead feasting upon the blood
welling up from a bite in her leg!  "Nordan!" She screamed as the tried to
buck the woman off of her.  Nordan was lost in his lust though, and
continued to pound his increasingly sore penis into her.  The woman wrapped
her arms around Alesha's leg, sucking even more from her.  What had been
ecstasy turned to intense pain.  Alesha wrapped her other leg around the
woman's neck and squeezed her legs together with all her strength.  She
leaned up on the bed and changed her angle of attack, so that soon she
heard a cracking and popping noise as the woman's neck broke.  At no time
had she stopped sucking the blood out of Alesha's leg.  With her neck
broken, she couldn't hold on to Alesha's leg, and she was able to scoot out
from underneath of her.  Glancing at the blood running down her leg, Alesha
scurried away from her and watched in despair as Nordan continued to piston
in and out of the dead woman's pussy.  Then Alesha saw her blink.  Terror
filled her mind as her head slowly began to straighten back out, and before
she knew it, she looked unharmed.  "Nordan, bring your friend back here, I
want to play with her," She said, grinning evilly at Alesha.  Nordan pulled
himself free of her clutching pussy, reluctant to leave, but anxious to
please her.  He had been so close too.  He turned to Alesha and came
towards her, reaching out for her.  "I'm sorry, Nordan," Alesha said,
kicking out and connecting with his engorged penis with her foot, causing
him to double over and collapse to the floor in pain The woman shrieked in
outrage and came off the bed at Alesha.  Alesha dropped low in her stance
to get balance and realized that she no longer wore her katana.  Dodging
the first rush, she spun around and managed to keep the vampire away with a
flurry of punches and kicks.  She knew she could not hurt her for long, but
she was able to keep her away with her powerful strikes.  Alesha knew she
would tire soon though, or Nordan would recover and come after her.  Then
Alesha remembered all the bad movies she had seen about vampires.  She knew
that a stake through the heart was what usually killed them.  Garlic kept
them away too, but she didn't have any garlic handy.  She drove the evil
woman away with a kick to her side that sent her crashing into a wall. 
Turning to one of the raised pillars coming off the corners of the four
poster bed, Alesha took a deep breath and put all of her energy into a
powerful roundhouse kick.  With a sharp cry when she hit it, she drove her
foot through the wood.  Still held up by the other three, the canopy of the
bed remained up and Alesha was able to grab up the fallen piece of wood. 
She had not moved quickly enough though, for the vampire had latched onto
her back and tried to sink her teeth into Alesha's neck from behind. 
Alesha hunched over quickly and threw the undead woman free from her back.
She brandished her makeshift stake and came up, ready to pounce on her. 
Instead she saw the vampire shuddering in agony as it writhed on the
remaining part of the broken piece of wood still attached to the bed. 
Alesha looked on, wild eyed, as eventually she stopped moving and lay
there, a dark, foul looking blood leaking out of her mouth.  She dropped
the stake in her hand and laughed at how things had worked out.  Her
laughter turned into a scream when hands grabbed her from behind.  Caught
off guard, she was pushed over the bed and felt her legs spread.  Looking
over her shoulder she saw Nordan behind her, recovered from his pain enough
to allow the magically induced lust to overpower him again.  She had hoped
it would die with the vampire.  Alesha felt Nordan's penis thrust roughly
into her.  Her pussy was still soaking wet from the sex earlier and the
workout she had received afterwards though.  Alesha had to admit, violence
was indeed a turn on for her.  In moments she was moaning as Nordan tried
to rape her violently, but you can not rape the willing.  She bucked back
at Nordan as much as she could, making him slam into her harder and deeper
with each thrust.  She almost screamed in need when he pulled out of her
suddenly.  Instead he pushed back into her, ramming his cock into her ass.
Alesha would have screamed if her lungs hadn't frozen up with the shock. 
The pain was intense from the abrupt entry, but it drove her wild as well.
Had he not been violating her saturated pussy only moments before the lack
of lubrication would have torn both of them apart.  She stayed motionless
for a couple of moments while Nordan ground himself in and out of her tight
ass, getting slowly deeper and deeper into her bowels.  As soon as she
began to get used to the pain, she started pushing back at him, forcing him
deeper and deeper into her rectum.  Her hand flew underneath of her to
grope at her abused pussy, rubbing and pinching her clit.  Nordan grabbed
her hips and pulled himself fully into her ass, growling in lust and
pleasure.  He pumped deeply into her a handful more times before he could
stand no more and began to tense up and shiver with the signs of impending
orgasm.  Alesha sensed it too, and feeling particularly depraved, she
pulled away from him.  Nordan's hand flew to his cock, stroking it towards
completion.  Alesha returned though, forcing his hand out of her way and
engulfing his cock, slick with her juices in her mouth.  Nearly crazy with
hormones, she had still checked first to be certain that his dick was not
coated with shit.  Thankful of her regular diet, he was not and she was
able to swallow him whole.  Nordan pounded himself into her face, grinding
her lips into her teeth with his groin with every thrust.  Alesha loved it,
playing with her pussy all the while.  Seconds later Nordan exploded again,
causing him to cry out in pleasure and pain as his seed coated her throat
and mouth.  His orgasm triggered Alesha's own, making her swoon and have
trouble swallowing his juices.  She managed just fine though, and if she
would have had the strength she would have laughed as Nordan collapsed to
the floor in exhaustion.  She idly pulled her slick fingers up to her mouth
and licked them clean of her juices while she waited for him to recover. 
"Sorry about that," Alesha told Nordan when she saw him gingerly cupping
his bruised testicles.  "Ow," Was all he replied with.  "You're not still
hard and incredibly horny?" She asked, thinking that perhaps the spell had
finally ended.  "Far from it!  I may never lay with a woman again!" He
groaned, slowly getting up.  Alesha pouted good naturedly and said, "Want
me to kiss it and make it better?" "Stay away from me, wench!" Nordan said,
pulling his breeches back up and fastening them.  Alesha laughed lightly,
and soon Nordan joined in.  Then they both moved to examine the corpse of
the vampire.  "Nice job," Nordan grudgingly admitted.  "Gee, thanks." That
reminded Alesha and she looked down at the inside of her thigh.  The blood
had stopped flowing from the twin puncture wounds on her leg, and when she
wet her finger and wiped the blood away from the skin, she couldn't even
see the wounds.  She didn't snap out of her surprise until Nordan handed
her back her loin cloth and weapon belt.  Grinning sheepishly at him, she
put her meager belongings back on and grabbed up the makeshift stake that
she had never used.  "You never know," she said when he looked at her
questioningly.  Nordan shrugged and led her out the door and back to the
main passage.  They could hear sounds of fighting behind the double doors
at the end of the hallway.  Rushing towards it, Nordan lowered his shoulder
into them and knocked them off their hinges.  Inside they saw Kelnozz
standing atop a dais defending himself against a score of guards and
unarmed people that sought to swarm him.  Already half a dozen lay dead or
dying near his feet.  Bellowing a war cry, Nordan launched himself at the
rear of the guards.  The first to fall never knew what hit them.  Others
turned to keep him busy while his warhammer swung back and forth
threateningly.  Alesha drew her katana and attacked the ones after Nordan,
slaying one quickly and distracting another so that Nordan could smash his
skull in.  One after another they fell, either slain by a rejuvenated
Kelnozz or defeated by the coordinated team of Nordan and Alesha.  She
wielded her katana to good affect, but her real strength was in her unarmed
combat.  When they at last stood alone in the room, Alesha rushed up the
stairs and leapt at Kelnozz, wrapping her arms around him and embracing
him. She planted a deep kiss on his lips that caught him entirely off
guard. He looked at her in surprise when she stepped back and let him go.
"What was that for?" He asked, still shocked by her behavior.  "Just glad
to see you," She mumbled, blushing at her actions.  Kelnozz looked to
Nordan, who had just come up the stairs and before he could do anything
found himself wrapped in another great bear hug.  This one threatened to
crack his ribs though!  Nordan let him go finally and with an evil grin
planted a kiss on him too.  Kelnozz backed away spitting and sputtering. 
"Why in the nine hells did you do that?" He demanded, wiping his lips with
the back of his hands as though he could rid himself of Nordan's touch. 
Nordan's laughter bellowed loudly, and for the first time in weeks the
three companions felt good again.  The laughter was infectious, and soon
all three of them had to sit down and recover themselves.  "What manner of
beasts are these?" Nordan asked, nudging one of the corpses that was
covered in a fine layer of fur.  "Werewolves," Kelnozz said
matter-of-factly.  "First skeletons, then a vampire, now werewolves? 
Christ, what's next?" Alesha said in disbelief.  "What about this one?"
Nordan said, ignoring her outburst and indicating a corpse of a rapidly
decomposing woman.  "Some sort of zombie, I'd guess," Kelnozz said. 
Indeed, with the magic that had kept them whole now gone, the room quickly
began to reek with the smell of rapidly decaying flesh.  "Now what was this
about a vampire?  Is that what Baron Thexx is?" Holding their noses and
quickly exiting the room, Alesha stopped only to grab up her unused wooden
stake.  Nordan asked, "Who's Baron Thexx?" Outside the range of the smell,
they stopped long enough for Kelnozz to explain briefly about how he had
come to be there.  He told them of Aquinar and his curse, Baron Thexx, and
how he'd escaped from the light elves.  In turn Alesha and Nordan filled
him in on their private struggles, including Alesha's meeting with the
stranger they suspected was the God Carson.  They left out the sex though,
Alesha having strange feelings about things and not wanting to possibly
upset Kelnozz.  Nordan deferred to her judgment, figuring he would fill
Kelnozz in later when she was elsewhere.  "What now?" Nordan asked,
uneasily looking about the passage as if expecting an attack.  "Aye,"
Kelnozz said, seeing him, "reinforcements will be quick to arrive.  We must
find and slay Baron Thexx or get free from here quickly." "Do we know where
he is?" Alesha asked, the thought of reinforcements making her nervous. 
All of them sported small wounds and scratches from the fight, as well they
were all weary from the exertions.  Then Alesha realized she really wasn't
tired.  In spite of all the activity, she still felt relatively fresh and
full of energy.  She chalked it up to another of the amazing new powers she
had received.  Nonetheless, she was painfully aware of the cuts, scrapes,
and bruises she had received.  "No," Kelnozz replied, heading back down the
main passage towards the front of the manor house.  "Then let's get out of
here!" She said anxiously.  "I gave Aquinar my word that I'd help him slay
Thexx, I'll not back down on it unless he or Aquinar has fallen." Alesha
scowled unseen behind them, but had to admit that she admired his
dedication and loyalty.  She was not sure that she possessed as much in
herself, but she hoped that she did.  Nordan nodded in understanding and
approval, making Alesha realize that either she had found two truly
wonderful people or the men in her world were nothing compared to the ones
in Viconia.  The sounds of battle reached their ears.  The moved quickly
down a side hallway, pulling up short when a door on their left burst
outwards.  A humanoid creature with wisps of hair still on it and ashen
colored skin sailed was the source of the doors destruction.  It struggled
back to it's feet but was transfixed by a shining sword that suddenly
impaled it.  Aquinar stepped through the doorway, pulling his sword free
and beheading the monster before it fell to the ground.  He turned then to
face the companions, breathing heavily but brandishing his weapon.  "Hold,
Aquinar, 'tis me and my friends!" Kelnozz said to him.  Aquinar shook the
battle rage off of himself and stared at them.  He grinned at Kelnozz and
took in his friends.  "Aye, well met elf!  Thought I'd lost you!  And a
well met to your friends as well!  Though it appears your lady friend could
use my cloak!" Alesha blushed and said, "No, I'm okay, but thank you for
the offer." "We've got Baron Thexx on the run, Aquinar, what say we finish
this?" Kelnozz asked.  Aquinar looked at himself briefly, pleased to see
that in spite of that countless ghouls and other undead minions he had
fought his armor shone clean and bright still.  He looked back up at
Kelnozz, his eyes tearing up.  "Aye, friend, let us put an end to the
fiend!" The dark elf clapped him on the back and they headed back towards
the main hall.  Without missing a beat, Aquinar turned and led them to the
front of the manor.  Stepping through the doorway, they saw that the horde
of skeletons had returned to wait patiently for them.  "Are you sure he is
this way?" Kelnozz asked, not looking forward to another large scale battle
so soon.  "Aye, elf, I can feel him." Trusting in the fallen paladin,
Kelnozz let Aquinar lead the charge into the courtyard.  The four of them
fought nonstop against the skeletal masses, destroying skeleton after
skeleton until it seemed that everything had ceased to exist save the hack,
slash, parry, and block.  At long last, the last of the undead fell to the
ground, hacked to bone chips by fist, foot, blade, and hammer.  Breathing
heavily, the companions struggled desperately to regain their breaths. 
Alesha found once again that while she was breathing heavily, she was not
tired in the least, but instead was ready for more action.  All of them
bled freely from several cuts, though none of them was in mortal danger,
Nordan and Alesha especially had some injuries sure to slow them down. 
"Come to me, slayer of women.  You have sought me out, let this be a lesson
you shall not forget!"

   Aquinar stiffened and turned to where Baron Thexx had appeared. 
Straightening up, he looked to Kelnozz and his friends briefly.  "This I
must do alone, do not interfere." Each nodded acceptance in turn, then
Aquinar turned and strode towards the evil baron.

   "But first, I have a present for you," Baron Thexx said.  He pointed
towards the overcast sky.  Everyone glanced up to see what would happen. 
At first nothing, and Aquinar took a few more steps towards Thexx, his
sword clenched in his hands.  Then the clouds began to move.  Swifter and
swifter, they parted, until the moonlight broke through and shone down on
them all.

   Two days past full, it was still large and bright.  Aquinar grit his
teeth and fought the baser urges in him as they struggled to rise.  He
broke out in a sweat but advanced on Thexx undaunted.

   "You've learned well, but is it well enough?" He raised his hand and
suddenly Alesha found herself walking towards him.  She struggled to stop
or speak or do anything, but had no idea what was going on.

   Aquinar stopped when he saw her approaching.  She came to a stop near
him, raising her katana and then reversing it so it pointed at her.

   "Alesha, what are you doing?" Kelnozz demanded, his voice low and harsh.

   Alesha whimpered in response, unable to talk.  Thexx grinned evilly. 
"If you harm her, I'll..."

   "You'll what, dark elf?  You'll kill me?  You'll hurt me?  You'll teach
me a lesson?  Bah, you fools can't harm me, haven't you learned?

   "For destroying so many of my forces, you will be punished.  Lay down
your lives here and I will take her quickly, that's all I offer you!" Thexx
motioned and Alesha raised her sword away from her belly to gain more room
to build up speed.

   Kelnozz's elven ears could pick up Aquinar mumbling prayers to Celos,
his God.  He saw Nordan's jaw muscles twitching, a sure sign that the
barbarian was at odds with himself and about to explode.  Indeed, even the
veins on Nordan's neck and forehead were beginning to stand out.  Kelnozz
counted the distance between himself and either Alesha or the baron.  He
cursed, knowing it was to great.  He looked to Alesha for an answer.

   Alesha, for her part, was terrified.  She did not understand why she had
no control over her body.  She saw her katana pointed at her own belly and
tried to move out of the way or move her arms.  To no avail.  She realized
there must be magic involved, so she tried to force herself to breathe
calmly.  Even her breathing was beyond her control.  She tried to close her
eyes but again found herself denied.  Growing angry now, she remained calm
and let her eyes roll back up into her head.

   Struggling to grasp what was going on with her, she sent her awareness
inside of her.  She found a dark streak of what she could only describe as
a sickness inside of her.  Tracing it, she found it followed throughout her
and had originated at the bite mark on her thigh.  The vampire that had
bitten her had infected her somehow, and that was how Thexx had control of
her.

   She fought against it searching desperately for something to help her.
She cast herself back to when Carson had given her the powers she was still
discovering.  He had done it by kissing her on the forehead.  Sure enough,
she could sense a mark there, magical or not, she dove into it and begged
for help.

   Will you accept my aid again?

   Had she been able to, she would have gasped at the sudden voice in her
mind.  It was the same as the one the stranger had used on her before.  She
tried to nod her head, desperate to be herself again.  Finding she couldn't
she instead focused on thinking to him.

   There is a price this time, will you pay it?

   Frustrated to the point of tears - tears that would not come, she again
told him that she would through her thoughts.  Suddenly she felt the
sickness that she had found within her change.  It melted away from what it
was and infused her body with strength to replace the paralysis.

   "Aye fiend," Aquinar said, having no idea of the struggle Alesha went
through.  "I yield to you for her." He laid his sword on the ground and
stood straight, staring hatefully at Baron Thexx.

   "And you two?" Thexx said, looking to Kelnozz and Nordan.  Seeing them
still hesitant, he walked over next to Alesha and wrapped his arm around
her shoulders, lightly tapping sharp and vicious looking fingernails
against her throat.

   Nordan slowly began to lower his hammer then.  Kelnozz sheathed his
longswords, trying to burn holes in Thexx with his eyes.  Thexx grinned and
turned to Alesha, "Such faithful friends you have, my dear.  Time for us to
teach them a lesson..."

   Thexx stopped, staring at her forehead suddenly.  His eyes widened as he
saw something none of them could see there.  Seizing her chance, Alesha
sprung into action.

   "This body does not belong to you!" She spat out, changing the path of
her katana but completing the plunge he had first intended.  Instead of
impaling her, it tore into his abdomen.

   Alesha spun about while Thexx stumbled backwards.  His wound began
healing before their eyes, but she advanced on him again, striking out
again and again, wounding him lightly twice more.  Both wounds healed
magically, and then he summoned his flaming sword into his hand.  He
advanced on her and drove at her, launching furious blows at her.  With a
powerful swing he sent Alesha's katana spinning from her hands.  She backed
up as he sneered at her.

   "I don't know how you did that or how you bear his mark, but I'll not be
defeated!" Thexx snarled at her, raising his sword high and then driving it
towards her.

   The blade was stopped just above her head by a silver blade that glowed
in the moonlight.  Following the point of impact down the blade, Aquinar
stood there holding him at bay.  With a swing, he disengaged the baron from
his own blade, and stepped in front of a grateful Alesha.

   "This time your evil will end, demon!" Aquinar spat at him.  "In the
name of Celos, you will be destroyed!"

   Sword in one hand, holy symbol in the other, Aquinar again faced Baron
Thexx.  The attacked one another for several long minutes.  Both showed a
score of superficial wounds, though this time Thexx's did not heal as
quickly.  Aquinar's blade actually began to shine with a light of it's own
as the battle continued and he chanted a prayer to Celos.  The light
clearly irritated the baron, as he found himself squinting from it's holy
glow.

   Aquinar's blade tore a jagged wound in Thexx's thigh, causing him to
stumble backwards then.  Thinking him beaten, Aquinar lunged forward for
the kill, but instead he found his opponents sword plunging into his side.
The shock of the wound upon him, he looked at it and then to a grinning
Thexx.  Refusing to give in, Aquinar ignored the pain the blade caused him,
and grabbed onto the baron's wrist.  He pulled it towards him, pushing the
blade into him further and drawing him closer.

   "By the power of Celos, I banish thee, foul one!" The holy symbol flared
brightly into light as it came into contact with Thexx's forehead.  He
struggled to pull away but Aquinar would not release him.

   They fell to the ground then, with Celos on top driving the symbol of
his faith into the baron's flesh.  Thexx screamed in agony, driven beyond
the threshold of sanity by the pain.  At last he took the only relief he
could, and dissolved once again into mist.

   Alesha was closest and reach Aquinar first.  She turned him over and
gasped when she saw that the sword imbedded in his side had dissolved as
well.  Blood poured freely from the wound onto the ground and her hands as
she sought to staunch the flow.

   "Aquinar, you have defeated him!" Kelnozz said, kneeling next to the
paladin.

   "Aye, but he is not destroyed.  Help me up, we must find his resting
place and finish it!" Aquinar struggled to his feet, grimacing in pain.

   "If you do this, you will die!" Alesha hissed, calling on her knowledge
to try and save him.

   "Why didn't the flames seer the wound shut?" Nordan asked, a little
confused about the nature of magic.

   Alesha glanced at him sharply silencing him.  "He's not far," Aquinar
said, gritting his teeth through the pain.  "This way."

   Kelnozz helped Aquinar stumble along around the side of the manor. 
Behind it and in the corner of the keep they discovered a fenced in
cemetery.  "In there," Aquinar said, motioning towards it.  "Now leave me
be for a moment."

   They backed up while Aquinar sank to his knees.  Kelnozz alone could
pick out his prayer to his God.  Out of respect for him, he deliberately
chose not to listen but instead went about checking everyone's wounds and
dressing them as best they could.

   "Come with me friends, it ends now," Aquinar said, his face pale with
the loss of blood.

   They rose and followed him into the graveyard.  His wound had stopped
bleeding, and his stride was stronger, but they all knew he must have made
a special deal with his God.  Aquinar led them through the headstones,
stopping only when skeletal arms burst free from the ground around them. 
As animated corpses pulled themselves free of the earth, they hacked and
slashed at them, splintering skulls and backbones.  More remained, leaving
them outnumbered again.

   Like before, the skeletons proved no true threat to them, but wore them
down slowly.  By the time the small force was dispatched, they were all
breathing heavily and bore fresh wounds.  Aquinar seemed paler then before,
but grim-faced, he pushed on.  They could see now that their target was a
crypt near the wall of the keep.

   Drawing up to it, a fresh group of zombies and ghouls assailed them. 
The zombies fought mindlessly, trying to overwhelm them with numbers and
strength.  The ghouls fought with an evil cunning and intelligence, trying
to bite and scratch them.  When the fight was finished they were near the
limits of their strength.  Kelnozz bled freely from a scratch to his head,
the back of Nordan's left hand was laid open to the bone, and Alesha
sported deep gouges along her back that made her wince in pain with each
breath.

   Aquinar needed a long moment to gather his strength before they put
their strength together and opened the crypt door.  Nothing save dust had
inhabited the crypt for many years.  The brittle skeletons of rats lay
scattered about, testimony to the inescapable nature of the tomb.  A
covered stone coffin lay on a pedestal in the middle of the crypt.

   They approached it, two to a side.  Grabbing onto the bars on the side,
the slid it off to the side to reveal what looked like a sleeping Baron
Thexx inside.  A angry red scar resembling Aquinar's holy symbol graced his
forehead.  Alesha handed Aquinar the stake she had retrieved from when
she'd dropped it while fighting Baron Thexx.  Nordan handed his hammer to
him.

   Tight lipped and growing weak, Aquinar placed the stake over his heart.
He raised the hammer up high and prepared to drive it home.  "Lord Celos, I
beg of you to grant this damned soul release from his eternal torment."

   Thexx howled as the holy symbol back upon Aquinar's chest flared
brightly.  Summoning up his remaining strength, Aquinar smote the stake
soundly, sending it deep into the chest of the vampire lord.  He thrashed
under them, his arms flailing about desperately, trying to grab the stake
and pull it free while black blood gushed from his mouth..  Aquinar leaned
over him, holding it in place until finally Thexx lay still.

   "Come, friend, it is done." Kelnozz said, lightly touching Aquinar's
shoulder.

   When the paladin did not move, Kelnozz gently pulled him away and set
him on the floor.  Nordan retreated to the entrance of the crypt to stand
guard.  Alesha stared at the vampires corpse, watching it slowly sink into
itself as it aged.  Unseen by the others and unable to stop herself, her
finger reached out and wiped some of the baron's blood that had landed on
her arm.  She raised it to her lips and slowly reached her tongue out,
tasting it.  The taste reminded her faintly of the ecstasy she had felt
when the female vampire had bitten her thigh.  She also tasted countless
generations of memories and power within it.

   "As he said, it is ended," Kelnozz said sadly, standing up from where
Aquinar's body had fallen.  They followed the elf out of the crypt, staying
silent while he carried the body of Aquinar with him.  Nothing accosted
them as they left the keep, for with Baron Thexx destroyed, so was the evil
magic that empowered the castle and it's inhabitants.

   The next day they entombed Aquinar's body in his cave near the ocean. 
Pushing great rocks against the opening, they sealed him in the chamber he
had used as a sleeping room.  Kelnozz took some time and carved on a rock
in the tomb an epitaph for him.  As they walked away to the south west
passing the castle and the mouth of the valley, a lone wolf howled at the
rising moon.

   Herein Lies Aquinar Belisarius Champion of Celos Slayer of Baron Thexx
Protector of the Weak Friend to all













   Alesha awoke instantly, a cold sweat breaking out on her skin.  She
shivered at the fading memories of her nightmare.  She glanced about and
saw Kelnozz looking at her.  Hugging her arms about her to stave off the
phantom chill, she rose to her feet and approached him.  Already her dream
was slipping from her mind and her desire and growing lust was replacing
it.

   "Another bad dream?" Kelnozz asked her.

   Alesha nodded, struggling within herself to keep from molesting the dark
elf.  "I don't know why, but I can never remember it either.  It's so
frustrating!"

   Kelnozz said nothing else, and after a moment Alesha sat next to him on
the log.  "Kelnozz," she said quietly, "do you think I'm pretty?"

   Kelnozz fought the urge to smile.  Still staring into the darkness of
the swamp they'd found themselves forced into, he replied, "You are a very
beautiful woman, Alesha."

   "Do you ever wonder...  you know, about us?"

   "No."

   Stung by his quick response she hesitated a moment.  "Why not?"

   "Nordan told me of the two of you while we were separated," he said to
her.

   "I told Nordan it was nothing long term, we both needed comfort..."

   Kelnozz did laugh this time, though softly.  "Aye lass, Nordan wouldn't
mind sharing.  Don't worry about him."

   "Then why not?  If you're afraid to share..." She trailed off, unwilling
to make that commitment but considering it nonetheless.

   "Nay, I think not.  You would be far too much of a distraction.  I never
bed the women I travel with," He explained.

   Disappointed, Alesha's shoulders slumped.  "Oh," she said.  "Damn, I'm
so horny!"

   Kelnozz motioned towards the sleeping for of Nordan as a suggestion. 
Alesha eyed the sleeping barbarian and considered him.  Very attractive and
manly, still she was not drawn to him as she was the dark elf.  She had
gone without any sex for nearly two weeks, since they had left Aquinar
entombed and moved onwards.  She found herself increasingly preoccupied
with her own wanton desires and had trouble focusing on the situation at
hand.

   "I was hoping to try some dark meat," She said saucily, hopping off the
log and coming to stand in front of him.

   Kelnozz forced his eyes to lock with hers and not drop to what he knew
were her ample and firm charms.  Were she some whore in a city or any other
woman that he would not have to deal with on a regular basis, he would
gladly take her up on her offer.  He had never seen anyone as beautiful as
she was.  Even elves, known for their charisma and comeliness, could not
match her beauty.

   "Sorry to disappoint you," He said with an apologetic smile, keeping an
iron grip on his willpower.

   Sighing in frustration, Alesha realized it was a lost cause.  She turned
and walked over to Nordan as sexily as she could.  If Kelnozz was not
willing to enjoy what she had to offer, then she hoped to let him know just
exactly what it was he was missing.

   Kelnozz watched her as she dropped to her knees next to Nordan and very
carefully untied his breeches.  Opening them up, she slowly reached in and
fished out his limp manhood.  Somewhat of a deep sleeper at times, Nordan
smiled in his sleep when Alesha's mouth descended on him.  Alesha's fingers
slid beneath her loincloth and began rubbing at her sex, knowing that
Kelnozz could see exactly what she was doing.

   Kelnozz decided enough was enough, and he pointedly ignored what she was
doing to Nordan.  He hopped off of the log he sat on and quietly moved into
the swamp to do some scouting before they moved out in the morning.  They
had started out heading south, but the terrain had been very rough and slow
going, forcing them to turn to the southwest.  Carefully avoiding two
villages, one of ogres and another of orcs, they had stumbled across a
large patrol of trolls.  Pursuit was immediate, and they were forced even
further to the west.

   They had encountered a large river then, and with Nordan leading the way
had tried to swim it.  After a few moments he had screamed in pain and
retreated to the shore, bleeding from several small wounds.  Checking the
water, the saw a large number of small fish gathering where they had tried
to cross.  Alesha had called them Piranhas, but whatever they were, they
had done enough damage to Nordan to convince them that they could not
safely cross the stream.  Turning south, they followed it into the swamp
where they were now.

   Thinking the trolls evaded, they had slowed down to move more safely
through the swamp.  After a day of travel, they were certain they were safe
from the trolls, for nothing seemed to want to live in the swamp.  It was
this lack of swamp life that had Kelnozz so concerned, and that was why he
repeatedly scouted out their surroundings whenever they stopped for a
break.

   Nordan woke after a few strokes.  While a deep sleeper, he awoke almost
instantly every time.  This time he awoke to the very pleasant sensation of
Alesha bobbing up and down on him.  Sighing happily to have the two week
abstinence gone, he pumped lightly into Alesha's mouth, letting her know he
was awake but not wanting to choke her.

   Alesha would have none of it though.  Already lost in her lust, she
grabbed his hips and urged him to thrust harder at her.  Never one to deny
a woman, Nordan thrust into her harder, but quickly they found this
situation was not working to their advantage.  Alesha rose to her feet
quickly and looked at the log where Kelnozz last was.  Disappointed to see
him missing, she nevertheless led Nordan to it.  She bade Nordan to sit on
it while she knelt in front of him and sucked his raging manhood into her
mouth.  Bobbing her head up and down only a little, she teased him until
his hands found her head and pushed her down on him.

   Moaning happily, Nordan remembered she wanted to be treated roughly.  A
barbarian in spirit as well as body, he used his hands to pump her head up
and down on his cock.  Bottoming out each time, he groaned as her hand
massaged his balls and urged him to cum deep in her throat.  Unseen below
him, her other hand plunged in and out of her drenched pussy.

   Holding her nose buried in his pubic hair, Nordan unleashed two weeks of
pent up tension.  Alesha squealed as best she could with his cock in her
throat and struggled to raise her head up.  Thinking he was choking her,
Nordan let go of her head.  Alesha moved back enough so that he no longer
pumped his seed directly into her throat, but instead it coated her tongue
and roof of her mouth.

   When Nordan finally came down from his orgasmic high his vision focused
on Alesha whimpering as she pumped her fingers in and out of herself
furiously.  She continued to suck on Nordan's cock, and he could feel that
she had swallowed as little of his cum as she could, savoring the rest in
her mouth.

   Having orgasmed once when Nordan exploded in her mouth, Alesha felt she
had some catching up to do and needed more.  She knew what she wanted too,
so she untied her loincloth and let it fall to the ground.  She swallowed
some of Nordan's seed, but left enough in her mouth to let her coat him
thoroughly while she continued to suck him in order to keep him hard for
her.  Nordan had little trouble with that, and grinned stupidly when Alesha
finally released him.

   She moved over and leaned over the log, spreading her legs to allow him
to access.  Nordan hopped up behind her, ready to sink himself into her wet
and ready pussy, but found that she had been whimpering lustily while
preparing her ass to take him.  Grinning even more stupidly, he guided his
glistening cock to her pouting rosebud and slowly pushed it in.

   Alesha would have none of it though, she thrust herself back at him
roughly, wanting the pain.  Catching himself to keep from falling, Nordan
returned the thrust with a vengeance, making her cry out in surprise.  The
battle continued for several long minutes, each of them trying to outdo the
other.  Each was certain they would end up with bruises before it was over.

   Kelnozz returned to hear Alesha cry out loudly while Nordan roared. 
Thinking something might be amiss, he leapt over a clump of weeds and
rushed through some trees to return.  What he saw surprised him.  Nordan
was grinding himself deeply into Alesha's ass, and Alesha was grinding
right back at him, trying to get him as deeply into her as possible.  From
the tension in each of their bodies, he was certain they were lost in a
shared orgasm.  And from the looks of things, he again rued his principles.

   When Nordan collapsed on Alesha's back they both seemed to let the fight
go out of them.  Kelnozz clapped lightly and that seemed to rouse them from
their sexually induced stupor.  Nordan pulled out of Alesha's clinging
rectum slowly and got to his feet.  He turned to Kelnozz and grinned before
fetching his breeches and putting them on.  Alesha caught Kelnozz's eye and
turned around slowly, legs still spread wide.  She raised her hand to mouth
and slowly licked her fingers clean, letting him know what he missed. 
Kelnozz smirked at her but otherwise outwardly ignored her attempts to
seduce him.

   Alesha fumed silently at his continued ambivalence towards her, but
snatched up her loincloth and put it back on.  They began to gather their
gear as well, for dawn was only moments away.  They were prompted to hurry
when a spear came sailing out of the trees and glanced off of Nordan's
right leg.  He howled in pain and went down from the shock of the wound.

   Alesha froze momentarily, staring at Nordan with her mouth open. 
Kelnozz immediately dove to the ground, rolling near Nordan and scanning
the surrounding swamp.  Several more spears came flying in, which prompted
Alesha to scream and dodge behind the log she had been bent over only
moments before.  Just in time too, for a spear imbedded itself deeply in
the log scant inches in front of her.

   Receiving help from Kelnozz, Nordan and the elf quickly joined her
behind the log.  A few more spears passed close to them before the
stillness returned to the swamp.  It was broken moments later by the sounds
of several large things moving through the swamp rapidly.

   "We must flee!" Kelnozz said, spying the first of their forgotten
pursuers with his keen elven vision.

   "Aye, run!" Nordan said, clutching his torn leg and lurching to his
feet.

   Alesha saw the first of the trolls break through into the small clearing
they had made their campsite.  She saw her weapon belt lying on the ground
and knew she couldn't reach it in time.  The large green humanoid grunted
out something in its guttural language and pointed towards her.  She
screamed when it raised its arm and threw the mace it held in it toward
her. Ducking down, she felt the vibration in the log when it hit.  She was
instantly on her feet, catching up to Nordan and Kelnozz and helping the
elf move the barbarian through the swamp as quickly as possible.

   Flanking them, one troll got close enough to force Kelnozz to tell them
to move on while he dealt with it.  Drawing his twin longswords, he dodged
a swipe from the club and slashed deeply into the trolls upper thigh and
hip.  Howling in pain, the troll swung again, clipping Kelnozz along the
shoulder as he tried to duck under the blow.  He gritted his teeth through
the pain and picked himself up from where he'd fallen in the water.

   Lunging forward, he slipped inside the rapidly descending war club and
pierced the trolls belly with both blades.  Pulling them out in a sawing
motion, he retreated quickly while the troll dropped his club to try and
keep it's entrails from escaping.  Momentarily stopped, the troll paid no
attention to Kelnozz as he run after his retreating companions.

   "Did you kill it?" Alesha asked when he took her place at Nordan's side
and helped the large man run.

   "Nay, it's a troll, I slowed it down though."

   "Bah, damn swamp...  we need some fire!" Nordan spat out, the pain
making him seem even harsher then normal.

   "Guys!  Over there!" Alesha cried out, pointing ahead to their right.

   Looking ahead, they both saw a group of rocks rising out of the swamp.
Grunting a compliment at her good thinking, Nordan and Kelnozz headed
towards it.  Reaching it in time, they climbed up on it, with Kelnozz
giving the warrior a boost to clear the first couple of tall rocks.  Alesha
went next, and Kelnozz climbed up on it last.

   It only gave them a height advantage of less then ten feet, but that
made it harder for the trolls to attack them.  More so as they were
unaccustomed to fighting something taller then their eight to nine foot
height.  Nonetheless, the trolls did their best to surround them.  Behind
the rock was a large pool or murky green stagnant water, preventing escape
for the companions as much as it prevented the trolls from attacking them
from behind.

   "Watch our backs!" Nordan said, readying his hammer and forcing his leg
to hold his weight.  Kelnozz stood beside him but spared a brief smile for
Alesha, who found herself feeling useless without her katana.

   Disorganized and undisciplined, the trolls charged the rocks.  Nordan
took the first troll with a hefty crack in the head with his hammer,
landing him in a heap on the ground.  Kelnozz's blades rose and fell
rapidly, hacking great wounds into the troll that came at him.  As soon as
the green skinned giants fell they were replaced with others.

   Alesha jumped back when a severed hand landed at her feet.  Overcoming
her surprise she was about to kick it aside when it began moving towards
her.  It gained speed, finding purchase in the cracks of the rock with its
fingers.  She fought the urge to scream and drove her heel into the back of
it, breaking the bones in it and squashing it.  When she lifted her foot,
she saw it still weakly trying to come at her.  Repulsed, she turned and
kicked it into the pond behind them.

   Facing his fourth troll, Nordan was breathing heavily.  Then he realized
it was actually the first troll he had faced, having regenerated enough to
rise and fight him again.  He cursed their unnatural healing ability and
drove his hammer into the trolls shoulder, hearing the thick bones break.
Cursing at a temporarily useless arm, the troll swung its mace into
Nordan's hip.  Nordan had turned to absorb the blow, but the shock of it
made him stumble and fall to his knees.

   Kelnozz swung one blade across tearing out a troll's throat, blocking a
swing from another troll to his side with his right hand sword.  Feeling
the shock from the powerful swing up his arm, he kicked his boot into the
trolls face, breaking its nose and making it take a step back.  Kelnozz was
able to change directions then and thrust his left hand blade into the
throat of the troll that prepared to crush Nordan's life from him.  Nordan
regained his feet with a nod of thanks to the elf, who had gone back to his
opponent and did not see it.

   "Um, guys," Alesha said, glancing behind her to see the pond writhing
with underwater movement.

   "What?" Nordan said, breathing heavily from the exertion and his
injuries.  He intercepted an incoming swing from a club at a bad angle and
felt his hammer knocked from his grasp to the rock behind him.

   Alesha's voice died in her throat as she saw Nordan reach out and grab
the wrists of the troll he battled.  On even foot, the troll would have
towered at least a foot over the huge barbarian, but on the rock they stood
the same height.  Still, with so much more mass, Alesha was amazed to see
Nordan holding his own in the test of strength.

   Kelnozz glanced back and saw the writhing waters behind them.  Cursing
inwardly at what foul turn of fate awaited them next, he turned his
attention back in time to catch a throne mace in the stomach.  His breath
exploded from his mouth and he found himself contemplating the way the
vines hung from the trees for a few moments.

   Nordan actually began bending the troll's arms back away from him.  He
roared loudly in the trolls face, driving it back a step with a shove so he
could retrieve his hammer before battle was rejoined.  His leg burned but
the adrenaline within him flowed enough to allow him to ignore his injury.
Hammer in hand, he met the enraged troll with a blow that shattered the
troll's skull and drove it to the ground.

   Alesha ran two steps forward and launched a powerful side kick into the
chest of the troll that had stepped up to squash the downed Kelnozz.  The
troll fell back to the ground, Alesha falling with him.  She scrambled to
her feet quickly and lashed out with a stiff finger punch when it sat up.
She jumped back at the rock and scrambled up it quickly, trying to get
away. Another troll grabbed her foot and hauled her back down.  The first
troll howled in pain as it thrashed around, both its eyes ruined by her
punch.

   Alesha again sought to climb on the rock when the blinded troll tripped
up the one that had hold of her foot and made it release her when they fell
down together.  She made it to the top of the rock but went sailing off the
other side of it into the pond as a spiked club caught her just above the
hip in the back.

   Kelnozz was regaining his senses in time to see Alesha go sailing over
him, her face a mix of silent agony and terror.  He jumped back to his
feet, and severed the arms of the troll that had hit her.  Both men heard
the splash as Alesha hit the water.  He ground his teeth, knowing he had to
save her in retribution for saving him.

   "Get the girl!" Nordan said, blasting through the defenses of another
troll to land a bone crunching hit on its ribs.

   "Aye," Kelnozz said, sheathing his blades and backing up quickly before
another troll could accost him.  He turned to face the water and jumped in
only seconds before the pond exploded upwards.

   The trolls backpedaled in fear and fell to their knees as the fetid
water rained down on them.  Nordan turned to see glimpse a great form
hurtling into the air.  Uncertain of what it was, he discovered his fears
were founded when it did a loop in the air and returned, flying straight at
him.

   Nordan dove to the side of the rock, rolling to take the impact.  Where
he'd stood a moment before a stream of acidic spittle passed through. 
Instead of finding him, it splashed into several of the trolls, causing
those that weren't consumed instantly to howl in agony.  Acid was one of
the true fears of a troll, for they could not recover from such a wound.

   The creature flew over the combatants, hissing in rage at Nordan's
well-timed jump.  Nordan had just seen his first dragon, and the sight of
it filled him with dread.  Only his survival instinct had let him escape
that first blast, but now that he realized what it was he fought, he
struggled against the urge to cower in fear or run in terror.  The trolls
seemed affected differently, for other then the ones running about howling
in agony, the rest were in abject worship of the creature.

   Kelnozz kicked towards the bottom, afraid to open his eyes in the water.
Quickly realizing he'd never find her without his vision, he forced them
open and fought the stinging pain the dirty water caused him.  The frothing
of the water had stirred up the muck on the bottom, reducing his vision to
a few feet at best.  He struggled to pierce the gloom and swam deeper.  He
found Alesha's hand and grabbed onto it, pulling her with him back towards
the surface.

   Kelnozz broke the surface in time to see the black dragon swoop low
overhead trying to claw at Nordan but unable to reach him due to the rock
and the ancient swamp trees growing close by.  He pulled Alesha to the
shore and was glad to see her coughing up the water in her lungs.  He drew
his swords and crouched low beside the rock, waiting.

   The dragon passed by again, and Kelnozz fought the bile rising in his
stomach from the fear the creature emanated.  It remained focused on
Nordan, preparing to launch another stream of its corrosive spittle at him.
Kelnozz leapt atop the rock at the last moment he could, and swung both his
blades at his target.  The dragon roared in agony as both of Kelnozz's
magically sharpened swords tore into its wing, one tearing through the
membrane, the other actually hacking into the bone limb.

   Kelnozz was knocked off of the rock by the speed of the dragon, but the
beast found itself moving to quickly to land.  It spiraled off balance and
crashed into a copse of swamp trees, rising slowly to its feet.  The trolls
looked on, incredulous at what was happening, but remained subserviently
kneeling.

   "Come Nordan!" Kelnozz called to him, regaining his feet wearily and
running after the wounded dragon.

   Nordan fought off his amazement to still be alive and followed his
friend, albeit limping along slowly behind him.  When they got there the
dragon had turned to face them, roaring its challenge.  One wing hung
limply, broken, and the other was torn and tattered both from Kelnozz's
attack and the crash itself.

   Nordan stopped long enough to pick up a dropped war club, then hurried
as much as he could to join his friend.  Kelnozz leapt behind a tree stump
the dragon's crash had razed to avoid the acidic breath weapon.  The fumes
from the stump being eaten away made Kelnozz retch and his eyes water
painfully though, driving him away from hiding place.  In due time too, for
moments later the acid devoured the enormous trunk and would have caused
the upper portions of it to fall on him.

   Stomping forward quickly the dragon intended to make the momentarily
overwhelmed elf a snack.  Kelnozz blinked the last of the tears from his
eyes and looked up to see the dragon almost upon him.  He stood up with his
swords raised, hoping to buy his friends some time with his death.  The
borrowed war club came sailing in then, hitting the dragon square in the
eye.  Kelnozz watched in amazement as the dragon altered its course,
passing within inches of him.  It roared loudly enough to set the elves
ears to ringing, blinded now in one eye.

   Kelnozz stabbed out with his blades, putting as much power behind them
as possible.  One of them glanced off the scales of the dragon's rear leg,
but the other bit in just behind its knee joint.  The wound was shallow
though, and the dragon barely registered it in its already pained and
aggravated state.  It continued to advance on Nordan.

   Thinking himself free to attack the dragon from behind, Kelnozz
discovered that a dragon's tail could be a powerful opponent in itself. 
The elf found himself landing in a puddle of water almost before he
realized he'd been hit in the chest by the gargantuan weapon.  Struggling
to his feet, he ignored the pain in his chest and gasped for breath as he
ran back to the flying lizard.

   Nordan readied his hammer, expecting to get one swing in, if that.  The
dragon's mouth shot forward on its long neck, open wide to display not only
razor sharp teeth but its fetid breath as well.  He swung his hammer then,
eyes closed in anticipation of nothing but a short and painful death.  He
felt the hammer connect with something that gave way with a tearing sound.
He heard an incredibly loud roar, then felt himself flying.  Opening his
eyes, he realized the dragon had swatted him with one of its arms.  Then
Nordan hit a tree and knew no more.

   Kelnozz leapt atop the dragon's tail and nimbly ran up it's back,
dodging the sharp spines that announced it's backbone.  He stopped midway
up as an idea came to him.  The dragon turned to see him then, using its
good eye to fix him with an angry stare.  Kelnozz raise both swords before
he had a chance to contemplate what he was doing.  He fell to his knees as
he plunged both swords downward.

   Both swords pierced the tough hide, but one bounced off the spine and
did little damage beyond causing the dragon pain.  The other one struck
true, however, and pierced the disc between the vertebrae.  The dragon
stared dumbly at Kelnozz, not understanding at first why it's hindquarters
no longer obeyed its commands.  As comprehension flooded through it, it
hissed in rage so intense Kelnozz was not sure he'd ever seen anything like
it before.

   Leaping free, Kelnozz narrowly missed the stream of acid aimed at him.
He hit the ground hard though, and lay there for a second reorienting
himself.  The dragon dragged itself around, it's tail and rear legs
dangling behind uselessly.  It raised one of its forelimbs to squash
Kelnozz, but was caught off guard by Nordan back up and fighting.  He swung
his hammer with all his strength into the dragon's other arm, hitting it in
the elbow.  The leg trembled briefly, but the dragon continued to pursue
Kelnozz.

   Kelnozz rolled to the side as the mighty claws on the dragon's hand
descended.  He got clipped by one of the claws, tearing a gash in the back
of his mail tunic and cutting deeply above his left shoulder blade. 
Gritting his teeth against the agony, Kelnozz kept rolling.  He lay still
after he had moved out of immediate danger, fighting off blackness.

   The dragon turned to Nordan then, snarling at him.  Nordan noticed the
bloody hole where one of its teeth had once been and fought the urge to
laugh.  He realized that was where he had hit the dragon earlier with
hammer.  He stood in front of the dragon, waiting for it to attack him. 
They stood there for a moment, the dragon glowering at him.

   "Garrick, I am prepared to feast in your halls, but first give me the
strength to bring this wyrm with me!" Nordan said, praying to the God of
War.

   Nordan waited a moment longer and the dragon acted.  Maw open, it
dropped towards him again.  Feeling a sense of exhilaration, Nordan leapt
as high as he could in the final moment and reached out with his free hand.
He grabbed the bridge of the dragon's nose and hauled himself on top of it.
The dragon struggled to focus on him with only one eye, so close was he.

   Before the dragon could shake him off, Nordan let go and balanced
precariously on the dragon's snout.  Gripping his hammer in both hands, he
raised it high and screamed in triumph.  The dragon's brain sent the
command to whip its head to the side a split second to late, for Nordan's
hammer had already begun it's descent.  It connected with the top of the
beasts skull, sending cracks throughout the thick bone and even managing to
blast through the area where he connected.

   The dragon's head fell to the ground like a rock, Nordan hitting heavily
and rolling off into the mud to lay still.  The dragon shuddered once or
twice before it's tortured and abused body gave up and it lay still.

   Nordan struggled to his knees first, then his feet.  The surviving
trolls had gathered in front of him, yet stayed several paces away from
him. Kelnozz slowly levered himself up so that he rested against the tree
he had rolled behind.  Sitting on the ground, he surveyed the scene and saw
the dragon slain and Nordan standing alone in front of the company of
trolls.

   "Need any help?" Kelnozz said, ignoring the incessant pains in his body
and trying to get back up.  He cast his eyes about and saw one of his
swords lay next to him, another a few feet away.

   Nordan was glad to hear that Kelnozz was okay.  Or at least conscious.
Without looking at him he addressed the trolls, "Who's next?" Tapping the
hammer in his palm, he hoped to bluff his way through the encounter,
knowing them in trouble should the trolls attack again.

   One of the trolls walked forward, clearly the leader of the patrol by
his superior looking equipment.  Nordan found himself admiring the look of
the blackened blade of the great sword it wielded.  It stopped a few feet
in front of Nordan and stared down at the barbarian for a long moment.

   In broken common, the troll spoke then.  "Me iz Grabbil, leedur uv deez
trolz."

   Surprised at the trolls ability to speak, Nordan stood silent a moment
before he realized it was his turn to talk.  "I am Nordan Helmsmasher."

   The troll nodded.  "Nordan, dat gud naym.  Yu iz mytee an tuff, yu
bash'd da draggin dat kik'd owr buttz owt uv da swomp.  We let yu skinneez
liv."

   After a moment of trying to figure out what the troll had said, Nordan
laughed loudly.  Knowing that only a show of strength would work, he said,
"Aye Grabbil, and we will let you live."

   Only 6 of the trolls remained, the rest were dead or had fled into the
swamp.  Nordan knew they couldn't survive a fight with them, and perhaps
Grabbil knew that as well.  Nevertheless, the troll guffawed then turned to
his patrol and spoke in the harsh trollish language to them.

   Kelnozz limped up to stand next to Nordan.  "Everything under control?"

   "Aye" Nordan said.  "We killed the dragon that drove them out of the
swamp, so they will let us leave in peace."

   "Good," Kelnozz said, relaxing visibly.  "But before we leave, there's
something we need to do."

   "What's that?" Nordan asked, following Kelnozz back to the rock where
they had made their stand.  Kelnozz forgot to answer when he saw Alesha
leaning against the rock, looking as if she was in a trance.  He gently
shook her to make sure she was okay.  Her eyes opened and she stared at the
elf in alarm.  Recognizing him after a brief second, she relaxed.  She
struggled to her feet then and arched her back and twisted around so that
she could try to see her back.

   Kelnozz and Nordan both followed her gaze, expecting to see some deep
gashes from the spiked club that had hit her.  Instead they saw bruises and
pink skin that looked to be recently healed.

   "How did you do that?" Kelnozz asked her.

   Alesha looked at him and then at Nordan.  Finally she said, "I'm not
really sure.  It hurt so badly and I knew I was in trouble, so I just sat
down and concentrated on trying to fix it."

   "Can you do it to others?" Kelnozz asked.

   "I...  I don't know.  I mean, I can try, but I don't think so." Alesha
was clearly unsure of herself.

   "Worry about it later, for now we have something more important to do,"
Kelnozz said.

   "What?" Nordan asked, reminded that Kelnozz had never answered him.

   Kelnozz stared into the once again still waters of the pond.  "The
dragon came out of here, methinks it's lair is down there as well."

   "So?" Alesha asked, eyeing the filthy water with disgust.

   "Nordan, ask your friends if the dragon plundered their homes or if they
knew of it taking any treasure," Kelnozz suggested.

   At the thought of treasure, Nordan's eyes grew big.  He turned and
walked back towards the trolls, who were talking amongst themselves and
keeping an eye on the three companions.  "Grabbil!" Nordan called out
gruffly to get his attention.

   "Wut yu wont?" The troll said, walking over to him.

   "Did the dragon steal your treasure when you left?"

   Grabbil scowled then admitted, "We liv'd heer fer a wyl befor wif da
draggin, hem mayd us bring hem fud an wutevr shineez we kud."

   Nordan chuckled, putting their trolls sudden foul mood together and
realizing that the trolls were waiting for them to leave so they could
retrieve the treasure themselves.  Nordan motioned for Grabbil to follow
him and he returned to Kelnozz and Alesha.

   "Grabbil says the dragon made them bring him food and treasure before
they left the swamp," Nordan said, eyeing the troll carefully.

   Kelnozz eyed the water a moment longer.  Then he turned, "What say we
enlist the help of the trolls, we slew the dragon, so we get our first
choice, then the trolls and us get as much of the rest of the horde out as
we can.

   "Will there be enough for all of us?" Alesha asked, excited to think
that she might actually have some money soon.

   Nordan snorted, thinking of the size of the dragon hordes he had heard
of.  Kelnozz opened his mouth to respond but Grabbil beat him to it by
guffawing loudly.  "Dat funnee!  Der iz lotz an lotz uv shineez in der, mor
den oll uv uz trolz ken tayk wifowt gittin sum uv owr brudderz."

   Alesha and Kelnozz both blinked stupidly at the trolls speech, but
Nordan had been growing used to it by then and said, "Aye, there will be
enough for all."

   Chuckling to himself, then wincing in pain as his ribs ached, Kelnozz
began taking off his chain mail shirt.  Next he removed his greaves and
boots.  Finally removing his tunic Alesha gasped at seeing his upper body
nude for the first time.  Finely toned, Alesha couldn't see an ounce of fat
on him.  What she could see amazed her, numerous cuts, scratches and scars
covered his back, chest, and arms.  In spite of his ebony colored skin, she
could also see discolorations from the recent bruises and injuries he had
taken at the hands of the trolls and the dragon.

   She came forward and placed her hands on his chest gently.  "Sit down,"
She said softly.  Annoyed at the interruption, Kelnozz nevertheless did as
she bade him.  Once seated, Alesha knelt in front of him and closed her
eyes.  She left her hands resting on his chest and focused on healing him
as she had herself.

   Finding and understanding Kelnozz's aura was difficult for her, and
after several long minutes she felt she understood it well enough to make
an effort at helping him.  Nearly half an hour later she opened her eyes
and looked up at him, exhaustion evident in her eyes.  Kelnozz had relaxed
against the rock behind him as well.  Alesha struggled to her feet and sat
down heavily on the rock.

   "My thanks," Kelnozz said, rising stiffly to his feet.  His deeper and
more acutely painful injuries still existed, but many of the minor bumps
and bruises had been soothed by whatever it was that she had done.

   Alesha mumbled something to him, but was so weary that she was finding
it difficult to keep her eyes open.  Her last thoughts before she passed
out was surprise at how odd it was that she was tired when she had not been
anything but energetic since her encounter with Carson.

   "Let her sleep," Kelnozz told Nordan, who looked at her questioningly.
"You stay here to keep her safe, I'll search for the dragon's lair."

   Nordan nodded and sat down next to her with his hammer in his lap.  The
trolls had gathered nearby, but still stood a distance away conferring
amongst themselves.

   Kelnozz turned back to the stagnant pond and with a deep breath, dove
in. He swam down, surprised at how swiftly the sides dropped away and at
how deep it was.  He suspected magic was at work, otherwise the surrounding
swamp would have filled it in with muck.  Swimming strongly in spite of his
aching lungs, he reached the bottom at last.  Finding it as soft and muddy
as he expected, he realized he needed air and he needed it soon.  He began
to return to the surface when to the side he caught a glow of something in
the water.  Cursing his own curiosity, he turned and swam towards it.

   Sure enough, an underwater tunnel led away from the vertical pond.  The
elf Swam hard and hoped there was air at the end of the tunnel.  His lungs
began to burn painfully with their need for fresh air.  He forced himself
to hold his breath, the edges of his vision beginning to show strange
colors.  He was uncertain if the glow was getting brighter or if he was
seeing things at that point.

   Unable to hold his breath any longer, Kelnozz exhaled.  The bubbles
rushed upwards around him.  Weak and barely conscious, he struggled
upwards, employing an inhuman willpower to not draw in a breath as long as
possible.  Eventually unable to stop his bodies reactions, he opened his
mouth and inhaled, water rushing in.  The water caused his lungs even more
pain, and the resulting panic induced adrenaline rush woke him up enough to
kick harder for the surface.  In agony and certain he was doomed to drown,
the elf still fought upwards.

   He cleared the surface of the water inches away from a rock wall. 
Hacking and coughing, he struggled to stay above water long enough to
regain some strength to find something to hold on to.  Managing to make it
to a shelf of mossy rock, he rolled onto his side and hacked up more water.
Breathing raggedly, he collapsed on his back and gasped for breath for
several minutes.

   Finally feeling somewhat stable, Kelnozz opened his eyes and looked
around.  He was in a large underground room.  At first glance, the only
exit he could see was the water, but he was certain there must be other
ways out, as the air was breathable, if a bit earthy and humid.  The walls
of the cave were formed of rock that was slick with water.  Patches of moss
covered areas of the floor and the walls.  What allowed him to see was the
glow coming from the impressive mounds and piles of treasure.  Nowhere near
the size of the hordes he'd heard stories of, this still impressed him.  He
wandered through it, examining bits and pieces of it and searching for
anything of value.

   Nordan was worried.  The elf had been gone a long time.  Easily half an
hour, far longer then anyone could hold their breath.  He knew that either
he had found what he sought or he was dead.  Another 10 minutes stretched
by and Alesha awoke.  Still groggy and tired she looked about and blinked
in confusion until she remembered everything.

   "Is Kel still alive?" Nordan asked her.

   Blinking back her weariness, Alesha closed her eyes and focused.  She
found a strong and powerful thread of some mystical energy running from
herself to Nordan.  As for Kelnozz, she missed the faint line of energy
that connected them at least twice in her fatigue.  Then she discovered it
and determined from the look and feel of it that he still lived.

   "Yeah, he's alive," She said, collapsing back.  She closed her eyes and
rested, not sleeping but not entirely awake either.

   Nordan grunted and returned to staring into the pond.  His anxiety did
not lessen until Kelnozz broke free of the water on the far side of the
pond and gasped for breath.  He tossed off a weak wave and slowly swam over
to their side.  Climbing out of the water he untied a rope that was around
his ankle and fastened it to a nearby tree stump.

   "What's that?" Nordan asked.

   "That will lead you to the tunnel and the lair," Kelnozz said, sinking
to the ground to rest for a moment.

   "Are you okay?" Alesha asked, her eyes still closed but sensing his
condition regardless.

   Smiling, Kelnozz replied, "Aye, the swim down there was a tough one, but
I'll be fine in a few moments." He ended the statement by coughing up some
more water.  "What about you?"

   Alesha opened her eyes and looked at him.  He could see the bags under
her eyes.  "I don't think I've ever been this tired.  Every ounce of my
body is exhausted, from my toes to my hair."

   "Go ahead and grab the first load, Nordan," Kelnozz said to the anxious
barbarian.  Not needing to be told twice, Nordan tore off his skins and
dove into the scummy pond.

   "Get some rest then," Kelnozz told her, rising back to his own feet.

   "Sleep doesn't help much." She knew she was lying, but from all that she
had done for the elf, she felt he owed her something and she wanted to see
how far he would go to repay her.

   "Why not?" He asked, sitting beside her.

   Alesha struggled to sit upright and stared at the trolls for a moment.
"Every time I try to do something, it drains some energy from me.  I don't
know how else to describe it.  If I rest long enough I get it back, but I
still feel empty.  Whatever your God Carson did to me, it changed me.  I'm
constantly horny and that is the only thing that seems to give me back the
missing energy very quickly."

   Kelnozz smiled, even in their conditions he knew she was still hitting
on him.  He admired her dedication.  "He's your God, not mine," was all he
said though.

   Scowling at him, Alesha leaned back and rested against the rock again.
As they sat there waiting for Nordan, she very slowly began to feel her
strength returning.  With her strength coming back, so did her passions. 
Building quickly, she found herself growing aroused.  In a matter of
minutes she had somehow been driven to the point where even the trolls were
beginning to look attractive to her.

   Nordan emerged from the pond then, two heavy bags in one of his hands
while the other gripped the rope.  He greedily sucked in air and tossed the
bags on the ground, both of them spilling open to reveal countless small
gems and coins of different colors and metals.

   The trolls were instantly on their feet and headed over.  Seeing the
spilled wealth, they all dove into the pond, one after another.  Grabbil
stayed up top though, staring at the pond longingly but his duty keeping
him behind.

   "I want to go down there," Alesha said, rising to her feet shakily.

   "Ha!  You're in no shape to swim that, woman!" Nordan said, preparing to
jump back in himself.

   "I could be," she said, glaring at Kelnozz darkly.

   Uncertain of what was going on, Nordan just shrugged and dove back into
the pond.  "Please help me Kelnozz...  I would and have helped you when you
needed it!" She pleaded with him.

   Kelnozz sighed and looked at the girl.  Still seriously wounded, he had
no intention of aggravating his injuries by tumbling her.  "Lass, wait for
Nordan to return, I'm sure he'll gladly help you."

   Kelnozz paused at the edge of the pond, preparing to dive in again. 
Alesha refused to be denied this time, however.  Slipping into a trance she
ignored the headache that was instantly upon her and focused on Kelnozz. 
His aura still confusing and unfamiliar, she reached out in her mind to it.
A moment later Kelnozz turned to look at her, seeing her sitting there
staring at him longingly.

   "I don't need much," she whispered to him just loud enough to hear. 
"Just let me suck you off, you don't have to fuck me or anything."

   Kelnozz knew something had happened to him, for his resolve against her
weakened.  He had to admit, she had risked her life to save him, he owed
her for that.  Scowling, he stomped over to her and stood in front of her.

   Alesha grinned like a little girl getting some candy.  She rose up
quickly, her headache forgotten and quickly worked with him to unlace his
breeches.  Lowering them to the floor, she gazed for the first time at
Kelnozz's third leg.  Not quite as wide as Nordan's, it was easily longer.
Her mouth already watering she nearly swallowed him whole instantly.

   Kelnozz felt his knees weaken as Alesha attacked his flaccid penis
zealously.  She ignored the taste of the swamp water on him, instead
focusing on the underlying texture and flavors of his rising manhood. 
Growing fully erect quickly, Alesha wasted no time and used the tricks she
had learned with Nordan to take him down her throat.  She was unprepared
for Kelnozz's greater length though, and had to cough him back up at first.
Growling at her failure, she dove back on him again, forcing herself to
swallow him down and keep him there.

   Her hands flew to Kelnozz's hips and she urged him to use her face, as
she had done with Nordan.  Kelnozz slowly pumped himself in and out of her
throat, growing lost with the sensations.  Grabbil looked on at the sounds
of their moaning and raised his eyebrows in surprise.  Alesha looked over
and saw him staring at them in surprise.

   Kelnozz was unaware of why Alesha was now standing up and slowly turning
them.  She bent over to continue to allow Kelnozz to thrust himself in and
out of her throat though, so he continued to do it.  Then Kelnozz saw
Grabbil stepping up behind her.  Alesha had reached back and dropped her
loin cloth to the ground already.  Grabbil pulled off his codpiece and
moved up behind her.  Kelnozz's eyes grew wide as he saw the size of the
trolls cock.

   Alesha's eyes grew even wider when she felt it pressing against her
pussy.  Never known for the subtlety, the troll rammed into her roughly. 
The force of his pounding drove her into Kelnozz, making her nose rub
painfully against his abdomen.  In spite of his pleasure, Kelnozz backed
up, prepared to end what was happening to her for fear of her safety.  He
was stopped when Alesha's hands grabbed onto him again and pulled him into
her even harder.

   Understanding what she wanted, Kelnozz let himself go and pumped roughly
at her.  Not normally the elven way, Kelnozz was nevertheless experienced
in many other cultures customs, including mating habits.  Always willing to
adapt, he drove himself into her throat as deeply as he could, wondering
how close his almost unnaturally long prick was coming to her stomach.

   For his part, Grabbil sighed happily when he managed to bury all of his
length in the human woman.  Amazed that she would willingly take a troll in
her, he had not stopped to ask questions.  His amazement grew when he was
actually able to get inside of her.  With a cock almost the size of an
average horse, Grabbil knew she had to be in pain, but the way her pussy
responded to his pounding told him that she was enjoying it anyhow.

   A veteran of several bedtime campaigns throughout Viconia, Kelnozz was
thoroughly amazed at Alesha's skill.  In no time he was about to explode.
He knew what she wanted, and he intended to give it to her.  Beating his
way past her grasping hands, he pumped one last time deep in her throat and
pulled completely out of her mouth.  Her hands flew to his cock, stroking
it towards her as she struggled to take him back in her mouth.  Grabbil's
hands around her hips kept her in place, however.

   Stroking him off, Alesha opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out. 
Thick ropes of cum flew out of Kelnozz's manhood, blasting her in the face.
The hot blasts of seed pushed Alesha over the edge, making her orgasm
around the tree trunk of a prick sliding in and out of her.  Kelnozz fired
off 4 more shots of his sperm onto her face and into her mouth before he
stepped back in and let her suck the last of it out of him and clean off
his cock.  Alesha devoured it like she was starving.

   Grabbil was unable to handle the quaking orgasm that Alesha was
experiencing.  He roared loudly as the viscous liquid in him roared through
his cock and blasted deeply into her.  Burst after burst of troll semen
filled her womb, eventually overflowing and sliding out past his cock. 
This only proved to force Alesha into an even deeper and more powerful
orgasm.

   Kelnozz stepped away again, intent upon getting away from her then, but
she held on to him and licked the cum off of his abdomen and legs.  Then
she used her fingers to scoop it off her cheeks and into her mouth. 
Finally she turned to Grabbil and pulled herself off of him.  She hungrily
eyed the spooge on his softening member, but couldn't bring herself to lick
something that large and green.  She smiled at the troll thankfully though,
making herself remember how wonderful it had felt, and not focusing on the
fact that she had just fucked a troll.  Grabbil grinned stupidly and
quickly reattached his armor before any of his platoon returned.

   Kelnozz and Alesha likewise dressed themselves only moments before two
of the trolls surfaced, carrying a chest between them.  Opening it up,
inside we hundreds if not thousands of coins.  Alesha pulled Kelnozz to the
side and gave him a hug that only served to make him feel uncomfortable.

   "I just wanted to thank you, I feel so much better!" She said to him,
grinning happily.  "Now let's go get some of that treasure for ourselves!"

   Kelnozz nodded, at a loss for anything to say.  Together they dove into
the water, giving him a chance to focus on something other then the strange
woman that swam beside him.  He cursed himself for it, but he felt like he
had bonded with her somehow.  He knew any other man would be glad for it,
but he was not like any other man, and while few others knew it, he did.

   They surfaced inside the cave, both of them not being short of breath.
Kelnozz looked to Alesha and saw her smile at him and wink.  Her growing
powers both amazed and worried him.  If they did indeed come from Carson,
as she thought, then all should be well, for Carson was a benign god and
the protector of nature.  Kelnozz knew Carson was also mischievous and a
bit of a trickster, but even that did not seem to him like a reason to
demand such a sexual appetite of Alesha in return for her newfound
abilities.

   Inside the treasure room they saw Nordan and several trolls pillaging
through it, looking to grab the more valuable stuff first.  Alesha's eyes
lit up with the supernatural glow coming from the treasure, and she grinned
like a small child at her birthday.

   "What makes it glow?" She asked Kelnozz.

   "Some things possess minor magical powers that allow them to produce
light," Kelnozz explained, picking up a ring with a glowing pearl set in
it. He handed it to her by way of example.

   Alesha grinned and slipped it on her finger.  She squealed happily when
it magically resized itself to fit her better.  She saw something else that
caught her eyes and instantly she was off.  Kelnozz chuckled and started
searching through the treasure himself.

   Several trips later, much of the treasure had been moved to the surface.
What remained was largely items not immediately useful or to difficult for
them to move.  Enough had reached the surface to make them all of them
quite wealthy.  Alesha had also discovered a cache of fine clothing in a
chest which now rested on the surface.  No water had gotten in it during
the swim, but that small magic was Alesha's doing and not a property of the
clothing or the chest.

   Down for one final trip, the three companions looked longingly at the
remaining treasure.  They were certain the trolls would return to the swamp
to get the rest of it, so they spent long moments admiring what remained.
Wandering about the room, Alesha cried out in surprise.  Nordan and Kelnozz
hurried to her side, while the trolls looked up but remained apart.

   She dropped a small chest she'd picked up and pointed to what she'd
discovered.  Moving the chest had dislodged a small avalanche of coins and
wealth to reveal an opening in the rock wall the pile was pushed against.
All three of them dug into the mound of valuables, knocking jeweled
goblets, gem encrusted pieces of dress armor, and other assorted sundries
aside.  Soon enough of a hole was revealed to let them crawl through. 
Having the light-giving ring, Alesha slipped through first.  Kelnozz came
in behind, with Nordan staying outside due to his greater size being to
much to squeeze through the crawlway.

   Kelnozz saw what had captured Alesha's stare and caused her mouth to
drop in wonder.  It was a shortsword that rested on a stand.  Not any
shortsword, but a shortsword that gleamed in the light let off by Alesha's
ring.  The blade of the sword was a contrast to the ivory pommel and
crossguard, being made of some sort of magical metal that was polished
black.  It looked so deep it appeared as though by staring long enough at
it one could see into the depths of the blade.  A fuller ran along the
length of the blade on each side, providing increased rigidity.  Both the
hilt and the pommel were trimmed in mithril to keep the ivory from chipping
on a parry.  The grip itself was wrapped in what looked like griffin hide.

   "Be wary, that blade looks powerful and might-" Kelnozz's words died off
as Alesha stepped over and picked it up from the stand to hold it in front
of her.

   Staring up and down the short sword, Alesha swung it through the air a
few times experimentally.  "Wow," she finally said, still staring into the
blade.

   Kelnozz chuckled.  He reached over and grabbed up the scabbard that was
sitting on the stand.  Handing it to her, he admired the mithril etching
done along the length of the it.  He was sure they were words, but he had
no idea what they were.

   Alesha sheathed the blade slowly, reluctantly.  It was a beautiful
weapon, and from the feelings she had when she first touched it, she was
sure a very powerful and lethal weapon.  It seemed to warm in her hands and
fit nicely, while setting up a deep vibration so slight she could not be
sure it was there.  Just holding it made her feel right, as if she was
somehow more powerful and complete with it.

   Kelnozz picked up a pair of bracers that lay upon the bottom shelf of
the sword stand.  They were made out of polished black mithril as well, and
had ornate etchings on them.  The pattern bore no resemblance to any
picture or language he had ever seen, but something nagged at the back of
his mind about them.  They looked too organized and purposeful to be some
carving with no purpose to it.  Nevertheless, he sensed nothing fey about
them, so he handed them to Alesha as well.

   "What are these?" She asked, taking them and studying them.

   "They are bracers, slide them on your forearms, I have no doubt they are
magic and you can use them to defend yourself by parrying attacks," he
explained, already moving back towards the doorway of the small room.

   Alesha experimentally slide her fingers into one of them, gasping when
it adjusted its size to fit her hand.  Slipping her arm further in it, it
resized until it was firm and comfortable around her forearm.  She did the
same with the other one and grinned happily.  She followed the dark elf out
of the treasure room and happily showed Nordan her new possessions once
outside.  Nordan had picked up a few more baubles himself, though he didn't
know how he'd carry them.

   The trolls had departed the treasure trove by then, so they decided
they'd better make for the surface themselves.  Sighing sadly, they dove
into the water and swam to the surface.  Once there, they found the trolls
making ready to depart.  They each carried a king's ransom in wealth on
them, leaving the portion the three companions had separated for themselves
alone.  Grabbil approached one last time.

   "Woch owt fer dem elfz an da orkz an da jyuntz an da ogurz an da udder
trolz.  We not bash yu, but dem udderz wil.  Dis bad plais fer yu tu be in,
yu shuud go bak tu yer homz.  May Garrick giv yu strenf tu bash yer
emeneez," He said, saluting the companions before turning to lead his
patrol back the way they had came.

   They watched the trolls depart, glad to be rid of them for varying
reasons.  Once they had left, Alesha dug through the chest she'd had
rescued and started going through the clothing.  Glad to be rid of it, she
took her loincloth off and tossed it into the pond.  Standing their nude,
she lamented that she would put clean clothing on a dirty body, but had
little choice for the water surrounding them was muddy and stagnant.

   She was uncertain as to what she should wear, however.  She had many
options, but tried to outweigh what she knew she would look great in with
something that would also be convenient and comfortable.  She ended up
slipping on some man's breeches and a tunic.  Several other items she put
in a backpack.  She was pleasantly surprised when the pair of black leather
gloves she slipped on her hands magically altered themselves to fit her. 
She finished off her outfit with a cloak and a pair of knee high boots that
were only a little too large for her.  The boots she had chosen for the
daggers that each of them had concealed in them.  Another dagger graced her
right thigh, tied there by straps around her leg and a strap to her new
utility belt.  Her shortsword hung from her left side, and pouches filled
with coins, jewels, and other miscellaneous equipment hung from it as well.
The rest of her pack she stuffed full of coins and gems.

   When she was finally dressed and ready to go, she found Nordan and
Kelnozz both napping.  They had grown tired of waiting for her and decided
to spend their time resting.  Scowling at them, she moved over to kick them
awake.  She stopped to admire the new shirt Nordan had acquired.  It was
black with some crimson outlines, she was impressed with the tailors of
whoever had owned the clothing originally.  He had clean and new breeches
as well.  Kelnozz had replaced his torn and battered chain mail shirt with
a new one.  He wore bracers similar to the ones she had on, but his were
far less ornate then hers.  Other then that and a backpack full of wealth,
he sported a longbow and a quiver filled with a score of arrows.

   Suddenly curious and having some time to spare, Alesha sat down on the
rock and closed her eyes.  Entering into her trance, she examined the
thread she had formed with Kelnozz.  It was much stronger now then it had
been before, though not nearly as strong as hers was with Nordan.  Feeling
experimental, she reached out along it and studied Kelnozz's aura again. 
Still difficult, she nevertheless found it a little easier to figure out
the longer she pondered it.  Experimenting further, she struggled to right
the wrongs she found there, including what she had done to him earlier to
seduce him.  Removing what she had done was easy, healing his wounds still
proved hard to do, however.  Reaching a point where she felt she had done
some good, she opened her eyes and drew in a deep breath.

   Kelnozz was sitting up and looking at her.  He studied her carefully for
a while, neither of them speaking.  Finally he said to her, "My thanks."

   She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.  Still full of energy, she
nevertheless felt at odds with herself.  Kelnozz turned to Nordan and began
tossing small rocks at him until he finally woke up with a roar of
irritation.  Throwing a handful of mud his way, Nordan gained his feet and
stretched.  He glared at his wounded leg for trembling a little, but was
otherwise ready to go.

   Kelnozz dodged the mud and joined the barbarian.  Alesha sighed deeply,
their break was over.  She looked to the sky and saw the sun marked the
time as being well mid afternoon.  Gaining her feet, she fell in behind the
barbarian as Kelnozz scouted out a path for them through the swamp to the
south.







   "Orcs, looks like a score of them," Kelnozz said, returning to where his
two companions where resting.

   "Orcs?" Alesha asked, suddenly interested.

   Nordan glanced at her briefly.  "Can we avoid them?" He asked.

   "Aye, come look." Kelnozz turned and headed back up the side of the
ridge they rested on the side of.  Nordan and Alesha followed him, moving
as silently as possible.

   At the top they saw a patrol of orcs moving through the pass between the
ridge they were watching from and the beginning of the mountains signaling
the Periphery.  After two weeks of traveling from their encounter in the
swamp, they had at last neared the edge of the Lost Lands within the
Periphery, and they all hungered for a return to the civilization of
Belurian.

   "It's nearly night, they'll be setting up camp soon," Kelnozz commented.
Nordan grunted in affirmation and they both continued to watch.

   "If they are drunk or stupid, we can get by," Nordan said finally,
seeing how open the pass was and difficult to circumvent.

   "Then let us wait for nightfall and try to sneak past.  If need be, I
can dispatch one of their sentries."

   Nordan grunted in agreement.  They continued to watch, hidden in the
shadow of a large rock, while the orcs reached the most defensible spot in
the pass and began to set up camp.  The barbarian turned his head to see
what Alesha was doing and was surprised to not find her beside them.

   "What in the nine hells is she doing?" Kelnozz spat out.

   Whipping his head back around, Nordan spied Alesha striding boldly down
a small goat path on the side of the ridge and into the pass.  Her
determined gait was heightened by the easy and confident grip upon her
short sword.  The two companions gazes flickered back and forth between
Alesha and the orc camp.  They were amazed at how close she got, within a
hundred yards, before the orcs noticed her and the alarm went up.

   They were instantly on their feet, recklessly running down the side of
the ridge to come to Alesha's aid.  Kelnozz seemed to fly over the rocks
and broken terrain, while Nordan had to move more carefully.  Neither of
them made it in time to stop the first 4 orcs from reaching Alesha.

   Their concern was unfounded, however.  Slashing crudely at her with a
scimitar, the first orc found his swing to high, for she had ducked under
it.  Before it could recover and try again, she lunged forward and sank her
new weapon deeply into his chest.  Alesha felt the short sword slice
through the orcs hardened leather armor and then skin and ribs like warm
butter.

   Reacting instinctively, Alesha pulled her sword out and parried high,
catching the broadsword of another orc on its descent towards her.  The orc
retreated a step in surprise, holding up his blade defensively.  It
provided little defense though, for the contact with the edge of her blade
had caused it to break halfway up its length.  His death was spared as
another orc assaulted her.

   Alesha spun in a circle to avoid the lunging longsword, batting it aside
with her new left bracer to be certain.  The orc was surprised at her
speed, and the look of surprise is what remained on his eyes as she took
him in the throat with her blade.

   The final orc in the group wielded a spear, which he used to good effect
by thrusting at her.  Alesha smacked it down and away from its intended
target, her stomach, with her left bracer.  Hot and fiery lances of pain
shot through her body though, for the tip found and dug into her unarmored
thigh.  She sensed the orc with the broken sword approaching her from
behind again as well.

   She grabbed the shaft of the spear just behind the steel head of it that
was imbedded in her thigh and held it steady while the orc tried to tear it
out of her leg.  Gritting her teeth in agony and rage, she swung her
shortsword.  The orc staggered backwards a few steps.  It held up the
shortened shaft of the spear in disbelief.  Alesha rotated on her strong
leg and drove her shortsword into the other orc's nose.

   The orc turned the spear into a quarter staff and carefully advanced on
her, waiting for the rest of his troop to arrive.  He glanced over his
shoulder to see several of them battling a dark elf that moved to quickly
for them to properly defend against.  Looking back the last thing he saw
was Alesha's sword swinging down and cutting through his leather helm and
forehead.

   Nordan bowled into a group of orcs waiting for him.  Several of them
managed to nick and wound him, but in short order he had lain several of
them to rest with his mighty hammer.  The orcs continued to assail him, but
in a matter of moments it was evident who the victor would be.  One orc
even had the audacity to throw down its weapon and fall to its knees in a
plea for quarter.  Nordan's hammer was the only mercy it received.

   Kelnozz moved to quickly for the orcs to do much against.  He slew the
last of the ones that sought to impede him and saw two more orcs running,
while another went after Alesha.  One final orc, some sort of shaman or
witchdoctor, was finishing up a spell at that moment.  Kelnozz chose to go
after him.

   Alesha reached down to the head of the weapon still buried in her thigh
and knew how badly it would hurt to remove it.  She also knew that removing
it could doom her, as the loss of blood would be tremendous.  Her musing
had to be put aside as another orc came at her, battle axe in hand.

   Nordan's thrown hammer took one of the fleeing orcs out, making him
stumble and fall.  Nordan was upon him then, slitting his throat with his
dagger.  The other orc managed to get away by the time Nordan had recovered
his hammer.

   The magic wielding orc grinned at Kelnozz as he stalked him.  It offered
no defense or plea for mercy, instead laughing hoarsely at the dark elf. 
Kelnozz cut him down in a single undefended blow.

   Seeing her weakened and on one knee, the axe wielding orc raised his axe
and prepared to bring it down upon Alesha as soon as he was in range.  He
was therefore caught off guard by her sudden flick of her wrist and the
dagger flying at him.  He twisted out of the way of the dagger, but was
distracted so that Alesha could lunge at him.  Her left hand she drove
straight into his crotch, crushing the sensitive organs there as well as
breaking his pelvic bone, so powerful was her blow.  The orc stumbled
backwards, collapsing from the pain, and saw no more when her sword
descended upon him.

   Nordan and Kelnozz came over to where Alesha was still standing over the
orc, a look of rage on her face as she stared at its dead body.  Kelnozz
reached out for her gently, and only his unreal reactions save him from her
shortsword slashing out at him.  He deflected it with his own longsword,
meeting hers edge on edge and pushing it to the side.  Alesha looked
surprised at the block, but quickly realized what she had done and the
anger drained from her face.

   "I...  I'm sorry!" She said, the color draining from her face.  "I was
just so angry...  I didn't realize..."

   Kelnozz just nodded and sheathed his blades.  "Why did you do that?  Are
you trying to get us all killed?" Nordan snapped at her, just now noticing
the many small nicks and scratches he had acquired.

   "We seemed to do okay!" She retorted, growing angry again.

   "Because we had surprise, had they been set up, it would have been far
more costly."

   Alesha looked to Kelnozz, feeling betrayed by hearing him say that. 
"After what they did to me, how can you wish anything but death for them?"

   Kelnozz kicked himself mentally.  He had forgotten about her being raped
by orcs some time ago.  He nodded to her and sent her an apologetic smile.
"Come Nordan," he said, reaching out and grabbing the barbarians shoulder,
"let us see what these orcs have by way of plunder!"

   Nordan scowled at Alesha one more time, then turned and followed the elf
to search through the bodies.  Alesha watched them go, then looked down at
her body.  She was covered in blood, most of it the orcs, but a substantial
amount her own as well.  Seeing the spear head sticking in her thigh made
her realize her wound.  She collapsed to the ground, biting back the
whimper of agony that threatened to turn to a scream.

   She fell back into herself, seeking the inner calm that had been coming
to her so easily.  The throbbing pain threatened her concentration and
caused her to take a considerable amount of time before she was able to
reach within.  When she finally did, she saw the wound as an ugly blemish
upon her otherwise pure and clear body.  She was momentarily startled by
the look of her own body, seeing it in a way that she had not noticed
before.  Getting back to the task at hand, she studied the wound and saw
the damage that the spear had inflicted upon her.

   Seeing Alesha lost in her trance, Kelnozz had returned and knelt beside
her, examining her wound without touching her.  He was concerned, he had
seen strong men die from wounds like that, bleeding out slowly and
painfully.  If she had been able to stand on it, then the bone wasn't
broken, but that was little consolation if they had to take her leg.

   "Pull it out," Alesha whispered, coming up long enough to see Kelnozz
with her.

   "Alesha, I don't think that's a good idea just yet," He replied gently.

   Her hand reached out and grabbed onto his.  With a strength he didn't
know she possessed, she pulled his hand over the hewn off portion of the
spear head.  "Pull.  It.  Out!"

   Kelnozz nodded, seeing the conviction in her eyes and the strength in
her voice.  He braced his other hand against her leg and took a firm grip
upon the hands length of wood behind the spear point.  With no warning, he
pulled.  Hard.  Alesha gasped as more of her flesh was cut and torn.  The
spear was free of her leg though.  Blood pulsed in the wound and ran down
the sides of her leg to the dry ground.  Kelnozz clamped his hand over the
wound, trying to stem the flow of blood.  It was too much, he knew, and if
something was not done immediately, she would not survive the wound.

   Kelnozz thought her passed out then, for her eyes rolled back up into
her head and she went limp.  He looked about for Nordan and opened his
mouth to call for him when he felt the flesh beneath his hands grow even
warmer then it already was.  He took his hands away from the wound and saw
that the blood flow had lessened.  In a few moments of stunned silence, he
watched it stop altogether.  Her breeches and the blood that had already
escaped the wound obscured his vision, but he was no certain that he saw it
healing rapidly under his very eyes.

   "Help me see it," Alesha whispered, her voice strained.

   Kelnozz blinked away his shock and quickly helped her lift her head up
to look down upon her leg.  Alesha looked at it and smiled.  She was very
pale from the exertion and loss of blood.  "I'm so tired," she said,
fighting to keep her eyes open.

   Kelnozz studied the wound, seeing it still pink and angry, but healed
over.  He judged her out of dangers way.  "Then sleep," He said to her. 
Looking at her, he saw that she had taken his advice before he had given
it.

   Nordan returned, several purses hanging from his hands and saw Kelnozz
carrying Alesha towards where the orcs had began to set up a campfire. 
"Will she live?" Nordan asked, his voice betraying concern.

   Kelnozz nodded.  "Aye, I don't know how, but whatever powers the Gods
have given her are enough to stem a mortal wound."

   Nordan's eyes grew wide.  He looked thoughtful for a moment before
saying, "If it came from the God's, as she claims, then it is well.  Were
it witchcraft, I'd slay her here and now."

   Kelnozz scowled at his barbaric friend.  "We've had this talk before,
Nordan, not all of those who use wizardry are fell."

   Nordan spit on the ground and began finished the orcs work of lighting a
fire from the wood they had gathered.  "Bah, it's not natural nor right! 
I'll have none of it near me."

   Kelnozz shook his head but didn't press it any further.  Many times in
the past they had argued about mages and the very practice of sorcery. 
Nordan held that no good could come of it, whereas Kelnozz came from a race
very deeply ingrained in the use of magic in their everyday lives.  He knew
that only time and experience would temper his large friend.

   *****

   It had become almost commonplace to the companions over the past few
weeks.  Whenever Alesha was needed to use her powers in some way, she
quickly grew hungry for carnal pleasures.  They had discussed this at great
length, and although a bit worried at first, things had become more and
more normal between the three of them about it.  It was to the point that
when she awoke a few hours later with a powerful desire deep in her loins,
they thought nothing about dousing that fire for her.

   Afterwards Alesha did what she could to aid Nordan in recovering his
full health from the skirmish with the orcs.  Only a minor inconvenience,
he was nevertheless soon hearty and hale again.  This naturally started off
another round of sexual gratification, but Kelnozz abstained this time,
instead keeping watch and pondering the nature of what it was that Alesha
was becoming.

   It was because of Kelnozz's concerns that they were saved.  He noticed a
shape in the sky blocking out the stars as it moved towards them.  Not
overly large, he was still concerned.  He melted away into the shadows and
waited.

   Nordan awoke with a feeling of icy terror.  He rolled to the side and
came up to his knees with his hammer in hand.  The being he saw before him
caused the strength to leave his limbs.  Nordan dropped his hammer and it
was only through the sheer power of will that he managed to keep himself
from lowering his head to the ground.

   Alesha stared up at the beast and felt the same terror at first.  Then a
warm pulse spread out from her forehead to suffuse her being.  She came to
her feet quickly and found herself protected from the fey magic the
creature sent her way in an attempt to induce her to feelings of
helplessness and panic.

   The being itself stood easily 12 feet tall.  Standing upon two legs that
ended in cloven hooves and were covered in dark red fur, it looked vaguely
like a large man until coming to it's furless upper torso.  Four arms,
instead of two, sprouted from its sides.  The bottom two ended in great
pincers, while the topmost limbs had man shaped hands at the ends.  For a
head it again lost its resemblance to humanity, for the head of a great and
powerful dog adorned its thick neck.  Muscles and veins stood out clearly
on the creature, marking it as being incredibly strong even without its
arcane powers.  It resembled a man in another way too, that of the massive
organ hanging from it's furry groin.

   It lashed out at Alesha with one of its fists, catching her off guard
with its speed and sending her stumbling into a bush.  It advanced on her
and towered over her as she rolled free of the bush and tried to come to
her feet.  Before she could regain them it used both of its clawed arms and
latched them about her naked waist.  Lifting her up high in the air, Alesha
could feel the sharp edges of the claws scraping and tearing at the skin of
her belly.  She tried to force the grip to loosen but was unable to do
anything.  Striking out at the best had little effect either, for she
couldn't seem to find any pressure point upon him, nor did her normally
powerful blows have any effect upon the thing.

   It was in that moment when she was about to be torn in two that Kelnozz
came to her aid.  Speeding from his hidden spot he bowled into the back of
the creature and bounded away.  Not one or two, but six separate wounds
flowed steaming black ichor freely from its back and legs.  The beast did
not fall, but instead threw Alesha against a rock, stunning her and
knocking the breath from her lungs.  It turned with a howl of rage and
advanced upon Kelnozz.

   The elf backed up, surprised that his strikes had not been more
effective.  Each would have been a crippling wound on a man, but this beast
was clearly far more then that.  Kelnozz dodged the powerful swings from
the creature's fists, only to be nearly impaled on one of the claws as it
grazed his armor and nearly tore it from his body.  He leapt back from it
and lashed out when he could, but the wounds he inflicted were neither deep
nor serious.  To his horror, he began to notice them healing before his
very eye as well.

   A powerful thud was accompanied by the sound of breaking bones.  Kelnozz
saw the dog head turn in irritation to look behind it, and he took his
chance at the distraction.  Lunging in, he slashed and thrust furiously at
the midsection of the beast.  His wounds continued to cause the foul
smelling blood to drip freely, but that only served to cause it to turn
back to him and with both fists drive him to his knees.  Kelnozz knew he
should move out of the way, but was stunned by the force and speed of the
monster.  Reacting a heartbeat to late, the monsters foot raised up and
kicked him in the stomach, launching him several feet through the air to
land on the ground.  Rolling painfully, Kelnozz only managed to twist his
head to the side as he vomited.

   Seeing Kelnozz disabled, the beast turned to Nordan, who had regained
his strength and thrown his hammer to distract it.  Nordan met the beast
head on and dodged the pincers as they slashed out at him.  A crushing blow
from one of the beasts fist glanced off his head, but he ignored the pain
and threw his own mighty punch at the side of the beast.  His fists thudded
dully into the ribs of the powerful creature, and seemed to cause no
effect.

   Alesha stared at the beast only half seeing it.  Her vision was blurred
from her impact with the rock and the ground, but that served to aid her in
seeing the monster more clearly.  The black and red aura that surrounded it
called up a sense of familiarity within her.  She felt her forehead grow
warm again and nearly blacked out, but struggled to remain conscious. 
Ignoring the pain, she dove into herself again, struggling to reach
understanding and to save herself and her friends.

   Nordan dodged a kick sent his way but he was knocked senseless by the
fist that slammed into the side of his head.  Stumbling backwards, another
fist connected with his chest, nearly dropping him.  Impossibly, he stayed
on his feet and stumbled a few steps further away.  The only thoughts on
his head were to put some room between himself and the creature so that he
could clear his wits and try again.  The beast had other thoughts, and
instead grabbed onto him with its pincers and dragged him close.  Raising
it's fists in the air, it barked something from its dog-like mouth and
prepared to slay him.

   "Stop Talifernon!"

   The beast did indeed stop.  It let go of Nordan and turned to face
Alesha, who had spoken.  Growling deeply, it began to advance upon her.

   "I know what you are, demon, and I know who you are!" The demon stopped
again, cocking its head to look at her.  It growled again after a moment of
thought then began to advance again on her.  Kelnozz was struggling to rise
but was having a difficult time of it.  Nordan was fighting off his
concussion and likewise trying with little success.

   Alesha watched as the demon advanced upon her.  She marshaled her powers
and sent powerful urges into him.  Not slowing, he continued towards her
and grabbed her up in his fists.  Still naked from her recent coupling with
Nordan, Alesha braced herself for what was to happen next.  The demons
organ had risen, engorged with blood.  It lowered her none to gently upon
itself, forcing its massive girth into her in one swift plunge.

   Alesha fought back the blackness of unconsciousness as the enormous
phallus stretched her out farther then she had ever dreamed of being
stretched.  Even her magically prepared body was taxed to its limits by the
intrusion.  Sinking as much of its 18 inch length in her as possible on the
first thrust, Alesha was certain that had she not prepared herself in
addition to what Carson had gifted her with, she would have been
disemboweled at that point.  The next thrust of the demon was even worse.
On the third thrust it bottomed out and had all of its length within her.
Alesha was certain it was impossible, but she was sure that she could feel
the demons cock nearly up to her heart.

   As the demon continued to sate its unholy lust upon her, Kelnozz and
Nordan regained their faculties and managed to approach the scene.  Seeing
them coming, Alesha shook her head and waved them off to stay back.  The
two friends looked to one another in shock, but did as she bade and waited,
weapons at the ready.

   Get my sword

   Kelnozz looked around wildly, wondering at where the voice had come
from. He turned to Nordan but Nordan seemed ignorant of it.  Kelnozz looked
to Alesha and saw her staring at him as the demon pumped her up and down on
its member.  She nodded to him and he raised his eyes thoughtfully.  Then
he shrugged and hurried over to her clothing and grabbed the hilt of the
shortsword.

   Alesha continued to feel the beast pound away at her, intent upon raping
her.  Having gotten used to it by then, and becoming positive that she
would be unharmed by the sexual act, she felt her own libido quickly rise
unchecked.  Convinced the Gods had a sick sense of humor, she nevertheless
focused most of her growing energy into a pool from which she would assault
the glabrezu.  First though, she directed small amounts into its being,
inciting its lust and driving it ever closer to the edge.  She knew that if
left to its own devices, it would be able to fuck her hours on end, perhaps
even days.  Regardless of how magically enhanced her body was, she knew she
would be unable to handle that.

   Feeling her end coming rapidly, she funneled her energy back into the
demon, driving it ever closer as well.  When she finally exploded around
the monsters sex, she just barely had the presence of mind to push it over
the edge as well.  It howled at the night sky as Alesha's pussy milked its
demonic seed from it.  After a few moments of normal climax, it began to
get painful for the demon, and at that point it began to grow concerned. 
Trying to dislodge her, it found that somehow it was unable to pull itself
free of her.  It barked and howled and pulled and pulled, unmindful of the
pain it caused itself while it continued to pump its semen into her. 
Alesha grinned as she rode the waves of the magical energy from the
panicked glabrezu.  She continued to suck the life out of him, not sated
until it was so drained it collapsed under her.  Even then she continued to
thrust herself up and down upon it, gaining a few more week spurts of its
seed.  Weakened to the point of defeat, the glabrezu laid upon the ground
as Alesha pulled herself free of it.  Both Nordan and Kelnozz gaped in
astonishment as the incredibly thick and long cock slowly pulled free of
her, seeming to be without end.  At last it fell free and deflated rapidly.
Alesha walked to Kelnozz and smiled at him.  Wordlessly he held up the
sword to her.  Had she not been his companion, he was certain she would
have proven a more terrible foe then the demon had been simply by the
unhidden power he saw in her eyes.  Alesha returned to the demon and knelt
over its chest.  It looked at her limply, dog tongue lolling out the side
of its mouth.  "Now then Talifernon, I told you I knew who you were.  And
now, your soul is mine!" The demons eyes grew wide in terror then.  Alesha
plunged her sword deep into it's chest, impaling the heart of the demon. 
"Nooooooo!" It howled, speaking common in spite of its dog shaped head. 
The howl grew in strength then began to lessen.  In moments, it had faded
to all but a whisper.  Alesha concentrated on the slaying of the demon,
focusing all her attention on the process at hand.  A few more moments and
the demons body flashed brightly enough to blind all of them for a second.
When they could see again, they saw Alesha standing upright, sword held at
her side.  Of the demon, there was no sign.

   *****

   The hunter, a ranger by the name of Martin, had never seen anyone come
out of the mountains before, save orcs, light elves, and even more evil
creatures.  A few times he had even spied dragons flying overhead on their
way to raid some shepherds flock.  But never humans or dark elves. 
Studying them carefully for some time, he kept his distance and watched
them.  The dark elf was the scout for the group, and perhaps the leader as
well.  The large man was clearly a powerful warrior.  The woman was dressed
as a warrior or rogue herself, and she moved with a confidence and fluidity
that he found captivating, as well as her beauty.  Yet there was something
about her that seemed a bit off; however, and even from the distance he
watched them he could tell she had a strange power about her.

   Martin had made up his mind about them on the third day when they
stumbled across a small group of orcs that Martin himself had missed the
signs of.  Outnumbered nearly three to one, the three slew the orcs in
short order.  Martin soon approached and introduced himself to them.

   "Hail travelers, what business do you have in these parts?" He called
out to them.  All three of them looked about for him, the elf and the woman
finding him in spite of his concealment quickly.  Seeing his hiding spot
useless, he stepped out from it, but kept his longbow trained on them.

   The woman locked gazes with him and he found himself unable to look
away. As he continued to stare at her, he felt himself growing flushed and
aroused.  He was unsure how long he was entranced by her, but before he
knew it, he felt a cold edge of steel pressing lightly against his throat,
wrenching him out of his reverie.

   "Drop your bow," The dark elf said calmly.  Martin glanced about,
realizing the woman had kept his attention somehow while the dark elf ran
up to him right in front of his eyes.  Having little choice, Martin relaxed
his arms and let the bow fall without loosing the arrow.

   "Who are you?" Kelnozz asked him, not letting his longsword waver.

   "Martin Twoblade," He responded quickly.

   "Where are we at?"

   Martin looked at Kelnozz for a moment, puzzled by the question.  Then he
responded as best he could, "We are 4 days to the north of the Silverton."

   "We made it!" Nordan said, overhearing the ranger as he got closer.

   Martin studied the three of them now that they were closer to him.  All
of them seemed relieved, yet he could tell they were also weary and
exhausted.  The woman alone seemed at ease and comfortable.  "Who are you?"
Martin asked.

   Kelnozz thought for a moment then pulled his sword away from the man and
sheathed it.  He smiled and held out his hand to him.  "We've spent the
past several weeks in the Lost Lands, and only now managed to cross the
Periphery.  My apologies for our concern, but it has been a while since we
have seen a friendly face.  I am Kelnozz Risingmoon."

   "Nordan Helmsmasher," Offered Nordan, securing his hammer back in the
loop at his side.

   "We made it back?" The woman said, hardly able to believe it.  Martin
snapped his gaze back to her, the lust she had inspired in him returning as
he gazed upon her.

   "Sorry, I'm Alesha Koronski." She smiled apologetically and Martin felt
any suspicion he had towards her vanish instantly.  She looked at him a
moment, studying his eyes, then he felt the unnatural feelings that had
built within him dissipate as if blown away by a fresh breeze.  What
remained was a natural lust for her unparalleled beauty.

   "Wait a minute, you said your last name is Twoblade?" Alesha suddenly
connected the name to the being they thought had given her the magical
powers she had.

   "I am Carson's grandson," Martin acknowledged without boasting.  "He
visited my grandmother years ago and laid with her, begetting my father."

   "That's quite a claim," Kelnozz said, eyeing him carefully.

   "Aye it is, but no one in my family has ever received any divine purpose
or powers because of it, simply the name.  But my boast is no grander then
your own."

   Martin was silent for a moment, studying them before he said, "You've
been in the Lost Lands?  For several weeks?  I've never heard that claim
before, and I scarcely believe it, had I not seen the looks of you and had
I not seen you walking out of the Periphery with my own eyes."

   "Believe it, friend, and it's a long and glorious tale I'll share with
you in return for guiding us back to Silverton," Nordan said, grinning and
clapping Martin on the back.

   Martin picked up his bow and returned his arrow to his quiver.  He
looked to the sky to judge the time, then told them to follow him.  Seeing
how weary Kelnozz and Nordan looked, he stopped a few hours short of dusk
to set up camp.  Returning to the camp with a brace of rabbits, they ate
well that night and drank from a swift flowing stream.

   In a few days they reached Silverton.  It was a small town, consisting
primarily of trappers and miners.  Two taverns thrived in the town, with
but a single general store.  A blacksmith worked from dawn to dusk to tend
to the town needs, from shoeing horses to repairing mining tools, he
grumbled loudly when Kelnozz asked him to mend his chain shirt.

   Eating a plain but filling meal at one of the inns, Martin heard the
last of their tale.  They had told him most of it, leaving out Alesha's
craving for nighttime companionship.  Both Nordan and Kelnozz were
surprised, in fact, for ever since the defeat of the demon, Alesha had not
claimed any desire or need to lay with them, even after she used her powers
to heal them from the injuries they had received in the battle.

   They talked and joked late into the night, drinking and eating their
fill.  At long last, Nordan managed to find the attentions of a whore in
the tavern, and let her lead him off to his room.  Kelnozz chuckled at
this, and soon retired himself to his own room.  Left alone, Alesha and
Martin endured a few moments of silence before it grew uncomfortable. 
Martin found he felt ill at ease under Alesha's strange gaze, and excused
himself to go to his room as well.

   Alesha looked around the taverns common room.  It was in full swing and
rather rowdy.  The trappers and miners lived hard and played hard, not
knowing from one day to the next what the Gods had in store for them. 
Alesha smiled somewhat cynically at that thought.  She had no idea what the
Gods had in store for her either.  Feeling the sword at her side thrumming
with power, she decided she could do with some privacy herself.

   In her room, Alesha stripped out of her clothing and had a chance to
examine herself for the first time since she had defeated the glabrezu. 
She sat on her bed and crossed her legs.  Closing her eyes, she slipped
into a meditative state and sent her awareness inwards.  She studied
herself again, seeing the power trapped inside of her from the life force
of the demon.  She had used a portion of it, but still held much of it
inside of her, waiting for a time when she would need it.

   Alesha opened her eyes and studied herself.  Her wounded leg had been
healed and was whole again.  Still seeing things she would have been unable
to notice before her transformation, she noticed again how flawless and
perfect her body looked.  Aesthetically, she knew she was a beautiful
woman, but the near perfection she noticed had nothing to do with that. 
Her body seemed to contain few, if any, impurities.  She had looked on
others and noticed their bodies seemed rife with corruption and foulness.
Nordan and Martin seemed to share some of the same purity that she did,
though she could not understand why.  Kelnozz appeared "cleaner" then most
people, but something about it was different then the others.

   Her senses picking up a disturbance, Alesha leaned over and picked up
her shortsword.  Staring into the depths of the blade, she had begun to
understand its nature.  Trapped within it was the soul of the demon she had
defeated.  It thrashed and howled within the blade, if a soul can be said
to thrash and howl.  She smiled wickedly at the torment of the demon and
wasted a small amount of her stored up power to mentally prod the soul
within the blade.  Chuckling softly to herself, she sheathed her blade and
was straightening up from placing it on the floor when her door opened
silently.

   "What's going on?" Kelnozz asked her, shutting the door behind him.  If
he noticed her strange position on the bed, he gave no notice of it.

   "What do you mean?" Alesha asked, looking confused.

   "How did you know the demons true name?"

   Alesha opened her mouth to respond, then shut it again as she considered
more carefully what to say.  Finally she sighed and decided that Kelnozz
had been honest with her all along, she should treat him the same.  "I'm
not sure," she began.  "While he was in me, I saw things.  I glimpsed into
its mind and saw images that should have scared me or driven me insane.  I
still wake up from nightmares of them, but I forget them so quickly I can
never be sure of it.  It was in one of those visions I saw that I learned
the name, it was given to him when he earned his form by an even greater
demon."

   Kelnozz nodded, realizing she was going to deal with him straightly.  He
moved over and sat on the bed next to her.  "What about when you spoke to
me in my head?"

   Alesha smiled a bit at that.  Considering things briefly, she decided it
was worth it.  She focused on him and channeled some of her energy towards
him.

   Like this?

   Kelnozz looked about in surprise.  "Yes, like that!  Can you read my
thoughts as well?"

   Alesha raised her eyebrows in surprise, she had not considered that. 
Experimenting, she focused on him but was unable to learn anything from
him. Taking a deep breath, she sighed and said, "No, I can't."

   His eyes narrowed thoughtfully and Alesha mistook his expression. 
"Really, I can't!  I just tried but I can't hear anything.  I can sense
emotions if I work hard at it, but that's all."

   Kelnozz smiled reassuringly.  "Aye, I was just thinking, I believe you."

   "Did the demon hurt you?  You seem to be okay, but you haven't asked for
Nordan or myself to lay with you since then."

   "I thought you didn't like doing that with a companion?" She asked
teasingly.

   Kelnozz scowled.  "I prefer not to.  My concern is in the sudden change
in behavior, not in the lack of sex."

   Seeing she nearly overstepped herself, Alesha dropped her gaze and
admitted the truth of what had happened.  "Overpowering that demon filled
me with so much power that I can feel it inside of me.  Just under my skin
and behind my eyes, the feeling is incredible.  Healing you two and ever
since then when I've used it I had to dip into that power, but there is so
much still there that I haven't felt any need to have sex with anyone."

   "Nordan hates magic, you should be careful around him, or one day he may
change his mind about you," Kelnozz said while studying her eyes carefully.
He could see the power within them, and it flashed dangerously, though he
knew he was in no danger himself.

   Alesha nodded her understanding and that sent her thoughts back to the
nature of her companions.  "Nordan is special," she said softly after a
moment.

   Kelnozz smiled enigmatically and stood up as if to go.  "He cares a
great deal about you as well, that was why I warned you."

   Alesha laughed as soon as she realized what Kelnozz was saying.  "No,
that wasn't what I meant!  I mean there's something special about him. 
Martin has it too.  They're different."

   Kelnozz sat back down at this.  "What do you mean, different?"

   "I...  I can't describe it, they're just somehow different then you are.
Different then everyone else around us.  It's like their bodies are made
differently or something."

   "You've studied us then...  what of me?" He asked her next.

   She smiled at him then.  "I don't know, you're something altogether
different.  I have a very difficult time reading you, Kel.  And on top of
that, what little I can figure out is different then anything else."

   The elf could see she was grasping at trying to explain something she
did not understand herself.  He patted her on the hand and stood up again.
Alesha grabbed his hand to keep him from leaving.  "Please," she whispered.
"Stay with me."

   "I thought you said you didn't feel the need to do this?" Kelnozz asked
her, growing suspicious.

   "I don't need to, I want to.  This has nothing to do with what happened
to me, this is because I want to be with you.  This is different, it means
different things," She explained, allowing him to see her vulnerable.

   Kelnozz nodded after a moment of though.  "I understand, and I'm sorry
but I can't."

   She fought back tears at his rejection, she nodded and smiled fake
understanding at him.  Kelnozz knew he had hurt her, but he also knew there
was more at stake then he was willing to risk.  "You are right," He
admitted quietly.  "I am something different.  I pray that none of you ever
live to find out why." He turned then and left her room quietly, shutting
the door behind him.  Alesha let her tears flow.

   Her grief turned to anger as the minutes flowed past.  She was angry at
him for refusing her, and angry at herself for giving him a chance to see
her vulnerable.  She vowed she would prove herself then.  Prove that she
was better then him, and better then anyone else.  Alesha grabbed up her
equipment and quickly donned it.  She drew her sword and sent her thoughts
into the trapped Talifernon, making the demons soul thrash and howl in
torment anew.  Feeding off the energy it released, she turned to the window
of her room and with a gesture of her mind, sent the shutters flying free
of the hinges to land in the middle of the road.

   She leaned out the window and glanced about.  Seeing no one in the road,
for it was past the middle of the night by then, she leaned further out the
window and fell towards the ground.  Midway there she slowed her descent
and gracefully descended.  Sending another dark look at the tavern, she
turned and fled the town, stopping only long enough to steal a horse and
ride it out of Silverton.





































   Having been out of Silverton a week, Alesha found herself beginning to
doubt her decision to strike out on her own.  She overruled herself,
remembering how she had never been a part of the group with Kelnozz and
Nordan.  In spite of having to leave her horse behind when the terrain
turned treacherous, she continued north, heading back towards the Lost
Lands.  Already she had used her powers to conceal her presence from three
large flying beasts with riders on her way through the Periphery.

   Alesha also discovered that although it was slower and not as effective,
she could harness the energy that Talifernon released when she tormented
the demons soul trapped in her weapon.  By doing this, she hoped to avoid
having to need to rely upon sex to keep her powers active.

   Caught up in her thoughts, she made the mistake of coming around a rock
in a small gully and staring straight into the eyes of eight ogres. 
Everyone was a little stunned at the sudden encounter.  Alesha reacted
first, drawing her sword and slipping low into a defensive balance.  That
made sense to the slow witted ogres, and they fanned out to approach her,
clubs readied threateningly.

   Frightened at the odds, Alesha considered fleeing.  The ogres advanced
on her, seeing only a human girl that was poorly armed, at best.  Both her
natural and unnatural instincts reacted when the first ogre swung its club
at war, trying to brain her.  She avoided the swing and struck out at the 9
foot tall creature.  Its eyes widened in shock when it beheld its severed
arm.

   Instead of pressing her advantage, Alesha backed up to keep the rock at
her back.  The wounded ogre continued to stare dumfounded at its missing
limb.  The other ogres still advanced on her, with some laughing at their
companions wound.

   Alesha dodged the next strike at her as well, listening as the wooden
club crashed into the rock behind her.  She thrust into the ogres belly,
sinking in deeply enough to take him out of the fight, though the wound
might not prove mortal.

   Without even realizing it her spare arm shot up and the bracer warded
her from the descending club of another ogre.  The power of the blow should
have crushed her arm, but instead she shrugged it off with little more then
a slight jarring of her elbow and shoulder.  A spin inside the ogres reach
and a slash with her shortsword left the ogre disemboweled and out of the
fight.  It dropped its club and clutched at its intestines as they spilled
out, staring at them in stunned fascination.

   Another ogre caught Alesha with a glancing blow on her shoulder blade,
shoving her into the path of another ogre charging towards her.  His club
sailed over her head, missing her, but off balance she was caught by the
ogres knee in the chest and slumped off to the side, stunned herself.

   Time slowed for Alesha.  Dazed, she watched the ogres turn and gather
around her, wasting no time themselves as they prepared to crush her. 
Knowing her end was near, the girl struggled to think of something to save
her, but was unable to do anything.

   I can save you!

   The thought came to Alesha from the sword in her hand.  Her eyes flew to
it and she saw the runes glowing on it.  Let me show you how!  The voice
pleaded to her in her head.  Alesha's eyes flicked back up to the raised
club of an ogre.  All of it was happening so quickly she had no time to
think.  Clutching to life, she agreed to it.

   *****

   Alesha plunged into something deep and dark.  She felt a suffocating
fear, then realized she was no longer moving, or at least she had no
sensation of such.  All around her was blackness so dark and impenetrable
she wondered if she was indeed dead.  Feeling herself naked and unarmed,
her fears deepened.

   Spinning about for a point of reference, she felt a great source of rage
and hatred in front of her.  She called upon her powers and suddenly she
was bathed in light.  Before her stood the demon she had vanquished.  It
rushed at her, arms and pincers extended to crush her.  Confused and off
balance, Alesha only narrowly avoided the beings attack.

   It spun quickly and came at her again, but this time Alesha's reflexes
took over.  She leapt at it as well, taking it by surprise.  Inside its
reach her hands and feet shot out, striking repeatedly at it.  Before in
the pass her attacks had done no harm to it, but here, in the magical null
space they were, each blow she landed caused it to shriek in pain.

   It put an end to her attacks by wrapping all four of its arms around her
and crushing her to it.  Alesha fought to breathe, the demon squeezing the
life from her.  One arm was trapped to her side, the other above her head.
She tried to move it enough to lash out at the demon, but was prevented
from doing so.  Lifted off what passed for the ground, she couldn't even
find purchase for her feet.

   Sensing her all but destroyed, the demon cast her from it with a
powerful throw.  Alesha collapsed and lay on the ground, struggling to
breathe.  She strove to call upon her powers, but was unable to do so. 
Talifernon approached her and lifted its leg to drive down on her and
destroy her.  Alesha found she did not even have enough strength to roll to
avoid the impending blow.  She felt her forehead warming up but paid no
heed to it.

   The demons foot descended towards her, but was suddenly stopped less
then an inch from her face.  It growled in frustration, then a powerful
flash of black energy caused it to stumble to its knees.  Alesha gasped as
the form of the stranger that had visited her before took shape out of the
mystical energy had driven the creature back.

   "Talifernon, I deny you this woman!" He said, his magical voice harsh
and unyielding.

   The demon howled at the proclamation, but found itself lowering its head
obediently to the man.  Alesha remained stunned on the floor, but had been
recovering her strength slowly.  Turning, the stranger smiled at her. 
Alesha took his offered hand and suddenly found herself filled with energy
and health.  "What do I owe you this time?" She asked hesitantly.

   "You've already given it.  You are my creature now."

   Alesha nodded, feeling that what he said made sense to her.  "Who are
you?" She asked, seeking confirmation for what she suspected.

   Smiling, the being vanished before her.  It left the words floating in
her mind though, "I am your Lord."

   Frustrated, Alesha turned back to the cowering demon.  It looked up at
her and growled, knowing it could do her no harm now.  Alesha walked up to
it and with a mighty kick to it's head, knocked it to its side.

   "You offered me help, demon, now give it!" She spat out, driving another
kick to its head to knock it on its back.

   Glaring at her, the demon bowed its head to her and said,
"Yes......Mistress"

   Being addressed as such sent a thrill of excitement through Alesha. 
"What can you give me?" She demanded, grinning evilly.

   Seeing she was not directing any further attacks at him, the demon
replied, "Knowledge and power, Mistress.  I will teach you."

   Alesha looked up and down the powerfully built creature.  She walked to
its waist and called upon her magic to arouse the demon.  Seeing its
manhood fully hard, Alesha stepped over it and slowly sank down onto it. 
The demon looked at her fearfully, to its knowledge no woman of any species
had ever sought to engage it.  Alesha smiled as she felt the demons mighty
shaft sink within her.

   "Then begin your instruction, demon, and perhaps I will let you live!"

   *****

   "Are we catching up to her?" Nordan asked, glancing about the mountains
with concern in his eyes.

   Martin straightened up from the tracks he had been studying.  He scanned
the mountains around them as well before responding.  "I don't know how,
but she moves quickly, I judge us to be nearly a day behind her now."

   "Fighting those griffins and light elves slowed us more then we
thought," Kelnozz offered, seeing Nordan scowl at the ranger.

   "Nay, more then that, she moves without tiring." Kelnozz nodded and
after another moment of silent thought, Martin led them off through the
rocky mountains in pursuit of Alesha.

   After confronting her in Silverton, Kelnozz had found Alesha gone the
next morning.  Cursing, he had told Nordan and they had again enlisted the
aid of the ranger to help them find the girl.  True to his word, Martin
seemed able to track most anything, including a woman on rocky terrain that
left little to no sign of passage.

   Another hour of travel and the rounded a bend in the gully they were in
and saw the scene of a battle.  Crows and other scavengers were feasting on
the eviscerated body of one ogre, and the beheaded body of another.  A
third ogre that was clutching the stump of its forearm remained resting
with its back to a rock.  At first they thought him dead as well, but when
a vulture landed upon him, it growled weakly and thrashed at it to make it
rise quickly in flight.

   They moved to surround it quietly.  When Nordan's shadow fell across the
injured ogre it opened its eyes and looked all three of them standing there
with weapons ready.  It just sat there, looking from one to another
quietly. All three of them could tell it was in pain and very weak. 
Without a healer, the ogre was doomed.

   "What happened?" Martin said in the ogres own language.  Nordan and
Kelnozz looked at one another in surprise, neither of them knew what he was
saying.

   "We wuz skowtin.  Saw dis 'oomin.  We try bash her, but her bash uz. 
'Er took me 'and, den 'er kild Gutblud.  Den 'er wuz bowt tu dy wen 'er
flowt en da sky.  Oll dem udderz froo down der bashurz.  Den her kil'd
Broopr kuz hem wuz 'urt bad.  Da uddurz follo 'er dat wai den," The ogre
responded, nodding towards the other end of the gully.

   Martin looked from the disemboweled ogre to the beheaded one, then in
the direction the ogre indicated.  He turned to Kelnozz and Nordan to see
them watching him curiously.

   "He says they found Alesha and tried to kill her, but she took his arm
and killed that one there.  Then he says she flew up above them and the
rest of the ogres threw down their weapons.  One of the ogres she wounded
couldn't keep up, so she cut off his head.  The others then led her that
way," Martin explained.

   Nordan looked around, his eyes wide with surprise.  Kelnozz shook his
head in disbelief.  "It appears your friend has a band of ogres under her
control.  I knew there was something special about her, care to tell me
about it?"

   Nordan looked to Kelnozz.  The elf nodded and set about explaining
everything to Martin that they had left out before.  Her strange powers,
her drive for sex, and Kelnozz then told them about his confrontation with
her that final night, leaving out only the part where she had explained how
differently they all looked from anyone else to her.

   "I have followed Carson all of my life," Martin said when the tale was
done, "and he would not do something as you spoke of.  It sounds far more
sinister to me."

   Kelnozz nodded while Nordan simply shrugged, religious matters never
bothered him much.  "I wondered as much," The elf confided.  "But I was
unsure and wanted to learn more about her first.  She was a honest and well
meaning girl before the influence of whatever it was that contacted her."

   Nordan looked to Kelnozz with a smirk on his face.  That was the most of
a compliment he'd ever heard the elf give a woman.  While Nordan had warm
feelings for Alesha himself, they had cooled and turned into camaraderie
more then anything else.  He suspected that Kelnozz had let something
deeper grow in him for her.

   "A band of ogres should be easier to track," Kelnozz said, not seeing
Nordan's smirk.

   "Aye, it will, if you think we still should follow her." Martin turned
to regard the ogre, who had closed his eyes again to await death.  "What of
him?"

   Kelnozz shrugged, then patted his weapons at his side.  Martin nodded
and turned back towards the ogre.

   "Wait," Nordan demanded, moving towards the fallen would-be foe.  "He
helped us, ask him what he wants."

   Kelnozz was surprised by Nordan's odd streak of compassion.  Martin
switched back to the ogres harsh language and asked.  The ogre responded
after a moment and Martin nodded thoughtfully.  "He says what happens to
him doesn't matter, for he was wounded in battle and will die because of
it. Garrick will accept him into his hall because of this."

   Nordan nodded, his own people had similar beliefs.  Stepping forward
with his hammer, he raised it above the ogre, who locked gazes with him. 
The ogre nodded and Nordan let his hammer fall, putting his strength into
the swing.  The crack that resounded from the contact left no doubt that
even an ogre's skull was not strong enough to resist Nordan's hammer.

   "Let us find Alesha, she has much to explain," Nordan said, turning away
from the grisly scene.  Martin nodded and led the way, following the
tracks.

   *****

   "She was here," Martin said, standing up from where he crouched
examining the tracks in the middle of the crude village.

   "Where did they go?" Nordan asked, still on edge in spite of their
having thoroughly explored the abandoned ogre village.  "And how did she
get an entire village of ogres to help her?" He asked next.

   Kelnozz looked around as well, pondering things silently.  "She slew the
chief of the tribe, that much we know from his body," Kelnozz thought
aloud, pointing absent-mindedly to where the ogre chieftains body lay
rotting.  "More importantly, why is she doing this?"

   "There were over 40 ogres here," Martin said, glancing up from the
ground.  Kelnozz nodded to indicate he heard him, then checked the suns
position in the sky.

   "We have a few hours of daylight left, and you said we were catching up
to her, let's not tarry here."

   Martin led them away from the village, following the trail blazed by the
large company of ogres.  On the way out of the town, Nordan hesitated,
staring at the corpse of the chieftain.  Shrugging at the nagging feeling
in the back of his head, he headed out after his friends.

   *****

   After two more days of travel, Martin judged them only a few hours
behind the ogres.  They had stopped to camp for the night, but lit no fire
in case the ogres had any trailing sentries.

   "From your tales, I judge you both to be worthy warriors," Martin began,
"but we face at least two score ogres ahead of us."

   "Aye, a mighty battle!" Nordan said, grinning foolishly.

   "I'm hoping to avoid a fight," Kelnozz said, stealing Nordan's grin.

   "How?" Nordan asked, beginning to frown.  More then a week of forced
march now, cold camps, bland food, and a lack of women had began to try
Nordan's nerves.  Now to be told he might not get to fight threatened his
resolve.

   "Yes, how?  Ogres are not known for their diplomacy." While Martin had
no great desire to do battle, he did enjoy putting an end to creatures as
cruel and brutish as ogres.

   "In a few more hours I'm going to get up and follow their trail to their
campsite.  Once there, I plan on sneaking into it and confronting her."

   "The last time you confronted her, she ran away," Nordan growled. 
Kelnozz stared off into the darkness in the direction of the ogres camp. 
"Then you'd get your fight," he said at last.  Nordan scowled at the elf,
but bit back his retort and reminded himself the elf was caught up in this
more then the rest of them were.  "You can follow the trail in the dark?"
Martin asked.  "I am an elf," Kelnozz said, a hint of a smile on his face.
"And even Nordan could follow this trail!" Nordan grunted in affirmation.
The ogres had made a path nearly twenty feet in the high grasses of the
plains they were crossing by trampling them down.  Martin conceded the
point, but was still concerned about the dark entering the camp on his own.
Conversation fell off as all three of them began to think about what was
soon to come.

   *****

   The ogre emerged from the tent, still securing its makeshift breeches
about its hips.  On its face was a blank look, as though it wasn't sure
just what had happened.  It knew it was tired though, as it stumbled
towards a place near a nearby campfire to collapse to the ground and pass
out.

   Inside the tent, Alesha smiled scornfully.  She sat alone on her
bedroll, still naked, her sword resting across her knees.  She ran her hand
along the runes carved into the blade, as if caressing it.  Then she closed
her eyes and willed the sword to respond.

   Yes Mistress?  The voice came into her head, the voice of Talifernon,
the demon she had vanquished both in body and in spirit.

   "How much longer do I need the company of these pitiful ogres?" She
asked.

   You near the meeting point, soon you can be rid of them.

   Alesha smiled again.  The ogres did have some uses, she admitted to
herself as she ran her hand lightly over her recently satisfied pussy.  She
sheathed her sword and lay it beside her bedroll on her clothing.  Laying
back, she closed her eyes and sent out her senses.  She was not surprised
to find Nordan and Martin still following them, gaining closer as she had
hoped.  Her timing was nearly perfect.  When she did not sense Kelnozz, she
grew alarmed.  "Where did that elf go?" She muttered.

   "I'm right here."

   Alesha's eyes snapped open.  Standing above her was Kelnozz.  He looked
down at her body, and she saw the interest in his glance.  Then his eyes
met hers and she knew that in spite of the urges, he was fully in control
of himself.  That alarmed her, for the spells she had used to make her more
desirable were supposed to be irresistible.  Talifernon had some explaining
to do.

   "Kelnozz!" She said, genuinely surprised.

   "Why the shock?" He asked.

   "I didn't think you'd sneak into an armed camp.  You're better then I
thought...  or maybe just foolish," She responded, overcoming her surprise
and sitting up slowly.  She made no move to cover herself, having long
since overcome her inhibitions about being unclothed.  She even went so far
as to try and arrange herself in as comely a pose as possible in hopes of
distracting the elf.

   Kelnozz noted her attempts and actively ignored them.  "What are you
doing?" He asked, locking gazes with her and not letting his eyes wander.

   "I'm doing something!  That's more then I ever did with you and Nordan,"
She said, her anger briefly breaking through her mask of calm.

   "You did something then, Alesha.  We both valued your companionship very
much."

   "You valued my pussy, that was all.  That or when I would save you!" She
spat out.

   Kelnozz frowned, the conversation was not going well.  "You were the one
to offer yourselves to us.  Nay, more then that, you were the ones to
seduce us.  And saving one another is what friends and companions do for
each other," Kelnozz argued.

   Alesha snorted in ridicule.  "If you were so interested in helping me,
why did no one ever try to help me find my way back home?"

   Kelnozz was caught in surprise by that question.  "You never showed any
interest in going back to your world."

   "You knew I was miserable, isn't that enough?"

   "After you started showing your powers, you seemed much more inclined to
enjoy yourself," Kelnozz pointed out, thinking he had proven his point.

   Inwardly Alesha was smiling triumphantly.  She was twisting things
around perfectly.  She was making Kelnozz feel guilty and unsure of
himself. Soon his defenses would crumble and he would be at her mercy.  "I
had no choice!  I had to do what I could to survive, and since no one else
wanted to help me, I had to help myself!"

   "You should have said something then."

   "You should have known!" She countered.

   Kelnozz took a deep breath and let it go.  "That is behind us, we can
not change it.  Come away with me now.  Martin will guide us back to
Belurian and we can find a wizard that might be able to help you get back
home.  Nordan won't like it, but he'll go along with us."

   Alesha shook her head sadly.  "No, dear Kelnozz, I'm afraid not.  I've
discovered things that make my stay here more enjoyable.  These powers I
have, this magic, it's incredible now that I'm exploring it more and
learning about it.  The things I can do...  it's unbelievable!  Back on my
world, I'd be nobody again, just another pretty young girl with no future.
Here I will be a queen!"

   "Why ogres?" Kelnozz tried a different tack, alarmed by what she was
saying and still hoping he could talk some sense into her.

   Alesha laughed.  "Because they are stupid.  They were the first ones I
encountered.  And they have their uses..."

   Kelnozz frowned at the implications in those words.  His thoughts were
confirmed when Alesha caressed herself seductively.

   "I could use you, Kelnozz.  You could protect me from threats and be my
general.  My bodyguard.  My consort." Alesha probed at Kelnozz with her
magic, trying to do as she had long before and slip some yearnings into
him. She was surprised when her powers failed as though they had run into a
wall.  She tried again, focusing more power on her mystical assault, and
was foiled again.

   Kelnozz saw her eyes widen slightly in surprise.  He also felt her
trying to charm him.  "Remember when I told you I couldn't be with you? 
There are reasons behind that I will not explain.  Those reasons also
prevent me from standing by if you should choose to bring harm to this
world."

   Finding herself denied both in the flesh and in the spirit, Alesha grew
angry.  "So, you deny me again?"

   Kelnozz smiled apologetically.  "Aye, I'm afraid I must."

   Finding herself wanting to scream at him, Alesha managed to take a few
deep breaths to calm herself.  She was surprised to find her heart
fluttering and her stomach upset suddenly.  Tears threatened to gather in
her eyes as well.  She blinked them away and sought to find her resolve.

   You have worked hard for this, Mistress.  Do not let the foolish elf
stand in your way!

   The voice of Talifernon in her mind helped remind Alesha of her chosen
course of action.  She fought away the last of her softer and kinder
feelings and summoned up her powers within her.  Kelnozz could sense the
power growing within Alesha, and he readied himself in case she should
attack.  Loosening his muscles and taking a steadying breath, he prepared
himself.

   With the power at her fingertips to consume Kelnozz, Alesha felt
something inside of her struggling with herself.  Finally, she relaxed
again and let her magic ebb.  "Because I think I loved you, I'll let you
go. We've ended badly twice now, Kel.  Do me a favor and don't let there be
a third."

   Kelnozz relaxed at Alesha's words, knowing she would not force him to do
anything.  "It saddens me as well, Alesha." The dark elf turned to leave
the tent, moving towards the tear in the back of it he had made.

   "Kelnozz," she called out softly.  He turned around to see her standing
up, a look of momentary panic on her face.  She rushed forward then and
hugged him tightly to her.  Caught by surprise, Kelnozz wrapped his own
arms around her to comfort her.

   She sniffed back her emotions and raised her head to meet his lips.  The
kiss was bittersweet and ended much to quickly for what it signified.  "I
hope I never see you again," Alesha whispered, tears in her eyes.

   "I as well, Alesha, for I will have to kill you."

   Kelnozz disengaged himself from her arms and slipped out the tear in the
tent before either of them could say or do anything else.  Alesha stared
after him, knowing she should call him back to her and beg to be forgiven.
She also knew she should raise up a cry of alarm and have him killed.  Her
emotions warred within her, forcing her into indecision.  By the time she
could have made a decision, she knew he had escaped the camp.

   You did well to send the elf 2 away, Mistress.

   Alesha snarled and glared at her sword.  "Be silent!" She snapped.  "He
will come after me, and by doing this I put doubt in his mind.  He will
falter and I will destroy him!" The demon remained quiet, though Alesha
sensed it was amused at her.  She turned back to the tear in the tent and
reached out with her magic, mending the slit as though it never existed.

   Returning to bed she lay down and tried to find sleep.  It was a long
time coming, however, and throughout it she was plagued with doubts about
her own determination concerning the dark elf.

   *****

   "How did it go?" Martin asked, seeing Kelnozz return quietly to there
camp.  Kelnozz looked thoughtful for a moment, staring into the distance
where the ogre camp lay.

   "Huh?" Nordan said when Kelnozz kicked him lightly to wake him up.  He
sat up and stared at the elf, trying to shake the sleep out of his head.

   "Alesha has chosen her course, she means to forge an army and set
herself up as a queen," Kelnozz said.  "She said that when we meet again it
will be as enemies."

   "Bah, she's just suffering from a lack of sharing my bed!" Nordan said,
trying to lighten the mood.

   Kelnozz and Martin did indeed chuckle at the joke, but it faded quickly.
"Sounds like you should have killed her." Martin said quietly.

   Kelnozz smirked.  "Aye, probably.  I don't think it would have been
easy, however."

   Nordan nodded at the wisdom in that, having seen her grow and become
more skilled over time, he knew she would be a challenge even without her
mysterious magical powers.  "What now?"

   "Now I sleep," Kelnozz said, moving to his own bedroll.  "It's your turn
to keep watch, and tomorrow we have a large company of ogres to stalk."

   "You mean to attack?" The ranger asked, looking to the score of arrows
in his quiver.

   Nordan grinned at the thought of a mighty battle.  "Not yet, we would do
no good to be overrun by her guards.  I think she has something planned
soon, we must do what we can to learn what it is and if we can, disrupt
it." Kelnozz stared up into the night sky and closed his eyes after saying
that.

   *****

   "It's some sort of ceremony," the dark said, squinting in the afternoon
sun to see across the weaving grasses.

   They had caught up to Alesha's company the next day, but had stayed far
enough behind that none save Alesha knew they were there.  That very
afternoon they had come across a great clearing with a large alter carved
from rock set in the middle of it.  Knowing what was needed, Alesha had
ordered her company of ogres to settle in the clearing and act as guards
and observers while she randomly picked one ogre to accompany her to the
alter.

   "What's it supposed to do?" Nordan asked, trying to make out the details
of what was going on.  They were to far away from it to be certain, though
Kelnozz's sharp elven eyesight allowed him to make things out.

   "I'm not sure, hang on, she's doing something!"

   Martin kept a lookout around them, to be certain they were not being led
into a trap.  All around he could see nothing save the tall swaying grass
and the ogres.

   Alesha had the ogre lay on the alter.  It showed no signs of fear, only
a look of lust in its large face.  She smiled at it, then looked around, he
gaze finally coming to rest on Kelnozz.  He started, surprised she could
find him from so far away, and he thought he might have seen her smile,
though he couldn't be sure.

   Alesha then released her weapon belt and untied her breeches.  Her
clothing quickly fell to the ground and she climbed aboard the already
erect ogre.  His fat, glistening shaft stuck prominently into the air,
promising her nearly a foot of sexual fulfillment.  Positioning herself
carefully above it, she used her magic to prepare herself and, to the
surprise of the ogre, plunged down on it fully in one thrust.

   The ogre grunted lustfully.  It tried to drive itself back up at the
amazing woman that could take all of its proportionally large cock so
easily.  Alesha would have none of it though, and used her powers to bind
the ogres body to the alter.  It struggled, alarmed at the loss of control,
but was quickly lost in the heat of the encounter when Alesha continued to
roughly piston up and down on him.

   Under her breath Alesha began muttering arcane words of power.  Never
losing stride, even when she felt her passion threaten to overwhelm her,
she continued to chant.  The surrounding ogres had forgotten their guard
duty and instead watched in lust.  Several had gone so far as to move
closer to the altar in hopes of being the next.  Several clutched at their
organs and prepared them for use.

   "What is she doing?" Nordan asked.

   "She's having sex with an ogre," Kelnozz said flatly.

   "What?"

   "What?"

   Kelnozz tried not to chuckle at the simultaneous question from his
companions.  "I'd heard your stories, but I didn't...  I mean...  AN OGRE?"
Martin sputtered.

   "Aye, seeing her take that demon, she could handle an ogre," Nordan
admitted.  He was disgusted but at the same time, interested as well.  He
tried to see what was going on again, growling when he couldn't make out
the fuzzy images in the distance.

   Alesha continued to ride the ogre, nearing both of their peaks.  The
other ogres crowded closer, some hoping to join the action, others wanting
a better view while they pumped themselves.

   With a guttural moan, the ogre under Alesha exploded into her.  Alesha
uttered the final key words of the summoning spell she was incanting and
shuddered on top of the ogre.  Forcing her power into the ogre, Alesha knew
the spell would be ignored without a sacrifice.  The ogre under her
continued to spasm inside of her, driving it beyond the threshold of
pleasure and into the realm of pain.

   It panicked under her, yet remained unable to move.  Alesha continued to
drain the ogre, forcing its body to behave in unnatural ways.  When she
sense it was close to giving out on her, she sent another spell out,
immolating both of them in a pillar of flame.

   The surrounding ogres fell back, stunned.  Even Nordan could see the
pillar of fire streak into the sky.  "What is she doing?" He asked under
his breath.

   "Burning," Kelnozz stated tonelessly.  He had no doubts that she was in
no danger, but he was curious.

   The column of flame lasted only a few moments, then when it disappeared,
Alesha stood up unharmed from where she knelt on the altar.  Of the ogre
there was no sign.  The remaining ogres backed away in fear.  While she had
magically enthralled them, their native superstitions fought to override
the spells she had placed upon them.  In the end, Alesha's magic proved
stronger, for they forgot about their missing companion and settled back
down.  Alesha stood next to the altar, her clothing still on the ground,
and scanned the sky.

   "She's done now, the ogre disappeared in the flames but she is unharmed.
She's looking into the sky now, waiting for something," Kelnozz explained.

   "Witch!" Nordan spat onto the ground.  "Should have killed her when we
had the chance!"

   Neither Martin nor Kelnozz said anything, instead watching warily to see
what happened next.  After several long moments of nothing, the mood began
to relax a bit.

   "They are distracted, should we attack?" Martin asked, gripping his bow
tightly.

   "Aye" Kelnozz said, rising to his feet in a crouched over position and
moving towards the ogres.

   Nordan held his hammer in his hands, a smile on his face.  Following
Kelnozz, he struggled to walk as fast crouched over as the elf did.  Martin
circled off to the side, an arrow already knocked.

   "Hold!" Kelnozz hissed when he looked up.  Nordan stopped abruptly and
looked at the elf, then where the elf was looking.

   A speck on the horizon, it grew rapidly.  Still some distance from them,
the winged form let loose a mighty roar.  Its speed was legendary, for it
swooped above the altar once in a matter of seconds, then circled in for a
landing, tucking its mighty wings behind it.  It was none other then a
gargantuan dragon who's scales glinted a myriad of shades of green.

   "By Garrick's balls!" Nordan swore softly.

   "Aye, that's a big one," Kelnozz muttered, comparing it to the much
smaller black dragon he and Nordan had bested.

   "I offer up any or all of these ogres as tribute to your might and
power, Cuivegirth." Alesha's voice carried clearly to the companions,
letting them know that she was clearly using her magic to enhance it. 
Kelnozz suspected it was for their benefit, for she clearly did not need to
do so.

   The green dragon looked at the assembled ogres, which had all fallen to
their knees in terror and awe of the mighty creature.  One taloned hand
shot out and snatched up two ogres next to each other.  Both were tossed
into the dragon's mouth and in a couple of crunches, swallowed.  It
followed those up with more cowering ogres, eating them one or two at a
time until it had consumed ten of them.

   "Why hath thou called me, human?" The dragon spoke, its voice deep,
powerful, and ancient.

   "I seek an introduction to your council, mighty dragon," Alesha said. 
"So that I may be allowed to petition for a place in your forces."

   "Thou couldst take thyself to Mezarbolle for that," Cuivegirth said, his
voice taking on a hint of impatience and danger.

   "Yes, great one, I could, but I seek more then that, I seek to lead
them!"

   The dragon was silent for a moment, then began making a terrible noise
that erupted from its throat like a rasping and braying sound.  After a
moment it calmed down and said, "Petty human, thou doth amuse me.  I shall
grant thee an audience, for thou showeth promise."

   "My thanks, lord of green dragons!" Alesha said, bowing deeply.  She
quickly turned to stare at Kelnozz, finding him instantly in spite of him
having moved.  Kelnozz met her gaze unflinchingly.  "Ogres, in the grass
you will find some intruders, kill them!"

   Nordan swore again, readying himself for a fight.  The ogres surged to
their feet, glad to be away from the dragon.  They turned and rushed into
the grasses, searching for Kelnozz and his companions.

   Alesha grinned, her plans were working wonderfully.  A moment of despair
at having ordered Kelnozz to his death threatened her, but she quickly
overrode it and set about putting her clothing back on.  Pulling her last
boot on, she turned to the dragon and said, "I am ready."

   The dragon watched the ogres trying to find the intruders a moment
longer, trying to decide whether it should help or not.  Then decided that
29 ogres should be more then enough to dispatch the problem.  It reached
out and grabbed Alesha up in its hand, lifting her to its back.  "If thou
dost not have the means to stay upon mine back, then thou doth not deserve
an audience."

   So warned, Alesha used her magic to protect her from gravity and the
winds.  Still, she was unprepared for when the dragon leapt into the air,
mighty wings beating.  Her breath caught in her throat as they rose rapidly
from the ground.  The beauty of it was amazing, and she vowed that someday
she would own all that she could see.

   *****

   "Run!" Kelnozz said, leaping to his feet and taking off.  Nordan looked
at the coming ogres and growled.  Muttering another curse directed at the
dark elf's parentage, he turned and sprinted after the fleeing form.  To
the side, he could see Martin trying to escape as well.  The cry went up
almost immediately.  The chase was on.

   "What do we do?" Martin said between breaths.  He had angled over and
was loping along beside Kelnozz and Nordan.  Behind the ogres continued to
run.  While slower, there stamina was easily a match for any of the group.

   "Try to lose them at night," Kelnozz replied.  Martin and Nordan did not
reply, for they knew dusk was at least two hours away still, and they
needed to save as much energy as possible.

   The chase dragged on for hours.  Each was amazed at the unflagging
endurance the others displayed, certain at any moment that someone would be
unable to go on and they would have to stop and fight.  The ogres continued
to chase them, however.  The stress of the ceremony and shock of seeing the
dragon had caused a few of them to fight against the spell that kept them
enthralled.  By the time the sun set six of the ogres had stopped and
wondered at what they were doing, then began wandering back to their
village.

   "They're giving up," Kelnozz said.  "If we can lose them or keep going,
we may escape!"

   Never a quick study, it took Nordan a moment to figure things out. 
"Only 23 left?  Let us ambush them!"

   "That's still eight of them for each of us," Martin pointed out.

   "Open plains, how are we to hide from them?" Nordan said.  They still
had four days of travel before they would encounter any forested land, and
another four days beyond that until they encountered the beginning hills
and ridges of The Periphery.

   "He's right," Kelnozz said.  "But I want to give a few more of them the
chance to give up the chase first."

   Nordan shot Kelnozz a black look.  "Afraid to fight, elf?"

   Kelnozz took the ribbing in stride.  "Afraid your legs can't match
ours?"

   Nordan accepted the challenge by increasing his pace.  Kelnozz and
Martin had to both bite back their laughter and save there strength.  In
spite of being in excellent condition, the chase was beginning to wear them
all down.  They could only hope it was doing the same to the ogres.

   When morning came it found the three adventurers still running, though
they were clearly exhausted physically and mentally from the nonstop pace.
Behind them eighteen ogres still pursued.  Seeing them still ahead of them,
the ogres felt there energy renewed and plunged on.

   "Six apiece?" Martin gasped out.

   "Keep running," Kelnozz growled back.

   "At this pace, we'll reach the forest by nightfall," Nordan said.  Being
from a wandering barbarian tribe, he was used to running long distances. 
His stamina was fading, but he judged himself in better shape then his
friends.

   "At this pace, I'll be having a chat with Carson by nightfall," Martin
muttered between breaths.

   As the sun rose so did the heat.  With no cover it beat down mercilessly
on all of them.  One of the ogres passed out from the heat, leaving only
seventeen left by mid day.

   "I'm not sure how much longer we can do this," Martin gasped.  He had
always prided himself on his physical condition, but now he felt shame at
being outdone by the elf and the barbarian.

   "I'm almost done in too," Kelnozz admitted.

   "Fourteen left," Nordan said, breathing only slightly easier.  Three
more had either given up or passed out, they hadn't the strength to look
back and see.

   "If we stop we have four or five minutes to rest," Nordan warned.  All
of them knew that four or five minutes was not enough.

   "Keep running," Martin grunted.  Running on sheer willpower more then
strength, they continued their flight.

   "They gain!" Nordan hissed.

   Martin and Kelnozz both glanced back and saw that while they still ran,
they were now moving slowly enough that the ogres began to catch them.  "We
fight." Kelnozz said, a mixture of exhaustion and relief in his voice.

   All three of them came to a stop, their legs threatening to betray them
and give way.  It took what remained of their strength and willpower to not
collapse to the ground as they gasped through raw and parched throats for
air.  A minute passed, then two.  Nordan held his hammer in his hand, ready
to do battle in spite of the fatigue that kept him from standing straight
up.

   Kelnozz drew his own longswords, but they hung limply from his hands
while he continued to breathe deeply.  Martin knocked an arrow to his
longbow but waited to pull it back, fearful his arms would betray him.

   "Twelve," Nordan's voice nearly betrayed him as he said that.  The ogres
had stopped running and were now walking towards them, marshalling their
own strength for the coming conflict.

   They closed within range and Martin let loose a prayer to Carson and
bent back his bow.  Feeling his strength fleeing, he fired off his first
arrow quickly.  Badly aimed, it still hit an ogre in the arm.  Trying to
remain steady, Martin began firing more arrows at the ogres, prompting them
to try and run to close the distance quickly.

   "Garrick, if I die today I'll haunt you for eternity!" Nordan growled,
bringing his hammer up menacingly.

   Kelnozz easily fought the urge to smirk at his friends makeshift prayer.
The ogres came lumbering towards them, one down from Martin's bow, another
wounded with an arrow in its thigh and another in its shoulder.  Martin
dropped his bow behind him and drew his hand and a half sword.

   Kelnozz ducked under the first swipe from a club and lashed out at the
ogre.  His blows were slower then he was used to, and not as powerful.  The
ogre dodged most of the slash, but still took a small cut on its hip.  It
brought its club back towards the dark elf, trying to smash his head in on
the return swing.  Kelnozz brought his other sword up to block and was
amazed at how weak his arms were, for he barely managed to deflect the club
over his head and his arm rang from the parry.

   Martin lunged forward, going to one knee and keeping both his hands on
the sword hilt for stability.  The pin-cushioned ogre felt the cold steel
slide into its bowels as it charged, unready for such a tactic.  Martin
struggled to pull his sword free but not before a club came crushing down
on his back, driving him to the ground.

   Nordan met the first club that swung at him with his hammer in a mighty
swing.  The club shattered against the finely crafted warhammer, leaving a
surprised ogre standing there.  Nordan's next swing cracked the ogres
sternum and drove several broken ribs into its heart and lungs.  He jumped
over the falling ogre, using it as a meat shield to keep the other ogres
trying to surround him from gaining advantage.

   The ogre Kelnozz had wounded lost his position to an unwounded ogre when
Kelnozz took a step back.  The ogre raised its club over its head and
Kelnozz forced his tired legs to leap forward.  One of the elf's sword
points took the ogre in the throat, while the other deflected a blow from
the already wounded ogre that would have slammed into his side.

   Martin rolled away from the ogre that had tried to break his spine.  He
knew nothing was broken, but he also knew he would be nursing his injured
side for at least a week.  Keeping his sword in his hand he lashed out and
grinned when it chopped into the ogres ankle.  It hopped back and howled in
pain, allowing Martin to regain his feet while another ogre tried to get
around the one that was hopping.

   Nordan dodged and parried against the two ogres that pressed the attack
against him.  He knew they were tired, possibly more then he was, and he
hoped to wear them out.  One of the ogres messed up on a swing though,
bringing its club so far out of position that it fouled up the swing of its
partner.  Nordan leapt on the opportunity, driving his hammer into the arm
of the first ogre, breaking the bone above the elbow.  It tried to stumble
back out of the way but tripped on its partner and stumbled to the ground.
Nordan followed up by lashing out at the unwounded ogre that was stumbling
away from its fallen companion.  It collapsed to the ground curled up in a
fetal position, clutching the crushed remains of its manhood.

   Nordan ended the second ogres life with a crushing blow to its skull,
the other one took a moment longer as it tried to get to its feet and run
away.  It took two swings, one in the lower back and another to the head.

   Kelnozz ducked under the swing from the ogre he had wounded and moved
behind it to see the another ogre trying to get around the hopping one so
it could attack Martin.  Kelnozz thrust with both his swords, piercing the
ogres back in two places.  Both wounds were mortal.

   Coming to Kelnozz's aid, Martin threw his sword over the elf's head,
making the ogre pursuing Kelnozz stop and dodge the weapon.  By the time it
came back up, Kelnozz had turned around to face it, and Martin had
reclaimed his longbow.  Staring down the shaft of the arrow, the ogre met
the eyes of Martin as he loosed.  Kelnozz had to leap to the side to avoid
the ogre when it fell, an arrow sticking out of its forehead.

   Turning again, Kelnozz easily dispatched the hobbled ogre, then looked
about for more.  Three remained, but kept their distance after seeing the
short fight.  Martin had an arrow knocked and ready to loose at the first
one to advance on them.  The ogres looked at each other, then as one,
turned and began to walk away.

   After a few moments of stunned disbelief, the three companions looked at
each other.  Amazed, they reclaimed and sheathed their weapons.  Martin
scouted for any arrows he could salvage, finding only a couple that had not
broken.  After that, they all collapsed nearby.  They tried to set up watch
rotations, but Kelnozz quickly fell asleep on the first watch.  That
prevented him from waking Martin for the second and thus Nordan for the
third.  Needless to say, they woke up the next morning sore, but well
rested.

   "Now what?" Martin asked, stretching out his bruised back muscles.

   "Now we kill the bitch," Nordan muttered, hand on his hammer for
emphasis.

   Kelnozz remained pensive for a moment, drawing curious looks from his
friends.  "Martin, you got dragged into this, you may leave whenever you
want to.  Nordan and I have been friends for some time now, and our paths
seem to run together."

   "Uh uh," Martin shook his head.  "I've seen enough, I'm staying."

   Nordan clapped him on the back in a friendly manner that nearly sent
tears to Martin's eyes in pain.  Kelnozz chuckled and said, "Alright, we
need to learn more then.  I have some people I must see.  Nordan, I have a
feeling we're going to need an army.  Martin, we're going to need a really
big army."

   "Then let us begin.  The sooner we start, the sooner we can figure out
how to find her and stop her."

   "Stop her, stop her from what?" Nordan asked.

   "Remember when she came to us?" Kelnozz asked.  Nordan shrugged, he knew
what happened, but did not see where the elf was going.  "The wizard was
supposed to be summoning a champion to lead a great conquest.  Perhaps the
spell didn't misfire after all."

   Nordan's eyes narrowed as he realized what Kelnozz was saying rang true.
Martin had heard the story, so he nodded his head thoughtfully.  "It makes
sense.  Where will we meet you, Kelnozz?"

   "Silverton, I should be there before you are, but if I'm not, wait for
me," He said after a moment of thought.

   "Well then, let's be off!" Nordan rose to his feet.  Martin joined him
and with a farewell wave to Kelnozz, who had also risen, they began walking
to the south.  Kelnozz watched them go for a moment, then sighed and began
his own trek, walking to the southeast.

   "Where do you think he is going?" Martin asked Nordan after they were no
longer within earshot.

   Nordan shrugged.  "I've been with him for nearly 4 years now, and never
seen him like this.  A man's business is his own though, and as many times
as I owe my life to that rogue, I'm willing to take him at his word."

   Martin nodded thoughtfully.  "Aye, he's done well enough by me as well.
I just hope he doesn't do anything stupid and get himself killed!"

   "Ha!" Nordan guffawed.  "It'll take a lot more then you think to kill
him, damn elf doesn't know how to die!"

   *****

   After a few hours of travel, even Kelnozz could not see his friends with
his elven vision.  He stopped and took off his boot.  Reaching inside of it
he peeled away a false bottom at the heel and turned it upside down.  A
ring fell out.  Replacing the bottom in his boot, he pulled it back on and
stood up.  Putting the ring on his finger, Kelnozz looked around carefully
one more time before saying a single word, "Home."

   Between one heartbeat and the next the dark elf disappeared.  He
reappeared on a small grassy hill surrounded by beautifully groomed trees
and flowers.  A nearby dark elven gardener gasped in surprise at Kelnozz's
arrival.  Then he came forward and smiled.  The elf looked old, and in a
race said to not age, that meant a lot.  "Is it time at last?" the old elf
said.  "Yes, Farathallion, I think it is finally time." Kelnozz replied,
taking the old man's hands in his own in greeting.  "Good, I'm not getting
any younger!" He said with a twinkle in his eye.  "I'd better tell the
council I'm here," Kelnozz said, already turning towards a path to a
building.  "I already did," Farathallion said, winking conspiratorially. 
"I may be old, but I still taught you most everything you know!" Kelnozz
chuckled and followed his mentor towards the secretive high elven council
rooms.  His mood darkened as he thought of the news he was bringing and the
dark days ahead.





























   "How longer must I wait?" Kelnozz asked his one time mentor.

   Sitting on a bench overlooking a meadow with a rocky stream flowing
through it, Farathallion smiled at the other elf's impatience.  "We've
waited thousands of years for this, my friend, our course of action can not
be decided so quickly."

   Rising from the bench, Kelnozz paced back and forth in frustration.  "I
know that as well as any," he spat out.  "Each moment we wait allows them
to organize and prepare to march.  Alesha won't waste the time we are.  If
she gains the position she seeks, then she will move quickly."

   "Is this girl really so dangerous that she would be allowed to lead
their armies?  Or is she too dangerous?  They already control most of the
rulers in the cities of Belurian, through guile and deception, and none can
doubt the control they hold over the Lost Lands, it was why we were driven
away so long ago.  That is what the council must decide."

   "I know her well," Kelnozz said, stopping his pacing to stare at
Farathallion.  "She is everything I have said her to be, and more.  For her
to have accomplished what she has so easily makes her more cunning,
powerful, and dangerous then any I've ever encountered.  She will succeed
where others have failed."

   "You sound as though you admire her," Farathallion said, a faint smile
upon his face.

   Kelnozz smirked.  "Nay, friend, I respect her."

   Waving the comment away, Farathallion rose and stood next to Kelnozz. 
"It is much the same thing.  Be careful that your heart lies in the proper
place, or you shall not survive this storm."

   Kelnozz scowled at the lecture.  "I learned long ago that hearth, home,
and love would not be for me, Farathallion.  You, if no one else, should
know that, for you were my teacher in lore.  I was raised and forged into
what I am for this reason, refuting it would do me little good."

   Farathallion nodded, smiling warmly and patting Kelnozz on the shoulder
reassuringly.  "Yes, my friend, I know.  Still I must question to be sure
you question yourself.  Being chosen for this is a hard task, one I do not
envy you, but we have done all we could to prepare you.  My own heart
clouds my judgment at times though, for I consider you the son I never
had."

   Kelnozz opened his mouth to respond but was silenced by the large shadow
that passed over head.  Glancing up alarmingly, both elves saw the form of
a winged drake descend rapidly towards them.  The dragon landed in front of
them, its blue scales shimmering in the mid day sunlight.

   "Luingirth!" Kelnozz cried out happily in surprise.

   The dragon snorted in derision before greeting the elf in a powerful
voice.  "A score of years ye hath been gone this time, yet ye hath waited
two weeks without seeking me out?"

   Kelnozz chuckled.  "My apologies, my friend, I've been caught up in
things.  I think the time to test our training draws nigh."

   The dragon nodded its head.  "It will be good to hunt the skies again."

   Kelnozz grinned, his troubles forgotten at the sight of his lifelong
companion.  Of all the creatures of Viconia, none were said to live as long
as elves save dragons.  Thus it was a stolen egg from a blue dragon's
clutch that was secured and hatched to serve as the ally and steed of
Kelnozz when he was first discovered.  Using powerful elven magic, a bond
was forged between the two as they grew and learned.  Training, hunting,
fighting, and learning together, they had become an unstoppable team by the
time it was judged that Kelnozz should begin his search.  Kelnozz
remembered flying on Luingirth's back for several days and nights before
they had crossed the Endless Ocean and landed on Belurian the first time.
There they had parted ways for the first time in over a century of life. 
Kelnozz had returned several years later, only to return to search anew for
the signs that had been prophesied by the council of elves.

   Now, nearly two hundred years since his first trip off of the secret
island of the elves, Innowendyn, his return was as a harbinger of doom.

   "Come, we must return to the council, they summon us," Farathallion
said, interrupting the reunion.

   His good nature vanishing, Kelnozz nodded and turned to Luingirth.  "We
fly together again, my friend." Luingirth gave what passed for a chuckle
and opened one mighty paw to allow Kelnozz a ride up to its back. 
Accepting, Kelnozz was soon on the back of the dragon.  Farathallion waved
to them and disappeared, magically gating himself back to the council
chambers.

   "Have you put on some weight?" Luingirth asked after Kelnozz had seated
himself.

   "Silence wyrm, and get you to the sky if you've not grown to lazy to
know how to fly!" Kelnozz bantered back.  Luingirth snorted at being called
a wyrm, but accepted the trade in insults and launched into the air.

   Kelnozz was filled with wonder every time he experienced riding upon
Luingirth's back, for below him stretched the island of Innowendyn as far
as he could see.  Following the stream they streaked over some hills,
Luingirth flying low and fast.  They cleared a ridge where the stream
plunged into a long waterfall, below was arrayed the forgotten elven city
of Loralost.  Luingirth slowly spiraled down towards the city, aiming for a
courtyard outside of the palace where the high council of elves was
gathered.

   *****

   Alesha rode upon the pure black steed through the street, still not
totally accustomed to riding the gift from the dragons.  Fully 17 hands
high, the horse would have been considered magnificent had its eyes not
shone with a feral red light and flames leapt from its hooves each time
they touched the earth.  It was several hours past dusk and only now had
she reached her destination.

   She had overcome her fears of the steed quickly, knowing by the way it
acted and looked at her that it sensed her hesitation.  With the five
grandest and most powerful dragons in the world looking on her, she knew
any sign of weakness would have sentenced her to an instant death. 
Inwardly she had been terrified throughout the encounter, realizing with
each word she spoke and with each deal she made, she was losing a part of
who she had been.  Having set her course in motion, she found she was swept
along, unable to stop what she had started.  Every time somewhere inside of
her a voice called out for her to stop, Talifernon was there to goad her
on. Now she had all but consigned herself to her chosen path.

   There were no walls or towers at the outskirts of the city, and no
guards to man them.  The city was far too lax, and she was determined to
change that shortly.  She stopped at the first inn she saw and slipped off
the back of her summoned steed.  Whispering a few words into its ear, she
made sure her cloak had fallen about her body before heading into the inn.

   The door to the tavern shut behind her, causing a few people to glance
her way.  It was crowded inside, with all manner of inhabitants, from orcs
playing bones and drinking ale to light elves throwing knives at a target
on the wall.  Either judging her to difficult to deal with, or two poor,
the probing looks fell away from her.  Alesha fought the urge to smile, had
she not hidden herself within her cloak, she was sure every eye in the room
would be upon her.

   Moving gracefully through the crowd of drunk and nearly drunk people,
she made her way to the bar and pushed a passed an orc out of the way.  He
fell to the floor but not before he bumped into a another orc raising a
jack of ale to drink from it.  Spilling some of the ale, the orc turned
towards her and slammed his ale down on the counter, spilling far more. 
Snarling, it reached for the dagger at its belt.

   Its hand never made it.  Sinister looking black flames immolated the
orc, making it shriek in agony.  It ran outside, bouncing off of people and
furniture alike on its way there.  At the door a few other orcs looked
outside and saw the afflicted orc rolling in the street, trying to smother
the unholy fires that took its life a few seconds later.  Inside the
tavern, the atmosphere had instantly gone quiet.  Anyone who had brushed up
against the orc on his death flight shivered and tried to warm whatever
portion of their body that had touched the flames, for they had sucked the
heat from them.

   Alesha turned back to the bartender, who now approached her cautiously.
She knew that the troll bouncer moved up behind her, ready to crack her
skull and toss her outside at the first sign from the bartender.

   "I seek Kallendel" Alesha said loudly enough for everyone in the now
silent inn to hear.  "Where can I find him?"

   The bartender, a light elf missing one eye, studied her a moment before
responding, "Who are you?"

   Alesha threw back the hood of her cloak and shook her raven colored hair
free of it.  "His replacement."

   A few laughs came from behind her.  She had expected as much, Kallendel
was a powerful light elven warrior and the man in charge of the city of
Mezarbolle.  He had gotten there by being the strongest and most ruthless,
building a reputation around him nearly as great as he actually was.  All
the fools in the tavern saw was a pretty human girl.  She felt anger flush
her skin but she fought to keep control.

   "Begone girl, this is no place for you," the bartender said when the
laughter had died down.

   "I leave when you tell me how to find Kallendel," Alesha said, her voice
hissing dangerously.

   Nodding slightly, the barman signaled the troll.  The troll reached up
to put a hand on her shoulder, but she had already moved.  Ducking and
spinning, Alesha's cloak billowed out around her.  The troll snarled at her
and turned to come at her again, then realized that its arm ended in a
stump.  On the bar in front of a surprised bartender the trolls hand
twitched a few times, then burst into flames.

   "Try it again and you lose more then a hand," Alesha said calmly.  The
troll looked to its stump in fear, seeing the wound cauterized and sealed,
preventing it from growing its hand back.

   The troll looked back at her, clearly afraid.  It stumbled back a few
steps then turned and fled the tavern.  Alesha smirked and turned back to
the one eyed elf.  "Who dies next?" Putting up his hands peacefully he
nodded and gave her the directions.

   *****

   "You know, Silverton won't be pleased with an army of barbarians at
their gates," Martin said, striding beside Nordan.

   Nordan shrugged, "They need not worry, we seek them no harm."

   "Kelnozz said we needed a really big army, is this large enough?"

   Nordan shrugged again, "Calling on my tribe is all I can do, how would
you have us gain more?"

   Martin was quiet for a moment, thinking.  Finally he spoke up.  "For
several years I worked for the resistance," He began.  When Nordan showed
no sign of caring, he continued.  "I delivered messages from one town to
the next.  They're all ruled independently, but many of these cities are
allied.  They agree not to bother each other, and instead set their sights
upon taxing and oppressing the people.  Not to mention how many of them
practice dark rights without the commoners knowledge."

   Nordan nodded.  "Kelnozz and I found that in Yolarch." He grinned at the
memory, "We ended it."

   "I heard about that," Martin said, chuckling.  "It really boosted the
morale of the resistance and set the federation scurrying for cover for a
little while.  You should have followed up on it."

   Nordan let the comment go, instead concerning himself with covering as
much distance as possible.  They had left his tribe a few days before the
rest of them had, in hopes of meeting up with Kelnozz back at Silverton.

   "It's not to late, you know," Martin said.

   "What?" Nordan grunted, missing Martin's point.

   "We could overrun a few cities on the way there, it would bolster our
armies strength."

   Nordan chuckled.  "No, it would irritate them.  They want nothing to do
with laying siege to cities, Yolarch was an example, nothing more.  They
come with me because our blood sings out for battle and because I brought
them victory before.  If what the elf says is true, this time it will not
be so easy, and my tribe will not remember me as kindly."

   Martin nodded at that and continued walking.  He was lost in thought
after that, trying to figure out what they could do to gain more allies. 
He knew he could raise at the most a hundred men from his contacts with the
resistance, if he had the time.  Time seemed to be their concern, from what
their missing companion had impressed upon them.

   *****

   The swords clashed loudly with neither opponent gaining a clear
advantage.  Back and forth they dueled, the light elven warlord and the
human girl.  At first Kallendel had laughed when he heard that she sought
him out.  Then he heard of her exploits and decided to treat her more
seriously.  When she showed up at his office door, he grew angry. 
Determined to teach her a lesson, he never stopped to consider the level of
prowess she must have possessed to have defeated the extra guards he had
put on duty to stop her.  Now he reappraised her skills again, continuously
amazed at how she could continually thwart his assaults with only her
shortsword when he had both a longsword and dirk to wield against her.

   "I was going to kill you, girl," He hissed at her in between a furious
exchange of blows, "but now I think I'm going to rape you first!"

   Alesha grinned fiercely, stepping back into his range and intercepted
attack after attack on her.  "Or maybe I'll kill you then rape you!" He
spat out, growing frustrated at her continuous defense.

   Seeing him nearly at the point where the battle would turn, Alesha let
her grin show on her face again.  This infuriated the light elf even more,
making him rain blows down on her.  She inwardly scoffed at him, knowing
that he was good, but no match for the person who had trained her, and
therefore no match for her.  Instead of slaying him instantly, she
prolonged it, feeding off of the energy he exuded.  Any doubts as to what
she was becoming were lost in the thrill and excitement of battle.

   She sent her magic into him then, knowing he was growing tired.  Soon he
would lapse and she would be forced to take him.  But first, she wanted to
have some fun with him.

   Kallendel felt himself surging with energy, and redoubled his attacks.
Twice he thought he had come close to defeating the upstart wench that
attacked him, but both time he was turned away at the last moment.  After a
few more moments, he began to realize how uncomfortable he was.  Sure
enough, he was becoming aroused fighting her.  Dangerously aroused.

   Lunging forward in hopes of impaling her on the point of his longsword,
Alesha let him think he had won.  She let the blade plunge deeply into her
stomach, coming out her back so deep did it go.  Kallendel grinned at her
triumphantly, then his grin turned to confusion when he saw her own smile
mocking him.  He raised his dirk to thrust it into her throat but Alesha's
short sword streaked across and intercepted it, knocking it from his hand.
He stumbled backwards then, letting go of his longsword.

   Alesha reached down and pulled it free of her stomach, channeling the
pain back into her and instead of feeling the hurt, she shuddered in
excitement.  When the tip at last pulled free she tossed the sword off to
the side then advanced on the elven warlord.

   "What are you?" He asked, knowing his fate was soon to be sealed.

   Alesha smiled again and reached out with her sword, the magical blade
slicing effortlessly through the chain tunic he wore.  Kallendel looked
down, seeing the rent in his armor.  Only a thin line of blood marked a
diagonal cut on his abdomen, and he knew that she could have easily slain
him had she wanted to.

   "Come to me, lover," Alesha said, slashing twice more rapidly and
watching a section of his armor fall away from him.  The elf stumbled
backwards in terror, backing into a wall and beginning to panic.

   Alesha felt her own desire burning through her, pushing everything else
aside.  She had used up most of her energy reaching Kallendel, and very
nearly depleted it while fighting him.  Ignoring her wound and then healing
herself had taken the most out of her.  She reached out again and took
control of him in his panic.

   Kallendel watched as he finished what the girls sword had started,
tearing off the rest of the clothing inhibiting his manhood from stretching
out in pride.  He couldn't seem to stop himself, he only knew that this
women who was going to kill him had complete control over him, and that he
had to have her.

   Alesha smiled as Kallendel staggered towards her, ignoring his own
injuries.  She threw back her cloak to reveal that she wore nothing
underneath it save her loin cloth, a belt for her scabbard at her side, her
knee high boots, and her bracers on each forearm.  Seeing her body unmarked
by his thrust drove the last of his hopes for survival from me, and he
surrendered to the lust filling him.

   Alesha wrestled with Kallendel when he came to her, trying to force her
down so he could rape her.  She easily twisted him about and forced him
back upon his desk so that she could sit atop him and drive his only
remaining weapon deep inside of her.  She groaned as she bottomed out and
ground her crotch into his.  Kallendel fought to regain control and drive
himself into her, but her leverage and strength won out, keeping him at bay
while she pleasured herself atop him.

   Bending over, she found the urge overcame her to lick at the wound on
his chest.  She licked some more, finding the coppery taste pleased her
almost as much as pumping herself up and down on his nearly bursting
manhood.  Groaning, the elf sensed he was nearly finished when the woman
atop him began to shudder and moan.  She leaned back abruptly, her short
sword still in one hand, and slammed herself down on him faster and harder
then before.

   She poured the last bit of magic into him he needed so that he exploded
inside of her.  Timing it perfectly, her sword arced across, biting into
his throat just deeply enough to sever both arteries without laying open
his windpipe.  The sting forced his orgasm to a higher level, knowing that
his life was pulsing out of his neck.

   Alesha shuddered above the elf's spurting cock, finding herself on the
edge of her own release but unable to achieve it.  Bending over
instinctively, the warm spurts of his lifeblood painted her breasts,
stomach, neck, and face, nearly burning her with their heat.  She opened
her mouth and fastened it to his neck, drinking deeply of the released
fluid.  Darkness claimed Kallendel with the last thought in his head being
that he knew the strange woman sent to slay him was orgasming on his dying
body.

   *****

   Expecting to know no more, Kallendel was surprised to find that he was
still conscious, though he had no sensations of anything about him. 
Considering himself in a void, he felt something dark and terrible coming
up to him.  He sensed more then felt something evil chuckle behind him.

   My thanks, Mistress.

   With no voice or way of knowing how, Kallendel's soul screamed at the
image of a four armed demon reaching out for him.

   *****

   "How much longer must we wait?" Helmut asked after draining another
flagon of ale.

   "Until Kelnozz gets here," Nordan said, ordering another round.

   "Another week of this and the tribe will start heading back no matter
what I say," Helmut cautioned.

   Nordan nodded, scowling.  Martin looked about remembering the last time
they had stayed at that inn.  Alesha had been with them then.  He sighed
and tried to put her beautiful image out of his mind, disturbed that even
after so long she haunted him.

   The door to the tavern burst in then and a man stuck his head in long
enough to shout, "To arms!"

   Looking about, everyone seemed a bit concerned, then people began to
react.  Leaping out of there chairs, they rushed outside, some grabbing
sheathed weapons, others heading for their pallets to get them.  Martin,
Nordan, and Helmut made it outside at last and looked about to see what was
causing all the ruckus.  Seeing several villagers looking skyward, their
gazes drifted up until they saw the great winged form circling down towards
them.

   "If you've brought a dragon upon us..." The owner of the inn's threat
trailed off when the dragon settled down gently on the ground just outside
of the town between the encamped barbarians and the town.

   A figure nimbly leapt off the back of the adult blue dragon, landing
easily and striding towards the town.  Recognizing his stride, both Nordan
and Martin felt grins on their faces as they rushed out to greet him.

   "Seems you've brought some cavalry!" Martin said, gripping Kelnozz's
hand warmly.

   "What took you so long, elf?" Nordan growled, unable to keep a straight
face as well.

   "I had some things to do," Kelnozz said.  "My friends, meet Luingirth, a
long time friend of mine."

   Both Martin's and Nordan's grins faded slowly at this.  "Kel, what is
going on?" Nordan asked, staring at the incredible dragon who was peering
right back at him.

   "Come, let us go and have a drink, flying tends to parch your throat and
I have a lot to tell you," Kelnozz said, grabbing his friends and herding
them back towards the town.

   "Don't worry, he won't harm anyone," Kelnozz called out to the assorted
towns folk.

   "Luingirth, try not to eat anyone," Kelnozz yelled back to the dragon.
Several cries of alarm went up at this, which brought a grin to Kelnozz's
face.  Then he let it fade and yelled to the dragon, "You're scaring them,
go do whatever it is dragons do...  eat a sheep or something."

   The annoyed look on the face of the dragon was all Kelnozz needed to see
to make him laugh again.  Luingirth took off in spite of it, winging
quickly away to the south in search of a meal.

   The townsfolk slowly began drifting back towards their daily activities,
though for the second time in three weeks they moved a bit more
uncertainly. First a small army of barbarians on their doorstep, now a
raiding dragon.  Life was getting too dangerous!

   Back in the tavern the companions, plus Helmut, sat around their
recently abandoned table.  Everyone watched Kelnozz, waiting for his
explanation.  He glanced around the common room to see people resuming
their seats, though conversation was now hushed and reserved.

   "Ages ago, when life on this world was still young, there were two types
of dragons," Kelnozz began.  "Magic was powerful and even the most common
and mundane items were enchanted.  Things were unbalanced and chaos ruled
the world.  Man was nomadic and uncivilized.

   "Of these two species of dragons, one was good, and one was evil.  The
good dragons, known as metallic dragons, and the evil ones, known as
chromatic.  Elves and the metallic dragons enjoyed peace and prosperity
between themselves.  But the chromatic dragons viewed all other forms of
life as being beneath them, and they were jealous of the mighty works of
art and peace the elves created.  The chromatic dragons began to corrupt
some of the elves and poison their hearts and minds against the rest of the
elven peoples.

   "To late, the elven council discovered this.  Attempting to heal the
wrongs and bring them back, some of the dissident elves were sought out and
captured.  Instead of being able to counsel them back to rationality, their
rage and jealousy deepened.  War erupted, in which kin slew kin.  The
dragons joined in the struggle, good versus evil.  In a sign of change, the
rebellious elves undertook great magical ceremonies that marked them as
being different.  Thus was born the first light elves."

   Kelnozz paused for a moment and took a drink.  Taking a deep breath he
saw the look on his listener's faces.  Even Nordan was paying attention,
for little of the elven history was widely known other then the rumor that
a great shame was in their past.

   "The dark elves were more numerous, though many of our arts were not
tempered towards war.  Still, in a war that took hundreds of years, the
light elves were defeated and driven over The Periphery.  Once home to all
elves, now the light elves were relegated to that part of the continent
with no outside access.  Jailed within the mountain range, it became known
as the Lost Lands.  In shame, the remaining dark elves changed their name
to dark elves, which means fallen."

   "What does this have to do with your companion?" Helmut asked when
Kelnozz paused to consider his next words.  Kelnozz smiled sadly and waved
away the question.

   "I'll get to that," He said patiently.

   "While the dark elves defeated the light elves on the ground and in the
forests, they remained too focused on that battle, and did not aid their
allies in the air.  The chromatic dragons, with the aid of the light elves,
scored victory after victory against the metallic dragons.  Seeing them
facing extinction, the dark elves intervened and struck back on their
behalf.  The dark elves were slaughtered.  Gaining strength, the chromatic
dragons now battled a war on two fronts, and drove into the homeland of the
elves on Belurian, laying waste to the city."

   "Their spirit nearly broken, the elves fled.  Still too mighty to be
vanquished, the metallic dragons retreated with them.  Faced with the
threat to their existence, a deal was made with the light elves and the
chromatic dragons.  The elves were banished from Belurian for a thousand
years and the good dragons magically imprisoned.  The warring had lasted
for generations already, it was a bitter end with most of the sages of the
elven peoples slain and much of our lore lost."

   "At the end of their banishment, the dark elves discovered that they
were pleased with their new home, a large island many leagues to the east
of Belurian known as Innowendyn.  Now the bastion of elven knowledge and
art, they were hesitant to return to Belurian.  Over the years, some elves
began filtering back into Belurian, and it was discovered that in spite of
their success and freedom, internal strife kept the light elves competing
with each other.  Most remained within the Lost Lands, involved in
struggles for power within their own societies.  The might and grandeur of
both elven peoples had been destroyed."

   Kelnozz took another drink and sighed deeply.  The lore he had just
shared had never before been known to anyone not of the elven race.

   "The elves that lived on Belurian again met with an advanced society of
humanity.  Man had thrived in the absence of the elves, filling the niche
and rapidly advancing their technology and knowledge.  Cities had already
sprung up all over Belurian.  The returning elves moved in amongst them,
trying to teach and counsel them against the mistakes that had caused the
fall of the elven races.  As time passed, the elves of Belurian lost touch
with their own history though, treating it more and more as tales told to
children to make them mind."

   "That's all well and good, but I don't see how this affects us?" Martin
asked, signaling another round of ales.

   "It affects us because over three hundred some years ago I was born on
Innowendyn.  My mother died during the birthing.  I never knew who my
father was, for she had never told anyone in the small village who it was.
I was sent to our capital, Loralost, for training, and while there I was
studied and tested and apparently considered to be something special.  For
the next one hundred years I was trained.  It was then that Luingirth and I
were introduced.  Using magic and training, we formed a bond and grew up
together, learning together, training together, and fighting together."

   "Ever since then, I have come to Belurian time and again, looking for
some sign of an ancient prophecy the elves have.  With Alesha, I believe
that prophecy is coming to pass.  She is the champion of the chromatic
dragons.  She will lead their forces against the rest of Belurian again,
trying to drive everything out and then destroy the dark elves once and for
all."

   Kelnozz stopped talking and looked from one face to another, checking to
make sure none of them were confused.  "We need to raise an army and march
on her before she is ready to bring the fight to us."

   "Wait," Nordan said.  "She will have dragons on her side, how are we to
fight that?"

   Kelnozz smiled, a hint of his usual mischief showing through.  "My
friends, we must go and free the good dragons from their imprisonment."

   "Raise an army, rescue a bunch of dragons, and march over into the Lost
Lands, all as quickly as possible," Martin summed up the tasks ahead of
them.  "This is no easy task you speak of."

   "No," Kelnozz agreed, "it's worse then that, many of the cities in
Belurian have agreements with the dragon council, so we will meet
opposition at every corner.  Far from easy, Martin, it's well nigh
impossible."

   Nordan groaned at the odds stacked against them.  Martin stared blankly
for a moment, then reached out and numbly drained the rest of his ale. 
Kelnozz smirked and looked to Helmut, who sat patiently and quietly on the
far side of the table from him.  He seemed nonplussed by what was going on.

   "This isn't my fight, elf," Helmut said finally.  "My people care not
about what happens to dragons or elves."

   Kelnozz nodded thoughtfully at that.  "That may be," he responded, "but
you must know that If they are unchecked, they will storm through all of
Belurian, destroying everything that resists them.  You don't strike me as
a people that would thrive under the control of others."

   Helmut chuckled at that.  "You paint a grim picture, elf, but we are a
roving people, we would evade them." Kelnozz opened his mouth to say more
but Helmut waved him silent so he could continue.  "We will do this though.
Not for you, not for the elves, and not for dragons, but because Nordan is
on of our own and because he has brought us great plunder and victory
before.  And because I think this will be a good fight, to not invite us
would be an insult!"

   The all laughed at that, relieved to have their support.  "That will be
how we get the aid of the dwarves," Martin said lightly, "tell them there's
a big fight coming and they might miss it!"

   They chuckled some more at that, then began speaking of how they would
be able to recruit more men.  Later on, talk turned to leaving on the next
day with Luingirth to head for Innowendyn to learn of the prison of the
metallic dragons.  At long last, they called it a night, with Helmut
returning to the tribe's camp while Nordan found a comely tavern wench to
help him spend his night.  Kelnozz left the inn to go and see if Luingirth
had returned.  Martin sat at the table alone for a while longer, finishing
another ale and pondering how his life had turned this way.  He wondered if
his grandfather would approve of his latest course of action.

   *****

   Alesha sat behind her new desk, going over another report delivered to
her.  She could hardly wait to get out of Mezarbolle and begin marching her
armies towards Belurian, but first she had to assemble that army.  She had
secured the acceptance of the commanders under her in Mezarbolle the day
after she had slain Kallendel.  Now they were summoning their troops from
remote villages and tribes.  Alesha chafed at the delay, nearly six weeks
would pass before they would arrive, and just that morning she had learned
of a group of light elves that refused to side with her.

   When Alesha had come down from her rush of excitement and realized what
she had done to Kallendel, she had shrunk back in horror.  Staring numbly
at the mutilated and partially naked corpse, Alesha's mind reeled as she
tried to justify and understand what had happened.  As the minutes passed,
she realized at one point that if anyone were to come upon her, she would
be easy prey for them.  Off balance, she had gained her feet and looked
about to see what it was that she should do next.  At a loss, she realized
that she was no longer feeling tired and weak.  Searching inside herself,
she found that her powers were refreshed fully.  Somewhat comforted to know
that she was no longer vulnerable, she pondered what she had done.  She
stared at her sword which still hung limply from her hand.  Trapped within
it was the soul of Talifernon and now, the soul of Kallendel as well. 
Raising the blade up before her, she considered how sharp the edge and
point were.  Looking again at the corpse, she wondered if what she was
becoming was worth the price she was paying.  Gazing nervously at the point
of the sword, she realized she could end it quickly.  Alesha felt a
soothing warmth spreading from her forehead throughout her body, calming
her.  She saw again the sword in front of her, angled closer and closer to
the valley between her breasts.  Realizing what she had been contemplating,
she angrily slammed it back into its scabbard.  Alesha chastised herself
for being weak momentarily.  Never one to quit or give up, she vowed that
she would not allow herself to suffer any personal setbacks.  She had done
what was necessary, she told herself.  By capturing the soul and life of
Kallendel, she increased her own power as well as keeping Kallendel's
knowledge around so that she could more easily slip into her new role of a
general.

   Alesha rose from behind her desk, pushing her memories aside and
striding forward purposefully.  Retrieving her symbol of station that she
had received from the chromatic dragon council, she quickly donned the set
of magical armor.  Supple boots rode high on her legs to protect her knees,
made of magically enhanced griffin hide that protected and comforted her
feet.  Above them she wore greaves magically grafted together out of the
hide and scales of what she had learned to be a silver dragon.  Her breasts
seemed on the verge of falling out of the an aesthetically designed silver
dragon scale shirt that ended in an enchanted fine mithril skirt that fell
just long enough to cover the naked flesh above her greaves.  Under the
skirt she wore a loin cloth made from the same material, with cloth sewn on
the inside of it to protect her skin.  Her neck was adorned with a necklace
that ended in a small amulet carved out of mithril.  In the middle of it
was a diamond that glowed with an inner light.  Underneath Alesha's bracers
she wore long length black leather gloves that fell a few inches short of
her shoulders.

   Moving out the door, she headed towards where she knew her captains to
be.  Leaving her cloak thrown behind her, she knew that her captains were
all consumed with lust at the site of her, tempered only by the fear and
respect her powers demanded of them.  Bursting into the office where
several of them were gathered, she glanced about at the instant silence.

   "Grajjik," An orc captain stiffened as she called upon him.  "Take your
company to Caradrin, the light elven fortress to the west.  Confront
Merikith, their leader, and kill him.  Then inform the rest of them I
demand their obedience.  Should the falter, burn it to the ground."

   The orc nodded his understanding and hurried out of the room.  Alesha
looked to the other men in the room and smiled.  "Things are moving well,
if a bit slowly.  Do what you must to speed things up.  We will march
before the growth cycle is over, for the rains of the death cycle will slow
us and cause us to lose momentum.  That gives us 14 weeks."

   The gathered officers nodded and agreed to her plans, which made her
pleased with their obedience.  She turned and returned to her own chambers
then, leaving the assembled officers a chance to sigh in relief. 
Beautiful, yes, but deadly as well.  After having seen the lifeless and
bloodless corpse of their former commander, then a few more
"demonstrations" of Alesha's powers, they had agreed to a man to serve her.
As time progressed, they became impressed with her abilities and had begun
to follow her out of respect.  Always there was the fear of failure and a
painful death however, for while she was proving to be an able commander,
she had already proven her complete lack of mercy.  Ordering the rebellious
elven commanders death was yet another reminder to them of the price of
failure.







































   Kelnozz groaned.  The raven haired head bobbed up and down on him as he
lay in the bed.  Glancing about, he saw that while he remained in a guest
room in the palace of Loralost, what was happening to him could not be
real. He looked back down and saw Alesha raise her head up and make eye
contact with him, letting his swollen manhood slip out of her mouth so she
could grin at him with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

   He tried to open his mouth to tell her to stop, but found he was unable
to.  Trying to move his body, he found it was likewise not willing to obey.
She descended on him again, swallowing him deeply.  He groaned again,
desperately trying to deny what could not be happening to him.  Alesha's
tongue swirled around him, driving him to greater heights and testing his
self denial.

   Repositioning herself without losing contact, she swallowed his entire
length effortlessly.  Kelnozz's hips bucked up at her, mashing her lips
into his groin.  In spite of the incredible sensations of her throat
milking his shaft, Kelnozz fought against it.  Then Alesha began humming,
making him clench his teeth and causing the blood to drain from his cheeks.
Taking him near the edge of his endurance, she finally relinquished and
slowly pulled her mouth off of his manhood, leaving it dripping with her
spit.  Strings of saliva ran from her chin to his throbbing staff.

   "This is a gift from me to you, Kel," She whispered to him.  "My wizards
tell me that the Death Cycle will come quickly this year, and be very cold.
My forces are not ready, so you gain a few more months of rest."

   Struggling against the incredible urges he felt, he found he had control
of his mouth again.  "Why tell me this?" He gasped, forcing himself to
ignore her as she had moved back down and began to lick and nibble at his
balls.

   "To get it over with sooner," she said after a few more moments of
tormenting him.  "When I run over the rabble you put together for an army,
I will be left with no real opposition wherever I go."

   Kelnozz opened up his mouth to say something else but lost his train of
thought when her mouth descended upon him again.  She pumped her head up
and down the entire length of his cock, not slowing in the least as it
plunged into her throat.  Her hand caressed and lightly scratched his
balls, filling him with sensations to powerful to ignore.

   Fighting with an inner resolve he did not know he had, he managed to
deny her expert manipulations of him for far longer then he thought
possible.  It was then he had a brief moment of lucidity and he realized
her head had stopped moving.  Instead it was his own body betraying him and
thrusting roughly into her accepting mouth.  Seeing the victorious smile on
her face, He felt despair.  With the distraction, he lost the battle and
his seed rushed through him, exploding violently into her mouth and down
her throat.  An impossible amount of it, it seemed, but at no time did she
show any discomfort, instead she was meeting his thrusting hips with her
bobbing head now, lost in her own climactic release and swallowing his cum
easily.  When they finally finished, she licked up any stray drops and
kissed the tip of his tired manhood reluctantly.

   She stood beside him and looked down at the exhausted elf.  "You'd be
welcome at my side, Kel," She said, her expression turning sad.

   Meeting her gaze, Kelnozz forced himself to be alert.  Through the fog
of fatigue he responded, "Why?"

   Alesha tilted her head in surprise.  "Why?  Why what?"

   Kelnozz found his strength slowly returning to him.  He paused for a
moment and found that he could move his limbs again as well.  Wondering if
she had somehow broken through his defenses, or if he had imprisoned
himself against her, he slowly stood up from the bed to face her directly.

   "Why do you want any of this?  You are not the same girl I saved from a
band of murderous orcs."

   Anger flashed in her eyes and she reared back as if to strike him with
her hand.  Regaining her calm she lowered her hand.  "That girl died that
day, lover.  I am who I am because you didn't come sooner.  I have been
given choices and I have chosen my path.  I have found someone who gave me
the strength and the power to lead a life where I will not be challenged by
those stronger then me.  I will be the strongest, and with his help,
nothing will stand in my way.  Not even you, Kelnozz."

   Kelnozz let a few moments slip by so that she could calm down.  He felt
stung by her words, then alarmed as she finished.  His first instinct was
to protest, but he knew it would do no good.  Instead he finally nodded a
grudging acceptance.  "I told you the next time we met, one of us would not
survive."

   Alesha tilted her head back and laughed a mocking laugh at him.  Kelnozz
had prepared himself to leap backwards over the bed to his swords, but her
laughter made him stop.  "This is but a dream, lover.  If you won't join
me, then you'll have to die.  You're to much of a distraction to me!  I
might even have had to kill you if you did join me!" Alesha was grinning at
him, but it was not a grin of mirth but rather one of bitter irony.  "Until
we meet again, my love."

   Alesha disappeared before Kelnozz could respond to her directly.  Still
sensing a connection, he looked about and said, "Look about you, Alesha,
and see all those who follow you.  Look in their eyes.  They are afraid. 
Afraid of you.  You will never know what it means to have friends or true
lovers, only those who obey you for fear they will be slain.  And those
very same eyes will stare hatefully at your back when you turn away,
waiting for the day when they can plunge their dagger into your back.  This
is the path you chose!"

   Kelnozz felt something change in the room.  He knew he was alone again.
He looked back at his bed and saw himself laying there, the sheets twisted
about him as he had thrashed in his sleep.  Determined to increase his
defenses against her to include his subconscious mind, Kelnozz laid back
down and let his mind and body rejoin.

   He came awake instantly, feeling the wetness upon the sheets to indicate
that while the encounter with Alesha had certainly seemed real, she had not
physically been there.  Scowling, he stripped the sheets from the bed and
moved to the wash basin to clean himself up.  All the while he set his mind
to figuring out how he could protect his sleeping mind from her as well as
his conscious mind.  Somewhere in the back of his mind was the nagging
thought that kept surfacing, asking him how could hope to defeat her in
battle when he could not even best her in a dream.

   *****

   Martin stalked the deer through the lightly swirling fog of the dawn
forests on Innowendyn.  He looked up and spotted it with its head down,
munching on some grass.  A mighty buck, easily 14 points, and his for the
taking.

   Moving slowly, Martin fitted an arrow to his longbow and pulled it back.
"Guide my arrow, Grandfather," Martin said under his breath, drawing a
final bead on the deer.  Less then a breath before he loosed the arrow, he
heard a girl giggle to his right.  Surprised, his arrow flew wide and the
buck bolted, running deeper into the forest and escaping.

   Martin turned, glimpsing only a hint of movement in the morning mist. 
He followed quickly, putting his bow away.  Moving faster to keep pace, he
saw an arm, a leg, or a bit of waving black hair as his new prey nimbly ran
through the trees and brush of the forest, staying just ahead of him enough
to let him think he was catching her.

   "Milady, wait!" Martin called out to her.  "I mean you no harm!"

   He heard her playful giggle again ahead of him, and frowned at the
impetuous nature of the girl.  Briefly he wondered if she was a nymph or
some other type of forest vixen sent to lure men to their deaths, but he
had long ago learned how to deal with them.  This girl seemed something
else entirely.

   He heard her scream in surprise ahead.  Redoubling his efforts, he
narrowly avoided joining the same fate she had chosen.  A sudden drop over
some rocks had caught her unaware, and she lay on the ground some ten feet
down, clutching her leg in pain.  A sense of familiarity nagged at Martin,
but he ignored it in order to give help to the damsel in distress.

   Climbing down the rocky wall was easy for him to accomplish.  He moved
to her side quickly, his suspicions raised even more at seeing her laying
nude before him.  Then he saw her leg, broken and twisted so much that the
bone had pierced the skin, and his suspicion was put aside.

   "Milady, please, let me help you," He said, kneeling beside her.  She
flicked her head so that her hair flew out of her face and over her
shoulder.  That allowed their eyes to meet and Martin immediately knew he
was in trouble.

   "Alesha!" He gasped, taking a step back in surprise.  Alesha smiled
faintly, in spite of the tears of pain running from her eyes.

   "Hi Martin...  can you help me?  Please?" She fought back the tears and
tried to move a little, but that only brought a squeal of pain from her.

   Martin was torn, just seeing her twisted him up inside.  He knew how
dangerous she was, he had seen it himself, but he was unable to leave her
so obviously wounded.  He knelt beside her again and reached out to take
her leg finally.  His mouth had gone dry, but he forced his attention on
her leg, yet found his eyes disobeying him and running up her leg
repeatedly.

   "It hurts so bad, Martin!" Alesha whimpered in his ear.

   Martin put his hands on her leg and moving quickly, straightened it out.
Alesha gasped in pain, blowing hot air directly onto his ear.  Martin found
himself sweating, and little of it was from the chase.

   "This is going to hurt, Alesha, I have to set it," he warned her, again
placing his hands on her leg.

   "Oh Martin, be careful, it hurts so bad," Her voice was so weak and soft
Martin had to fight the urge to look up at her.

   Focusing on her leg, Martin moved one hand above the wound and the other
below it.  "Give me strength, grandfather, and please help this fallen
girl!"

   Alesha hissed angrily and pushed Martin away from her.  Martin turned,
looking at her in surprise.  Instead of seeing her crippled and in agony,
he saw her standing behind him with on sign of injury.  A look of fury
crossed over her features.  "I don't need the help of Carson, he's done
nothing for me but let me be misled!"

   "So it's true," Martin said, rising to his own feet.  "It was not Carson
that visited you so long ago."

   Alesha let her anger fade away.  It was replaced with a grin that could
only be described as malevolent.  "No, my pet, it was not your
grandfather." She walked closer to him, keeping him motionless with her
eyes.  Martin felt himself entranced again by her eyes, beautiful and
depthless, he could not look away.  It was finally broken when Alesha
walked around behind him, her fingers lightly trailing across his shoulder
as she circled him.  She leaned close to him, sending shivers of eroticism
down his spine as her breath blew against his neck and then his ear.  "It
was somebody far better."

   Martin felt something screaming at him inside.  He struggled to hear it,
realizing how close he was to falling into the clutches of the women behind
him.  He managed to spin around, only to see Alesha smiling warmly.  She
was so close to him, he had no chance to defend when she leaned in and
kissed him.  Taken off guard, she easily inserted her tongue into his mouth
and caused his own to respond without thinking.

   A few moments of a deep and passionate kiss ensued, then Alesha stepped
away.  Martin blinked a few times, fighting to understand what was going
on. He took a stumbling step forward himself, then shook his head to clear
it and saw that Alesha now wore a full set of clothing, black boots to her
knee, with greaves made of silver scales above them and what looked like a
corset fashioned of the same silver scales about her body.  A skirt of
mithril chain hung from the corset to just above her mid thigh.  Gloves
made of the same material her boots were made of donned her hands, and she
still wore the same bracers forged of dark mithril he had seen her wear
when he had met her.  Likewise, the sword she had used still rested at her
side.  A simple but elegant pendant that glowed dully with its own light
hung from a simple chain around her neck.

   Alesha laughed.  It was a mocking laugh, directed at him and at
everything around him.  "You are weak!" She spat out.  "All of you!  Men
are so easy to control, if only I'd known this before I came here..."

   "What do you mean?" Martin stammered out, blushing at his own
realization of his temporary weakness towards her.

   Alesha turned as if to leave, then turned back to him.  She looked into
his eyes, looking more like a predator then anything he had ever seen in
nature.  He felt his knees weaken and his blood sing to him.  She stepped
closer and reached down in front of him.  Unable to break his gaze with
her, he felt her hand slip inside his breeches and begin to fondle his
already erect shaft.  "This is what I mean, dear Martin.  I could fall to
my knees before you and take you inside of my mouth and you would do
anything I asked of you for my acceptance.  I could let you bend me over
that fallen tree and have you ravage me from behind like an animal.  I
could push you to the earth and ride atop you, fucking you beyond the point
of death and you would be happy to let me do it."

   Alesha squeezed his cock one last time for emphasis, increasing the
power of her spell to make Martin groan and explode in her hand.  She
smiled condescendingly and raised her hand.  Bringing it to her mouth, she
licked her glove clean of his cum and smiled at him again.  "I could do all
of that and more, time and again, and you'd be begging for more.  That is
what I mean, Martin.  And your God, your grandfather, couldn't have given
me that power if he tried."

   Martin opened his mouth to respond, his orgasm bringing him back some
clarity of thought.  Before he could say anything, Alesha stepped back and
disappeared.  He looked around a moment, lost in confusion.

   Waking up, Martin realized that it had been a dream.  An incredibly real
dream, but all a dream.  His relief fled when he realized the wetness on
the bed.  Cursing, he lurched to his feet and began to clean himself.  His
disgust turned to shame as he remembered the dream more closely, and how
easily Alesha had controlled and manipulated him.  He vowed that he would
never let that happen.  He would prove to her that he was not as weak as
she claimed.

   *****

   Alesha gasped in the air as her consciousness returned to her body. 
After the first few breaths, she realized how cold she was, especially in
her hands and feet.  She got off her bed and walked around her room,
rubbing her hands together and stamping her feet.  As far north as she was,
it had already begun getting colder as the Life cycle waned and the Death
Cycle approached.  Separating her spirit from her body also caused her
heart and breathing to slow down drastically, and she had been warned that
doing it for to long would cause her body to die, leaving her spirit
nowhere to return to.

   She donned her armor and left her room, placing magical wards over the
door on her way out.  Moving outside she summoned her steed with a thought
and easily mounted the demonic beast.  Riding through the town, she saw
those not still sleeping in a drunken stupor scurrying about there business
before the heat of the day set in.  Seeing her approach, they shied away
from her, some running away, others cowering in fear.  Everywhere she
looked she saw fear.  Her anger began to build as she remembered Kelnozz's
final words.

   Returning to the keep within Mezarbolle, she summoned her captains to a
meeting for a progress report on how things were working out.  Her
frustration grew when she realized that her hopes of marching that year
were futile.  She had known it was the case when several outlying tribes
and clans had hesitated or outright refused to join her side.  Only by
sending out her slowly growing army to gather them could she enlist their
aid, skewing her timetable.

   What troubled her more was how all but her oldest surviving captains
still showed signs of fear around her.  And beneath that fear was hatred
and envy.  She knew even the oldest captains in her service had only
learned how to hide it, they still felt it as well.  Frustrated, she
dismissed them and returned to her office.

   "Kelnozz, if only you had joined me instead of fighting me, none of this
would have happened," she muttered darkly, hating the elf all the more for
denying her and wanting him all the more for it.  She lapsed into silence,
brooding.  There was little more she could do to prepare her army until all
of it arrived, which now looked to be the following year.

   Her thoughts returned to her visit to her former companions in their
dreams.  Kelnozz was, as always, an enigma.  She had been unable to affect
him in any way for some time now, but then she had learned from Talifernon
of the dream travel.  She was sure that now Kelnozz would protect himself
from her that way as well.  Once again, she was cut off from the dark elf.
She vowed that before she killed him, she would show him why.  More so, he
would understand and he would join her...  it was so obvious to her, with
power and influence like this at her fingers, how could he refuse?

   She grinned to herself as she thought about Martin.  He was weak and so
easy to manipulate.  But still he showed some challenge.  Nordan she had
seduced and gained control over long ago, before she even realized it.  The
sex starved vampire the two of them had encountered and defeated had showed
her how to control Nordan.  Gods, that had seemed like so long ago.

   After spending a few more moments reliving the time she had spent with
Nordan and Kelnozz, she felt herself growing sad.  Shaking herself out of
it, she angrily stood up and left her office.  Heading to the courtyard,
she saw some light elves drilling in the yard.  Choosing one at random, she
drew her own shortsword and went about her daily weapons practice before
her later meeting via magic with the dragon council.

   *****

   "There are five elder dragons," Farathallion lectured, "and each holds a
key holding the good dragons prisoner.  Find these keys and they can be
returned."

   "But where are they imprisoned at?" Martin asked, breaching the protocol
of the elven council.

   Smiling at the irritation showing on the faces of the other elves,
Farathallion responded, "The magics used between the light and the dark
elves grew so powerful that the last bastion of defense of the dark elves
was separated from the rest of Belurian in a great rending of the earth. 
Water rushed in from the ocean, slaying thousands of elves, both good and
evil.  This new island was where the remaining dark elves and good dragons
struck their bargain with the dark forces, and it was there that the
dragons were imprisoned."

   "I know the area you speak of," Martin said, thinking of stories he had
heard.  "It lies to the Southwest of Belurian, and the waters you speak of
are so dangerous that only on the calmest of days in the middle of the
Growth Season will ships dare the straits."

   "More importantly," Kelnozz said, "We need to find out where these elder
dragons are."

   Regaining control of the meeting, the speaker of the council, a dark elf
named Tandethill, said, "We believe the blue elder is named Elluviatel, and
lives in a desert not far from the Belurian city of Sanctuary. 
Kaergothryl, the eldest white dragon, lives in the northern reaches of
Belurian, lairing in the tall mountains of The Periphery where the air is
cold enough to provide him with comfort.  The eldest black is named
Aglarond, and he lives in the great swamp surrounding the Gottwache, in the
heart of the Lost Lands.  Of the two remaining, one is named Cuivegirth,
and is the greatest green dragon.  He lives in a great forest along the
western ranges of the Lost Lands.  Finally there is the greatest dragon
said to live on Viconia, some claiming him to be as old as the world
itself. His name is Ancaruin and he lairs near to Mezarbolle itself."

   "What help can you give us?" Martin asked, thinking that the three of
them were hardly enough to battle dragons as mighty as the type being
discussed.

   Tandethill blinked in surprise at the question.  A few of the other
elves began talking amongst themselves.  Finally Tandethill got the room
silent again and responded, "We have given you all the help that we can. 
Our help is in the form of Kelnozz and Luingirth."

   Nordan snorted derisively and Martin just nodded, surprised but somehow
expecting as much.  Kelnozz chuckled humorlessly, he had grown to know the
elven council over the years and knew they would commit themselves as
little as possible.  Farathallion caught Martin's eye and shrugged
apologetically to show his own actions were limited by those around him,
not of his own volition.

   "How long do you think this will take you?" An elf who had remained
largely silent spoke up to ask.

   Both Nordan and Martin turned to Kelnozz, uncertain of who the speaker
was.  "We begin today, Marthollin," Kelnozz said, putting a name to the
silent elf.  "Luingirth will take us, beyond that, I do not know.  If we
succeed in these tasks, then aided by Luingirth I hope we can be done with
the questing before the Death Cycle sets in, then we can set about raising
an army to do battle with Alesha before she marches on us."

   "How can you be sure she won't come sooner?" He asked.

   "Tell your mother that we are certain.  She has met with setbacks and
can not marshal her forces until the following year.  By then if we do not
have the support of the metallic dragons, an army of men, dwarves, and
others, and the support of the elves, she will roll over us and Belurian
will enter dark days unknown since the defeat of the dark elves thousands
of years ago."

   Marthollin bristled at the reference to his mother, but otherwise had no
comments so he sat down and glared at Kelnozz.

   "Put away your dark looks, Prince Marthollin, he speaks the truth!"
Farathallion said.  "Your childish dispute must be set aside, understand
the gravity of these risks.  Failure this time will not only bring about
the destruction of life on Belurian, but this time they will only be
content by spreading over the seas and bringing the war to us as well!"

   Farathallion continued to stare intently at the young elf, trying to
drive home his point.  Marthollin looked suitably chastened, but he feared
that by the time the meeting was adjourned, all would be forgotten. 
Silence reigned over the council chamber for a few embarrassing moments.

   "Are we done?" Nordan asked, breaking the tension.

   "By no means!" Tandethill responded instantly.  "We have many things yet
to discuss!"

   Kelnozz chuckled and stood up.  "No, you have many things to discuss. 
And discuss them you will, for hours and days and weeks on end, all with no
conclusion." Motioning to his companions, Kelnozz continued, "Come friends,
let us be off on these quests and see if we can be done with them before
they are done talking."

   With a disrespectful grin, Nordan followed Kelnozz out.  A bit slower,
Martin trailed after, not sure what was going on.  Kelnozz waved off the
questioning look in Martin's eyes until they had left the palace behind
them and walked through the courtyard towards the city proper or Loralost.

   "Marthollin is the son of the Queen.  She's a good enough woman I
suppose, but she's to caught up in the courtly intrigue and games of power.
The King is little more then a figurehead with her behind him." He stopped
long enough to chuckle softly.  "The Prince also doesn't like me because he
was chosen for the same thing that I was, save that he fell short during
the testing.  We grew up together, but when it came down to the wire, I
bested him time and again, so he doesn't really like me."

   "Doesn't that worry you, if we leave that he might be plotting
something?" Martin asked, glancing nervously around.

   "Oh, I know he's plotting something or other, there's not much to be
done about that.  If we stay here longer, we put far more at risk then what
his scheming could do though." Kelnozz smiled and continued walking towards
the guest quarters they had been given.

   "We leave now?" Nordan asked, excitement showing in his previously bored
posture.

   "Aye my barbaric friend, we get our gear and head out now."

   Nordan grunted, a smile coming to his face.  Martin kept up with his
friends but was plagued with worries inside.  Worries of what Marthollin
might do to them, worries of what was ahead of them, and worries of whether
he would be up to the task.  No stranger to conflict, he had no seen nearly
as much action as either of his companions, nor had any of his feats been
as impressive.  Lurking in the back of his mind the entire time was his
concern that Alesha might learn of their mission and seek to thwart them.
Or worse yet, that she might intervene herself, for he was not sure how he
would face her.

   *****

   It had taken them ten days to fly from Innowendyn to the northern
reaches of Belurian.  During the flight, Nordan and Martin had looked on in
marvel at the many islands that showed signs of inhabitation that they flew
over.  Belurians thought themselves the only inhabitants of Viconia, but
apparently they had much to learn about their own world still.

   Another four days of searching passed before Luingirth spotted the lair
of the great white dragon, Kaergothryl.  It was high up atop a mighty
mountain amongst The Periphery, with a great opening to the sky and a
smaller, though still large opening near the base of the mountain.  For
fear of discovery, they landed more then a days walk from the lair.

   "We must go alone," Kelnozz explained after they had set up a camp for
the night.  "Luingirth would give us away, and I hope to be well inside the
lair before we are discovered."

   "How?" Nordan asked, "Luingirth is a chromatic dragon, they would think
him one of them."

   "It's cold up here, Nordan," Martin explained, hiss breath visible in
the cool night air to prove it.  "Blue dragons prefer dry warmer climates,
such as deserts."

   Nordan grunted understanding, still not convinced his idea did not have
merit.  "Kaergothryl hath dominion up here, only others of his ilk exist in
this part of the world.  Any dragon not serving him he would know about or
would hath destroyed for being a rogue."

   Nordan looked up at the answering dragon, still not quite at ease with a
friendly dragon.  He nodded after a moment and scowled.  "How then are we
to get in?"

   Kelnozz smiled at that question.  "Leave that to me."

   With little further to talk about, they spent the remainder of the
evening in private reveries.  Martin worrying over how events were
transpiring, Kelnozz planning for the upcoming raid on the dragon, and
Nordan already drifting off to mundane dreams of some of the more
interesting times he had spent with Alesha in his arms.  Luingirth waited
patiently until only Kelnozz was awake, then after a few moments of quiet
conversation, he took to the sky and flew to south, in search of Aglarond's
lair.

   The next day saw them moving higher into the passes of the mountains. 
All signs of natural wildlife was missing.  No animals scurrying to hide
from them, no birds chirping in the brisk morning air, not even the tough
grasses and moss known to grow in harsh environs thrived there.

   Night fell and the three had come to close to the mountain to risk
camping again.  Following Kelnozz's lead, they moved through the
treacherous terrain, avoiding the trails and any signs of life.  Another
hour put them hidden behind some rocks that had fallen in a landslide.  On
the other side of it was an open expanse nearly 1000 feet to the entrance
of the mountain lair.  While the cavern was obviously enlarged by miners,
it remained largely natural, with no gate or doors.

   "No guards?" Nordan said, looking about but seeing nothing.

   "Who wants to enter the lair of a dragon?" Martin replied, also seeing
none.

   Nordan grunted, but still looked about warily.  Kelnozz studied the
landscape as well, looking for more then just defenses, but also for the
best way for him to attack.  "Wait for my signal," He said, and slipped out
from behind the rocks.

   Martin and Nordan watched, barely daring to breathe.  Kelnozz slipped
into a small gully and moved towards the mountain, then when that ended, he
endured a few heart pounding moments of being completely exposed before he
found some more rocks to hide behind.  Waiting again to be certain no one
was after him, Kelnozz set out again and approached the side of the
entrance.  Risking a look inside, he found the entrance unguarded.

   Martin and Nordan ran forward when Kelnozz signaled them, joining him at
the side of the entrance.  "Why are there no guards?" Martin asked, the
hairs on the back of his neck rising.

   "Aye, we saw orcs when we found it," Nordan reminded them.

   "It's a trap," Kelnozz explained.  "We must have been spotted on
Luingirth."

   Martin's breath hissed between his teeth.  "Why are we here then?"
Nordan angrily demanded.

   "Are you afraid of a few orcs, Nordan?" Kelnozz responded, ignoring
Nordan's tone.

   "A few orcs?  No.  A score of orcs?  No.  A hundred orcs with a dragon
behind them?  Yes!" He responded, his voice raising above a whisper.

   "Be silent!" Martin spat out, looking around nervously.

   "They know we are coming, might as well head on in," Kelnozz said,
stepping into the entryway and walking forward.

   Martin's eyes widened in surprise, while Nordan growled deep in his
throat.  The two looked to one another before Nordan, with a scowl, headed
after Kelnozz into the tunnel.  Martin looked to the night skies and
muttered a prayer to Carson before he too, followed the suicidal elf into
the depths.

   The entry passage was easily 30 feet wide and almost as high.  It
stretched deep into the bowels of the mountain, with smaller occasional
side passages branching out.  They stayed in the large one, knowing that
with each small one the past the odds of being trapped within by an army of
orcs increased.  Then the tunnel bottomed out and began to slant back
upwards.  Torches set in stone sconces lit the way, but in the distance
they could see a light that did not come from the torches.

   Nordan had resigned himself to his fate, and hoped now only that he
would go down in battle.  Martin was filled with apprehension and growing
dread as they neared the end of the tunnel.  Kelnozz had mentally set aside
his worries and concerns, determined instead to see their task to the end.

   "Is it cold in here?" Martin asked, his voice strained as he fought to
keep his teeth from chattering.

   "It's been cold for days," Kelnozz pointed out dryly.

   "No, I mean it's getting colder," Martin responded.

   "He's right," Nordan stopped walking and spat on the rocky floor of the
tunnel.  Within moments his spittle thickened and froze.

   "Then we must be close," Kelnozz stated, starting forward again.

   Looking behind them nervously, Martin thought he saw some movement in
the distance.  He waited a few minutes longer, staring into the distance of
the tunnel.  Figuring he had seen nothing, he hurried to catch up to
Kelnozz and Nordan.

   They had both stopped in the tunnel, waiting for him to catch up.  Ahead
of them was the end of the passage, opening into a magical blackness.  The
light from the torches set into the sconces along the walls of the passage
ended abruptly at the edge of the tunnel.  Martin also noticed how much
colder it grew as they approached the wall of darkness.

   "What is that?" He hissed, staring intently at it.

   "Magic," Nordan growled, flexing his grip on his warhammer.

   "Another part of the trap," Kelnozz said, approaching the darkness and
trying to peer into it.  "It is magical, I can't see into or through it."

   "And if we try to leave?" Martin asked.

   "Then the orcs we didn't see on the way in will no doubt be waiting for
us," Kelnozz said.

   "I thought I saw something behind us, but when I waited and watched, I
figured I was seeing things."

   "Come, we have no choice." Nordan's eyes grew wide when Kelnozz stepped
into the blackness.  It was as if he had ceased to exist.  He looked to
Martin, who's face mirrored his alarm.

   Martin swallowed loudly and gripped his sword, which he had drawn
without realizing it.  He closed his eyes and walked forward as well,
determined to give Kelnozz whatever support he could.  Nordan stared at the
magical barrier for a long moment, warring within himself at his fear of
magic.  He looked behind him at the passage, wondering if there was another
way in.  Finally he let loose a growl of frustration and charged forward at
a run.

   *****

   "I must call this meeting to end, I hath guests."

   "Guests, Kaergothryl?" Alesha asked, turning to face the shimmering
portal through which she could see the white dragon.

   "Verily, 3 foolish mortals hath come to challenge me!  It hath been many
a years ere I hath been challenged, I shall enjoy feasting upon their
flesh!"

   Alesha's eyes widened.  She opened her mouth to speak but the dragon had
already severed the magical connection to the meeting.  Alesha turned to
face the other 4 portals, each showing a powerful dragon looking at her
with an amused expression except for the one mysteriously empty one that
Aglarond should be using.

   "Thou hath fear for Kaergothryl?" Cuivegirth, the eldest green dragon
spoke.

   "I think Kaergothryl is hunted by my former companions.  She
underestimates them, they will be her undoing." Alesha said.  Cuivegirth
chuckled, the sound deep and dangerous.

   "We hath nothing else to discuss, We shall meet again a score of days
hence," The red dragon, Ancaruin, spoke, instantly silencing Cuivegirth's
chuckle.  Alesha and the dragons nodded their heads respectfully, then each
ended their magical connections.

   Alesha flexed her fists, raging inwardly at how things had progressed.
She was not nearly ready for what was happening, more so if Kaergothryl was
slain, as she expected she would be.  Kelnozz was forcing her hand, she
realized.  She needed her army ready to march now.

   Storming out of the cave and to her magical steed, she found her anger
directed mostly at Kelnozz.  He was doing this to spite her.  She found
herself angry at herself as well, for she was not sure who she truly wanted
to win, her former companions or Kaergothryl.

   *****

   Nordan stumbled into Kelnozz, his vision returning quickly.  Looking
behind him quickly, he saw the doorway and passage they had just left.  Of
the magical darkness, there was no sign.

   The chamber they had entered was immense.  A layer of ice and frost
covered many areas, from spots on the floor to sheets of it on the walls. A
large tunnel arced upwards from the ceiling, curving so that the end could
not be seen, but from the light coming from it, it clearly emerged to
daylight.  Scattered haphazardly against the far wall were mounds of
valuables.  From gold, platinum, and mithril coins to gems and jewelry. 
Objects of art and beauty to exceptionally crafted items and works of
magic.

   And in front of all the wealth stood a woman.  Hair so blond it was
white, her beauty was unsurpassed.  Easily 50 yards away from them, still
they could tell that the woman was clearly not human.  She walked forward
so gracefully it seemed as if she could not really be moving.  She stopped
30 feet away from the trio of dragon hunters, appraising them with a gleam
of excitement in her unearthly eyes.

   "Kaergothryl?" Kelnozz asked after a few moments of silence had passed.
With her as close to them as she was, all of them could feel the unnatural
chill settling deeper into their bones.

   "What doth thou seek, elf?" She responded, her voice deep and musical.

   "I'd thought you to be a man," Nordan spoke up, appraising the woman's
barely hidden and obvious charms.  She wore a long white loin cloth that
hung from a delicate mithril chain around her waist.  It covered her crotch
and her butt, being long enough to hang to her knees.  Adorning her chest
was a skimpy white halter top adorned with threads of silver, gold, and
mithril sewn throughout it.  Her skin was a pale creamy white nearly as
pale as her clothing.

   "Males are inferior amongst mine kind, mortals," She said, staring
deeply at Nordan and making him feel awe in her presence.  "I would slay
thee quickly, save that it hath been long since I hath dealt with thy kind.
Thou shalt not leave here with thy life." "That puts a damper on our
relationship," Kelnozz quipped, studying her carefully.

   The woman grinned, her gaze boring deeply into the dark elf.  "Orcs are
so limited, I shall enjoy this!"

   Kelnozz stared right back at her, meeting her gaze unflinchingly. 
Nordan continued to ogle at the woman's body while Martin glanced about
nervously, gripping his sword so tightly the blood was draining from his
fingers.  Martin forced himself to take a few deep breaths and relax his
strained muscles.

   The ranger had fought all manner of beasts, including griffins and even
wyverns.  He'd even been chased by a green dragon once, though it was a
fairly small one.  But being this close to something that emanated such
fear, awe, and power had him struggling to maintain his composure.  He had
no idea how it was that his companions could treat it so casually.

   Nordan was far from casual, however.  He saw the beautiful woman in
front of him and it was a struggle for him to remember what and who she
was. Most of his thought was directed into the countless ways he could
ravage her body.

   Kelnozz alone was unfazed by the power magic radiating from Kaergothryl.
Instead he was trying to buy time for his companions to grow accustomed to
her and planning a method of attack.  To that end he sought to distract her
as much as possible.

   "What of the orcs that worship you, where are they?" Kelnozz asked.

   "They await below, thou were permitted entrance for mine amusement."

   The dragon in woman form turned to Nordan and smiled coldly.  "Doth thou
find this form appealing?" She turned slowly, allowing them to examine her
flawless skin and perfect build.  When she turned to face them again, she
made a motion with her hand and she stood before them nude.

   Nordan's jaw dropped open.  He longed to rush towards her and take her
in his arms so that he could thrust himself into her.  Her breasts were
full and heavy, but very firm and proud upon her chest, with hardened
nipples pointing out directly.  A small patch of wispy white hair adorned
her loins, angling to the beginnings of her slit.  Nordan found himself
unable to tear his eyes away from the treasures that he knew lay unhidden
there.

   Martin found himself unable to look away as well, he knew he was looking
at his own death, but his body seemed about to betray him in spite of that.
His sword fell from limp fingers, clanging loudly on the cold stone floor.

   Kelnozz admired the body of the woman in front of them, but tried to not
let himself become distracted by it.  When Martin's sword hit the ground,
the noise reminded him of what they were doing.  He gazed up from the
dragon - woman's body and stared into her face.  For a brief moment a
vision in his mind fell over the one in front of him.  He saw Alesha
standing before him for a moment, and he realized that save for minor
details such as hair length and color and facial details, the two looked
very much the same.

   "I know you, beast," Kelnozz said, his voice almost guttural.  "You have
stolen the image from one who was my friend."

   Martin blinked and looked with new perspective after hearing Kelnozz's
words.  It was true, the body before him was Alesha's, only the alien cast
to the face and the hair was different.  He gathered his strength and broke
free of the powerful enchantment that had nearly captured him.

   Nordan only barely heard the words, so deeply gone was he in his
struggle within.  When the words connected, he gasped as he realized it did
look like Alesha's body.  Unfortunately for Nordan, his lust for Alesha was
so deeply seated that this only made his fight harder.

   "She hath spoken highly of thou, elf...  wouldst thou care to liken this
body to hers?" Kaergothryl said, her pose and demeanor seductive, but in
her eyes Kelnozz could see condescension and mocking.

   In spite of that, he nearly slipped again under her sway.  It was Martin
who saved him.  "We've come here to kill you, she-bitch!  Enough of this!"

   Kelnozz looked to Martin in surprise at the normally mild mannered man's
outburst.  Martin had already unlimbered his bow and set arrow to it,
staring down it at the woman.

   "Yes, enough talk, it is time your reign as the eldest white dragon
ended." Kelnozz drew his longswords and ran towards her.

   Nordan remained motionless, torn in indecision.  The magic had
insinuated itself deeply into him, so that now he saw Alesha in front of
them instead of Kaergothryl.  He shook his head to clear it, but to no
avail.  His mouth worked at forming words, but no sound came out.  In spite
of the bitter cold of the room, a sweat broke out on his forehead from his
internal struggle.

   Martin's arrow connected with the girls chest, directly between her
breasts, but it only shattered and fell to the ground, leaving her
unmarked. Her triumphant laughter was filled with scorn.  It ended abruptly
when Kelnozz slashed across with one sword and opened a wound along her
ribs.

   "I will feast upon thy bones!" She screamed, leaping so high into the
air that any question as to her true nature was dissolved.  In midair a
light flashed from her body, forcing the companions to look away.  When
they looked back they saw a great white dragon standing before them.

   The flash of light left Nordan confused.  When he looked again, he saw
Kaergothryl in her true form, and was greeted with a powerful roar from the
beast.  All three of them were momentarily deafened and stunned.  Martin
grabbed clumsily for another arrow while Kelnozz tried to shake the ringing
out of his ears.  None of them were prepared for the dragon's next attack.

   Drawing in a deep breath, Kaergothryl stretched out her neck and blew
forth her most powerful weapon, freezing cold winds that drained the warmth
from all three of them.  Only by covering their faces and tucking in their
hands as quickly as possible did they avoid extreme frostbite and losing
their vision.

   The next attack came while they were recovering from the cone of frost.
Kelnozz was sent flying by a swipe from Kaergothryl's mighty paw.  He
rolled with the landing, but was still hurt by the impact.  Martin fitted
an arrow to his frozen string, but grimaced when it snapped when he tried
to pull it back.  Tossing his bow to the ground, he picked up his fallen
sword and ignored the cold steel in his hand.  The pain and the combat
helped Nordan kick the last of the effects of the spell.  Combat and battle
was something he knew.  With a road, he charged the dragon, ducking under a
backhand swing by the same paw that had tossed Kelnozz and connecting
loudly with Kaergothryl's other forelimb.

   Kelnozz charged again as well, angling to the powerful beasts side to
make sure it could not get all three of them in a single blast from its
breath weapon again.  Once there he thrust and chipped at the thick scales,
slowly but surely carving into them and causing Kaergothryl to return it's
attention to him.  The dragon's long tail caught him unaware, battering
into his legs from behind and promptly dropping him on his butt.

   Martin followed Kelnozz's lead and attacked the dragon from the other
side, trying to force his sword through the armored scales.  His efforts
seemed futile, however, as his sword could not find purchase in the flying
lizards hide.

   Nordan was more effective with his hammer, a powerful swing from his
hammer connecting with the wrist joint of the dragon's left forelimb.  The
audible crack of scales and bone breaking could be heard by all of them,
though it paled in comparison to the dragons roar of pain.

   The talons on the dragon's other paw had the strength of steel and the
edge of razors.  Nordan was the unwilling recipient of their business end.
Staggering from the mighty blow that had failed to fell him, Nordan bled
freely from both his side, left arm, and left thigh.  Seeing him still
standing, Kaergothryl opened her mouth and snapped her head towards him.

   Kelnozz climbed back to his feet and dodged another swipe of the tail by
leaping towards the dragon's side.  Using his swords as climbing tools, he
thrust them into the thick scales and pulled himself up slowly until he was
on the dragons back.  It was then that he saw Kaergothryl angle its head up
towards the ceiling, trying to swallow a struggling Nordan.  His legs still
stuck outside of the side of the dragons mouth, and another hand was
holding onto one of the mighty teeth while the dragon shook its head back
and forth trying to dislodge him.

   Martin knew his blade was not going to work for him so he tossed it down
and ran back to where his bow lay on the ground.  Working furiously, he
restrung his bow with one of the several spare strings he carried in a
pouch at his side.  Finishing the job, he knocked an arrow just as Nordan
was lifted into the air and fighting to avoid the dragon's gullet.

   Still holding his hammer in one hand, Nordan realized that he was in
trouble.  The blood that ran down his arm made his grip on the weapon
slippery, as well as making him feel weak with the loss of it.  His people
believed that all of life was a fight, from the struggle of birth up to the
very last breath, and Nordan held strongly to that belief.  Mustering as
much leverage and strength as he could in the dangerous environment, he
swung his hammer backhand into the roof of Kaergothryl's mouth.  He pounded
on it again and again, hoping he was at least hurting the dragon, even if
the injury wasn't severe.

   Martin's first arrow deflected off a scale near the dragon's eye, making
it close it's eyes defensively while it struggled with the incessant
hammering inside its mouth.  Kelnozz had wrapped his leg around one of the
bony spikes coming out of Kaergothryl's back along its spine and he was
doing his best to drive his swords into the back of the dragon.  At long
last the elf met with success and felt one of his blades slip between two
scales and grate along the side of the dragons backbone, sinking in deeply.
He twisted and wrenched it around inside, forcing the dragon to open its
eyes and mouth and grunt in pain.  Martin's arrow flew true at that point,
sinking deeply into the right eye of the dragon.  The angle was such that
the arrow could not pass any deeper into the beasts brain, but nonetheless
it blinded it in one eye and made it forget about everything else.  Nordan
found the extra room helpful.  He looked to the ground, some 30 feet below
him, and prepared to jump.  Realizing he had a greater opportunity, he
turned back and gripped his hammer in both hands.  Mustering every bit of
strength he had left, he drove the hammer into the roof of the dragons
mouth.  The grim satisfaction he felt at hearing and feeling the bone give
way was enough to make the following flight through the air and impact with
the ground as the dragon spit him forcefully out worth it.

   The ground felt so comfortable for Nordan that he could not imagine a
reason to make him get back up.  Laying there on the cold ground, Nordan
idly wondered where his hammer had gone too.  Martin ran to where he was
laying and checked him over, noting that while he still bled freely from
his wounds, nothing appeared permanently broken.

   Raising her wings, Kaergothryl beat them powerfully, trying to gain some
distance.  Kelnozz looked down and realized he was in trouble.  He tried to
pull his sword free from Kaergothryl's back, but it was wedged in tightly.
Cursing, Kelnozz took three running steps along the unsteady back of the
dragon and leapt to the side, thrusting out with his sword and puncturing
the leathery membrane that was Kaergothryl's wing.  Using it to slow his
descent, Kelnozz's sword tore through the wing all the way to the bottom of
it.

   Kaergothryl hissed in pain at the long rent in her wing, but enough of
it was left she was still able to gain elevation and fly towards the escape
hatch in the ceiling of the room.  Kelnozz hit the ground after a twenty
foot drop and came to his feet quickly in a roll.  He looked up at the
dragon and looked around for some way to make it come back to the ground.

   "Martin!  We can't let her get away!" Kelnozz called out, seeing Martin
aiming his bow at the slowly fleeing beast.

   Martin fired as quickly as he could, loosing arrow after arrow.  Each
one was defeated by her thick scales, however.  Martin and Kelnozz both
looked on in frustration while Nordan watched the pretty and big white bird
flying above them.  It escaped to the tunnel and they soon lost sight of
it.

   "What now?" Martin asked when Kelnozz ran over to them to check on
Nordan.

   Opening his mouth to respond that he was not sure, Kelnozz was stopped
by the loud bellow from above them.  Thinking the dragon returning, they
were not disappointed.  This time, however, it returned with company.  A
blue dragon had landed atop it and was driving it towards the stony floor.
Having shredded its wings and blackened a spot on Kaergothryl's head with
its own electrical breath weapon, Luingirth let go of the doomed dragon as
they cleared the passage.  Kaergothryl roared one final time before it
crashed into the ground with enough force to knock Martin and Kelnozz off
their feet.

   Gaining their feet again, They saw Luingirth land nearby and a figure on
her back leap to the ground.  He walked over to them and both of the men
were soon able to recognize him as Nordan's chieftain, Helmut.  A look of
concern passed over his face when he saw Nordan laying passed out on the
ground.  Martin had already bound his wounds, but he looked pale and weak.

   "What are you doing here?" Kelnozz asked them, more surprised to see
Helmut then Luingirth.  "I told Loo to come back after a day or two because
we would be finished here, but how did you come too, Helmut?"

   "I decided I wanted to see this great evil army you spoke of, so I'd set
out on my own months ago.  Got lost a few times, got in trouble a few
times, and had a bit of trouble getting over The Periphery, but it wasn't
so bad.  I'd figured I was done for when I saw this here fellow coming down
from the sky at me after I'd killed off a dozen orcs and a couple of hill
giants," Helmut nodded towards Luingirth, who was making sure that
Kaergothryl was dead.  "So, he brought me back here after he convinced me
he wasn't going to try to eat me." Kelnozz chuckled and grabbed Helmet's
hand in greeting.  "Good timing, we had her beat, but she was about to get
away from us." Helmut grinned.  "Aye, we had some trouble on the way back,
a big nasty black one of those things came up outta this big swamp we flew
over.  Between Luingirth and I we put him in his place though, he ended up
flying out of control into some terrible storms over the mountains, nothing
could have lived through that." Kelnozz's eyes widened.  "Big swamp next to
the mountains and with powerful storms over the top of them?" "Aye," Helmut
nodded, kneeling down beside Nordan and checking his bandages then putting
a hand on his face to move his head and check the coloring of his face. 
"Loo!" Kelnozz called out, excited.  "Could it have been Aglarond you two
dispatched on the way here?" "Verily, Kelnozz, it was he," Luingirth
responded, walking over to where the were talking.  He reached out and
dropped Kelnozz's sword at his feet.  Kelnozz absent mindedly sheathed his
lost blade and said, "But how?  Aglarond is far larger and older and more
powerful then you?" "Helmut is a mighty warrior, he struck many telling
bows on Aglarond," The dragon explained after chuckling.  "Twas not us that
slew him, twas the storms that struck the felling blow." Kelnozz nodded,
thoughtfully eyeing the barbarian warrior.  "This mountain is full of orcs,
what say we get out of here?" "Good idea," Martin said, noticing how few
arrows he had left.  Nordan groaned then and slowly opened his eyes.  "We
kill her?" He asked as soon as his eyes focused on his surroundings.  "Aye
laddie, the bitch is dead!" Helmut said, grabbing his arm and hauling him
to his feet.  "Looks like your hammer din't make it though." Nordan looked
over to where his prized possession lay, head separated from the shaft,
which lay in two separate pieces itself.  He scowled and walked towards it,
wondering if he could have it fixed.  "Take this one, Nordan, it's an old
one I've had for a while with no use for...  I prefer the great sword."
Nordan turned in time to catch the warhammer Helmut had pulled out of a
pouch attached to his belt that was obviously too small for the hammer to
have fit in and tossed at him.  Nordan studied it carefully, noting the
finely detailed carvings and runes on the head and shaft.  Swinging it
experimentally, he was amazed at how well balanced it was.  It was very
heavy, but balanced so well he was able to swing it as though it were a
dagger.  "How did you fit that hammer in your pouch?" Martin asked, eyeing
the weapon and noting there was no way it could possibly fit entirely into
the bag at Helmut's side.  "'Tis a special bag I found when I was younger.
Had to kill a wizard for it.  You can put all sorts of things in it and it
seems to never get full, but it's easy to find what you're looking for."
Helmut explained, grinning.  Nordan sneered at the mention of magic, then
remembered his new hammer and he shrugged it off.  He'd never seen a weapon
as fine as the one in his hands.  "Aye, I've one of those myself," Kelnozz
said, patting a pouch at his side.  "But we must get out of here, gather up
what you must take, we must fly!" At the realization that they had treasure
to sort through, spirits lifted.  Nordan, still feeling a bit week in spite
of his miraculous recovery, forgot his injuries altogether.  The hoard of
Kaergothryl put the smaller black dragons treasure they had slain with
Alesha to shame.  Easily ten times as large, they were hard pressed to only
fill their pockets and pouches with valuables.  Martin found a hand and a
half sword that put his own to shame both in use and look.  He also
discovered a quiver filled with arrows.  Upon closer examination, the
arrows appeared to be of exceptional make and quality.  The real purpose
was the glowing gem that Kelnozz found.  A milky white diamond as big as
his palm, the elf knew that he'd found one of the keys to release the good
dragons.  Slipping it into a pouch, they mounted Luingirth and soared up
into the sky.  Once outside of the mountain they saw the tribe of orcs
fleeing from the mountain.  They had seen Luingirth return and heard the
battle.  Now seeing the blue dragon emerge victorious, survival became
their priority.  Chuckling at their plight, Luingirth turned to the south
and flew in hopes of discovering Aglarond's lair so they could recover that
key as well.

   *****

   "You'll tell me what I need to know, fool!" Alesha hissed, her mouth
inches from the cheek of Helmut.

   Helmut grinned defiantly at her.  "If what Nordan told me is true, lass,
I'll enjoy you trying to get it out of me!"

   Alesha ground her teeth in rage and reached out to slap him.  Helmut's
head rang with the powerful blow and bounced off the table he was strapped
to, but his grin remained in place.  "Where is Kelnozz at?" She demanded
again.

   Helmut ignored her, instead imagining her without her sexy armor on.  It
brought him more blows and torture, but he endured it wordlessly.

   Alarmed at Kaergothryl and Aglarond's continued silence, Alesha had sent
a few dragons to check on them.  The two sent to Aglarond's lair
encountered Luingirth and the companions leaving the lair, stolen treasure
intact.  A mighty battle had ensued, but Luingirth was outnumbered.  Helmut
leapt from his back onto the back of one of the black dragons sent against
them.  He wounded it mortally, riding it to the ground and as far as the
other companions thought, to his doom.  Luingirth slew the remaining black
dragon with help from the riders on his back, but reinforcements had
arrived.  Luingirth was forced to flee, losing his pursuers after several
days of restless flight.  Helmut had been captured and brought before
Alesha, however.  Now he lay tied naked to a table and subject to her
interrogation.

   Alesha noticed Helmut's gazes upon her and changed her tactics.  Instead
of abuse, she switched to seduction.  "Tell me what I need to know and
perhaps we can find out if you barbarians have some things in common..."

   Helmut laughed.  "Aye lass, more then you think, but you'll not here
anything from me about them."

   "Oh, we'll see about that, large one," Alesha moved over to where
Nordan's large cock lay against his thigh.  She stroked it gently, making
it quickly rise to greet her.  Then she licked up and down it and took it
into her mouth.

   "I see you barbarians do have something in common," Alesha said,
admiring openly the size of his manhood.  She engulfed it in her mouth
again, sending waves of pleasure through Helmut.

   Alesha used every trick in her book to drive Helmut to the edge, then
she would back off.  She did this five times, using her skills and
experience to know when to stop.  Finally, knowing that he was ready to
burst both mentally and sexually, Alesha gently caressed him while moving
her lips up next to his ear.

   "Where are they going, Helmut?" She asked softly.

   "Come closer," Helmut said, his voice strained.

   Alesha smiled.  Like Nordan, Helmut had been so easy to dominate with
sex.  She put her ear next to his mouth, realizing that before she killed
him, she could still use him this once as a sexual slave.  He did not
deserve to die happy, but it would please her as well, so she would give
that much to him at least.

   "None of your damn business!" He said, a taunting grin on his face
again.

   Alesha's eyes widened in surprise.  She stepped back, shocked at his
denial.  "I will not be denied!" Alesha shouted, turning to a rack filled
with instruments of torture.  She selected a cat o nine tails and turned
back to him.  For a brief moment she was struck with a sense of familiarity
about him.  She shrugged it off quickly and uncoiled the whip.  Helmut
never even grunted in pain as the whip rose and fell on him, instead
staring into Alesha's eyes with his own tormenting mischief filled ones.







   Nearly a month had passed since Helmut had been captured.  Every day,
for hours on end, Alesha would "interrogate" him.  This varied from one day
to the next, but typically consisted of some sort of sexual manipulation
ending in him being promised an explosive release if only he confided in
her the plans of his friends.  It was Helmut's satisfaction to see that he
was not the only one being frustrated, for every time she attempted the
ploy, he denied her.

   Other days, she would simply use cruelty and viciousness.  Her ability
to cause pain and injury had grown exponentially, with Helmut as an
unwilling recipient.  She had used all manner of torture devices on him
thus far, stopping just short of killing him.  Each day his rate of healing
amazed her, allowing her to cause him even more pain.  Through it all
Helmut remained steadfast in his determination.

   Feeding off of Helmut's pain, Alesha felt drunk with power.  She had him
strapped to a rack, pulling him so tautly upon it that his joints groaned
in protest.  She had done this once before to him, certain he would beg for
death when it was over for no man could clearly walk after such treatment.
To her dismay, he had uttered not even a grunt of pain, and the next day
when she returned, he was able to walk without a limp.  Not so this time,
for in addition to being pulled along his table nearly to the point of
dismemberment, she also had a barbed whip she used to flail away at his
naked flesh.

   Bleeding from countless wounds, Helmut still seemed very aware and
lucid. Alesha had visited this time completely naked, bringing only her
sword with her.  She had hoped to catch him unaware, by making him think
she planned an evening of sexual torment and instead taking a more martial
approach.  Now she found her own loins on fire as she cracked her whip one
final time over Helmut's upper thighs, splitting the skin and causing blood
to spatter.

   Directing all of the energies within her now came easily.  Alesha had
grown mightily in both her power and her ability to harness it under
Talifernon's tutelage.  He had taught her spells and ways of gaining power.
At first she had wondered at his methods, but the more she learned, the
more she realized that his methods harnessed the most power, and that was
far more important then anything else that might have to be sacrificed.

   It was one of these dark rituals that Alesha now performed.  "Helmut,
you won't tell me what I want to know, will you?" She asked, looking both
sad and annoyed at once.  Helmut shook his head, showing her a grin that
belied his physical torment.

   Alesha returned the grin, though hers showed more predatory.  She
gathered up her magical energies and sent them swirling into Helmut,
causing his skin to tingle.  His numerous pains intensified, making him
grit his teeth.  Soon that was overpowered by the feelings of desire
rushing through him.  Miraculously unwounded in her flurry of whipping, his
cock rose full and proud in salute to her.

   Alesha sprang from the ground to the tabletop and leered down at the
captive barbarian.  She maneuvered so that her feet were on either side of
his hips and lowered herself down slowly.  Helmut looked down and saw the
inside of her thighs glistening with her juices already.  She slid onto his
rigid staff without pausing, sinking it so deeply inside of her that her
lips ground into his crotch.

   Helmut bucked up at her in surprise, his super-sensitive body responding
in a way he had never felt before.  Still racked, he could do little more
then enjoy each time she ground her crotch down against his, and be fearful
that with each upwards rise that she would leave him again unsatisfied.

   The warrior need not fear, for Alesha continued to work her dark powers
upon him while she rode atop him.  After an incredibly long time of Alesha
bucking up and down upon the stretched barbarian, she reached the end of
her low chanting.  The spell was in place, drawing much of her energy from
her and leaving her momentarily tired and limp atop him.  Feeling his
throbbing erection within her, Alesha surged back to life slowly.  She
ground herself against him, reviving her own lust.  All she needed to do
now was to finish the spell, but first she wanted to enjoy herself some
more.

   Helmut's eyes widened in pain filled surprise when the whip cracked
against his chest.  Alesha bounced atop him with renewed vigor, slamming
the instrument of torture against him time and again.  Instead of
distracting him from the pleasure of her pussy clamped tightly around his
manhood, Helmut found the sharp pain driving him closer to the edge.

   Knowing the time for the ritual to end was at hand, Alesha chanted the
final words of power and thrust herself rapidly up and down on his organ.
Denied release for so long, Helmut's cock raged with built up frustration
and erupted inside of her so forcefully she was flooded with his juices
nearly instantly.  Alesha moaned and continued to writhe on top of him,
caught up in her own throes of passion.  She found herself filling with
power as she drained the sexual energies from Helmut, further intoxicating
her.

   After several long minutes, Alesha realized that something was wrong. 
No man, no matter how tortured and starved for release, should be able to
orgasm as long as Helmut was.  She felt herself so swollen with power that
she could not contain it all.  She began to struggle and lose control.  She
continued to involuntarily grind herself against him, caught up in her own
looping orgasm.  She looked down to Helmut's face and saw him staring at
her with a smirk on his face and a look of calmness in his eyes.

   Upon making eye contact, Alesha's world disappeared around her.  She
felt her mind pulled into Helmut's eyes, and suddenly her awareness
exploded.  For a brief terrifying moment she felt as though she was aware
of everything.  She glimpsed at secrets and powers so vast that it dwarfed
her understanding of anything.  She found herself growing lost.

   "This is what you wanted!"

   Alesha heard the voice without hearing it.  For the briefest of moments
she felt that she knew everything there was to know.  Power, influence,
wealth, even worlds were there for the taking, all she had to do was will
it to happen.

   Mistress!  Beware!  You are losing yourself!

   That single moment which seemed to last forever to Alesha ended.  All of
the knowledge that she had been on the verge of possessing fled from her
like sand slipping through clenched fingers.  She came back into herself
and drew in a deep and painful breath.  She looked around and found that
she was laying on the top of the table alone.  Studying her surroundings
carefully, she saw that the door remained locked from the outside, and that
Helmut's blood was still upon both her and the table.  The thick leather
thongs that had held his arms and legs remained in place, though empty now.

   He is gone, Mistress

   Alesha looked at her sword and slowly sat up.  She grabbed onto it and
held it in her lap while she glanced around again, not understanding.  She
felt something unfamiliar and reached down to examine it.  Bringing her
hand up, she saw that for the first time since coming into her powers, a
man had managed to fill her so full with cum that she could not contain it
all.  She was exhausted, both mentally and physically, but she felt her
powers had swelled to a new level.

   "What happened?" Alesha asked, directing the question to Talifernon.

   He was a powerful being in disguise, Mistress.  His mask so great that
until he revealed himself just now, we had no idea.

   Alesha nodded to herself, remembering how suddenly everything had
changed.  She had been in control all along up until she looked into his
eyes and discovered a depth to them she did not know existed.

   "Who was he?"

   His power rivaled that of our Master, Mistress.  I know not what or who
he was, but he suffered your tortures and manipulations solely for his own
agenda.

   Shaken, Alesha stood up from the table and stood still for a moment to
make certain that she had regained her balance and enough strength to move
unaided.  When she was ready she strode to the door and called for the
guards to unlatch it.  When it opened, she walked through without a glance
at the guards, her mind twisting and turning with the implications of her
strange encounter with someone as powerful as the mysterious being that had
given her the powers that she had.

   The guards behind her glanced inside the room, expecting to see a badly
abused or perhaps finally even dead captive inside, as they had every other
time.  This time, however, they were stunned.  Looking at one another
first, the light elves studied the room carefully.  Seeing the room
completely empty, they again looked at each other, mirrored confusion on
their faces.  At long last shaking it off, they shut the door and barred it
shut again, each inwardly pondering the possibilities.

   *****

   Luingirth had bade them all hang tightly to his back then dove under the
water of the Endless Ocean off the coast of the large island to the
southwest of Belurian.  The swim was brief, given the dragons great speed,
and the quickly entered a large underwater tunnel.  The tunnel was brief,
rising back above the water line into an underground passage on the island
itself.

   As soon as Luingirth exited the water they were met by a scream of
outrage.  A dragon awaited them with five heads, each head and neck a
different chromatic color.  The immense cavern was lit by glowing gemstones
placed along the walls, floor, and ceiling.

   "Tiamat!" Kelnozz hissed, leaping from Luingirth's back to fall in the
water.  Nordan and Martin followed his lead, not wanting to be anywhere
near the legendary beast.  Luingirth roared a challenge at the chimerical
dragon, challenging it.

   By the time the companions had swam to the underwater shore, Luingirth
had blasted the white dragon head with its electrical breath weapon,
leaving it stunned and badly wounded.  Tiamat had grappled with Luingirth,
however, and the mythical creature used it's remaining four heads to bite
and tear at Luingirth's scales, as well as subject the noble dragon to
their own powerful breath weapons.  Luingirth was struggling to get away
from Tiamat but was held fast by the larger beast.

   "Help him!" Kelnozz called out, frightened for the first time in his
life for his friend.  He led the charge himself, both swords out and a
fierce look on his face.  Martin had his bow loosing arrows at the colossal
dragon, but they shattered harmlessly against its hide.  Nordan roared a
war cry to his God, Garrick, but the cry seemed awfully pathetic in
comparison to the roaring dragons.

   Martin was about to abandon his bow when he noticed the white dragon
head beginning to show signs of consciousness.  He took aim and fired arrow
after arrow at it, getting its attention.  His powerful bow managed to put
two arrow into the heads mouth, stinging it painfully, and then another
into a nostril, making the dragon snort and sneeze.  His final arrow bit
into an eye, penetrating deeply and making the head roar in pain. 
Luingirth's struggles timed in perfectly, catching the head with a rear leg
and pushing it to the ground to crush it beneath his foot.

   "Kel!" Nordan called out to the elf, who was hacking away at Tiamat's
leg to little effect.  He looked up to see Nordan motioning him back. 
Kelnozz looked up quickly to where Luingirth was being overpowered and ran
over to the barbarian.

   "What?" He asked sharply, anxious to return to help.

   "Hold your swords tight!" Nordan said, then before Kelnozz could ask
more, Nordan bent over and grabbed the elf's ankles.  In a second, Kelnozz
was upside down and Nordan held him in the air.  Still disoriented, Nordan
began turning around, faster and faster, swinging Kelnozz out farther and
farther from him.

   Kelnozz quickly figured out what was going on, and focused on keeping
his eyes on the five (four now) headed dragon to keep from getting dizzy. A
few more spins and Kelnozz was amazed Nordan could hold onto him from the
centrifugal force.  He had noticed a strange new belt Nordan had picked up
at Kaergothryl's lair, but had not thought to ask about it.  He wondered if
it was one of the rare belts said to grant the wearer incredible strength.
Well, more incredible then what that large barbarian already had!

   Nordan released Kelnozz, sending him flying towards Tiamat.  Luingirth's
roars of rage had turned to roars of pain.  Kelnozz knew him to be in
trouble, and he knew if what Nordan had planned did not work, they might
all soon be dead.  He looked straight at the dragon as the distance between
them rapidly closed.  With both his swords pointing straight out, Kelnozz
hit the mighty creature just above its shoulder.  The blades dug in deeply,
sinking all the way to the hilt.  The rest of Kelnozz's body crashed into
the side and flipped upon onto Tiamat's back, knocking the wind out of him
and cracking at least a few of his ribs.

   Nordan fell on his butt when he released Kelnozz, watching the dark elf
sail into the side of the dragon.  He grinned when he hit and heard Tiamat
roar in pain, two heads (green and blue) turning to see what had hurt it.
He tried to stand up, but found his balance was to far off, and he
collapsed back to the ground before he had even gotten halfway up.

   Martin dropped his bow and charged, bastard sword in hand.  He reached
the hindquarters of the dragon and began hacking at it, his new sword
cutting shallow wounds through the magically enhanced scales.  He worked on
the rear side of the leg, trying to hack and sever the tendons there.

   Kelnozz regained his senses in time to roll to the side and avoid the
blue dragon head as it snapped at him.  He rolled too far though, and
started to slide down Tiamat's side.  He reached out and grabbed the
closest sword hilt still embedded in the creatures side to halt his
descent. Scrambling back up, he tore the sword free of the dragon, making
sure he aggravated as much of the wound as possible along the way.

   Kelnozz then saw the green dragon head open its mouth in a way that
could only spell doom.  He sucked in a quick lungful of air and closed his
eyes before running forward blindly.  He could feel the poisonous gas the
dragon exhaled surrounding him in a cloud of reeking death.  Refusing to
breath or open his eyes, he moved by memory, hoping that Tiamat would be to
busy with Luingirth to be able to move much.  In steps he felt the angle
beneath his feet change, indicated he was close to where the five necks
sprouted from the body.

   Nordan finally regained his feet and shook his head one final time to
clear the last of the dizzying effects his spin had taken on him.  Stepping
into it, he threw his hammer as hard as he could, not realizing until it
was to late that he was then without a weapon.  The effects were worth it,
however, for with a deafening crash the hammer connected with the head of
the green dragon where it's upper and lower jaw met.  The head dropped
suddenly, stunned badly by the wound that shattered its gargantuan jaw. 
Nordan stopped running in surprise, then grinned like a fool at how
powerful the hammer Helmut had given him appeared to be.

   Martin heard the loud sound of thunder and looked up to see the green
dragon head fall stunned.  Seizing the opportunity, he charged over to
where it was hanging near the ground.  Looking up, he saw the damage that
Nordan's hammer had done and was momentarily stopped in awe.  Shaking it
off, he ran around behind the head and drew back his sword.  The angle was
awkward, as only the end of the dragons snout was touching the ground, but
with a few mighty swings, Martin had cut deeply into the side of the green
dragon head's neck and cause its blood to spurt forth in rhythmic caustic
spurts.

   Being so close to the source of the noise, Kelnozz was deafened.  One
sword, no vision, no fresh air, and no hearing, he did the only thing he
could do, he started swinging wildly.  He smiled in grim satisfaction when
he felt his sword bite into something, and continued to worry away at it
with the blade, praying that when he finally took another breath the
poisonous gas would be dissipated.

   Nordan ran forward, seeing his hammer on the ground not far from where
Martin was bleeding the green dragon head.  He reached out for it as he got
closer, in case he needed a last minute dive, and was shocked when his
hammer disappeared before his very eyes.  Before he could blink or finish
his surprised stop, it had appeared in his hand.  He was so surprised that
he dropped it.

   Staring down at it, Nordan opened his hand and willed his hammer to come
to him.  Sure enough, it reappeared in his hand.  He grinned, dropping it
and doing it again, all thoughts of the battle around him were forgotten.

   Forgotten until Kelnozz crashed to the ground near his fight, jerking
spastically as the final discharges of the blue dragon head's electrical
breath weapon played out their effects on him.  Nordan looked up and saw
the blue dragon head staring down at them, mouth just closing.  It opened
again and reared back to prepare for a lunge that would put both of them in
its maw.  Nordan pulled back his hammer and threw it again, calling out
Garrick's name in the motion.

   Kelnozz gasped in air in spite of the pain it caused his tortured ribs.
The lightning bolt had blown him off the dragons back, taking him out of
the range of the poisonous gas, but causing him further injury from the
electricity and the fall to the ground.  He looked up through a haze of
pain and saw Nordan's hammer connect with the blue dragon head, right
between the eyes.  His hearing was just returning when another thunderbolt
struck him deaf.  The blue dragon head fell, however, landing just shy of
them.  It was clearly slain, with the shaft of Nordan's hammer sticking out
of the large hole through the skull.

   Luingirth broke free of Tiamat then, beating his wings weakly but enough
to gain him some distance from the clutching arms and two remaining heads.
He was torn and wounded in many places.  However large the cavern was,
there was only so far he could fly, and he ended up landing behind the
companions and gaining a few moments respite.

   Kelnozz raised himself up, still clutching one sword in hand, while
Martin backed away from the now slain green dragon head.  Nordan summoned
his hammer back to his hand and grinned stupidly.  Tiamat turned to face
them then, three heads dragging but two clearly still fully functional.

   Martin ran around the guardian dragon and started hacking at the back of
its leg again, as he had earlier.  Kelnozz drew a dagger with his empty
hand, wincing as he forced two broken fingers to grip the hilt.  The black
dragon head turned to see what Martin was doing, while the red dragon head
studied Kelnozz and Nordan.

   "Fire, Nordan!" Kelnozz said, forcing himself to spit out the words in
spite of the pain to his chest.  "Red dragons breathe a cone of fire!"

   Nordan looked to the water leading to the tunnel but had no way to try
and drown the dragon.  He had no idea what Kelnozz was talking about, other
then telling him something every child knew from fairy tales.  "Get away or
he'll kill both of us in one breath!" Kelnozz said, pushing him to the
side.

   Nordan ran then, muttering something about Kelnozz's parentage.  He
threw his hammer in mid stride, hoping his luck would hold out.  The dragon
head dodged the throw, however, and instead a clawed hand reached out and
grabbed Nordan around the waist.  The barbarian was lifted high into the
air and brought closer to the dragon's mouth.

   Martin hid behind Tiamat's leg to avoid the black dragon head from
spitting acid at him.  What he wasn't prepared for was the dragon's tail
slapping him from behind hard enough to send him sprawling to the ground.
The dragon head took that chance and spat out a stream of acid at him. 
Martin tried to roll out of the way, but his right arm he left out to push
himself off with, and that arm was hit by the spittle.  Martin screamed in
agony as his arm was eaten off just below his elbow in a matter of seconds,
armor, gauntlet, and all.

   Kelnozz rushed forward as best he could, but found himself standing in
front of Tiamat at the same time that Martin was screaming.  He hacked at
what was reputed to be the softer belly of the dragon, but found this myth
to be untrue.  From centuries and longer of curling up on hordes of
treasure, Tiamat's belly had gems, coins, and small bits of metal imbedded
in it.  His sword still cut into it, but the wounds were small and no
threat to it.

   Roaring another challenge, Luingirth returned then, landing next to
Tiamat and catching the thick neck of the black dragon head in his jaws. 
He clamped his jaws shut and tried valiantly to sever the head, but
Tiamat's scales and muscles were to thick.  The red dragon head turned to
regard what was going on and it opened its mouth to spray its flames upon
Luingirth's body.

   Nordan knew it was his moment then.  The beast still clutched him next
to its neck.  He summoned his hammer back and swung at the might red neck,
smiling in satisfaction when his hammer connected and heard the sound of
bones crunching.  Nordan swung again, this time at the mighty fist that
held him.  It fell open in stunned pain and he fell to the floor heavily.
Picking himself up he ran towards where the red dragon head had fallen. 
With hate filled eyes the head saw him approach and snorted when he got
close enough, flames leaping out at him.  Nordan dodged to the side but
still felt his hair singed and breath taken away by the heat.  He jumped up
and scrambled to the top of the red dragon head, then swung his hammer a
final time, crushing the skull and slaying it.  Realizing it was soon to
lose the battle, the black dragon head sought to escape from Luingirth.  It
used its remaining forelimb to claw at him.  It's tail thrashed helplessly
as Luingirth slowly squeeze the life from it.  After several minutes, the
incredible beast lay still, slain by the four companions.  Luingirth took a
few steps away from Tiamat's corpse and sat down wearily.  He began to tend
to his wounds then, licking at them as a pet would.  In many cases his
scales had been rent to display torn flesh, and other areas were blackened
or damaged by fire and acid.  Martin was clutching the stump of his arm in
shock.  Fortunately for him the acid had cauterized the wound.  Kelnozz
walked over to Tiamat's body and was unhappy to see that the dragons body
had fallen so that it was laying upon his other sword that was still in its
side.  Scowling, he sheathed his remaining sword and dagger and limped over
to where Martin sat.  Nordan joined them a few moments later, still
grinning triumphantly.  "Now all we have to do is find the place to put the
keys to release the dragons," Kelnozz said casually.  Martin looked at him,
focusing on something for the first time.  "I just lost my arm!" He
shouted. "How in the nine hells am I supposed to fire a bow or ever wield a
sword again?  Enough with your dragons, I'm worthless now!" "Martin,
doesn't your grandfather have one arm as well?" Nordan asked, in far to
good of a mood to be disturbed by Martin's outburst.  "Yes, so?" Martin
spat out.  Then what he said hit him.  He began thinking about it said,
"This must be a sign!  Yes, that's it!" "Grandfather, I will not fail this
test!" Martin said, looking towards the heavens.  "I will prove to you that
I can survive this wound and be as great as you!" Kelnozz looked to Nordan
with a questioning look.  Nordan just shrugged and looked around the
cavern. A large tunnel led off from the back of it, easily large enough for
Tiamat to move through.  Nordan began walking towards it, with a limping
Kelnozz following after.  Martin stopped staring in fascination at his
injury long enough to realize they were leaving him.  He followed after,
leaving a curious but weary and wounded Luingirth behind.  "So that was
Tiamat?" Nordan asked after a few moments.  "I'd though Tiamat to be the
lord of dragons or something?" "Nay," Kelnozz replied, speaking softly and
slowly.  "Tiamat was the guardian the chromatic dragons left behind to
guard the seal and the good dragons.  A chromatic dragon of each color was
sacrificed in a great magical ritual to create Tiamat." "You could have
warned us it was there," Nordan admonished, even though his tone did not
sound angry.  "Aye, I could have," Admitted Kelnozz with an apologetic
smile, "but I forgot." Nordan stared at the elf for a moment incredulously,
then guffawed and clapped him on the back hard.  The scowl and groan from
Kelnozz reminded Nordan of his injuries.  Martin caught up to them, his
bastard sword gripped awkwardly in his off hand.  The tunnel continued on
for nearly a mile underground before it ended in an even larger cavern,
though this one obviously carved from the stone with its uniform sides and
height.  Easily 100 feet to the ceiling, it was five times that in
diameter. In the middle was a great ring made from mithril and carved into
the likeness of hundreds of dragons flying in a circle.  It was suspended
by mithril support beams extending to the floor and the ceiling.  The same
glowing gems that illuminated the outer cavern also illuminated it inside.
The glow was reflected in here by the hoard of wealth that had belonged to
the five dragons that had become Tiamat, as well as additional offerings
and tributes in the 6,000 years since.  Kelnozz wandered over to the hoard,
drawn by the promise of items and lore so old as to come from a time when
the elven peoples were one and far mightier in the magic then they had
since fallen.  Like a moth to a flame, he was drawn towards a long sword
that lay unsheathed amidst a pile of goblets, jewelry, silverware, and
other weapons of power.  He picked it up reverently, his wounds forgotten.
He was certain that it was Llarothimaril, the blade of the great dark elven
General Myragordamar.  The sword balanced perfectly in his hand, as though
it had been meant for him.  He nodded and placed it happily in the sheath
that had been empty at his side.  All the companions cast about the
treasure for useful items.  Martin found what must have been a heavily
enchanted long bow used by elven hunters from ages past.  He fumbled about
for quite a while before he was able to string it and replace his old bow
with it.  Neither Nordan nor Kelnozz had the heart to ask him how he was
going to use a bow with only one hand.  Finally finding nothing else that
they felt they must have, they turned their attention back to the inactive
portal in the middle of the room.  Kelnozz reached into the pouch at his
side and pulled out first the glowing white gem, then a black gem that
somehow emitted a black glow.  He studied the portal and saw that there
were places in it along the bottom where the gems were obviously meant to
be placed.  Trying each holder, he finally found the proper holders for
both of the gems.  Instantly there was a flash of light.  Kelnozz stumbled
and fell back from the portal, gasping in pain but not heeding it as he
stared up at the spiraling energies that now played across the portal and
emanated out from it.  He crawled backwards away from it and stood up
finally next to his companions.  Where the magical tendrils of energy
touched him and his companions, a soothing feeling came over them, taking
away their hurts.  They waited breathlessly, wondering what would happen
next.  After several long moments of nothing further happening, they
relaxed enough to look around the room and at each other.  Each marveled
that the injuries the others had received seemed lessened.  Kelnozz
breathed easier and was able to flex his hand without the pain of smashed
bones.  Nordan no longer felt the sting from the dragons breath as
fiercely. Even Martin felt calmed about his arm, though no signs of
regeneration appeared, the angry raw flesh at the end had begun to smooth
and knit itself into a stump.  "What now?" Nordan asked, letting his hammer
relax and lower.  "I'm not sure, I had thought that we could release one
type of dragon with each gem, perhaps we need all of them?" Kelnozz
wondered aloud.  Martin moaned slightly and collapsed to the ground then.
In moments both Kelnozz and Nordan were at his side, examining him.  Other
then the missing arm, Martin had no serious injuries.  "What's wrong with
him?" Nordan asked, noting how painful his arm injury must be, but still
surprised that Martin would be affected as badly as he was, especially
considering the healing effect of the portal.  "The shock of the wound, I
think," Kelnozz replied, equally surprised at the always strong but silent
ranger's condition.  "Come, there is nothing for us here, we must acquire
the other keys to the portal.  Let us take Martin to Innowendyn and
continue our quest." Nordan nodded and carefully scooped up the fallen
ranger into his arms.  Letting a lost longing look fall upon the dragon
hoard, the companions left the portal and returned to where Luingirth
waited.  Explaining what had taken place, they queried Luingirth as to what
he thought of the portal.  He was in agreement that all five of the keys
were needed.  As for Martin, he was as uncertain as the rest of them.  They
tried everything from shaking to slapping to dousing water on Martin in an
attempt to wake him up.  When nothing worked, Kelnozz finally relented and
sat down on the rocky ground.  Taking off his boot, he removed his ring
that enabled him to magically teleport to Loralost and placed it on
Martin's finger.  Searching through his pack, he finally found some rolled
up parchment and some charcoal.  He scribbled out some words on it, briefly
describing what had happened, then rolled the parchment back up and placed
it in Martin's shirt.  "What are you doing?" Nordan asked, confused by
Kelnozz's actions.  Kelnozz did not answer, but instead reached his hand
out and placed it on the ring on Martin's finger.  He whispered a few words
in ancient elvish under his breath.  Nordan gasped in surprise when Martin
disappeared, accompanied by a soft pop as the surrounding air rushed in to
fill the empty space he had once occupied.  "What did you do to him?"
Nordan said, alarmed.  "I sent him to Loralost," Kelnozz answered, putting
his boot back on and standing up.  "I had a magical ring that would succor
me to Loralost.  We could not get Martin out of here without traveling
underwater, which in his state, would surely have been fatal." Nordan
nodded, understanding what had happened.  "Where to for us?" Kelnozz
thought for a moment then headed towards Luingirth.  "Cuivegirth,
methinks." "Aye, time to kill another dragon," the grinning barbarian
followed Kelnozz to mount Luingirth's back.

   *****

   In spite of the alliance between the evil races and the chromatic
dragons, the humanoids fled in terror as the great form of Cuivegirth
settled down in front of Alesha's palace.  In a matter of moments Alesha
stood in front of Cuivegirth, hiding her displeasure at the dragon's tail
having crushed a nearby barracks.

   "To what do I owe this pleasure, oh great one?" Alesha feigned pleasure
at seeing him.

   "Thine friends hath breached two of the five seals.  Tiamat hath been
slain, it is nigh time they are dealt with!" Cuivegirth stated.  "Thou will
accompany me!"

   Alesha ground her teeth in rage.  Kelnozz was ruining her plans.  First
Kaergothryl, then Aglarond.  To discover that her worst fears were
confirmed caused her to see red.  "A moment only, mighty dragon," Alesha
said.  "They force my hand sooner then I like."

   Alesha summoned a page and after scribbling down some things on a piece
of parchment, she turned back to Cuivegirth and said, "My armies have been
set in motion.  They are not yet at full strength, but if my intelligence
is right, Kelnozz's forces are in even more disarray."

   Cuivegirth nodded and offered Alesha a step up to his back, then with a
snort of noxious breath, took to the air.  The spiraled up high into the
air before setting out on a southwesterly course.



























   Kelnozz glared at the unconscious form of his friend.  Unnaturally
strong due to his special nature, Kelnozz still had trouble pulling the
makeshift stretcher that the large barbarian occupied.  Resigning himself
to the work, Kelnozz redoubled his efforts and tugged anew on the crudely
lashed together branches.

   Nordan groaned when Kelnozz pulled the stretched over a rock and caused
it to bump into the ground.  The elf stopped and studied his wounded
friend. Hearing him make noise was a good sign, even if it was one caused
by pain.  He had been injured very badly when they had ridden Elluviatel to
the ground in less a landing then a crash.  The impact had paralyzed the
already wounded elder dragon, allowing Kelnozz the time to gather his wits
about him and see that while he was in pain from a dozen places, none of
them were mortal wounds.  He then set to dispatching Elluviatel with his
new long sword, marveling at how it sliced through the tough dragon hide as
if it were warm butter.

   Nordan had not landed as well, being thrown from the dragon when it hit
and bouncing off a rock before he came to rest by plowing a rut in several
yards of the hot sand of the desert.

   Kelnozz had then quickly determined that Nordan still lived, and
marshalling up strength he did not know he possessed, he ignored his
weariness and hoisted the barbarian over his shoulder and carried him.  For
2 long days he had trudged through the desert, resting as best he could
during the hottest hours of the day, and walking through the cooler hours
and the night.  After 2 days he was exhausted beyond even an elves ability
to comprehend.

   His luck held true then, for he noticed the sand was turning darker. 
Stumbling blindly through the 3rd night, Kelnozz found that the desert had
ended, tall grasses swayed in the gentle breezes, rubbing against his
knees. He plodded on, walking through subconscious will more then anything,
and only stopped when his balance betrayed him and slipped on a wet rock
under the surface of the stream he was walking through.

   Coming briefly to his senses in the cool water, Kelnozz grabbed Nordan
where he had fallen and hauled him back onto the shore.  Joining his
comatose companion, he fell asleep instantly.

   Waking up a few hours later, Kelnozz still felt exhausted, but when he
realized they had found water and escape from the desert, his spirits
lifted.  He had slaked his thirst in the river then tried to force Nordan
to drink some water as well, but he suspected his efforts had been wasted.

   With small trees nearby, Kelnozz set about making a stretcher for
Nordan, and accomplished it fairly easily.  The first one had fallen apart
after a few hours of pulling the heavy barbarian, but the second one had
lasted Kelnozz the additional 2 days it had taken him to encounter the
foothills he was now near.

   Checking the sun for both time and direction, Kelnozz cursed again.  He
was on the western edge of the desert, weeks from any civilized towns or
even roads.  Sanctuary lay 3 weeks to the east and north of the desert, and
he was easily two weeks from that point.  To the northwest lay the
Periphery, after another week of travel by foot.  To the south lay the
eastern edge of the desert and empty scrub land for many miles, turning
into a hard caked salt flats for even further.  To the West lay hills and
barren lands inhabited by fey creatures for many miles, and beyond them, a
swamp home to even more fell beings.  In the midst of the swamp a
settlement of tough humans had set up and flourished, however, so Kelnozz
figured that Nordan's only hope lay in that direction, though it was well
over a week of travel away as well.

   With the sun sinking for the day, Kelnozz set the end of the stretcher
he was hanging on to down and checked on Nordan again.  His color was still
very pale and his breathing remained shallow.  Scowling again, Kelnozz set
about to look for firewood for a campfire for the rest of the day.  Some
meat would do him well too, as he had been surviving on dried rations for
many days now.

   Kelnozz returned to where Nordan was resting with an bunch of sticks and
grasses under one arm and the other arm carrying a pheasant he had taken
down with a well thrown dagger.  He set flint to steel and soon had a fire
started.  A brief foray into the surrounding wilds with his sword earned
him more firewood, which he fed into the fire and soon felt its warmth
spreading.  He plucked the feathers off of the pheasant and soon had it
spitted for cooking.  It was then that he felt eyes watching him.

   Glancing around casually, as though still unaware, Kelnozz searched for
whoever it was that had come across them.  He saw nothing, even after
getting up and moving around a bit under the pretense of checking on
Nordan. Kelnozz turned the pheasant again, unwilling to betray his
instincts so quickly.  He closed his eyes and focused on his senses.  He
smelled the pheasant cooking mixed with wood smoke.  A soft warm breeze
blew through the campfire, bringing the promise of warmth and greener
grasses.  The crackling of the fire relaxed him, as did the grass and
leaves rustling against each other.  Nordan's breathing was so shallow that
even Kelnozz's elven hearing had trouble picking it up over the noise of
the tree limbs groaning with their own weight and the gentle breeze.

   Kelnozz's eyes flew open then, he looked up sharply, hands flying to his
longswords simultaneously.  A large leopard looked down at him, meeting his
gaze unflinchingly from where it rested in the crook of a large tree limb
overlooking the camp site.  Knowing it had been discovered, the leopard
leapt down from the tree gracefully and stood on the other side of the fire
from Kelnozz.  It yawned and stretched then, before laying down on its
belly, still facing him.

   Knowing a large cat to be a dangerous thing, Kelnozz eyed it wearily. 
He found it odd to see the leopard just sitting where it was, instead of
running off and hiding or attacking.  After a few tense moments, he sat
down again and returned to roasting his pheasant.  The leopard watched him
for a moment, then began to bathe itself with its tongue.  Kelnozz smirked
at the sight, but remained wary in case it's behavior suddenly changed.

   A few moments later Kelnozz judged the pheasant done, and pulled it away
from the flames.  The leopard's attention riveted on him as he ate.  In
spite of several days of unfulfilling trial rations, Kelnozz stopped before
the pheasant was gone and tossed what was left on the carcass to the
leopard.  The leopard sniffed it a couple of times, then scooped it up in
its mouth and hungrily chomped away at it.  The pheasant disappeared in
moments, leaving no sign of its passing save the pile of feathers that was
even now blowing away in the breeze.

   The leopard stretched again then rose to its feet.  Kelnozz's hands
rested cautiously near his long swords.  He rose to his feet when the great
cat moved closer to Nordan and began sniffing him, in particular his
wounds.

   "Back off cat, or I'll have more for dinner still," Kelnozz warned, his
voice low.

   The leopard looked up at him at the sound of his voice, head cocked to
the side questioningly.  It took a step back and then, before Kelnozz's
eyes, it seemed to shrink into itself.  It sat down on its haunches and
buried its head under its paws, mewling softly.  Before Kelnozz could do
anything, it began to shift and change before his eyes.  The fur grew
shorter at first, then the bones began to move and flow under its skin. 
Its arms and legs grew longer, and a different sort of hair, golden and
long grew out of its head.  When it looked up again Kelnozz saw the
features of a beautiful light elven woman.  She stood back up as the change
finished, nude but uninhibited.

   Kelnozz drew both his blades and hissed, "Be gone, shape shifter! 
You'll have nothing from us!"

   Her expression went from neutral to sadness.  "Hold, traveler, I am no
lycanthrope, I wish you and your companion no harm if you wish no harm to
the lands around you."

   "Not a were-creature?  Then what are you?  A light elven sorceress?"
Kelnozz spat, his voice thick with the tone of distrust.

   She sighed unhappily, her eyes looking to the color of her skin and then
his.  "I am a light elf, I grant you that, but I am no sorceress, I am a
druid."

   Kelnozz laughed sharply, "I should kill you now for the lies you speak,
if not simply because you are a light elf.  You have done me no wrong yet,
leave now and I shall let you live!"

   "Do I truly look so evil to you, warrior?  I have nothing, no weapons,
no armor, no clothing." She said, holding her hands out to show she was
indeed truly naked.  "Your companion is gravely wounded, I can help him if
you will let me.  You have shown me kindness, I would like to repay you in
kind."

   Kelnozz studied her carefully.  Her figure was slim and well toned, but
curvy enough to clearly impress her womanly charms upon any man.  Her
breasts were small, but among light elves that was common.  His eyes
briefly rested upon the golden tangle of curls where her legs joined,
wondering lewdly at the weapon she had down there.  He abandoned his
thoughts quickly though, focusing upon her eyes again.

   "Aye, you have no obvious weapons, but in a matter of seconds you could
be that cat again, or perhaps something even more dangerous."

   "No," she explained, "I can only take the form of each animal once a
day, I could become a bear, wolf, eagle, or many other things, but not a
cat again.  Such are the limits placed upon me by Carson."

   "Please, traveler, let me aid him," she said after several long moments
in which Kelnozz debated internally.  "He will not survive for much longer
if he's not cared for."

   Kelnozz knew the last to be true, but he also knew of Nordan's hardy
nature.  After a few more moments of thought, Kelnozz nodded.  "Alright,
help him, but I will be behind you the entire time, should you harm him in
any way, you'll be dead ere you can finish your work!"

   The light elf smiled thankfully at Kelnozz and moved closer to Nordan.
She straddled his body and bent over, studying him carefully, starting at
his face and moving down to his feet.  Kelnozz moved closer to her, both
swords drawn and ready to strike.  He watched her movements carefully,
trying not to become distracted by her exposure as she bent over
unashamedly.  Her rosebud winked invitingly at him, and her nether lips
were parted just enough to promise a sweet relief to be found inside.  He
shook his head to clear it of the wanton thoughts and watched her until she
stood back up and turned to face him.

   "I must gather some herbs to make a few poultices for his greater
wounds," She explained.  "Will you walk with me or trust me not to leave
you?"

   Kelnozz glanced to where Nordan slept.  He nodded his head and turned to
her, "I will follow you."

   The light elf smiled, "I am known as Jethallin, and while you are within
these lands nothing shall visit harm upon you or your friend."

   "How can you be so certain, are you in good with the orcs and light
elves in these hills?" Kelnozz retorted sharply.

   She turned to look at him, a hurt look in her eyes that quickly faded.
"Nay, warrior, I am a druid, as I said.  I have sworn to protect these
lands, from the edge of the desert to the south and the east to the swamp
to the west and the mountains in the north.  Nothing enters these lands
without my knowledge, and any bearing ill will to the inhabitants are dealt
with, harshly if need be."

   Kelnozz smirked.  "You're that powerful?" He said sarcastically.

   "Alone I am not, but with the help of the many animals within my
demesne, we are very formidable to those who would be the enemies of
nature." She explained.  As if to illustrate her point, they walked into a
clearing with 2 deer grazing in it.  The deer looked up and saw Jethallin,
and walked over to her calmly.  She smiled kindly as she stroked their
necks.  They seemed to enjoy the treatment, then caught the scent of
Kelnozz behind her.  Ears up, they snorted in fear at the stranger. 
Jethallin soothed them using words Kelnozz could not understand and by
continuing to pet them.  Finally she smiled to Kelnozz and motioned for him
to follow her.

   "I have a friend who could do similar things," Kelnozz said, beginning
to drop his hostility towards her.

   "A druid?  I thought we were few and far between, how is it you know of
one yet did not believe me?" She asked, genuinely curious.

   "My friend is a ranger, he serves Carson as well...  or he served him,
at least," Kelnozz said, his tone turning darker towards the end as he
remembered what had happened to Martin.

   "I'm sorry, has he passed on?" She seemed concerned and saddened at the
news, Kelnozz was thoroughly uncertain of what to make of the woman.

   "Nay, he lives on, but he lost his arm a week ago."

   She nodded.  "I understand.  If his faith is strong, he will overcome
it. Why Carson himself is said to have lost his arm long ago, a magical arm
crafted of metal replaced it, perhaps your friend is even closer to Carson
because of this?  Only the Gods can say."

   Kelnozz frowned at her religious talk, but remained silent, following
her deeper into the woods.  She stopped and bent over again to pluck some
mold from the base of a tree, and Kelnozz again found his eyes drawn to her
exposed sex.  He felt his blood beginning to warm, causing him to look away
and blush in spite of himself.

   "Will you tell me what caused those great wounds on your friend?" She
asked somewhat timidly.  She could sense the great hesitation in Kelnozz to
tell her anything, so she did not want to make him suspicious.  "I see you
have been wounded as well, but you hide yours better."

   Kelnozz started, surprised by her observation.  "Aye, it was a great
battle, but my wounds were lesser and I was able to move, so I had to do
what needed doing."

   She turned to face him, staring deeply into his eyes.  "Yes, that as
well, but I think you have a far deeper wound within you that I can't help
you heal."

   Kelnozz met her gaze without flinching, his first instinct was to grow
angry with her prying, but her openness and honest eyes quelled that urge
almost instantly.  He held her gaze without saying anything until she
turned away from him and knelt down in the middle of a patch of thorns. 
She felt around on the ground with her fingers until she found whatever it
was she was looking for, then sank her fingers into the soft earth and
pulled out a few tender roots.  She walked back to Kelnozz and Kelnozz
noticed that not only were her hands clean and free of any dirt, but the
thorns had not scratched or punctured her skin anywhere.  She smiled at him
and turned to walk a different direction into the forest.  Kelnozz glanced
back to the patch of briars before shrugging and hurrying to catch up with
her.  "My companion and I are were after something Elluviatel has.  He
caught us unprepared though, with four other blue dragons to back him up.
My friend and I ended up on Elluviatel's back, striking blow after blow
while he grappled with our other companion.  Finally his wounds were so
great that Elluviatel was forced to the ground, with us still upon his
back. My friend did not land as well as I did, and after slaying a mortally
wounded Elluviatel, I carried him out of the desert." Jethallin stopped
walking to listen to his tale, her eyes wide in wonder.  "You have slain
Elluviatel?  He alone has been a plague to me over the years, raiding the
lands I protect for food and sport!  He is one of the elder dragons!"
Kelnozz nodded.  "Aye, and our other companion was wounded greatly himself,
but he flew off, leading the remaining 4 dragons on a merry chase." "Your
other companion flew off?" Jethallin said, confused.  "Aye, he is a blue
dragon as well." Jethallin turned around again and began walking towards
her next objective.  She stopped after a few steps and turned around to
face him, her expression one of curiosity.  "Who are you?  No, wait, what
are you?" Kelnozz chuckled, real amusement instead of scorn.  "I am Kelnozz
Risingmoon, champion of the dark elven people.  My friend is Nordan, a
barbarian of clan Helmsmasher, and easily the mightiest warrior of his
tribe.  Your people know me well, for I have fought with them many times,
and it is my former companion that now leads them." Jethallin shook her
head.  "I am sorry, I know little of the affairs of people, whether mine,
yours, or other.  I remember stories when I was a little girl living in a
city far to the north of here inside the mountains you call The Periphery,
but little more then that.  I remember that light elves are evil, though
they did not consider themselves to be so, but little more then that." "How
did you know of Elluviatel then?" Kelnozz said, his suspicion returning. 
"I have tended this land for hundreds of years, Kelnozz.  Elluviatel is my
neighbor and has often troubled me, the animals knew and feared him, it is
through them that I learned of him and fought him." Kelnozz nodded,
accepting her explanation.  She stared at him for a few more minutes before
finally extending her hand.  "It is a great honor for me to meet you,
Kelnozz.  I pray that before you leave you will call me friend." Kelnozz
accepted her hand and shook it in a warriors embrace in respect of her
sincerity.  "Why is it such an honor, I am only doing that which I have to
do." "There is something about you..." Jethallin trailed off, staring at
Kelnozz but in a way that made him feel as though she was looking at
something behind him.  "Yes, you have a connection to this world and nature
stronger then any I have yet to see." Kelnozz shrugged off her comments and
said, "Be that as it may, Nordan weakens, we must help him, let us be about
our business." Jethallin studied him a moment longer before nodding and
smiling.  "I'm sorry, I've just never met anything such as you.  Of course
you are right, let's hurry." Kelnozz followed her as she gathered more
roots and herbs.  Several times he caught himself admiring her body in ways
that he felt he should not have been.  Even in the most jaded section of
the most jaded city the whores had some modesty.  Here was someone seemed
to completely lack it.  Or rather, instead of lacking modesty, she simply
did not understand what the concept was.  Kelnozz could not understand it
until they wandered by a coyote rolling on the ground trying to scratch its
back, it ignored them completely, instead focusing on ridding itself of the
itch.  It was at that point that Kelnozz understood.  Jethallin was like an
animal, she had been one with the wilderness for so long that she had
forgotten civilized notions such as humility and modesty.  She simply did
not realize that many of her poses and positions were causing Kelnozz
difficulties.  Kelnozz had thought she was trying to seduce him at first,
now he realized she was unaware of what her actions could be mistaken as.
Finally they returned to the campsite, Kelnozz had gotten lost in their
travels, but Jethallin led him back unerringly.  Once there, she used rocks
to grind the roots into a paste and took some water from Kelnozz's water
skin to make some poultices with the other herbs she had gathered.  She
wrapped them around Nordan's more serious wounds, chanting something under
her breath with each one.  By the time she was done, Nordan was already
breathing deeper and easier, and some of his color had begun to return. 
"My thanks, Jethallin, I admit to being wrong about you," Kelnozz said
after he checked on Nordan and saw that he was indeed doing better.  They
had built the fire back up some as well to provide some warmth for the
quickly approaching night.  "No thanks needed, I can see you've had a great
many injuries, most are none that I can help you with, yet I offer you what
peace I can.  All who enter these lands with no evil in their hearts are
welcome." Jethallin stood up from where she lay on the far side of the fire
and walked over to where Kelnozz sat.  She sat next to him and studied him
carefully.  "Nordan will awaken in two or three days, and after another two
days of rest he will be ready to move on, where will you go next?" She
asked.  Kelnozz smiled.  "Nay, if he will awaken on the morrow, he'll be
ready to move the same day, or at the latest the next one.  He's the
strongest human I've ever met, and he's probably the dumbest as well!"
Kelnozz said the last good naturedly, enjoying the chance to poke fun at
his friend without him being able to retort.  "From here we must search out
Elluviatel's lair to find what it is we seek, then we must set out for the
lair of Cuivegirth for something he holds.  After Cuivegirth we must set to
with Ancaruin for the magical key he holds," Kelnozz continued.  Jethallin
gasped slightly.  Kelnozz looked away from the fire to stare at her.  Her
expression was one of surprise and fear.  "What troubles you?" Kelnozz
asked.  "Ancaruin," she whispered the name as if to speak it aloud would
bring troubles.  "I know of him.  He is not of this world, he came here
when the world was young, the first of his kind.  If you seek to fight him,
be warned, he is not a part of Viconia and will not be destroyed by normal
means." Kelnozz looked to the sky, studying the stars through the canopy of
tree limbs above them.  He pondered again the wisdom in the course he had
chosen to follow.  So lost in thought was he that he scarcely noticed when
Jethallin curled up against him.  He idly wondered if she sought
companionship, but based upon her actions all day and even then, it
appeared merely for the sake of sharing warmth as the temperature dropped
rapidly for nightfall.  Kelnozz soon found his own eyelids growing heavy.
The pain in his side from the fight had faded to near numbness at long last
and now he was simply weary.  He let the weariness take him at last,
drawing him into the sweet oblivion of sleep.

   *****

   Kelnozz awoke to feeling someone curled up against his side.  He looked
around, gathering his wits to him and realized he was nude.  Not
remembering anything, he moved and Jethallin stirred beside him.  She
looked at him sleepily and grinned.  Stretching she rolled over and began
inspecting his side.  Kelnozz glanced down at it and saw that it was
bandaged with a poultice similar to the ones Nordan had on his injuries.

   "What happened?" Kelnozz asked, suddenly feeling the itching sensation
under it.

   "I woke up and noticed that you were cradling your side, when I checked
more closely, I saw how blood had soaked through your mail and tunic, so I
took them off of you and cared for your wound," Jethallin explained,
smiling at him and handing him a skin of water to drink from.  "Since you
didn't tell me about that wound, I suspected there might be more, so I
decided to find out for myself.  You had lost enough blood that you slept
through it all."

   "Well then, my thanks.  I would have healed on my own I believe, but
with your aid I do feel better." Kelnozz looked about until he located his
equipment, laying in a pile just behind him.  Feeling relieved at it's
proximity, he turned his attention back to Jethallin.

   She was staring at his body somewhat strangely.  "It has been a long
time since I have had the company of people," she said, looking up to his
eyes nervously.  "I...  um, I can help you more, if you'd like.  I mean, I
can help you heal some of the deeper wounds," She stammered out the last,
blushing in embarrassment.

   Kelnozz smiled, realizing what she was getting at.  To answer her, he
reached out and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply.  Thoughts of Alesha
rushed through his head for a fleeting moment, but he pushed the away and
forced himself to think only of the present.

   Jethallin returned the kiss, shy and timid at first, but after a moment
her enthusiasm made up for her lack of experience.  Kelnozz's hands roamed
over her body, exploring and groping her gently.  When at last he parted
the golden forest below and found the valley it hid, he found it already
damp and only waiting for his presence.  He gently parted her lips and
probed at her with one finger, testing her out by slowly sliding it inside
of her, deeper and deeper until he could reach no further.  She moaned
against him, trying to grind herself against his palm.

   With his other hand the dark elf reached around behind her and pinched
and pulled at her nipple.  Jethallin squirmed under his ministrations,
growing hotter by the moment.  After a few minutes of this, she growled and
pulled away from him.  Rolling over, she got on her hands and knees and
backed up to him, brushing her ass against his side.

   Never one to ignore the obvious, Kelnozz moved so that he was kneeling
behind her, his cock quickly coming to life in his hand as he directed it
towards his intended target.  Jethallin grunted when Kelnozz's cock began
to slip inside of her.  She thrust back roughly at him, surprising him by
her roughness.  A few thrusts later and she had taken all of him inside of
her.  She continued to thrust away at him, grunting and growling deep in
her throat like an animal caught up in the throes of ecstasy.

   Kelnozz found himself drawn along with her slide towards the more
animalistic nature of things.  He thrust himself against her harder and
harder, trying to pierce her deeply with his organic spear.  They rutted
against each other, each striving to gain control, all the while Kelnozz
fell more and more under her spell.  Soon all that mattered to him was
pistoning himself into her and unloading his strained balls of their
powerful load.

   It seemed to take forever, but happen to quickly.  At long last, Kelnozz
felt the familiar feeling begin to wash over him, but he was powerless to
do anything to slow or aid it.  Jethallin was growling loudly now,
thrusting her loins back against him forcefully.  Her pussy had spasmed
many times already, clenching and unclenching around his manhood.  She felt
Kelnozz's cock stiffen and swell more then it already was, and threw her
head back and howled.

   Kelnozz joined her by grunting loudly as he poured his seed deeply into
her womb.  They crashed into each other a few more powerful times before
Kelnozz's abused muscles gave in and he collapsed on top of her.  Jethallin
had no strength to hold him up with, however, and she collapsed to the
ground as well.  Gravity pulled them apart, for they were both sleeping
soundly from their exertions.

   When he awoke, Kelnozz found himself feeling much better.  More then
just physically, he felt as though a small part of his spirit had been
healed as well.  Rising to his feet, he gathered up his equipment and armor
and donned it.  Jethallin stirred herself and sat up to watch him.  She
smiled at him kindly, and looked to the sky.  Several hours had passed, and
now it was easily past the mid day.  She rose to her feet and wandered off
into the forest saying that she would gather some food for them.

   Kelnozz checked on Nordan again, and was amazed at his rate of recovery.
His wounds were rapidly healing.  His breathing had returned to normal, as
has his color.  Kelnozz was surprised he had not already woken, in fact. 
He set his mind to wondering at the strange creature that was Jethallin.  A
light elf that was different from her kind.  While possible, it struck him
as odd.  The way she had bucked and fought during their lovemaking had left
an impression on him as well.  She was certainly a creature of the wild,
for he could imagine two animals mating in a similar fashion.  He found
himself not really concerned about it though, for he felt great.  His own
wounds were nearly healed as well, and inside he felt much more light
hearted and optimistic about their troubles.

   "What did you do to me?" Kelnozz asked her when she returned carrying
various nuts and berries.

   Jethallin looked at him and smiled secretly.  "Sorry, it's a secret. 
All I can tell you that I put you back in touch with nature."

   Kelnozz nodded, thoughtful for a moment, then smiling and accepting it.
He knew he would not have settled for that answer a day ago, but whatever
she had done to him had made him trust her.

   Spreading out some leaves on the ground, Jethallin divided the nuts and
berries up between them.  Kelnozz frowned at the rabbit food, then shrugged
and ate it.  After their lunch, the druid checked and removed Nordan's
poultices, saying that he would no longer need them.  Kelnozz could tell
she was surprised at how quickly the barbarian was healing as well.  It was
during her ministrations that Nordan woke.  She gasped in surprise as his
hand grabbed her arm with the strength of iron.  He rolled over on top of
her and draw a fist back threateningly.  "Nordan, stop!" Kelnozz said,
leaping to him and standing in front of him.  Nordan looked at his
companion and relaxed a bit.  "Well met, elf.  You capture this light elf
or something?" "Or something," Kelnozz said, motioning for Nordan to let
her go.  Once he did, Kelnozz explained everything that had happened to
them after they had ridden Elluviatel to the ground.  "We must get the
key," Nordan said after he checked to make sure all of his equipment was
still with him.  He was missing a few items, but he still had his hammer,
so he was content.  "Aye, but we don't know where he lairs, and wondering
lost in the desert is not something I care to repeat!" Kelnozz said.  "I
can help," Jethallin said, speaking for the first time since Nordan had
risen.  "How?" Both men asked at the same time.  Jethallin looked from one
to the other and saw the companionship between them.  She also saw the
needs that drove them.  Both were destined for far more then they knew, she
could see that about them.  "The animals here and there know of where you
seek, they can guide you." "You won't come with us?" Kelnozz asked,
surprised to find himself disappointed.  "I can not leave my grove,"
Jethallin said.  Kelnozz nodded.  Nordan just shrugged, disappointed that
the naked elf would not be sharing his bed any time soon, but glad to be
away from a light elf, all the same.  He respected Kelnozz's trust of her,
but the elf had made bad decisions about women before.  Rarely, but it had
happened.  Then again, all of them were mistaken about Alesha...  and
possibly still were.

   *****

   They had left the next morning, guided to the edge of the lands
Jethallin granted protection by the druid herself.  Kelnozz found himself
expecting some sort of difficult good bye from Jethallin, but instead she
merely smiled enigmatically at him and bid them both safe journeys.  With
refreshed packs and water skins, they followed the coyote that would guide
them on their first day.

   Kelnozz felt he should keep his encounter with Jethallin to himself, but
that first night around the fire he found himself telling Nordan.  Nordan
was surprised to hear Kelnozz speak of such things, rarely did the elf
share tales of his exploits with him.  Nevertheless, he listened raptly,
for if Nordan could not wench and live vicariously at present, then he
would get as close to it as he could!

   Their guides for the next several days were varied.  A fox one day, and
a wolf the next.  A leopard led them, then a hawk.  Never the same animal
twice.  Kelnozz wondered if any, especially the leopard, were Jethallin
changed into an animal form, but none of the creatures showed any signs of
abnormal interest or intelligence to them.  It was their final guide that
cheered them all up, for a rabbit led them to a large grove in which rested
a blue dragon.

   "Luingirth!" Kelnozz cried out happily, rushing towards him.  The dragon
displayed what Nordan had learned was a dragon's version of a grin, though
it looked fearsome to the uninitiated.

   "Verily, friend," Luingirth responded, rising to sit proudly.  "It doth
me good to see thou both hath survived."

   "What of the dragons chasing you?" Kelnozz asked.

   Luingirth chuckled, another fearsome noise if not familiar enough to
identify.  "They do battle with thine people at Sanctuary.  I led them
there and escaped."

   "Guess you're not getting too slow in your old age," Kelnozz quipped,
climbing aboard Luingirth's back.

   "Thou hath well nigh 100 years on me, rogue," The dragon chided in turn
while Nordan joined Kelnozz on his back.

   "Ha!" Kelnozz laughed.  "To the skies, friend, we must plunder
Elluviatel's lair for the key!"

   With no more to say, Luingirth leapt upwards, streaking into the evening
air.  Unerringly, he flew them towards where they had encountered
Elluviatel the first time, and from there began to search for the dragons
lair.

   *****

   Kelnozz and Nordan had been gone for nearly a week when word reached her
through the animals she protected.  While sunning herself and idly rubbing
her belly after a refreshing swim in a pond a songbird began chirping out a
warning to her of Several men trespassed on her lands.  She tried her usual
tricks, trying to bend the forest and nature against them to drive them out
of it.  Their power was mighty, however, and they fought against it. 
Piercing the illusion, they began to lay waste to the lands, butchering any
animal they encountered as well as setting fire to trees and uprooting
smaller vegetation.

   Fearing the loss of any more wildlife, Jethallin decided to face them
herself.  She called upon mighty majicks of nature, rending the earth under
their feet, animating great trees as her allies, even bringing great storms
and thunderous lightning against them.  She felled many of the invaders,
but the man at their center was to powerful to be defeated, and it was his
wizardry that captured her.  She learned of their nature soon, they were
light elves, like herself.  Recaptured by her own people, Jethallin knew
better then to expect mercy.  She silently grieved not for herself, but for
all the work that had gone undone, as well as the unborn child of Kelnozz's
that she had conceived.  She had to use great magic to allow a dark elf and
a light elf to produce any offspring in the first place, for thousands of
years ago when the light elves altered themselves, they made it all but
impossible for the two races to interbreed.  Such power used at its
inception would surely show in the child and raise its own potential so
much more.  It would never grow to adulthood, never learn of its father,
and never realize the potential it would have.  The wizard claimed her as
his own, upon seeing her a light elf, and with powerful magic reached
inside of her mind and shattered her free will.  He bent her wants to those
of serving him.  It was Jethallin's last bit of power and free will that
enabled her to hide her knowledge of her early pregnancy from him.  She
hoped at some point the child would be able to escape the life of a light
elf.  With a newly submissive wife in tow, the armed band of light elves
proceeded towards Elluviatel's lair, to offer their services as guards if
he accepted, or if he had already fallen, to return word of it to Alesha.

   *****

   "My lady, Elluviatel has fallen," Jethallin's new husband said, speaking
into the magical rift he had summoned.  Alesha stood on the other side,
reacting calmly to the news.

   "Return to Mezarbolle, Lord Kinslayer, and join my army on the march,"
Alesha told him.  His powers were strong enough that even Alesha had no
intention of crossing him without a good reason.  She knew she could defeat
him if she had to, but it would not be easy and would leave her weakened.

   Alesha was troubled.  Nothing had happened since she and Cuivegirth had
laid their trap in the ancient lair of Tiamat.  Nothing until a week prior
she had suddenly felt something change in her.  Examining it closely, she
found her bond with Kelnozz had suddenly weakened and become tenuous.  That
bothered her, for she knew not what the implications were.  Even following
that bond did her little good, for his defenses were complete against her
powers, but she had hoped that she would be able to use that bond against
him when the time came.

   "They will try to plunder the key from mein lair next," Cuivegirth said,
rousing Alesha from her reverie.  Alesha nodded, knowing it would do them
no good, for even if they had defeated the guardians there, they would not
find it.  Cuivegirth had brought it with him.  "Should they outlive that,
then Ancaruin will be their final foe."

   "Why aren't we waiting back there then?" Alesha asked, knowing that
Kelnozz and Nordan would be unable to defeat a dragon as old and powerful
as Ancaruin.  Ancaruin was, in fact, the one being she had met that she had
absolutely no doubts as to who was the mightier.

   Cuivegirth hissed out an evil chuckle at her question.  "Thy companions
art filled with surprises."

   Alesha scowled at the poisonous gas the dragon exhaled by chuckling. 
She waved her hand and freshened the air in the cavern with her magic. 
Instead of responding she lapsed into silence, brooding over the lack of
action she was forced to take.  Her army was marshalling, she felt she
should be leading it.  Cuivegirth alone was no match for Kelnozz and
Nordan, however, especially if the rumors held true that they had a blue
dragon as an ally.  She wondered again how that had come to pass, but had
no way of knowing.

   Instead she resigned herself to lapsing into meditation and sending her
consciousness into the sword to speak yet again with Talifernon.  She still
had many things to learn from the powerful demon.  She also enjoyed helping
him torment the soul of Kallendel, which, though weakened closer to the
brink of madness each day, still resided within the sword as well.































   "Why aren't we going for the fourth key?" Nordan yelled from his
position on Luingirth's back to Kelnozz.

   "I think we can set some of the dragons free without having all five
keys," Kelnozz shouted back.  Luingirth ignored them, flying over the open
waters of the Swiftwater Sea in order to avoid discovery.  It added 2 days
of time to their flight, but that was a blessing compared to how long it
would take them to travel by foot or horse.  Nordan grunted, his acceptance
lost in the noise of the wind.  Kelnozz heard no more arguments from him,
so he shrugged off his large friend.  Kelnozz found his mind wandering back
to Jethallin, wondering how long it would be until he could seek her out
again.  He found the idea of a light elf that was not as her kin quite
intriguing, and wanted to learn more about her.  Far below, the crew aboard
a merchant ship spotted the dragon flying overhead and immediately went
into a frenzy of fear.  Terrified of what might happen to them, they were
relieved to see the blue dragon ignore them and fly on.  Extra watches were
ordered for a few days, but it ended up being an unanswered question in the
minds of the captain and crew as to why they were spared.

   *****

   Martin stood at the rail on the forecastle of the ship, staring at his
arm instead of the magnificent view of the sunset on the ocean.  The ship
he was on, Mistress of the Depths, was the lead ship in a fleet of 40
ships, a full 28 of which being deep bellied galleons carrying elven
troops, the other being elven cutters that protected the flanks of the
elven fleet.  He glanced away from the shining mithril lower arm and hand
magically crafted and grafted onto his skin just in time to catch the sun
dip beneath the horizon, flashing a brilliant green across the waters for
just a second.

   He had lain unconscious for nearly another day before the elven healers
had returned his senses to him.  Having lost his arm, Martin struggled to
find a reason to continue.  He considered himself handicapped so badly that
nothing could make him continue his pursuit.  A one handed archer?

   The elves had learned from him of the successes Kelnozz, Nordan,
Luingirth, and himself had achieved thus far.  Having obtained 2 of the 5
keys, as well as slaying Tiamat, had cemented the elves belief in the
group. The elven host was gathered and prepared to set out.  In gratitude
for his part the elven spellweavers and skilled blacksmiths had worked
night and day for nearly a month.  Martin was not told of their efforts,
and several times it was only his obligation to his friends and his sense
of duty that kept him away from the yawning black chasm of depression and
madness.  When he was presented with the gift, by none other then Queen
Galinia and King Yeorin, he was overcome with emotions, something dark and
self serving, but almost overwhelming him with their generosity and hope
for a return to normalcy.

   Martin was also conscious of how this resembled his own grandfather,
Carson Twoblade.  After the ceremony in which it was attached to his arm
and he began learning to use it, he was filled with pride.  Controlling it
was difficult for him, taking much concentration and still feeling phantom
pains from where his original hand had been burned off by the acid.

   While far from ready for action, Martin insisted on accompanying the
fleet.  Each day he trained against whatever elven sailor or warrior he
could find, trying to increase his control and strengthen his upper arm. 
Several times he had dueled with Marthollin himself, the chosen warleader
of the elven forces.  Martin knew Kelnozz would not be thrilled to learn of
that, but they would have to deal with it when it happened.  For now the
fleet sailed towards Trillindad, and from there would march to Silverton.
Martin had already arranged for the cutter he was on at the head of the
fleet to break off in another day and head towards the underwater cave
where the dragon portal was concealed.

   *****

   Another three days saw Kelnozz, Nordan, and Luingirth within sight of
the island under which the dragon portal was concealed.  They were also
within site of a ship approaching the island.  Swooping low with the sun at
their backs to conceal them, Luingirth took them closer to the ship so they
could determine what it was doing so far from regular shipping lanes.

   Luingirth's keen vision served them well, for he noted first the
presence of dark elves throughout the ship, and moments later, he was able
to identify Martin when he appeared on the deck.  Lacking the superior
vision of a dragon, they remained oblivious of the dragon rapidly
approaching them.  When the ships lookout spied the dragon, the alarm was
raised and the ship quickly made ready to defend itself.

   Not closing within the range of the elven longbows, they circled the
ship once, hoping that Martin and the elves would see Kelnozz and Nordan on
Luingirth's back, and then flew towards the shore and landed there to await
the ship.

   It took several more hours, but finally the Maiden of the Depths lay
just offshore at anchor.  A longboat was lowered and Martin, Marthollin,
and several other elves rowed to shore.

   "How is it you're back so soon?" Kelnozz asked Martin after they had
reached the shore and Martin, Kelnozz, and Nordan had all embraced each
other in greeting.

   "Upon seeing proof of your deeds, I marshaled the elven host.  As we
speak, they should be marching towards Silverton to set up camp and await
us," Marthollin said, puffing out his chest to show that he wore the crest
of Warleader.

   Kelnozz glanced at him in irritation, but withheld any further comments.
"Why then, are you here instead of there?" Kelnozz said.

   "We have come to greet the metallic dragons when they return, and until
then, to aid in the procuring of the keys."

   Kelnozz suspected Marthollin still believed he should be the rightful
champion of the elves, and he had come to try and prove that, as much as
anything.  All the better if he could make Kelnozz look bad along they way.

   "And you Martin, what happened to you?" Nordan spoke up, tiring of the
rivalry between the two elves.

   "In gratitude for our deeds, the elves crafted this magical arm for me.
It is similar to the legend of my Grandfathers.  I confess, I'm not very
good with it yet, but I'm working on it," He said, smiling happily for the
first time in a month.  Martin once again felt as if, with hard work and
dedication, he could see their quest through to the end.  Martin felt
useful again.

   "I am honored to see you have come as well, Kayala," Kelnozz addressed
the sorceress that stood beside Marthollin.  "With your magic to aid us, we
will surely prevail!"

   "Magic?" Nordan asked, sneering at the thought of it.

   "Kayala is one of the senior powers on Innowendyn, Nordan.  She is very
skilled with her magic, and like it or not, we need her to help us
accomplish that which is yet ahead of us," Kelnozz said, staring at Nordan
as if to challenge him to refute him.

   Nordan saw Kelnozz's look and bristled for a moment.  He turned to stare
at Kayala, finding it odd to think of her as 'senior', since she looked to
be quite young still herself.  Finally he grunted, annoyed at what was
being asked of him, but determined to keep an eye on her out of distrust.
Kayala smiled warmly at him, but it did little to settle his contempt.

   "Come.  The longer we stand and talk, the less time we have to reach the
cavern and place the third key," Kelnozz said, breaking the tension filled
silence.

   "You have the third key already?" Marthollin asked incredulously.

   "Aye, Elluviatel was loathe to relinquish it, but with a little
persuading we got it from him," Kelnozz said, smirking.

   "Bah, perhaps I'm not needed after all.  Innowendyn has some beautiful
lands, methinks I should retire there instead!" Martin let the others know
he was joking with a wink, but he was truly impressed with his companions
abilities to be able to defeat Elluviatel with only the three of them.

   Nordan continued to glower at Kayala the whole while, and she pointedly
ignored doing anything to further irritate him.  Luingirth lowered himself
so that all of them could climb upon his spiny back, then took into the air
and circled the island until he located the underwater passage in which the
dragon portal resided.  Kayala waved her hands in the air and mumbled a few
words, casting a spell that enveloped all of them and allowed them to
breathe while they were underwater.  Nordan stared darkly at her, murderous
intent in his eyes, but he stayed his hands while they had more important
matters at hand.  Luingirth then dove towards the water and within seconds
they had plunged into it, moving rapidly into the tunnel once again.

   *****

   "Alesha!  They come!" Cuivegirth said, rousing her from her meditation.
She scrambled to her feet, her sword coming to her hand as the water
exploded upwards and a blue dragon with riders flew out of it.

   The blue dragon landed on the shore and immediately five figures leapt
free from the dragon's back.  Kelnozz, Nordan, and Martin she recognized
instantly.  The other two dark elves she was uncertain of, however.  It
mattered little, however, for Cuivegirth had already unleashed his most
devastating attack on them, a noxious cloud of poisonous gas that served as
his breath weapon.

   Luingirth roared and returned fire, a bolt of lightning exploding
violently into Cuivegirth's raised forelimb from his mouth.  The female
dark elf struggled to get a spell off but was overwhelmed by the cloud of
gas, which sent her into a coughing fit so violent she was soon coughing up
specks of blood.  The other unknown dark elf was on the ground as well,
coughing and scratching at the rashes on his arms, as well as clawing at
the incredible irritation going on in his eyes.  Nordan and Martin both
dove back into the water the second they saw Cuivegirth begin his assault,
escaping it.  Kelnozz dove and ran off to the side, having already seen
Alesha standing there.  Holding his breath and running blindly, he cleared
the cloud before it could affect him.

   "Hello lover," Alesha said when Kelnozz had slowed to a walk only 15
feet away from her.  "Is it time for us to dance?"

   Kelnozz was saddened to see the changes that had overtaken Alesha. 
Standing there resplendent in her silver dragon armor, the look on her face
told him that her redemption was beyond any possibility.  He was surprised
to find that he was not more disturbed by it, and wondered for the briefest
of moments if he had Jethallin to thank for that.

   "If you'll not give up this course of action, then yes, Alesha, it is
time."

   Alesha sent her magic snaking towards him, testing his defenses.  She
found them all in place.  Grinding her teeth she said, "Very well, Kelnozz,
let's see how well your teaching was."

   Kelnozz drew his blades as Alesha came at him.  He parried her first
lunge, then ignored an opening in her defense as to easy and continued to
parry her attacks.  He knew she was better then she was pretending to be,
something was obviously amiss.

   Nordan and Martin both surfaced to see Luingirth grappling with the
older, larger, and more powerful green dragon.  They also noticed the two
dark elves trying to recover from the effects of the dragons breath weapon.
Kayala seemed to be doing better then Marthollin was, but even he had risen
to his feet and drawn his katana.  Both ranger and barbarian charged into
the fray, hacking, slashing, and crushing as best they could.  Marthollin
soon joined them, but his swings were weaker and his katana had difficulty
piercing the tough hide of Cuivegirth.

   Kayala had regained enough composure that she was able to finally cast
one of her quicker spells.  Picturing her companions in her mind, she
finished it and smiled in satisfaction as she felt it take hold on each of
them.  All three of them were alarmed at the tingling feeling that overcame
them, but when they realized that time had seemed to slow down slightly for
them and that they now moved twice as quickly as they had a second ago,
they renewed their assault.  All except for Nordan, who paused to look at
her and scowl.  The distraction proved costly, for Cuivegirth's tail
slapped him in the chest, sending him sliding across the floor and back
into the water.

   Alesha launched attack after attack, not trying to breach Kelnozz's
defenses so much as to try and get him to breach hers.  He had nicked her a
few times, taking her measure, but it was not the sort of injury she
needed. Growing frustrated, she slashed at his shoulder, knowing he would
deflect it.  When one sword came up and parried the blow, she spun inside
his guard and tried to drive her knuckles into his throat.  He batted her
arm aside easily with his other sword, her bracer saving her hand from
being cut off.  Alesha then kicked up at him, somehow driving her foot
through the space between her body and his.  Kelnozz flipped backwards,
landing on his feet a short distance away from her, unharmed.

   "I had expected better from you, Alesha," Kelnozz said, disappointed in
her offense.  Having wounded her superficially a few times, Kelnozz began
to suspect that her real power lie in her magic, not in her martial skills.

   "I'll have to try harder to impress you," Alesha responded, grinning to
show their fast and furious fight was not troubling her stamina at all.

   Using his questionable new hand, Martin found again that it held a
strength he was unaccustomed to.  Repeatedly he hacked into the side of the
dragon, his strikes not deep, but not shallow either.  Enough to cause the
dragon concern if allowed to continue unabated.  With that in mind,
Cuivegirth's tail swung at Martin next.  The ranger easily leapt over it,
however, and continued to poke and prod the dragon's flesh.

   Dragon blood fell on Marthollin where he stood, as Luingirth and
Cuivegirth bit and clawed at one another.  Cuivegirth was gaining more of
an advantage as time progressed against the smaller dragon.  Occasionally
Marthollin could get his sword to slip between the green dragons scales,
but even then the wound was typically slight.  It was only his
preoccupation with Luingirth that kept Cuivegirth from squashing Marthollin
like a bug underneath him.

   Kayala had tried a few offensive enchantments, causing freezing rays of
cold and lances of fire to strike the green dragon, but that dragons age
and power were such that her evocations had no effect upon it.  She looked
about desperately trying to come up with a way to use her magic for the
benefit of her companions.

   Alesha charged at Kelnozz again, an overhead slash aimed at him.  He
blocked her attack with his newer longsword.  Dropping low and lunging
forward, he sunk his old longsword deep into her belly, barely missing her
spine with the tip when it protruded from Alesha's back.  The wound was
still mortal, she simply was not paralyzed.

   Kelnozz looked up at her, expecting to see something in her face. 
Shock, pain, outrage.  He was not sure.  What he saw was her smiling at him
confidently.  A little surprised himself, he stood up and pulled at his
sword.  It remained stuck in her belly, refusing to yield to his desire to
retrieve it.  Alesha laughed, drawing his attention back to her eyes. 
Before he could react, she spun rapidly and landed a solid kick to the side
of his head.  Kelnozz lost his grip on his sword and fell to the ground,
stunned as much by the impact as what had just happened.  Alesha walked
over to stand above him, her short sword vibrating in her hand as she
positioned it above the prone elf.

   "My armies are marching, Kelnozz," She said, smiling triumphantly at
him. "You and your friends have failed, nothing will stand in my way. 
Aren't you at least a little bit proud of me?"

   Nordan climbed out of the water then, just in time to see Luingirth
knocked back by a powerful swing from Cuivegirth's clawed forelimb.  Scales
and blood flew and Luingirth fell backwards into the water.  Nordan
silently thanked Garrick for letting him get out of the water before the
dragon crashed in on top of him, then turned back to the battle.

   Marthollin had run out of free attacks, Cuivegirth snatched him up in
one mighty hand and raised him up high.  Still holding his katana,
Marthollin stared in terror at the dragons maw as it opened up.  At the
last moment he remembered his sword, but his fingers were numb and weak
with panic, and by moving his arm the sword fell to the ground to clatter
against the stone floor.  A moment later Cuivegirth's needle sharp fangs
descended over Marthollin's shoulders and chest.  The elf was decapitated
and tossed to the ground before he realized what had happened to him.

   Dropping down so that all four limbs were on the ground, Cuivegirth
kicked out at Martin next, catching him a glancing blow that was still
powerful enough to spin the ranger around and send him staggering away from
him.  Martin stumbled into Tiamat's corpse, somehow magically preserved,
before he regained his balance.  By then Cuivegirth's attention had turned
to Kayala.

   Kayala sent five magical missiles of energy streaking at the green
dragon's eyes, trying to blind it.  The dragon dodged two of the motes and
took the other three on its cheek, with none of them showing any injury to
it.  Nordan screamed out a guttural challenge to the beast and threw his
hammer at its head.  Expecting little to bother it, the dragon took the
strike from the hammer on the same cheek the magic had struck.  The power
behind the throw and the magic of the hammer was obvious at once, for the
dragon's head jerked back from the force and the pain and it made the
telltale sound of crashing thunder when it hit.

   Seeing a chance to help, Kayala turned to Nordan and cast another spell.
This one allowed him to fly.  He looked at her in disbelief that she
continued to cast magic on him and disbelief that his feet were not
touching the ground.

   "Just think of where you wish to go and it will happen!" She yelled at
him, pointing up at Cuivegirth, who had recovered from the hammer throw and
was about to launch another assault at them.

   Nordan looked back up and saw the dragon preparing to unleash its breath
weapon at them again.  He held out his hand and with a thought, summoned
his hammer again.  Throwing it as hard as he could, he watched Cuivegirth's
opened mouth about to exhale on them.  In slow motion it seemed, the hammer
flew through the air end over end.  Cuivegirth saw it coming to late to
dodge it, and the hammer impacted squarely with the bridge of scales
between the dragons nostrils on the tip of its snout.  It's head rocked
upwards in pain from the impact, the poisonous cloud of gas exhaled safely
towards the ceiling of the cavern.

   Luingirth emerged from the water then, worse for wear but not out of the
fight yet.  He lunged forward and caught Cuivegirth around the neck with
both taloned hands, then he tried to crush the green dragons throat by
biting down on it.  The dragons hide and muscles were to thick and strong
to be crushed so easily, but Luingirth kept up the pressure, trying to saw
away at him.

   Nordan took to the air with a great trepidation.  When he did not fall,
he continued upwards, summoning his hammer and aiming for the dragons head.
Cuivegirth had blood running freely from his broken snout, but was more
concerned with Luingirth trying to choke him.  Cuivegirth's hands tore and
pounded into Luingirth, exacting a terrible toll, but unable to break the
determined blue dragon away.  Cuivegirth's eyes glared at Nordan with a
baleful light when the beast saw the barbarian rapidly approaching it. 
Nordan laughed at the green dragon and called out to his God before
unleashing his most powerful swing yet.

   Luingirth quit gnawing on Cuivegirth's throat when he felt the dragon
shudder and go limp in its arms.  Letting go, Luingirth sat back on the
ground and watched Cuivegirth collapse and lay beside Tiamat, a great
blackened and smoking hole in the dragons forehead.  Martin glared at them
angrily, having just vacated the area mere moments ago himself.  Nordan
floated down a moment later and looked to Kayala, who stood there watching
with a numb look on her face.  Nordan nodded once then turned to see how
Kelnozz fared.

   Kelnozz kicked out with his foot, tripping Alesha just as she began her
downward plunge with her sword.  Her intent had been to capture Kelnozz's
soul right alongside of Talifernon, for in spite of everything, she still
strove to keep the elf close to her.  Her plans backfired right then,
however, for he was not as stunned as she had thought.  With the tables
reversed, she found herself laying on her side, propped up by the sword
still transfixed in her belly.  She struggled to bring her powers to bear,
but the strain of trapping Kelnozz's blade and continuing to function
without it hindering her had weakened her too much.

   "Proud?  Ha!  You took the easy way out!" Kelnozz held his remaining
blade at her throat now, behind him Alesha could see Nordan, Martin, and
the dark elven sorceress approaching.  She sent out thoughts to them,
begging both for help.  Hearing and feeling nothing, Alesha was certain her
powers were drained and that she was doomed.

   'I need your help one more time,' Alesha pleaded in her mind, reaching
inside herself and opening up the strange communication she shared with the
being that had given her the powers she used.

   'Who is your master?' The voice returned instantly, as if waiting for
this moment of total surrender.

   'You are!' Alesha pleaded, terrified of the look of fatality she saw in
Kelnozz's eyes.

   'Who am I?'

   The world seemed to slow down then.  Alesha was unable to respond, but
was instead transfixed upon Kelnozz raising his blade up and beginning a
downward swing towards her.  She knew she would not be able to stop this
cut from slaying her.  Her breath caught in her throat when all of a sudden
the tip stopped, scant inches from her neck.  Looking up the blade and his
arms, she saw Nordan had grabbed the elf's arm and halted his strike.

   "What are you doing?" Kelnozz demanded, his attention diverted.  Nordan
looked around, as if lost in a daze.  He shook his head to clear it and
looked oddly at Kelnozz's arm, which he held in his hand.  Confused as to
his actions, Nordan let go and took a step back.

   The added time was all that Alesha needed.  Reaching deep within herself
she discovered that she had suspected and knew the answer to the question
all along, she merely had to find it.  "You are Bavorish, my Lord and
Master!"

   Kelnozz heard her make her declaration and then heard the clanging noise
below him.  Looking down he saw Alesha had disappeared, but his sword had
fallen free to the ground.  Looking about sharply, he saw nothing to show
where she had gone.  After a moment of suspicion, he reached down and
picked up his fallen sword, adopting his two weapon stance again.

   "Where'd she go?" Martin said, clutching his mithril arm in his left
hand to help him hold it up.

   "I don't know," Kelnozz said.  "Any ideas, Nordan?"

   Nordan had the grace to be embarrassed by the accusatory look Kelnozz
shot his way.  "Nay, she is gone."

   "But where?" Kayala said, walking up to them as well.

   "Her own powers weren't great enough to save her, she had to call upon
her God to get her out of this," Kelnozz said.  "Where would he put her?"

   "You want us to think like a God?" Martin said, chuckling.

   "Let me see your sword, I may be able to find her if I use her blood
which is on it to track her," Kayala held out her hand to Kelnozz.

   The dark elf offered his blade to her, but instead of taking it, Kayala
ran her fingers along the flat side of the blade, gathering up much of the
blood Alesha had left behind on it.  She then began chanting for several
minutes, making arcane gestures in the air every so often.  At long last
the blood on her fingertips began to glow.  She turned around in a complete
circle, as well as pointing her fingers both up and down.  At last she
canceled the spell.  All of the blood on her fingers had disappeared.

   "Where is she?" They all asked at once.

   "She is not on this world," Kayala said, her voice weak with exhaustion.

   They all looked to each other, trying to see if anyone had any thoughts.
None of them did.  Kelnozz then noticed Marthollin was not standing with
them, nor was Luingirth.  The dragon was easy to find, he was laying over
near the water, tending to his wounds, but Marthollin he did not see.

   "Where is the prince?" Kelnozz finally asked.

   Kayala closed her eyes and shook her head.  Kelnozz sighed.  While he
had not liked the man, by no means had he wished for him to be slain.  "A
pity, for who now is the Warleader of the elves?"

   "He lived his entire life in your shadow, Kelnozz," Kayala said.  "He
hated you, but at the same time he worshipped you.  He wanted to be you so
badly that he was always overextending himself, thinking he could and
should be doing the same things you were.  It was only a matter of time
before this happened."

   Kelnozz nodded.  "Aye, but now is a bad time for it to happen.  I found
him irritating, but he would have been useful in the upcoming battle.  With
him gone, the elves may withdraw their armies altogether."

   "Cowards!" Nordan spat out, sneering at the thought.

   "I can raise the resistance to aid us," Martin said, letting his arm
hang limply at his side now.  "But I'll need some time."

   "Time we don't have, we must put the keys in the portal and make do with
whatever dragons we can free," Kelnozz said, looking back to where
Cuivegirth's body was next to Tiamat's.

   "The elves will stay and fight for one other person...  they will fight
for you, Kelnozz," Kayala said, staring deeply into his eyes.  "You are the
chosen one.  The champion of the elves.  They would have followed you
before even Marthollin."

   "I must find Alesha, that is more important then anything else.  As long
as she lives, she is a threat to this world in a way that none other can
be," Kelnozz explained to her.

   "She's not on this world, lad, you heard her!" Martin pointed out.  "If
she's not on this world, how can she be a threat to it?"

   "If she got here once, she can get back," Kayala said.

   "There's an army marching as we speak, the longer we tarry, the more
good people die," Kelnozz said, snapping them out of their debate and
returning their perspectives.

   "I saw a ring on the dragon's finger that I believe was the green key,"
Kayala said, remembering when it had caught her attention during the fight.
"He was so concerned about leaving it unguarded that he brought it to us."

   Nordan chuckled at the thought, then remembered who had said it and
sobered up immediately.  He scowled at Kayala and turned to head towards
the dragon to collect the key.  Kelnozz chuckled at his actions and brought
the others with him to join the barbarian.

   After prying it free of the ring with a dagger, Nordan handed the key to
Kelnozz and they all followed the elf back into the room with the portal in
it.  Kelnozz studied it carefully, rippling energies still played across
its surface, announcing great magic at work.

   Kayala gasped in pleasure.  The others looked at her, wondering what she
was so interested in.  She had already begun running to the horde of
treasure Tiamat had laid claim to.  Scattered throughout it were books. 
Books containing lore and magic from ages lost to time.  Studying the gems
and the empty holders for a moment, Kelnozz slipped the sapphire key into
place and then the emerald key.  With this first key the energies doubled,
at times stabilizing enough to show a picture of another realm.  With the
fourth key placed in it, the picture resolved itself to be much clearer. 
It showed a barren land teeming with hordes of dragons.

   The dragons were of a type that none of them had ever seen before,
however, for they had the colors of brass, bronze, copper, silver, and
gold. At a distance, they appeared to be made from flowing metal of the
appropriate types.  In a word, they were beautiful.

   A large golden dragon leapt from where it sat upon the ground in front
of the gate and flew towards them.  It then passed through the gate,
landing lightly in front of the four.  It surveyed all of them, noting that
two of the four were dark elves, while the other two were human.

   "Why hast thou not ended our banishment?" The dragon spoke in the nearly
forgotten language of the elves from the time when they were all one race.

   Nordan and Martin looked to each other in confusion.  Seeing their look,
Kayala invoked a spell that allowed them to understand what it was the
dragon was saying.

   "Mighty dragon, we have recovered four of the five keys from your
chromatic cousins.  The fifth is guarded by Ancaruin himself, grown so
mighty that it will take an army to defeat him, if even then," Kelnozz
said, speaking in the same tongue.

   "Ancaruin...  I remember him well.  Eldest of us all, he came from
another world at Bavorish's bidding to aid him in stabilizing life and
magic on this world.  Know thou then this, I am Fyrentennimer, sent here by
Bahamut many years past to keep a balance upon this world.  We were
defeated, and since then we have all languished, out of balance with
nature."

   "We will aid thou in the slaying of Ancaruin, but until the fifth key is
procured, each of us can only withstand the calling of our prison for so
long.  The more powerful the dragon, the longer we can withstand it, but
some of my brethren will be able to spend little more then a few days or a
week away from it.  Tell me, quickly, of what goes on, then I shall return
to gather my brethren to aid thee."

   Looking to his friends, Kelnozz launched into a story describing what
they were up against.  From Alesha's army to the chromatic dragons aiding
them, including Ancaruin himself.  When they were finished, Fyrentennimer
promised their aid again, and retreated back into the portal.  Looking
through it, they saw the dragon speaking with the other dragons, relaying
the story to them.  Of varying sizes and colors, the dragons seemed all
intent upon joining the fight.  Soon, Fyrentennimer returned and they
planned on how they would go about returning the dragons.  Kayala sighed
unhappily to leave the books undiscovered, but contented herself to take a
couple of them anyhow.

   A fight nearly ensued when Luingirth was discovered to be napping in the
outer chamber of the cavern.  Only by carefully explaining Luingirth's role
was Fyrentennimer placated.  Soon after, they had returned to the surface
and sat upon the island, waiting as more and more dragons came through the
portal.  In a few hours, every dragon that possessed the strength to pass
through the portal had done so, though some of the younger and weaker
bronze dragons already showed signs of being weary.  Marthollin's body was
returned to the cutter, with instructions for it to return to Innowendyn
with the news.  As soon as that was accomplished the two elves, two humans,
and countless metallic dragons took to the skies and aimed for Silverton
and a quickly approaching war.

   *****

   Ancaruin roared in outrage.  He had felt it clearly, the 3rd and 4th
keys had been placed in the dragon portal, all but freeing his metallic
cousins.  He exploded fourth from his lair, catching many of the giants
that lived as his servants unaware and slaying them in his haste.  Taking
to the skies, he flew to the south, easily tracking Alesha's army.

   Alesha.  It had been her all along that had caused this to happen.  She
had forced the hand of her companions, turning the favor of the Gods into
their hands.  Ancaruin snorted in mid air, great flames jetting from his
nostrils.  The Gods were nothing, he could best any of them, so long as he
fought them one at a time.  They were foolish to trust Alesha with running
their armies.  Had they waited and shown the patience that any dragon earns
with age, they would have known better then to push things ere everything
was in place.

   Ancaruin descended upon the army, a great and terrible shape looming out
of the sky.  They fled before him, terrified of his greatness in spite of
knowing they served him.  Summoning the commanders of the army, he told
them he was taking over, and they were marching south.  The elves dared to
gather an army, and the good dragons sought to end their banishment
prematurely by betraying the agreement.  Lies, in total or in part, they
served Ancaruin well by forging the armies together in hatred of the goodly
aligned folk.  The other chromatic dragons in the army snorted and rent the
earth with their rage at the news of the metallic dragons.  Battle would be
joined, and soon.

   *****

   Alesha awoke, drawing in a deep shuddering breath.  She was laying in
some warm water, and could not place herself.  A gasp of surprise caused
her to look to the side.  Her little brother was standing beside the tub
she was laying in, forgotten tears running down his cheeks.  His mouth was
hanging open, afraid to speak.

   "Brian, what's the matter?" She asked, remembering clearly all of a
sudden where she was and what had happened.

   "Y....you...  you're not dead!  The blow dryer fell in the tub and you
started twitching and then the lights went out and then you kinda
disappeared for a second, but now you're here...  except...  you're
different.  You look different.  And you have clothes on?" The boy was very
confused.  He had seen his sister naked before, in fact, he often tried to
peek on her when she was showering or bathing or sleeping nude.  He would
masturbate if he could, or if not, he would fantasize about her laying
their nude later and masturbate.  But this time he felt he had killed her
by trying to pick on her and see her naked, he had felt terrible.

   Alesha looked around, remembering everything.  She looked down at
herself and saw the armor she still wore, as well as the sword clenched in
her hand.  At the foot of the tub, she saw her hair dryer, laying in the
water.  She smiled reassuringly to her brother and stood up from the tub
slowly, hiding the sword behind her back.

   "Turn around, Brian," Alesha said, sheathing her blade after he had done
so.  She quickly undid the straps and buckles on her armor, doing
everything by hand because she was afraid of what would happen if she tried
to use her magic.  In moments, she stood naked behind him anyhow.

   "Okay, you can look now."

   Her brother turned around and looked at her.  His eyes were even wider
now.  He had wondered sometimes whether she had teased him by letting him
catch glimpses of her naked from time to time, but never anything like
this. "God you're beautiful!" He whispered, his eyes darting back between
her magnificent breasts and her hairless pussy.

   "I'm okay, Brian, here, let me prove it to you." Alesha sank to her
knees in front of her 18 year old brother and pulled his shorts down.  His
cock was already growing hard in his underwear, making it even easier to
fish out then normal.  Alesha licked up and down it a few times before
opening her mouth and swallowing it down in her throat.  Brian's instincts
took over.  Feeling the wonderful sensations Alesha's warm and moist mouth
and throat created, he started bucking against her face.  A tiny voice in
his head said that what he was doing was wrong, but he ignored it.  The
same voice then warned him that he might be hurting his sister, but he
ignored that too.  It helped when Alesha moaned encouragement around her
phallus pacifier.  He groaned and rammed harder into her mouth, exploding
violently into her throat.  Alesha pulled him back and left just the tip of
his cock in her mouth, sucking every last drop of sperm out of him that she
could.  A few moments later, she kissed the tip of his cock and smiled at
him.

   "Thanks Brian, I needed that!" She said, turning and picking her armor
and equipment up.  Seeing her bent over in front of him, exposing her pussy
and asshole to him, sent a surge through her virgin brother.

   Without realizing that he had done it, Brian moved behind Alesha and
grabbed her hips.  She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled wickedly.
"Not done with me yet, are you?"

   "Huh uh," Brian said, guiding his cock into the slick folds of her
pussy. Alesha pushed back against him, and in moments Brian had his first
feeling of a warm and tight pussy wrapped around him.  He bucked against
her like a madman, the blowjob already forgotten.  A little longer this
time, but not much, and he was filling her quim with his boy cream.  Alesha
moaned and had her own miniature orgasm when he did, drawing as much
pleasure out of it as possible.

   "That's enough, brother, anymore and your parents might find out,"
Alesha winked at him and gave him a passionate kiss before leaving the
bathroom and heading for her own bedroom.  Brian swooned and had to sit
down on the toilet to deal with what had just happened.  He played it
through his head and could not believe it.  Nor could he believe that he
had another hard on in his lap just screaming for attention.







































   Two dragons were downed, stricken by ballista bolts, and the others
desperately flying higher and faster in an attempt to avoid the withering
fire from below.  Kelnozz and Martin spiraled down on the back of Luingirth
and Fyrentennimer, dodging ballista, catapult, and crossbow quarrels alike.
In hopes of reaching Silverton as quickly as possible, the metallic dragons
had flown in a direct route from the island under which they had been
imprisoned.  Crossing over a rift in the ground, they had been attacked by
the large kingdom of dwarves that lived there.  Dwarven workmanship was the
finest in the land and their catapults, ballista, and siege engines used
against the good dragons proved it.  The great speed and altitude of the
dragons quickly took them out of harms way, with a few injuries and minimal
casualties.  Nordan and Kayala led them onwards to Silverton, where they
hoped to join forces with the barbarians and elves.  Kelnozz and Martin
landed on the ground just outside the range of the dwarven crossbows at the
gates of Rifton.  They dismounted from the dragons and slowly walked
towards the gates, arms held out to show they held no weapons.  Both
Luingirth and Fyrentennimer waited for them.  "Halt!  Who be ye?" A dwarf
called out from the gate when they had closed to 50 paces from the dwarven
city.  "I am Kelnozz Risingmoon, champion of the lost elves of Innowendyn,"
Kelnozz called out in response.  "Martin Twoblade, ranger of the lands and
friend to the resistance!" Martin called out, holding his mithril arm with
his other in what had become a nervous habit.  "Ye can leave now, ere we
kill ye and yer pets, we've nothing to do with dragons!" The dwarf called
out to them.  Kelnozz bristled at the surly dwarf, but kept quiet so that
he did not insult them with his sarcastic response.  "Good dwarf, we wish
you no harm!  Indeed, we seek the aid of the dwarves of Belurian, great
things happen and a war is brewing, to stand aside is to be swept away,"
Martin said, seeing Kelnozz on the verge of saying something that they
might regret.  They faced a stony silence for several long minutes.  Enough
time passed that they were about to turn away, considering themselves
refused, when the gates opened and a company of ten dwarves marched out. 
Only standing four and a half to five and a half feet tall, dwarves were
quite short.  Insulting a dwarf because of that was considered a bad idea,
however, for in spite of their stunted size, they more then made up for it
in their stocky strength, tenacity, and ferocity in battle.  Thus the
company of dwarves that came out to meet them was taken very seriously by
both Kelnozz and Martin.  "Follow us, ye get to meet King Throin," one of
the dwarves said.  Kelnozz reached to his weapon belt and began to take it
off.  "What ye doing that fer, elf?  If we wanted yer weapons, we'd take
'em from ye!" The dwarf said casually.  Kelnozz raised his eyebrows but
shrugged and refastened them.  He looked back to the dragons and nodded to
them to indicate everything was okay.  Then he turned and followed the
dwarves into the town of Rifton.

   *****

   "My lord Vallanius, we've broken through the western flank," The dark
elf messenger said to the temporary commander of the elven army.

   Vallanius acknowledged the messenger with a smile and said loudly enough
for all of the messengers to hear, "Return and tell them to hold the
breach. Have the eastern flank withdraw slowly, the van will stay and cover
the eastern flank as they retreat."

   They saluted and sped off, relaying orders quickly.  Vallanius looked
about, trying to see better what was happening.  They had been thwarted
from landing at Trillindad by a fleet of ships blockading the harbor to
keep them out, as well as a full score of warships and cutters that pursued
and harried them as they turned away.  Sailing further west, they had
landed several miles away from the city, slowly deploying the elven troops
one longboat at a time.  After the first day of travel, it had been one
long running fight as they tried to reach Silverton.  The humans under the
sway of the dragon council did indeed hold sway over the cities of
Belurian, for the armies of Trillindad greeted them none to kindly as they
tried to march past Trillindad.  Nearly 12,000 humans strong, the elves had
fought a long and bitter battle.  The elven magicians and priests had
helped to tip the favor though, keeping many wounded warriors alive as well
as magically striking out against the humans.  Each elf was under the
orders to try to wound or incapacitate the humans they fought, for by
killing them they did little more then further set them against the elves.
28 ships had carried nearly 8,500 elves, a small force for an army, but
quite large for the elves to field, considering the weight each elf carried
on his shoulders.  A slain elf was a terrible blow to the elven community,
considering how slowly they reproduced.  Now easily a tenth of that number
lay dead, but four times as many humans had fallen.  Taller then the
average human, and naturally agile enough to use both bow and sword to
great effect, the elves had proven better warriors.  Forcing the breach and
keeping it held open spread through the ranks of the Trillindad army,
sowing dissension.  In a matter of hours, the last of the elven reserves
had been deployed and the humans had begun to retreat.  A new shift of
wizards came into the fray, replacing the exhausted elven conjurers that
had spent their energies already.  With the fresh magical assault, the
humans broke and ran from the elves, in spite of their commanders cries for
them to rally.  Soon the commanders fled as well, joining the rout. 
Vallanius took no time for rest, instead he ordered the army to march
immediately.  Trailing scouts fled, certain the elves marched after them.
The humans barred the gates to Trillindad when they had reached it, turning
away some of their own stragglers in their xenophobic fear.  Well nigh a
week passed before they ventured scouts out to discover what had happened.
They discovered that the elves had moved on, setting a brutal pace that
left them far from Trillindad.  A steady trickle of men that had been
wounded, taken captive, or thought lost in battle began to return, returned
to health by the priests and healers of the dark elves.  The common men of
Trillindad began to wonder at their course of action, and the leaders fumed
not only at their defeat, but also at how the elves had made the populace
begin to doubt their leadership.  A revolt was brewing, and with an army
weakened both by battle and doubt, revolution would bring success.

   *****

   'I had feared my powers would not work here,' Alesha mentally spoke to
Talifernon as she sat on her bed in a meditative pose.  'I thought that
magic would not work.'

   'Magic is everywhere, Mistress,' The demon snapped back at her as a
bitter teacher to a child, 'But without those to use and wield it, it
serves no purpose.'

   'Now what do I do?' Alesha asked, feeling angry and lost at her return
to her home instead of relieved.

   'You ask me what to do?' The demon snarled, outraged at the question. 
'You have power on this world unlike any other!'

   Alesha lapsed into silence, rebuked by the four armed monstrosity in
spite of her domination over him.  She thought for a moment then sighed. 
'Yes, I do have power such as that.  I could carve out my own nation here I
suppose, but what then?  This world is boring, there is nothing magical or
incredible here anymore.  This world is dying, Talifernon!  It is polluted
and dirty and without any hope of redemption!' She lashed out mentally at
the demon, reminding him who was in charge.  Talifernon recoiled from her
magical assault, driven to his knees by the force of her power coupled with
his true name.

   'You are right, Mistress!  I know of a way you can travel between
worlds, perhaps that can take you back to Viconia,'

   'Tell me!' She demanded, lashing out even further at the demon.

   'It requires great power, and a great sacrifice,' The demon said,
growling because of the torment she was inflicting upon him.  'Only by the
sacrifice of many will you have enough power to open a gate through which
you can return to Viconia, I will teach you how to do it.'

   Alesha grinned and relented her assault upon him.  Instead she watched
and learned as the demon began to instruct her on the magic of
inter-dimensional travels.

   Alesha gasped, returning suddenly to full consciousness when she heard a
knocking on the door.  She tucked her sword under her pillow, fearing it
was her brother come to try and have sex with her again.  Alesha frowned
and said, "Come in."

   The door opened and Alesha's mother poked her head in.  Seeing the naked
girl sitting on her bed, her mother's mouth opened in surprise.  "Oh!  I'm
sorry, I just wanted to see if everything is okay, I'll let you get
dressed!"

   She started backing out of the room but Alesha smiled and said, "No mom,
it's okay, you can stay.  What's up?"

   "But you're not wearing any clothing!" She protested.

   Alesha laughed lightly.  "Mother, you gave birth to me!  You brought me
into this world, we're both women, what's the big deal?  I even got my body
from you," Alesha was enjoying her mothers discomfort.  "Besides, you've
seen me in my bikini before, and in my underwear.  Heck, you were even the
one to take me to that topless beach the first time so we could sunbathe!"

   Seeing no reasonable way to get out of it, her mother hesitated a
moment, then stepped inside the door and shut it behind her.  "Well, okay
honey.  I just came up to see why you weren't ready for your date with Jeff
yet, is everything okay?"

   A moment of panic flashed through Alesha until she remembered.  Jeff was
her boyfriend, and she had been taking a bath so that she could shave and
get ready for their date when everything had gone awry and she had been
summoned to Viconia.

   "No mom, nothing's wrong...  I was just trying to figure out what I
should wear is all," Alesha said, smiling to cover up her moment of
confusion.

   "Oh, well, do you want any help from your old mom?" Alesha's mother
said, getting accustomed to her daughter's nudity by now.

   "Sure!" Alesha said, trying to sound excited.  She hopped off the bed
and walked past her mother to her closet, looking inside it at her
clothing. She possessed more outfits then most people saw in their entire
life, but all of them felt too conservative and restrictive to her.  Her
mother would suggest one thing after another, but Alesha would shoot all of
them down, finding one thing or another wrong with them.  Finally they had
gone through almost everything she owned without finding anything suitable.

   "Honey, I thought some of these were your favorites?  I mean, you have
some stuff that is very flattering in there."

   Alesha frowned and sat back down on the edge of her bed, spreading her
legs just enough to let her pussy lips part so that her mother could see
her.  "Well mom, I guess I just want to feel extra sexy tonight."

   Alesha's mother did indeed gaze up her crotch to stare at Alesha's
pussy. She blushed when she realized what she was doing and quickly looked
up to Alesha's face.  "What do you mean, sexy?  You're a beautiful woman,
Alesha, anything you wear will be sexy on you!"

   "What's wrong, mom, is there something wrong with my pussy?" Alesha
feigned concern, looking down at it as if there was something wrong in the
way she imagined she would have done if she were still the frightened
virgin she had been the last time she was home.

   "No!  I mean...  no honey, there's nothing wrong with it at all!  I just
didn't realize that you shaved ALL of your hair off down there," She said
in a hurry, blushing again.

   "Oh, well, yeah...  I like it better, it just seems cleaner and it makes
me feel sexy too," Alesha said, enjoying her mothers distress at discussing
a topic such as Alesha's pussy.  Her hands stayed down there, gently
caressing the hairless skin around her pussy almost absent-mindedly.

   "Well, Jeff will like it too when you get to that point," she said,
looking away and trying to remember what they were talking about before.

   Alesha reached out with her powers and forced her mother to look back at
her.  The older woman found she could not help but stare at Alesha's pussy,
though she knew she should not be.  She could not understand why it was so
hot in there either, they had central air conditioning but she knew she was
sweating and flushed.

   Alesha continued to rub her mound with her hand, then slipped her finger
into her slit and began sliding it up and down.  Her breath took on a
deeper pitch as she brushed her clitoris, and she could hear her mother's
breath catch in her throat as well.  Alesha laid back on her bed, legs
spread and pulled off to the side to allow her mom to see her sliding first
one, then two, then three, and finally four fingers deep inside of her
cunt. Finally Alesha took her entire hand and slowly sunk it into her
pussy, rotating it as it went in to further stimulate her.  She groaned at
the feeling, and both saw and heard her mother moan low in her throat as
she watched her.

   Alesha then let go of her mothers actions, letting her do what she
wanted to experimentally.  Her mother did not turn away, nor did she rush
out of the room or snap out at Alesha.  Instead she continued to stand
there and watch Alesha fist herself.  Alesha's other hand snaked around
behind her and began caressing her buttock and the inside of her leg.  Then
it slipped down a bit and started massaging the area between her pussy and
her asshole, her fingers nearly slipping in her juices as she did so.  Her
mother's eyes widened and she leaned forward slightly, caught up in the
action Alesha was providing for her.  Her mouth dropped open and she licked
her lips as Alesha's circling fingers drew closer and closer to the
forbidden pleasure.

   Alesha teased her rosebud finally, flicking her fingers over it lightly
and beginning to push one or another in, but stopped before she breached
her sphincter.  Her mother was breathing huskily now, and Alesha could see
the sweat breaking out on her face, as well as her flushed skin.  Her
mothers nipples were clearly visible through her blouse as well.  Alesha
pulled her fist out of her pussy and smiled as her magic had allowed her to
stick something that large inside of her without stretching her out
unnaturally at all.  She brought her hand up to her mouth and slowly let
the tip of her tongue run up the palm of her hand, licking her juices off
of it.

   "Mommy, please help me," Alesha whimpered, pulling both her hands away
from her body and grabbing the sheets to either side of her body.  Her
mother rushed forward at that, sinking to her knees and wrapping her arms
around Alesha's legs.  Her face flew forward, licking out nervously at
first, but as soon as she became accustomed to her daughters flavor, more
gustily.  Alesha moaned at the feeling of her mothers tongue tunneling into
her pussy, enjoying the depravity of it almost as much as she enjoyed the
carnal feelings it awoke in her.  She used her expertly trained vaginal
muscles to squeeze and milk her mothers tongue much like she would a lovers
penis.  "My ass!  Oh mother, lick my ass!" Alesha moaned, grabbing a leg in
each hand and pulling them as high and as wide as she could to provide her
mother access to her nether regions.  Her mother continued devouring her
pussy for a moment longer, hot fast breath from her nose blowing on
Alesha's clit.  Reluctantly, she pulled away from it, giving it one more
lusty kiss before she took her tongue and began tracing patterns on
Alesha's perineum on her way to her rectum.  Hesitantly, in spite of her
incredible desire to do something as dirty and naughty as what she was
about to do, she stuck her tongue out and traced around Alesha's rosebud
with the tip of her tongue.  Alesha groaned at the feeling, a very real
reaction to what she was feeling.  Encouraged by the musky taste, instead
of the taste of shit as she had feared, her mother licked around her
sphincter more thoroughly now.  She even used the tip of her tongue to
tease and probe her anus directly, but was rebuked by the tight muscle. 
Challenged, her mother thrust her tongue at her daughters asshole more
fiercely, trying to force her way in.  Alesha groaned anew at the feeling
of her mothers tongue trying to invade her ass, and slowly relaxed and
loosened up her sphincter for her.  Her mother was rewarded for her hard
work when she felt her tongue slip inside Alesha's ass.  Suddenly nervous,
her fears were allayed again when she was not met with any foul tastes or
smells.  Instead it reminded her of something spicy and musky, and she knew
she was hooked.  Her mother then began thrusting her tongue in at her,
driving it into her ass like a miniature cock.  Alesha found herself
enjoying the treatment very much.  In spite of all the varied and perverted
sex acts she had performed, getting a rim job was a first from her.  That
it came from her mother was just that much more of a turn on for her.  "I
need to cum, mommy!  Make me cum!" Alesha whispered, the words very much
true but said in a childlike voice to further drive Alesha over the edge.
Her mother responded, lost in her own hormone filled haze, and left her ass
with another longing kiss.  She returned to her daughter's pussy then, and
began to lick and suckle at it again.  So as not to let Alesha's ass feel
abandoned, she slipped her thumb in to it before it could recover from her
tongue.  Her orgasm was fast approaching, and Alesha doubted she could do
anything to slow it from coming.  Whatever her mother was doing to her had
nearly blown Alesha's mind.  The thumb in her ass pumped in and out and
swirled around inside unpredictably, stimulating her in wonderful ways. 
All the while her mother was doing the same thing to her pussy with her
tongue, making it reach up into places in Alesha's pussy that she was sure
was not possible to accomplish.  Her mother's nose was mashed against her
clit, rubbing back and forth and blowing hot breath on it regularly. 
Alesha let go of her legs and grabbed her mothers head, pulling it into her
mound as she groaned and thrashed on the bed, orgasming so powerfully that
she nearly blacked out from it.  As she came down from her explosion, she
let go of her mothers head and let her legs slowly close.  Her mother sat
back from her and stared at her with unrestrained lust on her face.  As she
slowly got control of herself, the look on her face changed to one of
shock. She realized what she had done and her hands flew to her face. 
"Thank you, mommy, I needed that," Alesha said, a satisfied smile on her
face.  Her mother tried to stand up but stumbled and fell to the floor
instead.  She backed up until her back was to the wall, her eyes fastened
on Alesha and glazed over in shock at what had happened.  "What's wrong,
mommy?" Alesha said, sliding off the bed and walking over to her.  Her
mothers eyes were at her crotch level, and that was indeed what she was
staring at.  "I know you've done that before, mother," she admonished,
"nobody could have been that good at it without some practice." Her mother
continued to stare in silence, so Alesha knelt down beside her and gave her
mother a gentle kiss on the lips.  That caused her to jerk in surprise. 
"Alesha, what are you doing?  We can't do this, this is...  this is... 
it's...  it's not right!" Alesha laughed, bitter and scornful this time. 
"Oh mother, you're so wrong.  This IS right.  Right is what we make of it.
I needed that very much, and you certainly seemed to enjoy doing it. 
Besides, after fucking Brian I needed some relief, he was such a quick shot
even I had a hard time getting off!" "You did what?" Her mother was stunned
and angry at the latest revelation.  "I sucked Brian off in the bathroom,
taking his cum deep in my mouth and throat.  Then he fucked me from behind,
dumping his sperm in my cunt.  That was only a couple of hours ago, you
might have even tasted it when your tongue was so far up my pussy," Alesha
said, enjoying the visible effect her harsh words had on her mother.  In
response, her mother's hand shot out, aiming to slap Alesha hard across the
face.  It never got there.  Instead her mother found herself with her face
pressed against the floor and her arm twisted up behind her back painfully.
"Listen once and listen closely, Alice," Alesha hissed in her ear.  "Never
try to strike me again, in body or in word.  I'm not who you think I am,
remember it and remember it well mother!" Alesha let go of her arm and
stood up to allow her to regain some composure.  After a moment, Alice got
up and stared fearfully at Alesha, tracks of tears ran down her cheeks. 
"Who are you?" She said, her voice barely a whisper.  "I was your daughter,
and I still can be, if you want.  But things are different now.  I am not
the same girl you raised.  You did a good job, and I thank you for that,
but not quite good enough.  I've learned a lot more from people you could
only dream about." The tears continued to flow as Alesha spoke to her, her
tone commanding and unyielding but no longer harsh.  "What do you mean? 
When did you meet these people?  Who are they?" Her mother finally asked.
"Magic, mother," Alesha explained.  "I have magic.  How else do you think
my ass tasted good?  I don't need to eat or drink, so I don't have to piss
or shit either.  I've made my body perfect, so I can enjoy and excel at
whatever I'm doing, be that sex with my mother, sex with a horse, sex with
an ogre, fighting a patrol of men, or riding a dragon." Her mother's tears
stopped flowing, but her confusion was plainly evident on her face.  "Ogre?
Dragon?  What are you talking about Alesha?  Are you feeling okay?" Alice
was concerned that her daughter had gone insane, speaking of magic and
fairy tale monsters.  Alesha laughed, "Oh yes, I'm feeling quite well.  I'm
not where I want to be, but I can get there with my pets help." "Your pet?"
her mother asked, glancing at the door to see how far it was from her if
she had to run.  Alesha turned and reached under her pillow.  Pulling out
her short sword, she showed it to her mother, who's face had gone white at
the site of the weapon.  "That's your pet?" She asked, her voice weak. 
Alesha chuckled again.  "No, this is my sword.  My pet is named...  well,
I'm the only one that should know his name.  You can call him Master." Her
mother took that chance to run, she made it one step before she felt
something powerful crash into her mind and take control of her body.  She
stopped and turned around to face Alesha again.  "Mother, that really was a
bad choice.  Didn't you enjoy eating me out?  We could have had so much fun
together.  Perhaps we still can, after all, I can't imagine that I became
the way I did without learning something from you.  But, you must be
punished for trying to run," Alesha said in a disappointed tone.  She took
a step closer to her mother, and without so much as blinking, drove the
short sword deep into her belly.  Her mother looked at her in shock and
pain.  She had no control over her body, but her eyes still obeyed her. 
She opened her mouth soundlessly, and everything went dark for her as she
felt her consciousness sucked into a vacuum.  Alesha shook her head in
disappointment, she had hoped to be able to use her mother for more then
that, perhaps after Talifernon had a chance to teach her to be properly
submissive she would be more useful.  Alesha wondered how many more souls
she could capture in her sword.  The doorbell to the house rang next,
pulling Alesha from her reverie.  Cursing, she left her sword hidden under
her pillow again and donned her armor as quickly as possible.  A timid
knock on her door was answered with a curt, "What?" from her as she was
pulling her boots on.  "Ma'am, your date is here for you," The servant
called out.  Alesha thanked her and waited a few more moments as she tried
to figure out what she should do next.  "Brian, come with me!" Alesha said,
opening his door quickly and finding him laying naked in bed and stroking
his cock feverishly.  "Oh my, how many times have you came today?" Scared
at her sudden intrusion, he tried to cover himself but gave up after a
second.  Thinking that maybe Alesha wanted him again, he grinned and said,
"Including with you, I was getting close to my fourth...  wanna help?"
Alesha chuckled, "Nice try, but I think I know somebody else that might be
willing to.  Come with me, and leave your clothes off." Brian found himself
obeying her without protest.  He was surprised by this, but after the
fantasies of his she had fulfilled earlier, he was not about to doubt her!
Heading down the stairs, they walked into the living room of their house
and stood before a handsome looking young man.  Jeff was 26 years old and
ruggedly built.  6 feet tall and 215 pounds, he had little if any fat on
his frame.  His sandy brown hair and muscular build reminded Alesha a
little bit of Nordan, but Jeff was half a foot to short and at least 60
pounds of rock hard muscle thinner.  "Hello honey," Alesha said, walking up
seductively towards her date.  "Um, hi there," Jeff said, looking at her
strange outfit with a questioning look.  "It's not Halloween, what's the
deal?" he asked.  Then Jeff saw her naked younger brother behind her,
blushing with embarrassment but unable to hide or at least cover himself.
"And what the hell is he doing?" Alesha smiled at him wickedly.  "Jeff,
you've been after me all along for one thing, haven't you?" She ignored his
questions and instead lashed out at him with her power, forcing him to
answer her truthfully.  "Yes," he said, clearly surprised to hear himself
admit it.  "What are you after, Jeff?" She asked, looking innocent as she
walked around him and ran her finger along his powerful shoulders.  "Sex,"
He said, again shocked at himself.  Alesha nodded as she stood back in
front of him.  "Well, just so you know, there's nothing wrong with that,
I'm quite the sex fiend myself.  "However, I'm in a bit of an odd mood
myself.  You see, my mother just finished eating me out and I had a great
orgasm from that, so I figured I'd try something different." Jeff's eyes
nearly bugged out of his head at hearing that.  Brian was quite shocked
himself, but considering how he could not control his body and that Alesha
had sucked and fucked him earlier, he believed it.  "What are you going to
do?" Jeff asked, sounding scared.  "Well, first you are going to strip
naked in front of me," Alesha said, walking over to a couch and sitting in
it.  "Sure, but not in front of Brian," Jeff said, a little relieved at
thinking he was finally going to be able to bang Alesha after several
months of waiting.  "Check again," Alesha said, laughing in amusement. 
Jeff looked down at himself and realized that he was already standing naked
in front of them, his clothing laying in a pile at his feet.  "What the
fuck?" He stammered, confused.  Alesha grinned at him again.  "Now, I want
you to go over to Brian, drop to your knees, and suck his cock." Jeff shook
his head emphatically, but he found himself walking towards her brother in
spite of himself.  Brian had a look of amazement on his face, as well as
nervousness.  Jeff sank to his knees in front of the teenager and said,
"There's no way in hell I'm going to mmmph-" He was cut off by Brian's cock
that he sucked into his mouth.  Alesha watched, fascinated, as her former
boyfriend fellated her little brother.  Brian was uncertain as to whether
he should like what was happening or not, but he found if he closed his
eyes and concentrated on the feeling, it was nice.  So nice that his cock
swelled to a full erection quickly, causing Jeff to gag as he had it to
deeply in his mouth at first.  The part of Jeff's mind that remained in
control was disgusted by what he was doing, and his disgust only got worse
when he felt his own cock growing and leaking precum.  In spite of the
disgust he felt, the growing fire in his loins was changing his feelings.
If the simple fact that he was going down on another guy was not proof
enough of some unnatural power at work, then the incredible lust he felt
was.  That unnatural power was affecting Brian as well, and in spite of his
repeated release already that day, he found his balls tightening up and
boiling over.  Then he was grunting as his hips lunged forward and his
sperm gushed through his cock to choke and gag Jeff.  Jeff tried
desperately to not swallow it down.  He fought valiantly, trying to spit it
out of his mouth, or at least let it spill out, but it was to no avail.  He
gave up as soon as he felt himself swallowing down load after load of
Brian's cum.  Feeling it coating his throat and sliding into his belly had
the added effect of setting his own orgasm off.  His hips bucked back and
forth in mid air as his cock geysered a few days of unspent cum, landing on
Brian's foot and the hardwood floor.  "Did you enjoy that, Brian?" Alesha
asked, smiling warmly at her brother.  He nodded enthusiastically to her. 2
blow jobs in one day, he was beside himself.  He looked down and scowled at
the site of Jeff's cum on his foot.  "Oh my, that just won't do!" Alesha
said, seeing what was bothering him.  Jeff was still suckling on Brian's
cock, which had started to deflate and was incredibly sensitive to Jeff's
flicking tongue.  "Jeff, stop that at once and clean up the mess you made
on Brian's foot and the floor...  with your tongue." Groaning, Jeff found
himself prone a second later and licking the cum off of Brian's foot and
then the hardwood floor.  He was disgusted at the taste of it, and fought
desperately for control of his body again.  To no avail, however, for as
soon as he had licked it up from the ground, he found himself still on his
hands and knees, staring away from both Alesha and Brian.  "Come here
Brian, I have one more treat for you," Alesha said, motioning for Brian to
come to her.  To his surprise, he had full control of his body.  He grinned
and walked quickly to her.  Alesha reached out and cupped his testicles in
her palm, gently rolling them in her hand.  He felt a tingling sensation in
his testicles, tickling him slightly, but fading away after that.  Then
Alesha leaned over and sucked him into her mouth again.  No matter how good
Jeff's mouth felt, Alesha's was easily a few thousand times better.  Soft
and skilled, her tongue and lips could work miracles on him.  He knew that
however Alesha was making things happen, she was responsible again for
making him rise in her mouth.  As soon as it was possible, she sucked the
head of his cock into her throat, then the muscles in her throat milked him
until he grew harder and to his full length in her throat.  She backed away
from him and pointed to Jeff with a conspiratorial wink.  Brian grinned and
moved over to where Jeff was on his hands and knees with his ass stuck up
in the air.  Brian's cock was covered in the phlegm and spit from Alesha's
throat, making it well lubricated already.  He dropped to his knees behind
Jeff and readied his cock.  Then, without any warning, he thrust forward.
It speared Jeff's sphincter, catching him off guard and plowing a couple of
inches in.  Jeff's mouth opened and he screamed in pain and surprise.  The
scream brought Rosa, the families servant, out from the kitchen.  She saw
what was happening and dropped the glass she had been washing in open
mouthed shock.  She turned to leave when Alesha's powers reached out and
grabbed onto her.  She left her paralyzed, forced to watch the proceedings.
Brian continued to thrust into Jeff's ass, his cock getting deeper and
deeper until it finally bottomed out against his cheeks.  Brian then just
began pumping away as quickly as he could, enjoying the feeling of his
first anal sex.  Jeff, on the other hand, was not enjoying his first anal
sex quite as much.  At least, not until Alesha stepped in and sent wave
after wave of arousal into him.  His cock blossomed quickly, expanding to
full size and filling Jeff with hormones that turned his grunts of pain to
moans of pleasure.  Alesha pulled her chain mail skirt up and then moved
her loin cloth to the side so she could play with herself while all of it
was going on.  She stroked her fingers in and out of her pussy while the
scene before her played out.  She soon had her flames stroked so high that
she needed something else inside of her, her fingers were not enough for
her.  Looking about, she thought of forcing Rosa, but decided against it.
Short and plump, the Spanish maid did not attract Alesha at all.  Her other
options were Jeff or Brian.  Of the two, she knew what she preferred. 
"Brian, come here," She ordered.  Brian pumped a couple more times, then
pulled his cock out of Jeff's gaping ass.  He turned and walked to Alesha,
his face flushed with arousal.  Alesha saw his shit covered dick and
scowled.  With a wave of her hand it was clean again.  Brian's mouth opened
in awe of the trick she had just done.  Behind them, Jeff whimpered,
deprived of what had been pleasuring him.  "Fuck me, Brian," Alesha said,
spreading her legs for him at the edge of the couch.  Brian sank to his
knees with a grin and guided his shaft into her waiting pussy.  Alesha
looked over to Jeff while Brian was thrusting as deeply and as quickly into
her cunt as he could.  She thought for a moment before she decided on a
course of action.  She made him move over to a wall for support and then
had him arch his back so that his groin and legs were over his head.  It
took some work, but with her magic helping him, he soon was flexible enough
to suck on his own cock.  She sighed happily as Brian got her close to the
edge an orgasm.  Jeff was going as deeply on himself as he could, which was
not very far but it was apparently enough, for he began spasming and his
cheeks started to bulge with the flood of cum filling his mouth.  He
swallowed it all down, this time without Alesha making him do it.  Brian
made up for skill with enthusiasm, riding Alesha fast and hard.  She ground
her pussy against him when he slammed his hips into her, stimulating her
clit and causing her to gasp in pleasure.  Having already orgasmed several
times in the past few hours, Brian's endurance had grown considerably.  It
was at least 30 minutes of sexual bliss before he felt the now familiar
tightening in his crotch.  Acting on a whim, Alesha pulled her brother
closer to her and kissed him deeply while he mashed his cock into the
depths of her pussy.  Her tongue wrestled with his, driving him over the
edge and making him spurt his seed deep into her.  Normally Brian was used
to there being less and less cum the more he masturbated in a day, but this
time around, he found himself pumping spurt after spurt of sperm her, as
though he had not gotten off for a month or more.  At the same time, Alesha
moaned into his mouth and orgasmed as well.  She set up a circuit between
them, taking the lust and power and sexual energy she was absorbing from
her pussy and funneling it up through her body and back into Brian.  Once
in him via the kiss, it looped down through him and completed the circuit.
Alesha felt herself growing stronger at first, then weaker as she
transferred her power to Brian, then stronger when it came back into her.
This continued for nearly a minute until Brian could take no more and he
broke the kiss and collapsed on top of her, exhausted.  Alesha felt
similarly tired, but exhilarated at the same time.  Pushing Brian off of
her, she went to stand before Rosa, the maid.  Rosa looked at her, terror
hidden behind her paralyzed face.  Alesha released Rosa from her paralysis
to see what she would do.  The woman screamed and turned to run.  Alesha
smiled and let her go, watching her as she rushed into the kitchen.  Alesha
knew she could do her no harm, being labeled as little more then an insane
illegal immigrant if she told anyone what she had seen.  Brian turned
around and looked at Alesha, his own strength returning rapidly.  Jeff was
still nursing on his cock, it too soft to provide any more cum, so he had
tried to piss on himself.  The smell and sight of it was quite disgusting,
and Alesha realized the man had probably been driven insane.  She looked
back to Brian in time to see his eyes grow wide and his mouth open to shout
a warning.  To late, Alesha tried to turn around.  Rosa had returned,
kitchen knife in hand.  She slammed it into Alesha's back, just below her
left shoulder blade.  It plunge in deeply, glancing off a rib but otherwise
finding nothing but meat.  Meat that included Alesha's left lung and even a
part of her aorta.  Brian lunged to his feet, his fatigue forgotten.  He
watched Alesha fall to the ground and screamed in outrage.  Even before the
strange events that day, he had loved his sister dearly.  To see her
stricken down before his very eyes evoked a murderous rage in him.  He
charged into Rosa and tackled her to the ground.  He punched at her time
and again, beating her senseless.  Then when she no longer responded to his
fists, he picked the 250 pound woman up as though she weighed no more then
a pillow and threw her at the brick fireplace.  She bounced off the wall
and fell to the ground, catching the fire poker on the way so that it
impaled her neck and caused the already unconscious women to drown in her
own blood.  He stared at her for a moment, breathing deeply until his rage
had cooled enough to realize what he had done.  Shaking his head in mute
horror, he turned around to check on Alesha.  She was laying on the ground
and smiling at him, knife laying in front of her.  "Well done, brother!"
Alesha said, truly pleased with his protective actions.  "Come, Brian, we
have much to do!"

   *****

   A month had passed and the elven army, or the 5,000 plus that remained
of it, were finally getting close to Silverton.  It had been the same story
every city along the way, battle after battle trying to stop the dark elves
from reaching their destination.  Finally at Evermoor, they had been forced
to a halt by the army of 6,000 humans.  Fighting poor odds all the way, it
was not the size of the attackers that stalled the elves, but rather the
treacherous footing of the swamp and the limited venue of attack they had.
Then the lizardmen that inhabited the swamp had fallen upon their left
flank, and all seemed lost.  On the verge of a retreat, more a rout really,
a miracle had then appeared on the horizon.  Scores of metallic dragons had
arrived, seeking out the army of the elves to aid them in their search.

   Sweeping through the attackers, the dragons reduced the human army to a
screaming and fleeing rabble in minutes.  Free to deal with other threats,
the dark elves turned on the lizardmen then, driving the small force of
attackers back into the swamp easily.

   They moved quickly then, with no city threatening them as they moved
onwards.  By sunset of the 30th day since setting foot on Belurian for the
first time in thousands of years, the elves saw the campfires of the armies
of the resistance gathered around Silverton.  Cheering at the seemingly
impossible victory of reaching the place, they ran forward happily,
forgetting their exhaustion and fatigue.

   Vallanius met with Kayala happily, hugging her in relief to see her
alive.  He looked around, more then willing to hand command of the dark
elven army back to Marthollin.  A shake of her head from Kayala told
Vallanius all he needed to know.  He nodded understanding and sighed
deeply.

   "Who commands the elves then?" He asked, dreading the answer.

   "Marthollin named you as commander in his absence," Kayala said,
surprised her would ask.

   "He did, but I lost over 2,000 of our brothers and sisters on the way
here, I am clearly not fit for so great a command," He argued.

   "I think you would have quite an argument there," Kayala said, smiling
at him.  "But your fears can be set aside, Marthollin fell while Kelnozz
survived.  While it is sad to see him slain, at long last the proof the
elven people needed to see that Kelnozz was the greater of the two is given
to us."

   Vallanius felt relief flood over him.  He was a soldier and an officer,
he would do whatever duty was required of him, but he felt his abilities
were lacking, and command of the entire elven forces was clearly more then
he felt he could handle.

   "Where is Kelnozz?" Vallanius said, looking about but seeing only the
barbarians and humans greeting the elves as friends and brothers.  A
welcome relief from the greeting that the other humans of Belurian had thus
far given the dark elven army.

   "He and Martin stopped to try and talk the dwarves of Rifton into
joining us," Kayala said, worry showing on her face.  It had been several
weeks with no word from them yet.

   "What of the Stone Isle Dwarves?  We sent emissaries there months ago,"
Vallanius said.

   "Who are they?" Nordan said, coming up behind them and clapping
Vallanius on the shoulder in a celebratory manner.

   "Well met, Nordan," Vallanius said, recognizing the man from his time
spent on Innowendyn with Martin and Kelnozz.  "The Stone Isle Dwarves are a
dwarven kingdom encompassing a few large islands far to the east of
Belurian, yet north and west of Innowendyn."

   "Hey, we might have flown over them when Luingirth brought us back from
Innowendyn to fight that white dragon bitch!" Nordan said, remembering the
many islands they had flown over that he had never heard of before.

   "Aye, indeed you may have, a great many civilizations are out there,
with those living on Belurian being too concerned with their own lives to
explore outward," Kayala said, walking beside Nordan and laying her hand on
his arm in a familiar fashion.  "Come Nordan, let Vallanius get his men
settled in, I am certain they are weary."

   Vallanius raised an eyebrow at the intimate gesture and said, "Aye, that
we are, I will seek you out on the morrow for a more official meeting."

   Kayala blushed slightly and Nordan grinned.  As Vallanius departed,
Nordan turned to the dark elven sorceress and said, "In need of some more
unarmed combat training?"

   Kayala grinned and slipped her hand in Nordan's, "Perhaps, but be
careful, I might just have to cast a spell on you..."

   "Bah, keep your magic to yourself, witch, and I'll show you how to be a
proper woman!"

   The two laughed and teased each other on their way to the room they
shared at the inn in Silverton.

   *****

   It had been a week since Kelnozz had argued on behalf of the elves for
the aid of the dwarves, but now he knew his time was growing short. 
Summoned to their council chambers again, he stood before King Throin,
expecting to be turned aside yet again.

   "Kelnozz Risingmoon, Champion of Innowendyn," Throin said, rising to his
feet and walking forward from his throne.  Kelnozz noticed some additional
dwarves in the room, ones he had not seen before.

   "King Throin," Kelnozz bowed, uncertain as to what would make the king
approach him.

   His confusion doubled when the king stopped in front of him and pulled a
hand axe from the belt at his side.  Pulling the blade across his palm, he
opened a wound from which blood flowed freely.  Blood dripping slowly to
the floor, he extended the hand to Kelnozz.

   Somewhat confused at what was happening, Kelnozz pulled a dagger from
his belt and did likewise to his own hand, then took Throin's in his hand
and shook it firmly.  "I will send 3,000 of me stoutest warriors with ye."

   Kelnozz brightened up at the news.  It was not as much as he had hoped,
but any help was better then none.  "My thanks, King Throin, with Martin
out securing the help of the resistance and the elves of Innowendyn already
there, I hope we have enough to stop the forces arrayed against us."

   "I wasn't finished, treehugger!" Throin roared, scowling.  "Ye'd think
an elf would have the patience not to cut me off!  I was saying, I will
send 3,000 of me stoutest warriors with ye, and another 7,000 have come
from the dwarven Kingdom of the Stone Isles."

   Kelnozz grinned, rebuffed by the king but accepting it gladly to hear
that their army had grown by 10,000 instead of only 3,000.  "With me
leading the dwarves, of course," Throin said, puffing out his chest
proudly.

   "I am but one man, but should the dwarves of Rifton or the Stone Isles
ever need anything, they need but call on me," Kelnozz vowed, grinning
happily.  "When will the Stone Isle dwarves arrive?"

   "They be already here," Throin said, waving to the handful of dwarves
that Kelnozz had not recognized.

   "How?" Kelnozz asked, stunned.

   "We're dwarves, elf!  Ye think we wouldn't have a tunnel between here
and there?" Throin laughed at the thought.

   "That's hundreds of miles!  Under the Swiftwater Sea as well!" Kelnozz
was incredulous.

   "Ye calling me a liar, elf?" Throin said, scowling.

   Kelnozz laughed.  "Far from it, King Throin, I'm just amazed at the
resourcefulness of your people.  You are doubly welcome to join us, and we
are doubly grateful!  So when do you we leave?"



















   Another two days of waiting saw Kelnozz return on Luingirth's back.  He
was greeted warmly by his companions, and was surprised enough by the
growing size of the army that he forgot to question Nordan on his strange
new relationship with Kayala.  Then again, he supposed he should be
questioning Kayala, since he knew Nordan could overlook almost any fault
provided the woman was warm, wet, and willing (the willing part not always
required).

   The dwarves from Rifton and the Stone Isles arrived a week later,
swelling the ranks of their army to close to 20,000.  Confused as to where
the additional numbers had come from, the newly appointed dark elven
commander learned that men and women had been coming in from all
directions, solely or in groups.  Martin's work to unite the resistance
under their cause appeared to be working, but their problem was now in
finding Martin.  The ranger and Fyrentennimer had left Kelnozz and
Luingirth in Rifton with the intent of gaining the support of the
resistance, nearly three weeks later, he was nowhere to be found, and all
of them knew that if they did not march soon, they would never meet the
evil armies in time to stop them.

   *****

   "They'll come through here," Martin said, as much to himself as to his
companions.  A large valley lay ahead of them.  On the outer edge of the
Periphery, steep hills and broken terrain prevented siege engines and the
like from coming through, but it was not so steep as to prevent large
numbers of troops to passing through.  At the far end of the valley lay a
deep chasm.  Across from that was more low, broken hills and then the Lost
Lands beyond.  "What makes you think they will come through here?" One of
Martin's three companions asked him.  Martin turned to face the three
woodsmen he had recruited to scout with him.  "Have any of you ever been
across the Periphery before?" All three shook their heads, indicating they
had not.  "I have, many times now.  Mostly along the southern edge," he
explained.  "It is harsh, treacherous, and all but impossible to cross in
many places.  An army could cross, provided all were skilled climbers,
fully equipped, and had months of time at their expense.  Our foes know
that time is critical, and this is the best place they could cross over."
"Why is it so few people have crossed over?" One of the woodsmen, named
Robert, asked.  "The Periphery is home to a great number of monsters, as
well as regular patrols of orcs, ogres, light elves, and other evil
humanoids." Martin answered, feeling proud of his greater experience. 
"Giants?" One of them asked.  "Yes, I suppose so, though I have seen few of
them myself," Martin responded, nodding his head.  Jason, the man who had
asked the question, pointed.  The others turned to look and saw 6 giants
coming towards them from behind.  "Aye, giants," Martin muttered, slipping
his bow off of his back.  "This must be the route, if they have scouts this
close to the outer edge of the Periphery.  Jason, run back to Fyrentennimer
and return to Silverton, mark the way well, for you must guide them here."
"What are you going to do?" Jason asked, clutching the axe at his side
firmly.  "We're going to kill some giants and hold the pass." Jason's eyes
got wide, checking again, he saw that the giants were all three times as
tall as any of them.  "Wait until we get them committed to fighting us,
then sneak around behind them." Martin instructed.  Jason nodded and waited
while the others prepared their bows and weapons.  As soon as the giants
came around a bend in a small gully, Martin fired his bow for the first
time in combat since he had acquired his new arm.  He had spent hour upon
hour training, striving to be as good an archer as he had been before, but
his results were not satisfactory to him.  This time, however, his arrow
flew true, striking the giant in the shoulder.  Martin scowled, he had been
aiming for the giants throat.  Two more arrows thudded into the giant, one
in the hip and another in its chest.  None stopped it, nor its five
companions behind it.  The archers continued to rain arrows upon the group
of giants, felling the first one in the second volley and driving another
to the ground with a well placed arrow in the groin.  The giants returned
fire then though, picking up large rocks and small boulders from the gully
they moved through and throwing them back.  Caught unprepared for such a
tactic, Robert was crushed under the first hurled rock.  Jason, Martin, and
the other woodsman, Kevin, sought cover from the dangerous rocks.  Jason
grabbed up Robert's bow and quiver on the way and began firing back at them
himself.  The three archers had rid themselves of another giant by the time
they reached them, but Kevin's leg was broken from a thrown rock that
bounced off another boulder to catch him from behind.  A final volley of
arrows and Martin shouted to Jason, "Run boy, run!" Jason was off like a
shot, darting around the giants before they could react.  Two turned to
follow him, but Martin charged at them, wielding his bastard sword in both
hands while Kevin fired at them to gain their attention.  The giants turned
back, seeing Jason fleeing instead of trying to flank them.  Battle was
joined.  Martin danced away from the wooden club of the first giant and
lashed out, his sword biting into its forearm.  Another had a giant sized
sword that even Nordan would have been hard pressed to wield with two
hands, let alone the one arm the giant used.  It crashed into the rocks
beside Martin, showering him with sparks and stone splinters.  The third
giant advanced on Kevin, who was grimacing in pain as he tried to retreat
and gain distance so he could continue to use his bow.  The arrows he shot
at the giant pursuing him did not slow the giant at all, and in his haste,
he even missed the immense figure a few times.  The giant raised its giant
sized warhammer in preparation of ending the threat Kevin posed.  Martin
lunged forward and hacked at the side of the sword wielding giants leg,
feeling as though he was hacking wood more then anything else.  The giant
roared in pain, but did not fall.  As Martin retreated he saw the danger
that Kevin was in and after a feint towards the club using giant, he turned
and ran up behind it, a stray arrow narrowly missing his head in the
process.  Kevin strove to knock a fresh arrow but the giant about to crush
him made his fingers suddenly unsure.  Then the giant suddenly fell to its
knees and then back, with Martin already turning from it, blood running
down the edge of his blade from where he had hamstrung the giant.  Kevin
offered a quick prayer to Carson and finished knocking his arrow.  Aiming
carefully, he loosed it and smiled as it flew true and pierced the downed
giants throat at an angle that took the point up into its brain.  Martin
did not have far to run, the other giants had followed him.  He caught a
glancing blow off his hip by the club, and because of the momentum pushing
him out of the way, was spared being split in two by the giant with the
sword.  He thrust out, off balance, and felt the tip of his sword sink into
the swordsmen's thigh.  Recovering his balance, Martin saw Jason disappear
over a rise in the gully, he had gotten away safely.  Turning his attention
back, he ducked under the sword that slashed at his head, but was caught
square in the ass by the other giant with the club, driving him forward to
the ground and stunning him for a moment.  Kevin continued to fire arrows,
turning the sword wielding giant into a veritable pincushion.  It finally
turned to finish him off, but misjudged its balance and tripped on a rock,
driving it to one knee.  It struggled back to its feet, holding an arm in
front of its face to protect it from Kevin's arrows.  Kevin put two arrows
in the forearm of the giant, cursing as he was almost out of arrows. 
Martin rolled away from the giant and struggled to his feet as quickly as
he could.  Fire shot up his spine from his newly broken tailbone, but he
forced the pain aside and lunged towards the giant, stepping inside the
range of the next swing that came at him.  Reacting quicker then Martin
thought they could, the giant lifted its leg and drove his knee into
Martin's chest, knocking him to the ground on his back.  Martin rolled to
escape the quickly descending club, struggling to suck air back in at the
same time.  The ground shuddered where the club connected, sharp stone
pieces drawing blood from the exposed skin on his neck and arms.  Martin
came up to one knee and swung his sword as hard as he could, cleaving
cleanly through the giants ankle.  Roaring in agony, the giant collapsed.
It dropped its club and clutched at its brand new stump of a leg.  Martin
rose up and moved as quickly as he could to slash at the back of the giants
neck.  He sword rose and fell twice to be certain, then he turned to see
how Kevin faired.  Kevin had exhausted his arrows on the giant, firing them
into the giants stomach and chest as it approached him.  The giant
staggered a bit from all the blood it had lost, but it raised its sword and
took the remaining two steps necessary to get in range with Kevin.  Kevin
had dropped his bow and drawn his long sword.  Standing with one leg nearly
useless, he waited for the giant to swing.  Swing it did, knocking Kevin to
the ground by smashing his sword with all its power.  Recovering from the
swing, the giant raised its sword for the killing blow but was distracted
by fist sized rock bouncing off the back of its head.  Looking back it saw
Martin limping towards it as quickly as he could.  Judging the distance
great enough, it turned back to finish of Kevin and was surprised to feel a
white hot agony in its belly.  Looking down, it saw Kevin's back on his
feet, clearly favoring the one that worked, with his longsword buried in
the giants belly halfway to the hilt.  Snarling in pain and anger, the
giant took one hand off its sword and backhanded Kevin, knocking him to the
ground senseless.  It pulled the sword out of its stomach and examined the
wound.  Blood poured freely from it and the pain was intense, but the giant
did not consider the wound mortal.  It remembered Martin then, and turned
back around to deal with him.  Martin was not where it had expected him to
be, however.  A whistle brought his attention over to the rock Martin had
been hiding behind earlier.  The giant stared down the length of the arrow
shaft Martin had drawn, blood loss slowing its understanding and, more
importantly, reaction time.  Martin let go and smiled in grim satisfaction
as the arrows flight was prefect, slamming into the eye of the giant and
sinking in so deeply that the metal tip protruded from the back of the
giants head.  Martin let his bow slip down to his side, then he sank to his
knees and rested against the rock, breathing heavily.  Kevin groaned a few
moments later, rousing Martin from his pain induced stupor.  He struggled
to his feet and limped over to check on his companion.  "Well done, lad,"
Martin said, kneeling beside the downed woodsman and examining his
injuries. The broken leg was easily the worst of his wounds, so Martin
looked about for something to help him.  Spying the giants club, he rose to
fetch it.  Using his magical hand and a half sword, Martin cut the club
into three separate foot long pieces.  He returned to Kevin and giving the
man one of the pieces of wood to bite on, he quickly set Kevin's leg. 
Kevin groaned in agony and left marks in the seasoned wood.  Martin took
the wood back and, using some rope from his pack, made a splint around
Kevin's shin.  "Rest here, I'm going to check to make sure they're all
dead," Martin said, struggling back to his feet with a groan and hobbling
off to check on all the giants.  All of them had been slain, the one with
an arrow in his groin by Jason as he had ran past him to return to
Fyrentennimer.  Martin returned to Kevin and found him sleeping.  Martin
sat down beside him painfully and tried to rest on his side.  He kept an
eye on the pass through the Periphery, determined to do his job as best he
could until the army arrived.

   *****

   Alesha had to remind herself she was not in Viconia any longer many
times.  She had been ready to leave her house wearing her armor and sword,
but Brian had reminded her of the troubles she would run into.  He had gone
strangely quiet ever since Alesha had not only survived the terrible wound
Rosa had inflicted with the butcher knife, but had survived without a
scratch.  He could explain away the other things that had happened as
strange and unusual behavior, even his own.  He could not explain the
miraculous healing the Alesha had undergone, even after the power he had
felt transferred through him during their strange sexual encounter. 
"Brian, take care of Jeff and clean up around here, I will be back later,"
Alesha said, her tone commanding again.  She had gone upstairs and slipped
into a short brown leather skirt, white bikini top, and the same knee high
griffin hide boots she normally wore..  Regrettably she left her sword in
her room with her armor.  "Yes Mistress," Brian said, responding
automatically to Alesha's back as she went into the garage to get her car.
Not understanding why he had said it, he found himself dragging Rosa's body
into the kitchen and towards the back door of their house.  St. 
Petersburg, like many cities in Florida, was known for the many bodies of
water scattered throughout the area.  And in Florida, where there is water,
there are alligators.  The Koronski family was fairly well off, their
father being a partner in a law firm.  As such, their house was good sized
and even had lakefront access in their backyard.  Dusk had just started to
set in, allowing Brian the perfect cover to do what he needed to do. 
Dragging the body of their maid across the lawn, he took her to their dock
and carefully pushed her off the end.  Seeing her floating in the water
concerned him, and he looked around quickly to figure out what to do.  His
answer was in the form of the anchor in the sailboat they owned.  He pulled
it out of the boat and managed to loop the rope around her a couple of
times before he let it sink in the water.  Only ten feet deep at the end of
their dock, it was enough to take Rosa beneath the water at least five of
those feet.  Brian came back inside and saw the mess that Jeff had made of
himself.  Disgusted, he kicked the man once, hard.  Jeff curled up in a
fetal position defensively, mewling pitifully.  Brian could tell the mans
mind was gone.  Sighing, he dressed him in his clothes again and led him to
his convertible Firebird.  Jeff had gone strangely silent.  Brian checked
repeatedly, but the man simply seemed to be in a trance.  They arrived at
their destination, a resort called the Suncoast.  Known as a large gay
resort, Brian forced Jeff to look at him and he stared deeply into his
eyes. "Jeff, go to the guard at the gate and pay him the cover charge to
enter, then go in and head for the leather bar.  Do whatever you want to in
there, but never think of Alesha again and never return to our house!" Jeff
grinned stupidly, nodding his head as a child with a new toy.  He got out
of the car and went up to the doorman, clumsily pulling out his wallet and
giving the doorman some money to let him in.  Then he went inside, moving
around the grounds looking for the infamous leather bar.  Brian knew that
once Jeff was in there, some of the rougher and scarier men inside would
take care of him, whether that was taking him under their wing or
submitting him to even crueler and more perverse things then he had already
been introduced to.  Brian shuddered at the thought and quickly drove back
home to clean up the blood and other mess still in the house before his
father got home later that night.  At no point did he stop and wonder why
it was he was doing what he did, nor did he stop to consider why it was he
was able to order Jeff around so easily.

   Alesha drove around the seedier sections of St.  Petersburg, looking. 
It was not until she saw it that she knew what she was looking for.  The
Slavepit, a goth club.  She knew she was home.  Showing the doorman her ID
(it had taken her a moment to remember to take her purse with her), she
went inside and looked around.  It was already swinging in the bar, with
the promise of being much fuller later.  All manner of men and women were
inside, dressed in black clothing and leather, with lots of studs and
spikes and collars.  Extreme make up was in appearance too, black eyeliner
and lipstick being the most, but some took things as far as possible,
dressing in costume and even fake fangs to pretend to be a vampire.

   Alesha smirked at the last, and decided she could use some of those
herself.  A simple thought and a touch of magic and her canines grew longer
and pointed, she smiled felt her new teeth with her tongue.  'Yes, those
will do nicely,' she thought, and sat down at the bar to study the club.

   "Hey there, it just might be your lucky night!"

   Alesha turned to the man who had spoken to her.  Only a little taller
then her, he had black hair almost as long as hers, and spiked bracelets
on. Pierced eyebrow, nose, chin, and tongue, she could only imagine he had
other piercings as well.

   She smiled at him, showing her new fangs, "Yes, I think it is."

   Taking that as acceptance, the man said, "Who knows, maybe it'll be my
lucky night too...  Can I buy you a drink?"

   Her smile never dropping, Alesha said, "No, your luck ran out five
minutes ago."

   The goth punk's smile faded and he shrugged.  "Can't blame a guy for
trying," he said, turning away to try and pick up another girl somewhere
else.

   "I could use that drink though," Alesha said as he was half turned
around.

   The guy spun back to face her, an annoyed look on his face.  "You just
told me I wasn't going to get lucky with you, why should I waste my money
on you bitch?"

   "It'll only hurt for a minute, I promise," Alesha said, her face
changing to that of a pouty girl.

   "New teeth?" The guy asked, confused as to whether he should spend any
more time with Alesha or not.

   Alesha smiled and nodded her head.  The guy laughed and stepped closer
to her, leaning forward to kiss her.  Alesha returned the kiss, her arms
circling around him and reaching up to caress the back of his head with one
hand, his shoulders with the other.  She broke the deep kiss and smiled at
him, her tongue licking her lips suggestively.  His hands roamed over her
body as well, caressing up and down her back and grabbing at her ass.

   Alesha let her tongue glide down the stubble on his neck, finding the
sensation pleasant.  Coming to rest where she wanted to, she opened her
mouth wider and sank her teeth into his neck.  He spasmed against her,
surprised.  He tried to fight back, but she held him tightly to her, her
lips sealed over the twin wounds and drinking deeply and feeling the energy
pour into her being with his essence.  He struggled against her, hitting
her in the back with his fists and kicking at her with his legs.  Alesha
sent waves of pleasure into him, but even the pleasure did not override his
desire to continue living.  After a few minutes, Alesha licked each hole in
his neck, using the power she had gained from him to mend the wounds.  She
pulled away from him and let him go.

   He stumbled back away from her, his hand going to his throat.  He felt
around, but could feel no wound.  Pulling his hand away he looked at it,
there was no blood on it.  He glanced around nervously, then looked back at
her.  "What the fuck was that?"

   Alesha opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue, it was coated red with
his blood.  His eyes got really wide and he checked his neck again. 
Sitting down heavily on an empty barstool, he just stared at her a minute.
She had closed her mouth and was smiling sweetly at him, but he could tell
there was something powerful and sinister in her smile as well.

   "What did you do to me?  Am I...  did you make me...  I mean..."

   Alesha said, "I told you your luck ran out tonight."

   "Are you a vampire?" He asked, almost whispering.  He paid no attention
to what she had said.

   "Is that what you want to be?" Alesha asked, smiling maddeningly at him.

   "I dunno...  I mean, it'd be kinda cool.  But I'll never see the sun
again, will I?"

   Alesha laughed scornfully.  "You fool.  You will serve a purpose, but as
my example, nothing more."

   He looked confused.  Glancing around again, he looked back at her to see
her hold up her hand, palm open as if to catch something.  Following the
direction, he saw one of the bullwhips on the wall as decoration come
flying off the wall and land in her hand.  He gasped in surprise and jumped
to his feet.  He looked around quickly and found the exit and began to head
for it.

   Before he could get lost in the crowd, Alesha sent the whip sailing
towards him.  The tip parted the leather jacket he wore effortlessly,
cutting painfully across his back.  He stumbled forward, falling into a
table and collapsing to his knees.  The crowd around them stopped talking,
turning to watch in shock.  It spread quickly, and by the time that the man
had turned around to face her, tears running down his face, even the band
had stopped.

   "What do you want?" He pleaded, trying to crawl away from her.

   In answer, Alesha made the whip crack in the air, then sent it snaking
towards him again, wrapping around his ankle.  Using only one hand, she
pulled on it and he came sliding back towards her on the slick floor.  The
bouncers were now moving through the bar, coming towards her.  Big men,
they expected to have no problems with the small looking girl.  She looked
at each of them, causing them to halt in their tracks.  They stood by,
watching helplessly as Alesha let the whip rise and fall expertly,
stripping the mans jacket and shirt off of him and leaving bleeding gashes
across his chest and arms.

   He screamed in fresh agony each time the whip fell, gasping for breath
and pleading with her in between lashes.  Finally Alesha stopped, his shirt
torn and the decorative leather jacket ruined.  He was sobbing quietly on
the floor, laying there and looking like a roman slave flogged for poor
behavior.

   "Stand up," Alesha said, not entirely sure his tortured thighs would
obey him.  He stumbled slowly to his feet, teetering once or twice before
he made it.  The amount of blood he had lost from earlier, as well as the
fresh dripping gashes on him, made him totter unsteadily on his feet.  In
spite of the pain, he was so tired, he just wanted to get away from her and
be able to lie down and close his eyes.

   The pain and fear he exuded was nearly as pleasant to her as his blood
had been earlier.  Neither compared to the power she derived from sex, but
in a pinch it certainly did wonders for her.  Alesha walked up to him, whip
tapping lightly at her hip.  She walked around him and studied the crowd.
They were interested, disgusted, aroused, and terrified, all at once. 
Alesha completed a full circuit around him and stopped, looking at him. 
She glanced down at his pants and sent a surge of power towards his cock.
It flared to life, standing out in his leather pants plainly.  She smirked
and with another magical assault, caused him to gasp and collapse to his
knees, an intense orgasm shooting through his tortured body.  Alesha shook
her head, disappointed that he had fallen.  She turned away and, using the
same trick she had used when she had first gone to Mezarbolle, caused him
to be immolated in cold black fames that sucked the warmth and the life
from him.  He died quickly, screaming all the while.  "Who's next?" Alesha
asked, gazing out at the crowd.  Some people nearer to the doors turned and
tried to run, but with a glance at the door, they slammed shut, magically
unyielding to the strongest shoulder.  Another man pulled a switchblade and
charged at her.  Alesha let him get close then exploded into action,
driving her hand into his wrist and breaking it.  The knife fell from limp
fingers, but it hit the ground about the same time as her kick to his chest
drove him to his knees.  He gasped for breath and stared at her, stunned.
Smiling cruelly, walked behind him and grabbed his hair, pulling his head
back painfully.  Terrified, he looked up at her.  A shot rang out then,
then another.  Alesha jerked both times, then looked down at herself.  Two
bullet holes leaked blood from her body, one just above her right breast,
severing the bikini top string, the other bullet hole was in her belly,
just to the left of her belly button.  She used her magic to patch the two
wounds up immediately, and felt a wave of weakness rush through her.  Her
power was dangerously low, but only she knew it.  She saw the man who had
shot her staring at her, pistol in his hand.  Like everyone else in the
crowd, he had seen her jerk and had seen the wounds.  Then they had seen
them heal before their very eyes.  He dropped his gun and fell to his
knees. Satisfied, Alesha looked down at the man who still remained kneeling
with his head jerked back.  Bending over, she sank her teeth into his
throat, drinking deeply from him.  She drained him to the point where his
heart had little to pump, and fluttered quietly to a stop.  Alesha lifted
her lips then, feeling drunk with the new power surging into her.  Streaks
of blood ran down her chin and neck, draining perfectly into the valley
between her breasts.  She let go of the dead man, seeing him collapse
limply to the ground.  She also noticed that her severed bikini string
allowed that part of her bikini to flop down, releasing her breast for the
publics enjoyment.  She smiled, not caring in the least but figuring it
would further mess with the spectators minds.  "Why did you shoot me, when
now you worship me?" Alesha asked, her voice ringing out clearly in the
silent nightclub.  The man who was now kneeling looked up at her fearfully.
"I'm sorry, Mistress, I did not know who you were!" "And who am I?" She
asked, as curious to hear his answer as everyone else was.  "I...  I still
don't know," he admitted.  "But you must have been sent by Satan to have
such power!" Alesha laughed scornfully.  "Nay, pig, you are wrong.  I am
Alesha!  I am the chosen, but it is I who have sent myself!  I worship a
being far greater then what this world calls Satan.  His powers are
greater, and so are his rewards for faithful service." A few people openly
feinted now, their ability to comprehend what was going on at a limit. 
Considering them no longer a threat, Alesha released the bouncers from
their magical binds.  One charged at her from behind, but the kneeling man
scooped up his pistol and rolled to the side, coming up in a firing
position.  Two more cracks sounded in the bar, the first one stopping the
bouncer, and the second sending him crashing to his back as his blood and
brains leaked out the hole in his forehead.  The other 3 bouncers stayed
where they were, terrified.  Alesha smiled at the man with the gun and sent
a magical wave of approval at him.  He grinned proudly, feeling he had done
well.  He tucked the gun back into his jacket where he had hidden it
before. The man was bald with a long beard and powerful muscles.  A thick
leather riding jacket hid his gun, with jeans on his legs and cowboy boots
fit for riding a motorcycle on his feet.  "What kind of hog you got?"
Alesha asked him, singling him out for a moment.  "Fuck that," He spat out,
forgetting for a moment who he was talking to.  Then immediately he
realized his error by the narrowing of her eyes.  "It's a Honda Valkyrie,
bigger and better then any hog I've ever seen." Alesha nodded once then
turned to study the crowd.  "I'm establishing a new order!" She called out.
"Join me and you will be rewarded!" "What the fuck is going on here?" A man
called out, walking out from behind the bar.  A door was open where he had
been during the entire order.  Alesha spun to face him.  "Who are you?" She
demanded, squeezing onto his mind with her magic.

   He groaned and trembled.  "Alan...  I own this club," He said quickly.

   "Not anymore," Alesha responded.  "My question is, do you agree with me
or do I have to kill you too?"

   She released him then, letting him act on his own so she could be
certain of his actions.  He looked to his bouncers and said, "Why the fuck
haven't you kicked this bitch out of here?"

   One of the bouncers motioned to the already dead bouncer.  He looked at
him and looked back at Alesha.  "Who let this cunt bring a gun in here?"

   "Nobody did," the biker said, "I shot him."

   "Charlie?  Why the hell are you shooting my help?  I can't help you out
this time!"

   Charlie, Alesha's surprising ally responded by saying, "Alan, this chick
is the real thing.  All that shit we used to ride for and try to get
going...  she does it man!"

   Alan looked around nervously, afraid that his image as a businessman was
about to be ruined.  "What the fuck are you talking about?" He growled.

   "Enough!" Alesha said, tired of their chatting.  "Give me the club or
die, simple as that.  I have a lot of preparations to make, and this will
be a good place to begin them."

   "What, are you going to shoot me now, Charlie?  How many times have I
saved your ass and given you a place to crash after you got outta jail?"
Alan said, scoffing at a women being in charge.

   "Man, I don't need to, she can kill you just as soon as look at you,"
Charlie said, almost pleading with his friend to relent.

   Alan reached in his own suit jacket and pulled out a gun.  He pointed it
at Alesha and smiled.  His smile faded when he saw her grinning.  A girl
off to the side started screaming then, and she tried to run to the door.
Without meaning to, Alan turned and shot the girl five times in the back.
He stared in horror at her corpse and then at the gun in his hands.  He
tried to drop it but found he could not do it.  Then his hand came alive
again, betraying him by pointing the gun at his own face.  He stared
nervously down the barrel, feeling his finger begin to squeeze the trigger.

   "Shit!  Okay!  Okay!  You win, you can run the place!" Alan said, still
staring at the gun in his hand.  His finger had relaxed, but it still
pointed at his face as a reminder.

   "A wise choice.  Next time don't take so long or I won't be as
forgiving," Alesha said, releasing control of him altogether finally. 
"First things first, Charlie and Alan, take care of those bodies and clean
up the blood."

   She waited impatiently while the two struggled to pull the bodies into a
storage room and then mop up the blood and gore on the floor.  When they
were finally finished the stood in front of Alesha.  Alan had been thinking
furiously, and had begun to accept that Charlie might have been right after
all.

   "Now, anybody that wants to join me, can.  Talk to Alan or Charlie about
it.  You'll remember that much at least."

   "What do you mean?" Alan said, concerned.

   Alesha did not bother responding to him.  Instead she shaped her magic
and fashioned a spell that Talifernon had taught her for just a case such
as this.  In seconds, everybody but Alan, Charlie, and her had blank stares
on their face.  They moved to an empty table and sat down at it before
Alesha snapped her fingers and the band started playing and the
conversation returned to full volume, just as it had before everything
unusual started.  Alesha then reached behind her and untied her ruined
bikini, letting it fall to her lap and ignoring it.

   A few people glanced over at Charlie and Alan a few times.  Eventually
one guy made his way over to them, glancing around nervously.  He sat down
without being asked, not even noticing Alesha was there or that her breasts
were plainly visible.  For that matter, nobody seemed to notice her at all.

   "Hey, I heard somewhere that you guys are into some cool shit," He
began, staring at his hands.  "I uh, I was wondering if you need any help
with it?"

   Alesha smiled, things were working nicely.  By the end of the night, she
had nearly 20 disciples, all of them former Satanists or just people
disgusted with life and wanting something different.  She had also changed
the clubs rules to be clothing optional, and when Alan pointed out the city
would not allow it, she just smiled and told him not to worry about it, she
would take of anybody that had a problem with it.  Considering how she had
handled problems so far, he shuddered to think of what would happen.

   Alesha returned home after the bar closed, driving her camaro into the
garage and shutting the door behind her.  She returned her canines to their
normal shape before heading inside to find her father waiting up for her.
"Have you seen your moth...  Where the hell is your shirt?" He said,
shocked at her.

   Alesha groaned, she had forgotten about her father.  "Um, it's at the
club, I got shot so I figured I might as well take it off," She said, not
wanting to waste any time.

   "What?  You've been shot?" He stammered, his anger changing to concern.

   "It's okay, I healed it," She commented, walking past him towards the
stairs to her bedroom.  "Have you seen Brian?" She asked.

   "He's in his bedroom, sleeping," He said, a little stunned by her
behavior.  "Have you seen your mother?"

   Alesha stopped at the foot of the stairs, one foot on the third stair to
raise her leg up enough so that when she turned to face her father he could
easily see up her short skirt and see her wearing nothing under them.

   "Yeah, after she fucked me with her tongue this afternoon I had to kill
her.  Sorry dad, she was great in bed, but she won't be coming back."

   His face grew red and he started towards her, the intent clearly to slap
her and demand the truth from her.  After had taken a couple of steps,
Alesha stopped him easily and said, "I'm a little tired right now, how
about you pull your cock out and fuck me in the ass with it?  Then you'll
forget about mother and continue to do your job just like you always have."

   The shocked outrage on his face made Alesha laugh.  Even more so when he
looked down and realized that he had already dropped his pants and his
erect cock bobbed up and down in front of him in time to the beats of his
heart.  Alesha dropped her foot back to the ground floor and bent over,
resting her arms on the stairs.  Her father, Bill, grabbed her miniskirt
and pulled it up over her ass.  Still denying everything in his mind, he
watched as his cock sank into his daughters instantly sopping wet pussy
easily.  After dipping it in a few times to get it slick, he pulled it out
and pressed it against her backdoor.

   "Nooooo!" He groaned, refusing to believe he was parting her gorgeous
buns with his cock.  Even worse, the way Alesha's rectum sucked at his cock
he knew how incredible it was going to feel.

   Alesha thoroughly enjoyed the pleasure of having her father taking her
ass.  Her body was tuned perfectly for sex, she had to admit, and it did
not matter when or where, she could handle just about anything and enjoy
it. 'A pity,' she thought, 'sometimes the pain makes it that much better...
but all I ever feel is pleasure now.'

   A noise at the top of the stairs made her look up.  Brian stood up there
in a pair of boxer shorts, a strange look in his eyes as he watched his
father fucking his sister in the ass.  Alesha smiled affectionately at him
and waved for him to come down the stairs.  When he reached her, she had
him sit down on the stair in front of her and she fished his already hard
cock out of his boxers.

   "You have no idea how wonderful it is to find someone with a cock that
springs back from action as well as yours does!" She said, kissing and
licking it up and down the shaft.  She lowered her head and licked and
sucked at his balls then, hoping they had not been so tortured already that
day that they had nothing left in them.  She figured she could magically
refill them, but she wanted to see what her brother could do naturally.

   Taking her hand off of his cock, she returned her mouth to it, deep
throating him easily.  Her father grunted behind her, lost in the lust of
what he was doing.  Never a quick shot, he felt as though something was
blocking his orgasm, which made him strive all that much harder for it. 
What he had no way of knowing was that it was Alesha that was blocking it.
Every few minutes he would pull his cock out of her ass, which instantly
sprang back to its normal, size, and dip it into her drenched pussy so that
he could return to her ass fully lubricated.

   Alesha considered telling him he did not need to worry about hurting
her, but she decided she liked the alternating sensations of having him in
her ass one moment, then her pussy the next one.  Having Brian in her mouth
at the same time, being filled from both ends, made her feel incredibly
hot. It was not long before her first orgasm rocked through her, squeezing
her pussy muscles around her father and her lips and throat around Brian.
It reminded her suddenly of the time in the swamp when Kelnozz had been in
Brian's place and that troll, Grabbil, had been in her father's.

   The memory spiked another, more intense orgasm in her, and the clenching
muscles made it difficult for her father to push his cock back into her
ass. He managed, however, and thrust roughly into her.  Brian grabbed onto
Alesha's hair, pulling her head roughly down on him.  She relished it,
fucking him with her throat.  Her hands played with his balls, feeling them
tightening up and drawing up into his body.  Coupled with his quick
breathing, she knew he was about to fill her with her favorite snack.

   Alesha drove her ass back at her father, trying to bruise him.  He
grunted and grabbed onto her hips and pulled himself into her deeper and
harder.  The feeling was incredible, with her ass rhythmically clenching
and unclenching and milking his cock.  When Alesha pulled her head out of
Brian's lap and smiled at him, showing him a mouth full of cum, which she
then swallowed down with a grin, he groaned and emptied his own load deep
inside of her.

   Alesha ground her ass against him, milking every last bit of cum out of
him she could.  When at last he was spent, she pulled away from him and
headed upstairs, leaving him standing at the foot of the stairs staring
blankly.  He put his pants back on then went off to bed himself, still in
the trancelike state.

   Brian followed Alesha to her room, entering it after her and smiling
nervously.  "Sis, um, I mean, Mistress, can you show me how you do all
these things?" He said, correcting his mistake without realizing it.

   Alesha smiled at him and stripped off her skirt and boots.  Sitting on
the bed cross legged, she nodded and said, "I'm going to teach you a lot of
things, Brian.  You're going to be my right hand man while I'm here, and
when I'm gone, I want you to carry on after me, okay?"

   Brian nodded, staring at her beauty and having a hard time not staring
at her boobs or pussy.  "Thanks, I took care of everything like you told me
to, and it looks like you took care of dad."

   Alesha chuckled, "Yes, he's definitely taken care of.  Mom was real hot
in bed, but I bet I'm a lot better.  Now go to bed, Brian, tomorrow we'll
start your training."

   Brian smiled and wandered off to his own room.  Alesha grinned to
herself.  Things were working out well, in a month or two at the most she
should have enough people to perform the ritual that would open a rift
between Earth and Viconia.  Brian would anchor it on this end with what she
taught him, and she would be able to go through to the other end.  Then,
once Viconia was in her hands, she could return to Earth through Brian's
link and take over Earth as well.

   Alesha drifted off to sleep and dreamed dreams of power and of the
domination of worlds.

   *****

   "Well, do we try to stop them from building a bridge, or do we go for
help?" Kevin asked Martin.  The ranger scowled, knowing that in the extra
week they had rested, neither one of them were healed remotely enough to
face a company of light elven engineers.  Especially when there were giants
providing labor for them.

   He was about to admit that they needed to retreat when they heard the
sound of someone scrambling up the path towards them.  They crouched down
quickly and readied their weapons.  Jason's head popped around a rock,
smiling brightly when he saw them.

   "You guys moved, if wasn't easy finding you!" He said, motioning behind
him.

   Kelnozz, Nordan, Kayala, Vallanius, Throin, and a dark elf the ranger
did not recognize slipped into the shallow gully beside them.  The unknown
elf turned out to be a healer, for he immediately moved over to examine
them, muttering under his breath as he inspected their wounds.  Nodding
approvingly at the splint on Kevin's leg, he began chanting lowly and
pressed his hands against Kevin's leg.  Kevin grimaced in pain at first,
but then his features relaxed and he grinned.  Flexing his leg, he took the
splint off and tested it with his full weight.

   "Amazing!  You are a true cleric!  I haven't seen any of them in all my
life!" Kevin said, thankful tears flowing.  Martin raised his eyebrow, he
knew the elves had priests, but he did not think they actually had the
powers to heal.

   "Thank Karthor for finding you worthy of receiving his blessings," the
priest said, turning to examine Martin.  "What ails you, friend, you seem
fit and hail."

   Martin blushed and muttered, "It's my tailbone that's broken, hurts like
the blazes when I sit on it."

   "What was that?" Kelnozz said, pretending he did not hear his friend.

   Martin scowled and said, loudly enough for all to hear clearly, "My arse
is broke, okay?"

   They all chuckled at that, even Throin cracking an unusual grin.  The
healer went to work on him then, taking care of his injury in short order.

   "Ye were right, they be making a big bridge, fit fer an army!" Throin
said, staring at the other end of the valley where the light elves and
giants toiled to build a bridge over the 50 foot chasm.

   "Any idea how close the army is?" Kelnozz asked, staring thoughtfully at
the bridge.

   "Nay, I tried to scout it out, but I couldn't move much.  Plus the far
side of the valley and the Lost Lands are crawling with those buggers,"
Martin motioned towards the evil humanoids.

   "Well, do we let them cross to do battle, or do we cross and do battle
with them?" Nordan said.

   "If they be half the engineers dwarves are, the bridge be rigged to
collapse with the pulling of a pin or two," Throin said.

   "Aye, but if we fight them on this side, they can retreat and collapse
it behind them, moving elsewhere to cross," Vallanius said thoughtfully.

   "How close and how big is your army?" Martin said to Kelnozz.

   Kelnozz frowned at referring to it as his army, but answered anyhow,
"More stragglers join us everyday, last count a week ago was a 20,000, half
that being dwarves, 5,000 elves and 5,000 humans.  They are camped a day
south of the Periphery.  A camp with no fires to alert the enemy."

   "1,000 of the humans being my people, worth three or four men at least!"
Nordan said, puffing out his chest.

   Throin laughed at that and commented, "Aye, and worth half a dwarf or
so!"

   Nordan scowled at him, then realized the dwarf was messing with him He
chuckled with him and clapped him on the shoulder in a sign of respect.

   "How long have they been working on the bridge?" Kelnozz asked, noticing
that it was nearly finished.

   "3 days," Martin said.  When the others looked at him with astonishment
he shrugged.  "Giants make good workers, we watched them ourselves, either
tonight or tomorrow it will be completed, though I judge it strong enough
now to support a good 50 men at a time.  More, if those giants weigh as
much as I think."

   "Well, we need to find out how far the army is from here," Kelnozz said,
looking to the sky as an idea came upon him.  "And we need to know what
it's going to take to destroy that bridge."

   "Destroy the bridge?  How will we fight them then?" Nordan asked.

   "Not now, after they be crossing...  Keep them stranded from their
supply train and without retreat, we crush them like a piece of steel
caught between hammer and anvil." Throin said, picking up on Kelnozz's plan
instantly.

   "Kayala, how strong is your magic?" Kelnozz asked.  Seeing her frown at
him, he laughed and said, "I mean, can you keep a small force of men
invisible, as well as a large catapult?"

   Kayala blew out a deep breath.  "I think so, but I will need to be close
and it will tax me severely."

   Kelnozz nodded.  "I must find Luingirth and learn how far they are from
us.  Take a squad of dwarves into those hills over there and begin
construction of a catapult guaranteed to take that bridge out." Kelnozz
pointed across the valley to a place much closer to where the bridge was
being built, but far enough away that it would be behind the wall of the
valley.  "Hide them well, and make sure they all know the gravity of their
situation." The elf addressed the last to all of them, for once discovered,
the position would be quickly overrun.

   "Let someone else do it, the army can not stand to lose another
commander!" Vallanius said, grabbing Kelnozz's arm to keep him from
leaving.

   Kelnozz looked at Vallanius and shook his head, "Any other dragon will
instantly be known to be an enemy.  And where I am going, only someone who
works as well with Luingirth as I do stands a chance of returning with the
information.  The elven armies did well enough with you leading them,
Vallanius, if it comes to it, you can do it again."

   Vallanius started to protest but saw in Kelnozz's eyes it would be a
waste of words.  He took a deep breath and nodded his head.  Kelnozz turned
and departed at a jog, heading back to find Luingirth.

   "He'll be fine," Martin said, coming up behind Vallanius.  "I've only
known him a short while and I've seen him get in and out of situations no
other man could." Vallanius nodded, he knew Kelnozz skills well, he had
personally instructed the younger elf in the usage of weapons during his
younger days, but that did not stop him from being concerned about him.

   *****

   Under the cover of a cloud filled night sky, Kelnozz and Luingirth
streaked to the north, crossing the Periphery with ease, due to their
extreme altitude.  After a little over 2 hours of flight, they saw the
signs of a large force camped ahead.  Within moments, they could see
thousands of campfires ahead and below of them.  Luingirth banked away,
making certain they did not get to close to it.  After only a moment,
Kelnozz signaled Luingirth to fly away to the east.  After a few minutes of
flight, they would turn north and see how well the baggage train was.

   They flew east a little more then Kelnozz had originally planned, but he
needed to be certain that they were not spotted.  As they turned, he caught
sight of something a bit further out.  Redirecting Luingirth to check it
out, he cursed aloud.  A second army.  Not as large as the first, it was
still clearly very large.  Acting on a hunch, The returned to the west,
passing the original army and traveling far enough to confirm Kelnozz's
fears.  A third army lay camped.

   Had they taken the bridge and marched across, they would have met the
van of the evil forces, then both of the other armies would have swept down
on them, flanking them and destroying them.  Alesha may not be in charge,
but the plans she had laid were brilliant and brutal.

   Returning quickly, Kelnozz was amazed at the lack of security.  Did such
a large force consider themselves impervious to attack?  He wished he had
the men and the positioning to teach them a lesson.  He supposed a flight
of dragons could strike some serious damage, but each dragon lost would be
a terrible blow.  From the looks of things, at least they outnumbered the
enemy.  Perhaps 4,000 in each flanking army, with an additional 10,000 in
the middle.

   *****

   "Great one, the renegade dragon was just sighted scouting our
positions," Lord Kinslayer reported to Ancaruin, who had taken the form of
a powerfully built humanoid with flaming red hair and eyes.

   "Excellent, should he return after tonight, destroy him," Ancaruin said,
leaning back in the chair he sat in.  "And allow the men to resume their
normal camp assignments on the morrow."

   "Yes, great one!" The elf said, leaving the tent and conveying the
orders to the captains of the armies.  Narellin Kinslayer chuckled evilly.
He had to admit, the human woman Alesha had a great military mind.  3
armies designed to enfold and destroy any force they encountered, as well
as crowding the campfires with nearly 3 times as many men as they should
have.  It was a pity she had disappeared while she might have still been
useful to them.













   Entrenched, the dwarves had suffered the first real attack of the
humanoid army.  With few cavalry to harass the attacking army, the evil
forces had swept across the valley, reaching the far end before
encountering the dwarves that had dug in.  Elven archers from high up on
both sides of the valley fired arrow and magic down upon the humanoids, but
their numbers seemed endless, and still less then half had crossed the
bridge.

   The dragons had yet to be a large factor in the battle.  For that,
Kelnozz was concerned.  Already most of the weaker metallic dragons had
been forced to return to their prison, overcome by the pull of the evil
forbidding.  Of those remaining, many were showing signs of fatigue.

   Of the dwarves, they were true to their boasting, and felled at least
four for every one of theirs that fell.  Showing incredible stamina, their
short but powerful arms rose and fell, allowing axe, hammer, and sword to
rend flesh and bone.  Especially effective against giants and ogres, the
dwarves had proven their worth many times over.

   Humans served wherever they could, and more still flocked to join the
army as word continued to spread.  Some served with the elves, serving as
archers, while others aided the dwarves on the front lines.  Most were held
in reserve units, ready to plug holes or rush forward and relieve the
besieged dwarven lines.

   Of the special unit Kelnozz had authorized to build the catapult, he had
lost contact with them shortly after the first of the orcs and light elves
crashed into the earthen fortifications of the defenders.  Unable to tell
them when to spring their surprise, he had ground his teeth in frustration.
Now, four days later, he still saw no sign of them, and at least half of
the evil army had crossed the bridge.  If something did not happen soon,
then no matter how many of their foe they slew, they would be overwhelmed
by the sheer numbers of the enemy.  Kelnozz's estimation of the size of the
evil armies had proven to be greatly underestimated.  Looking over the
battle field from his command position, he could see that roughly three
times as many of them came against his army.

   Kelnozz glanced about him quickly.  Of his friends, there was no sign.
Martin had joined the archers, doubling by leading a group of elves and
woodsman to make certain that none of the humanoids managed to find any
passes through the mountains and flank them.  Nordan was with his
tribesmen, waiting in the hills to the west for the signal that they should
join the battle.  Kayala was aiding the dwarves that had designed the
catapult.  Vallanius alone was at hand, as well as several messengers.

   "Well old friend, things do not bode well," Kelnozz said, shading his
eyes to stare across the floor of the valley on which thousands upon
thousands of beings milled and fought.

   "We slay five times our number!" Vallanius said, surprised at the grim
tone of Kelnozz's voice.  "What more could you ask for?"

   "I could ask for 20 times our number, then perhaps we could withstand
them," Kelnozz muttered.  "Look behind or dwarven friends, what do you
see?"

   Vallanius studied the battlefield carefully.  "Open ground, easily
defended because it slopes upwards steadily towards us.  Not to mention the
ten companies of reinforcements, 200 a piece."

   Kelnozz nodded.  "Now look to the others, what do you see behind those
at the front?"

   Vallanius instantly understood what Kelnozz meant.  While they had only
2,000 to bolster their lines, Alesha's army was far greater, possessing
even more in reserve then they had at the front.  "What of the elves in the
hills?  We can signal them to sweep down at any time."

   While many of the elves were already pressed into service harassing the
enemy, the majority of their numbers were hidden in the hills, ready to
spring a trap and rush down into the attackers, striking them in the side.
"Aye, they are, and they'd do it gladly," Kelnozz said.  "But it would be
for naught, even should they fell as many as the dwarves seem to be, they
would be overwhelmed in moments."

   Vallanius was about to open his mouth to retort again, but Kelnozz
stalled him.  "Aye, the barbarians as well.  If that catapult has not been
overrun yet, then it must be used quickly, or we will be lost."

   Vallanius looked around again, trying to find some sign of hope.  Trying
to think of something they had missed.  He gritted his teeth in frustration
as his sharp elven eyes showed a section of the dwarven defenders give way
for a moment, pouring attackers in until the hole was plugged.  It was only
the first such breach, and the attackers dealt with harshly, but it was the
first of what would be many.

   "I will join the elves then," Vallanius said bitterly.  "It is as you
say, and if we cannot hold them, then we must hurt them as much as we can."

   Kelnozz favored Vallanius a tired smile.  He shook the older elf's hand,
and wordlessly, they parted ways.  Kelnozz studied the scene for a few
moments longer before calling to the pages.

   "Tell the dragons we need them now.  We must gain as much advantage by
surprise as we can before the chromatic dragons take flight to counter our
move.  I will lead them on Luingirth's back.  Have them stand ready."

   To another messenger he said, "Tell Nordan to charge as soon as he sees
the dragons.  And you," he pointed to a different messenger, "Tell
Vallanius the same."

   "Of those held in reserve, they must rush forward after the barbarians
and elves strike and the enemy is distracted.  The dwarves will join them
in the counter attack." Kelnozz looked at the two remaining messengers and
smiled sadly.  "For you, I have the most difficult task.  Both of you try
and reach that catapult and have them fire on that bridge.  If we do not
sunder it, then we are have lost not only the day, but the battle and the
war."

   Both their faces turned white at this news.  That meant they would have
to slip around and perhaps even through the enemy lines in order to reach
their objective.  They looked to one another, seeing the same fear mirrored
in each others eyes.  Looking back to Kelnozz, they could see the task he
had given them was just as hard for him to give as it was for them to
receive.  One nodded, then the other, and they set off, running to the west
and heading for the hills.

   Kelnozz watched them go, admiring their bravery.  Little more then
children themselves, he knew they would probably die.  All of them would,
he suspected, but victory was still possible, if only remotely.

   *****

   Kayala groaned in frustration as she felt her grip on the magic that
sustained the illusion concealing them slipping away.  A crew of 50
dwarves, plus herself, and the catapult had been built on the rocky plateau
just west of the bridge.  Her constant concentration and supervision had
been required once their foes had begun scouting.  Now, five days without
sleep or rest had taken its toll on her.  Trained young in the arts of
wizardry, Kayala had a mind that was as sharp and focused as the best of
her peers.  Had she the ability remaining to do so, she would have scoffed
at the idea of any of her so called peers being able to maintain so large
and taxing an illusion for so long.

   "Lass, it's to late, they be coming fer us," the leader of the dwarfs
said, putting his hand on her arm lightly to help break her meditative
trance.

   Kayala gasped, realizing she'd nearly drifted to sleep.  She struggled
to gather the wisps of magic that were tearing apart and realized it was to
late.  She jumped to her feet unsteadily and saw the large force of orcs
coming at them.  "I'm sorry, Kurn, I failed," she said sadly.

   "Nay lass, tis as good a time as any for us to test this here catapult
out!" Kurn said, signaling for the other dwarves to load and ready the
catapult.

   "Do we have time?" She asked, a fresh wave of adrenaline rushing into
her.

   "Aye lass, time enough for two shots, if ye can help us keep them
stinking orcs out of our hair," Kurn smiled ferociously then ran to help
with the catapult.

   Kayala smiled.  She knew that what Kelnozz had asked of her was a
suicide mission.  She knew it, and she accepted it.  Nordan had taken
Kelnozz aside later for a few strong words, and she smiled at the sweetness
of the gesture.  A powerful man, Nordan was nevertheless showing signs of
being human as well.  A pity they had not the time to further investigate
that rare vulnerability he had displayed.  In the end, they all knew that
what they did was done out of necessity.

   With that in mind, she summoned an incantation to mind and cast her
first spell against the orcs, turning the ground under many of them into
mud.  It did little but gain them time, but time was all they needed.  She
prepared her second spell and was nearly distracted when the wooden beam of
the catapult smacked loudly into the padded cross brace, the first missile
on its way.

   If dwarven engineers are said to be the finest in the land, the strike
of that first rock against the side of the bridge is proof of it.  The wood
and metal comprising it twisted and splintered, sending several of those
crossing it to a painful death in the chasm it spanned.  The bridge
remained, however, though it was weakened.

   "Let's go, lads!" Kurn said, pulling 30 of the dwarves away from the
catapult to charge the orcs.  Kayala's second spell sailed over their heads
and manifested in great sticky strands of gossamer silk that reminded them
of an enormous spider web.  It landed on a group of orcs and bound them
fast to each other and whatever else it came into contact with.  The
remaining dwarves had the arm cranked back already and were struggling to
set the second boulder in the basket.

   Shaking off a wave of weariness, Kayala summoned up the power for
another spell.  She knew she was pouring to much of herself into the magic,
but at the same time, it made her feel more alive and in touch with it then
she ever had before.  A dangerous thing that others and even herself had
warned against.  Reaching deep into herself, she summoned forth a magical
ball of electricity and sent it towards the orcs that were clearing the
strip of mud she had created.

   Kurn and his warriors crashed into a group of orcs that were nearly
twice their number.  The fighting was fierce and savage.  After several
minutes had passed, the dwarves found themselves standing triumphant,
though eight would never rise to fight again.  Gathering their breath, they
prepared to meet the next group of orcs emerging from the mud when the ball
of electricity flew into their midst and exploded, sending out bolts of
lightning into orc after orc, sometimes arcing from one to the next as
well.

   Kurn grinned and let loose a war cry, calling out to Garrick to aid the
dwarves.  On schedule, another rock sailed overheard, hurled from the
catapult with a deadly accuracy.  Losing herself further, Kayala began
another spell, reaching out and gather the mystical energies around her.

   The bridge buckled under the second boulder, nearly ready to give way. A
few more brave figures fell to their deaths, yet more crowded forward,
anxious to cross over.  Word of the attack had spread quickly though, and
already more were rushing to reinforce the company of orcs.

   Kurn looked about him quickly, only a handful of his dwarves remained,
but the catapult was about to fire for the third time.  Third and final, he
was certain.  An explosion of magic heralded Kayala's next spell, sending
orcs screaming to their fiery graves.  With the orcs slain or
incapacitated, Kurn had a moment to relax and breathe.  The reinforcements
were coming though, and an ogre in particular was bearing down on him.  The
third boulder sailed overhead, striking the bridge true and rending it
asunder.  Kurn felt a moment of elation then, and he knew that no matter
what became of him, his son would live on and they would win the day.

   *****

   Dragons filled the skies.  Flying on wings of gleaming gold, silver,
copper, brass, and bronze, they came over the hills to the south and passed
high above the defenders.  At their head could be seen a dragon that did
not seem to fit in with the others.  Scales of blue, it bore a rider upon
its back.

   Nordan grinned and bellowed loudly.  No known word, but instead a primal
urge, his tribe took it up behind him and as one, they charged from
concealment and onto the battlefield.  Catching a group of light elves
unprepared, the brute strength of the barbarians quickly hacked their way
through them, though the skill and magic of the light elves left them
wounded more then they would have cared to admit.  Still, with the presence
of caution one would expect from a horde of barbarians, they plunged
onward.

   On the eastern edge of the valley, thousands of elves poured down the
trails and out from behind rocks, cutting deeply into the ranks of the
enemy.  Elven wizards and sorceresses hurled flaming bolts and balls of
exploding frost into the dark army, striking ruthlessly.  Dark and light
cousin came face to face, the only acceptable outcome of such a meeting
being death.

   The metallic dragons overhead swooped down, causing great damage to the
evil beings with magic, breath, talon, and tooth.  Stricken with
uncertainty at last, they began to falter.  Orcs, elves, ogres, giants, and
others turned from the front and began to try and retreat, striking out at
their own allies that still pushed to the front.  It was at this time that
the reinforcements charged forward, leaping over the fortifications and
striking into the disorganized front ranks.  The dwarves, refreshed by the
change of momentum, also leapt to the attack.

   The rout was short lived, for as soon as news of the metallic dragons
joining the fray arrive, the chromatic dragons flocked to the battle. 
Battle was joined both above and below.  Kelnozz and Luingirth flew up and
away from the battle, for fear that Luingirth might be mistaken as on of
her evil kin, and attacked accidentally.

   *****

   Borrik cursed loudly as an slain orc fell against his leg, distracting
him from the light elf he fought.  Kicking the corpse away, he accepted the
shallow wound on his arm the light elf delivered and returned a powerful
two handed stroke with his great axe, blasting through the parry and
cleaving deeply into the pale skinned elf's chest.

   Yanking his axe free, Borrik stepped over the fallen elf and severed an
ogres leg from its body, making it tumble to the ground and allowing
another fatal swing from his axe to fall.  Wiping some blood off of his
face, the dwarf looked about and realized he had outdistanced his brethren.
Muttering curses at the evil forces in disarray before him, he returned to
laying about with his axe, rending flesh and bone without pause of mercy.

   *****

   Wulf, second son of Vorm, followed his leader willfully onto the
battlefield.  Nordan was a hero in his eyes.  In the eyes of all the
barbarians.  Wulf tried to stay close to his leader, but found it difficult
to do in the press of the foul beasts they fought.  He had never realized
how loud battle could be.  The sounds of metal on metal and men shouting
was deafening.  Focusing on his other senses, Wulf used his two handed
sword to great effect, he struck again and again.

   To Wulf's right, his clansmen fell, stricken by a giant.  Wulf clove at
the giant to avenge him, landing a telling wound on its thigh.  The giant
was hard pressed from its other flank as well, but it turned it's attention
to Wulf for a moment and prepared to smash him to the ground with its club.
A thundering boom stunned Wulf for a moment, and the giant fell back,
crushing an orc beneath it.  Nordan leapt atop its chest, mighty warhammer
reappearing in his hand magically, and bellowed out a challenge to any that
could hear him.

   Wulf watched in amazement as both orcish and light elven archers took
aim and fired, but Nordan was already moving.  The arrows sliced through
the air around him, seeking his flesh, but none could find them.  It was as
though Nordan could not be touched.  Wulf looked down and saw a stray arrow
had struck him in the forearm.  Frowning, he reached down and broke it off,
then turned back and barely blocked a rushing orc from running him through
with a spear.

   Slashing out, the orc went down in a fountain of blood.  Wulf had no
time to rest, for a giant wolf with hate filled eyes and a spiked black
collar lunged at him.  Backpedaling quickly, Wulf stumbled over the fallen
body of another barbarian.  He grunted as he hit, and tried to scramble
away.  The dire wolf lunged forward, jaws clamping down on his leg.  Before
it could tear his calf apart, Wulf kicked with his other leg, crushing the
dire wolf's snout and sending it yelping away from him.  He regained his
feet with a quick glance at his leg, it bled freely, but only from some
puncture wounds in his calf, there were no tears.

   Ignoring his growing injuries, Wulf returned to the battle, slashing out
at the next creature he came to face.

   *****

   Jyslen was no ordinary warrior, she was a bladesinger.  To her, battle
was an art form, and she an artist.  Not merely an artist, but a
perfectionist.  Each slice of her blades seemed graceful, each parry was
flawless, each evasion a dance.  In other circumstances, the dance she
performed would have been beautiful.  But there, amidst an army of 20,000
orcs, trolls, ogres, giants, lizardmen, wolves, and dragons, it was fatal.

   Part of a unit in which less then one in twenty elven warriors were
qualified to enter, the bladesingers were devastating on the battlefield.
Nothing stood in their way, even the powerful giants were too slow and
clumsy to halt their advance.  This was what they were trained for, and to
many of them, it seemed to be the very reason they were born.

   But even with hundreds of years of training, even with the skill and
coordination to slice an arrow out of the sky, even with the ability to
turn aside the most harmful of blows, nothing can truly make one immune to
the many forms death can take.

   This time death took the form of a light elven wizard.  Slicing through
his bodyguards as though they were wheat before a scythe, the bladesingers
were to slow to stop him from casting his spell.  Flames burst out from his
fingers, rolling over many of them in an arc to great to be dodged.  Jyslen
herself felt her arm and leg on fire, caught on the edge of it in her
desperate lunge to safety.  Her training allowed her to ignore the pain and
block it out, but it would not make either her arm or leg move as she
wanted it to, for the magical flames had burned deeply.

   Another light elf charged in at her from the side, hitting her squarely
in the face with its shield and knocking her to the ground.  Jyslen stared
at her arm, wondering why it had not done as she ordered and sliced through
her racial enemies throat.  She never looked back in time to see the
longsword slicing down towards her.

   *****

   Grishnak, orc warrior and member of Karav's company, hacked at another
elf with his hand axe.  The axe was parried, but his shield was left
ignored, allowing him to bash it into the face of the elf.  His axe rose
and fell again, cutting the elf apart.

   He turned next to a human that had come at him, wielding a long sword
and shield.  Grishnak took the sword on his shield and hacked out with his
axe, crippling the human.  Another swing defeated him, and Grishnak snarled
out an orcish oath at the dying human.

   Seeing no opponents, Grishnak turned and fled after his company, trying
to get back to the bridge and away from the thousands of remaining dwarves,
elves, and humans that had suddenly turned the tide of the battle.  Dragons
swept bye overhead, striking with near impunity at his companions.  He
waved his axe at them angrily, thinking it unfair that they could cause
such death without any threat to themselves.  Seeing the chromatic dragons
approaching, he stopped and cheered at the site.

   His cheering was the last sound he made, for an arrow suddenly found his
chest.  Silenced, Grishnak stared at the wooden shaft protruding from his
leather brigantine.  Suddenly at a loss for breath, he stumbled to his
knees and grabbed onto the shaft.  A great numbness began to spread then,
and within moments the light faded from his eyes and he collapsed to the
ground, just another corpse on the valley floor.

   *****

   Martin had left his pathfinders on animal runways and at good hiding
spots in two and threes.  They were there to defend and turn back the enemy
in case they tried to flank.  Now he moved alone towards the chasm at the
end of the valley.  He swore softly when he heard some rocks shift above
him.  He was in a cleft in the rock, moving from one ledge to another.

   Martin cleared the miniature ravine and saw that a group of light elves
were attacking two of his pathfinders.  He readied his bow quickly and put
an arrow to it.  Firing as rapidly as he dared, for fear of hitting his
men, he took two of the light elves down from behind before they realized
he was back there.  Finding themselves attacked from both sides, three of
the light elves broke away from the group of eight and came running back
towards Martin.  He wounded one of them on the way by hitting him in the
thigh with an arrow.  The other two reached him quickly though, forcing him
to discard his bow and drawn his sword.  Light elves were known for their
skill in battle, a fact Martin had hoped not to prove true.  He gave up
ground rapidly to them, retreating as he defended from their attacks.  The
two were obviously not used to fighting alongside each other, however, and
in that, Martin saw his only chance of survival.  When one of the elves
crossed in front of the other, he kicked out with his foot, catching the
lunging elf in the side of his knee and making it buckle.  The elf reached
out desperately to keep from sliding off the edge of the cliff.  He grabbed
the other light elf's boot, distracting him further.  Martin lunged
forward, skewering the upright elf.  He then kicked the prone elf hard
enough to roll him towards the edge.  A swing with his sword caused the elf
to duck its head in order to not lose it, but that distraction allowed
Martin to kick him again, this time it was enough to dislodge the elf. 
Martin peered over the side of the ledge and saw the elf rolling down the
steep side of the valley, bouncing off occasional rocks or sparse tree
growth.  He turned back and saw the wounded elf pointing it's own bow and
arrow at him from where it had limped to.  Martin cursed and threw himself
down to the surface of the ledge.  The arrow streaked over his back, and he
heard the light elf muttering.  Martin scrambled to his feet and charged
the elf, hoping to get there before the elf could ready another arrow. 
Elven archers are some of the finest in Viconia, be they dark of light. 
Martin threw his hands up in front of his face to block the second arrow,
expecting to feel it sink painfully into his flesh at any second.  The
arrow flew true, striking him in the palm of his right hand.  Martin felt
the impact, then realized that the arrow had not penetrated his hand. 
Biting back a laugh, he lashed out with his sword, taking the bow from the
elf's hands and rendering him defenseless.  Another few swings and the elf
lay dead at his feet.  Martin examined his palm then, thankful for the
mithril arm the dark elves had given him.  There was a scratch on the
otherwise smooth surface where the arrow had hit, but other then that,
there was no sign of damage.  Martin ran back and grabbed up his bow,
launching more arrows at the elves and slaying three more of them.  His
pathfinders had dispatched one as well, and with Martin's help, soon turned
the table on the two remaining light elves.  Both of the humans were
wounded, but both were still in fighting condition.  Martin set out
quickly, searching the hills for more pockets of enemies to keep from
gaining the sides of the valley.

   *****

   Nordan rose from where Wulf had fallen, a rage overcoming him.  He
lashed out then, felling a troll in one mighty blow.  Behind him, a torch
was brought forward, setting the body of the troll afire to keep it from
healing.

   He found himself in a company of trolls then, and lashed out time and
again, striking them down and hoping that his companions could get to them
with fire before they regenerated the wound and rose again.  It was then
that he encountered a troll wearing black armor and wielding a great sword.

   "Ey!  Me no yu!" The troll said, parrying Nordan's hammer.  "Yu Nordan,
dat hoomin dat bash'd dat draggin!"

   Nordan took a step back, suddenly remember the encounter from what
seemed like so long ago.  "Aye, Grabbil, I am he.  We meet again."

   "Yer bashin fer da emenee," Grabbil said, frowning.  "Grabbil tel yu
wut, uz wil bash fer yu gyz ef yu let uz owt uv heer.  Dis bad bashin fer
uz, we loozin."

   Nordan blinked a few times as he struggled to decipher the trolls
butchered common.  When he finally understood he nodded and said, "Good
enough, my people will grant you passage when the battle is done.  Until
then, slay any orc, light elf, wolf, troll, ogre, or giant you meet!"

   Nordan and Grabbil both called out to those nearby then, relaying
orders. Trolls, being not incredibly intelligent but more interested in
food, money, and who to kill, were just as happy to fight their former
comrades as their former enemies.  With Grabbil telling them who to fight,
they turned coat.

   Reluctant at first, the barbarians followed Nordan's lead and let the
trolls turn away from them and hack and slash their way back into the enemy
army.  First one, then another barbarian began laughing at the odd turn of
events.  The relief was short lived, but it refreshed their minds and
bodies and allowed them to reenter the fray with a renewed fervor.

   *****

   Fyrentennimer let go of the black dragon it had clutched in its claws
and watched it crash to the ground, crushing many of the evil humanoids in
its path.  Wings flapping mightily, the powerful gold dragon climbed higher
in the sky and saw two green dragons pursuing a silver one.  He pursued
them, powerful flames leaping from his jaws to catch the larger green
dragon and send it crashing into a hill, blinded and wounded.  The silver
was doomed, however, for the other green dragon had caught up to it and
latched onto its back and used its powerful legs to rip scale and flesh and
bone.  Letting go, the green spiraled up and turned to face Fyrentennimer
on even footing.

   Fyrentennimer crashed into it, his jaws snapping around the neck of the
green while his clawed hands wrapped around the dragons body and shredded
one of the greens dragons wings.  The green dragon bellowed and tried to
use its legs to tear at the Fyrentennimer's belly, but the gold dragon had
already dug its teeth into the greens throat and released its hold on the
weaker dragon.  It plummeted to the ground, dying of a crushed windpipe
even before it crashed into the ground hard enough to remove all chance of
survival.

   Fyrentennimer was caught unaware by a more powerful red dragon then. 
The red dragons flames rolled over the gold dragon's scales, doing no
damage but forcing Fyrentennimer to keep its eyes closed long enough for
the red to latch onto his back.  Fyrentennimer flipped about in mid air,
trying to throw the red from him.  The evil dragon held on, fanged maw
trying to snap shut on Fyrentennimer's neck.

   Losing altitude quickly, Fyrentennimer managed to twist about in the
red's grasp and tear away at the armored scales on its chest and belly. 
Sensing how close they were to the ground, the red let go then, allowing
both dragons to flap their wings and come together again much higher in the
sky.  Both of them spouted flames on each other, with Fyrentennimer's
overpowering the younger red dragon's breath weapon.  Stunned by the heat,
the red was blindsided by Fyrentennimer, who tore a great chunk of flesh
from the red's side.  Hot blood rained upon the combatants below as the red
struggled to bring its body about and face Fyrentennimer.

   Two more passes and the red dragon was sent to join its fallen comrades
below, bleeding from even greater wounds the powerful elder gold had
inflicted upon it.  Fyrentennimer glanced about, seeing a blue dragon
approaching, and it readied itself for combat again.

   "Hold!" Kelnozz called out, seeing Fyrentennimer about to unleash its
breath weapon upon them.  Fyrentennimer turned its head away at the last
moment and sent the incredibly flames into the empty sky, sparing the dark
elf and his companion.

   "Be thou careful, elf, thy companion couldst be mistaken for mein foe!"
Fyrentennimer said, flying closer and hovering.

   Kelnozz yelled to be heard over the hovering dragons.  "Aye,
Fyrentennimer, we are being wary.  Look below you, the bridge is no more,
the evil dragons are being driven back, with the help of the good dragons,
we can win this!"

   "At what cost, elf?" Fyrentennimer asked, doing as he was bidden and
studying the battle below them.

   Kelnozz knew what the dragon was referring to.  Not only the loss of
life to the dark elven and dwarven cultures, but to the chromatic dragons
as well.  "This battle threatens to set us back many years, Fyrentennimer,
but it will set Ancaruin and Alesha back just as much, more if we defeat
them!  I'm not asking for a favor, and I'm not asking you to ignore the
fact that many good beings will die.  I'm demanding that you acknowledge
what is at stake here!"

   Fyrentennimer swooped away then, soaring over the battle below.  Indeed,
the evil dragons were in retreat, though many good dragon was wounded or
dead already.  Below the evil army had realized its condition.  Stranded
from retreat, it had no choice but to stand and fight.  Already many fights
had broken out amongst its own ranks as well.

   "Very well, dark elf," Fyrentennimer said, returning to where Luingirth
and Kelnozz waited.  With that, he turned in mid air and roared loudly
enough for his voice to carry for miles, even over the din of battle.

   The good dragons responded to Fyrentennimer's call, flocking to his side
and streaking down towards the ranks of the enemy.  Fire, frost, lightning,
and other powerful breath weapons and magical assaults wreaked havoc on the
enemy forces, with Kelnozz and Luingirth still circling above, the call to
battle singing out in both their blood.

   *****

   "Great one, we have lost this battle," Narellin said, hoping Ancaruin's
wrath was not so great that he struck out at him for being the bearer of
bad news.  Narellin Kinslayer had been born during the first elven wars. 
Because of that, his power was from another age, his sorcery nearly
unmatched throughout Belurian.  Yet in spite of that, he hid within him a
great fear of Ancaruin.

   The mighty red dragon was in the guise of something humanoid.  A
towering giant of a man with deep black eyes and crimson skin.  He stared
at Narellin for a moment, his eyes boring into the light elf.  Finally he
spoke, his voice too deep and powerful to come from a mortal body.  "What
of their forces?"

   "But a few score of metallic dragons remain, and their armies are weary
and wounded, with perhaps half their number able to do battle," Narellin
said, taking small comfort in the apparent calm of Ancaruin's voice.  "My
lord, I recommend we wait, the longer we wait, the weaker their dragons
become fighting the forbidding.  We will be able to recall the dragons that
have fled the battle to our side, and in spite of their forces resting and
healing, we will be able to crush them!"

   Ancaruin lashed out then, with one mighty forearm.  It came no where
near Narellin, but the magic behind the blow struck him powerfully, driving
him to the far corner of the pavilion.  He sat up, coughing and gasping. 
Flecks of blood in his spittle marked his lips.

   "Never speak of the forbidding, fool!" Ancaruin spat at him.  "Were thou
not present when it happened and still useful to me, I wouldst drink of thy
blood and feast upon thy flesh!"

   Narellin nodded quickly, wiping the blood from his lips and struggling
to regain enough breath to rise to his feet.  He had been present when the
metallic dragons were banished, one of less then a handful of light elves
still alive.  None were supposed to know of it, for both light elf and
chromatic dragon had broken their vow to release the metallic dragons after
a thousand years had passed.

   "Use thy wizards and army to confuse them," Ancaruin said, striding
towards the door of the command tent.  "It is nigh time I join this
battle."

   Narellin watched him leave, shocked to see Ancaruin taking part in
things himself.  He had served the dragon for centuries, the impetuosity of
his move startled him.  He then scrambled about to call upon the captains
of the army to issue orders.  Nearly a third of their force had been
defeated, and they now had a great chasm to cross, but with the unmatched
power of the light elven magic, victory would still be theirs.

   *****

   Kelnozz leapt from Luingirth's back, landing lightly upon the scorched
ground.  He approached Nordan and knelt down next to his large friend.  All
around them the rock and dirt was blackened and charred.  The catapult that
had destroyed the bridge lay in charred ruins.  Where they knelt, however,
was a spot where the ground was not burnt.  In the form of a body grass and
flowers had already sprung forth to reach towards the sun.

   "She died here," Nordan said, standing up stoically but still staring at
the small garden.

   "Aye," Kelnozz said, believing him.  "She fought valiantly, Nordan.  I
saw what must have been her final moments from Luingirth's back.  A spell
of such power must have overwhelmed her, for it overwhelmed those seeking
her death."

   Nordan laughed, though it sounded hollow.  "They did this for you, elf."

   Kelnozz looked to Nordan, surprise in his eyes.  "What do you mean?" He
asked, uncertain.

   "We all know the stories now, we've all heard them told time and again.
What we do is for the good of all," Nordan said, his tone barely
convincing. "But all of the elves, they fight for you.  They've seen and
heard our deeds and believe you truly are the chosen one they dream of. 
Maybe they're right, I've known you too long as the scrawny elf that sneaks
around whenever an honest brawl starts.  Remember that, elf, every person
that dies does this to make Belurian a better place as much as they do it
because they think you want them to."

   Kelnozz stared after his companion, unable to say anything.  He was
surprised to hear such a thing from Nordan, and he realized that in spite
of the years of friendship and the many trials they had been through,
perhaps he still did not know the barbarian well enough.  He hurried to
catch up to him then, following his trail around the rocks he had
disappeared behind.

   *****

   "There are many things you must know."

   Nordan spun about, his hammer drawn back and ready to strike out. 
Standing with one leg up on a rock was the chief of his tribe, Helmut.  "We
thought you dead!" Nordan said, happy to see him alive.

   "My son, I'm not so easy to kill," Helmut said, grinning.  He walked
forward and clasped Nordan's arm fondly.  "Many things you should know, but
if I am right, in time you will know them.  Now you must hurry.  Return to
your army and prepare for the greatest battle you have ever fought."

   "Wait!" Nordan said, as Helmut turned to leave.  "What do you mean?"

   "Nordan!  Come back here!" Kelnozz called out, rounding the rocks and
spying the large man with his back turned to him.

   Nordan glanced back at the elf, then looked over at Helmut again. 
Except Helmut had disappeared.  He hurried after, searching about for some
sign of him, but found nothing.  Kelnozz caught up to him quickly though,
and stood watching silently while Nordan looked about.  Finally Nordan let
out a laugh and turned to face Kelnozz, a smile on his face.

   "Come elf, this day is not done!  We have much to do, and more to
fight!" Nordan clapped Kelnozz on the shoulder roughly on his way past.

   Kelnozz turned and stared at the barbarian, twice in one day at a loss
for words.  He hurried to catch up, not letting him out of his site this
time.  "What are you about?  We've destroyed the bridge and driven off
their dragons, the day is ours!"

   "We have something in common at least, dark elf," Nordan said, ignoring
him.  "My people follow me as much as yours follow you.  With Helmut gone,
it is only right that his son take over the tribe."

   "I thought your father was slain years past, with you to young to know
him?" Kelnozz said, remembering what Nordan had told him.

   "Parentage is a trivial matter, among my people," Nordan said, stopping
and looking at Kelnozz.  "With women as free to choose a mate as a man, the
man I thought to be my father was not.  Helmut was my father."

   "How do you know this, all of a sudden?"

   "He just told me," Nordan said, grinning and glancing back at the rocks
where his strange encounter had occurred.

   "Nordan, did you take a blow to your head?  Helmut was taken by Alesha
months ago," Kelnozz said, thinking his friend mad with grief.  He knew he
and Kayala had become closer then friends, after the dark elven sorceress
continued to tease him with her magic and show him how it could be used to
his benefit.  Eventually he had come to agree with her, albeit reluctantly,
and from there they had become lovers.  It was rare that an elf took a
human as a lover, for in the lifespan of an elf, a human's life is but a
blink of an eye.  But then again, Nordan was a rare human.

   "In those rocks over there, Helmut appeared to me.  He called me his son
and told me that I needed to return to my people, for a greater battle was
yet to take place this day.  Then he left, disappearing before my very
eyes."

   Kelnozz nodded, his concern for Nordan growing.  He looked Nordan up and
down, seeing no wounds that would account for seeing such visions.  "You
speak of the impossible, my friend, Helmut is gone."

   Nordan laughed loudly, clapping Kelnozz on the shoulder again.  "You
speak to me of magic and great prophecies, yet will not believe in
something so simple as this?"

   Kelnozz closed his mouth, admitting that he could be wrong by his
silence.  Nordan set off again, heading back towards the blasted crater
where Kayala's last stand had been.  Kelnozz followed him, doubtful but
acknowledging the possibility that his friend might not be going insane
after all.

   "Today I stood and slew foe after foe.  It was a glorious battle.  A
mountain of my enemy lay in my wake, from orc to wolf to giant to troll to
elf.  My people cheered and fought beside me, meeting your people in the
middle of the valley.  It was then that I saw one of my tribesman fall.  I
had noticed him time and again, taking many wounds but fighting on without
complaint."

   Nordan paused, they were beside Luingirth again, who looked down at them
impassively.  Kelnozz listened attentively to Nordan, signaling Luingirth
that they would be ready in a moment.

   "I made my way to him, killing the light elf about to slay him, and
tried to help him to his feet.  His wound was mortal though, and he was
just a boy.  He saw that it was me who had come to aid him and in his eyes
I saw nothing but pride and joy.  His wounds forgotten, he smiled and
fought past the blood in his lungs and mouth to tell me his name and to
wish me luck.  He died then."

   Kelnozz studied Nordan carefully.  He had lived beside the man for many
years, but only now was he glimpsing deeper into his soul then he had all
that time.  Kelnozz realized, in that moment, how self absorbed the elven
people could become.  He realized he had been just as bad as the elven
council he had all but fought over the years.

   "You have taught me a lesson this day," Kelnozz said, laying his hand on
Nordan's forearm.  "I do not understand what it was to have this happen to
you, nor do I pretend to, but I offer you my apologies for each of your
people slain, and wonder if what I have to offer is enough.  All we have is
vengeance, Nordan, and that will not bring any of those we have lost back.
It will not feed our friends and families.  It will not sow and reap our
crops.  It will only shed more blood and cause more grief.  My hope, a
small one now, is that in the end all of this hardship will come to an end
and that the lives of those lost will have paid for a better life for those
remaining."

   Nordan shook his head and smiled sadly.  "This is my people's way,
Kelnozz.  This is what we know.  We live and we die the riddle of steel. 
There is no grief at the loss of Wulf, son of Vorm, cousin to my mother. 
There is grief at Kayala's death, for your people live a different life,
and your God does not ask such of you."

   "No, upon us falls the same duty, to lead our people to victory," Nordan
looked down into the valley at the army that was tending its wounded and
tossing the dead into the chasm.  Archers guarded them from the occasional
foray from other side of the chasm.

   Kelnozz nodded, signaling to Luingirth that they were ready.  "That is
true, my friend, but until now, your people, the dwarves, and even the
humans were all but pawns and tools to be used to help the elves achieve
this end.  That is no longer, for there are greater things at stake then
the honor and pride of the elven people."

   Lifted onto Luingirth's back, they settled in before Nordan responded.
"Nay elf, none of us were ever pawns.  The elves are simply the only ones
who have yet to realize it."

   Kelnozz laughed at the truth of that.  Luingirth took to the sky then,
winging quickly towards where the army rested.  It was already several
hours past midday, if Nordan was right and another battle awaited them,
they must hurry to prepare for it.

   *****

   "Lord Kelnozz, a band of trolls is holding a section of the valley.  We
tried to fight them, but they keep knocking us back.  We tried fire and
magic, and that caused them to howl at us in their language, but brought no
return attack.  One of them came out and called for Nordan, saying they
were friends?"

   Kelnozz listened to the messenger's story, at first incredulous, then
laughing.  Turning to Nordan he raised an eyebrow questioningly.

   "Aye, that's Grabbil's company of trolls.  They turned on the enemy.  I
guaranteed them safe passage away from us if they aided us," Nordan said,
grinning at the strange moment in battle.

   Kelnozz laughed again.  "Carry word, the trolls are to be let go,"
Kelnozz told the messenger.  When the messenger stood there for a moment,
surprise on his face, Kelnozz shooed him off with his hand and turned back
to Nordan.  "The same Grabbil from our trip into the Lost Lands?"

   "Aye, one and the same!" Nordan said, still chuckling.

   "My Lords!" Another messenger burst into the camp, sweat streaming from
his face.  "The light elves, they're up to something!  The ravine has been
hidden by great clouds of darkness!  We can hear noises, but they're not
human!"

   "What are they up to?" Vallanius asked, stepping forward.  He had a
bandage across his forehead from where he had been wounded, and another on
his forearm.

   "Another battle," Kelnozz said, looking at Nordan incredulously.  Nordan
grinned back him smugly.

   "We're hardly ready for another fight!" Vallanius said, not daring to
believe that what Kelnozz said was true.

   "Bah, sit on yer arse, elf, me boys will take care of them fer ye!"
Throin said, hopping to his feet from where he had been sitting on a log,
sharpening his axe.

   Vallanius was momentarily cowed by the courageous dwarf.  While the elf
had two wounds, the dwarf was nicked and bandaged in numerous places. 
Still, he was ready to fight.

   "But how will they come at us?  We destroyed their bridge!" Vallanius
said.

   "Magic," Kelnozz said.  "They use it to hide whatever they are doing at
the chasm.  Get our own spellcasters over there to counter it.  Nordan, you
may want to return to your people for this."

   Nordan thought for a moment then said, "No, this is a different battle.
Let us go to the dragons."

   Kelnozz stared at him for a moment curiously.  Then he shrugged and
nodded.  "Vallanius and Throin, I leave the army in your care, come Nordan,
let us head for the skies."

   Leaving the tent they encountered a somber faced Martin.  "Have you been
told?" He asked, pointing towards the far end of the valley.

   "Aye, we're going to check it out now from dragonback," Nordan said,
grinning at the ranger and punching him lightly in the arm.

   Martin fell into step beside them, limping slightly from a gash in his
calf and rubbing his now bruised shoulder.  A few minutes later and they
stood before the resting dragons.  Many were wounded, and many more looked
very weak.

   "What's the matter?" Kelnozz asked Fyrentennimer.

   "The Forbidding," He explained.  "Its pull is very strong and the more
wounded and tired of my kin are finding it to strong to ignore."

   "To return is more then a week of flight from here!  If they are so
weary, can they not wait until they have rested?" Martin asked, surprised.

   "This is but a part of the price of this war," Kelnozz said,
understanding reaching him.  "The forbidding will force them to return,
even if it means death trying to get there."

   "What can we do?" Martin asked, shocked to see the metallic dragons
willing to make such a sacrifice.

   "Little," Fyrentennimer responded, watching sadly as a bronze dragon
with a terrible gashes in its side leapt into the air and headed south and
west on unsteady wings.

   "My friend, another battle approaches us, we need your help again or all
of this will be for naught." Kelnozz said, reminding himself of why they
had come.

   Fyrentennimer gazed towards the end of the valley.  Seeing the darkness
with his keen vision, he nodded.  "I sense something powerful is nigh to
happening."

   Kelnozz glanced to Nordan, who had that smug look on his face again. 
Kelnozz chuckled in spite of himself.  He opened his mouth to say something
more when all of them heard a distant roar.  It grew more and more
powerful, then trailed off.  They all turned and looked towards the clouds
of darkness obscuring their view.

   Difficult to see at first, then becoming more obvious, several figures
stumbled forward from the darkness.  Some lumbering along, other running
almost smoothly.  Then, from above the darkness a shape detached itself. 
It was clearly a dragon, though even from the distance they were, it was
plain to see that this dragon was huge.  Dwarfing any of the other dragons
they had seen thus far, it sailed over the valley quickly, heading towards
the army of dwarves, humans, and elves.

   "Ancaruin," Fyrentennimer growled.  "Come, we must slay him!"

   Martin found himself nodding agreement.  Still over a mile away, he
believed he could feel the evil of the red dragon reaching him.  His skin
was crawling and something inside of him screamed that he should run away.
He overrode it and looked about.  Nordan was on Fyrentennimer's back
already, and Kelnozz a few moments from Luingirth.  Nearby a silver dragon
was preparing to take flight as well.  Martin waved his arms and called out
to it, gaining it's attention and allowing him to talk the dragon into
letting him aboard its back.

   The three heroes lifted into the sky and fell in near each other.  They
closed rapidly with Ancaruin, and other dragons joined in with them.  Soon
nearly two dozen metallic dragons flew through the air, aimed at Ancaruin.
Not a one of them came close to the red dragons size or strength.  Below
the army of Belurian had come together and stood ready to defend the latest
attack.  As the charge grew closer, the smell preceded it.  Using unholy
magic, the dead had been risen from the grave to fight again.

   *****

   Alesha awoke from a dream she had been having.  In the dream she had
been riding her nightmare steed through a town that was once Mezarbolle,
but now was laid to ruin.  An army surrounded it.  A conquering army.  She
saw corpses all around her, and one of them moved.

   Leaping off her saddle, she had approached the body and found it to be a
human.  She stared at it for a moment, something familiar in its features.
The eyes opened then, and they stared at her.  "He'll come for you!"

   Alesha dropped the body and backed away, the eyes staring sightlessly
past her now.  She hopped back on her nightmare and turned away.  She
remembered who the body was now, it was Nordan's and Kelnozz's companion
before she had met them.  The human Pompey.  She had seen him only briefly,
and even that was after he had been killed.

   Shrugging away the strange dream, Alesha sensed that she needed to
hurry. Her followers had grown quickly.  Nightly orgies were now being held
in the club she had acquired, ending in a ritual sacrifice that fed her
energies.  Several times the law had come looking, but no amount of
technology or investigative experience was a match for her magic.

   "Soon, Talifernon, soon we will be free of this world and back where we
belong!" Alesha said, striking the hilt of her short sword fondly.  Brian
murmured in his sleep beside her.  She had taken to instructing him
nightly, after she returned from the club.  Magic ran strongly through him
as well, and with Alesha's tutelage, he would be very powerful in his own
right.

   Alesha turned to him and smiled.  Still asleep, his dreams began to take
on an erotic twist as Alesha's mouth enveloped his manhood.

































   Flies buzzed loudly enough to be heard scores of feet away.  Vultures
and crows squawked and battled with each other over the choicest morsels.
Here a plucked eyeball, there a juicy piece of liver.  Some distance away,
easily a hundred yards, the allied army had dug in and their archers
watched impassively as the carrion was feasted upon.  On the other side lay
the great chasm that had made the massacre possible.  Over it lay another
army, greater then the first one, though clearly not so organized.

   Some of the more attuned birds sensed something coming, and quickly took
to the air seeking escape.  A low hum that could be sensed and felt more
then heard began to grow.  More birds flew, leaving only the most resilient
behind to feast unhindered.  Soon came the blackness, rolling across the
chasm like great storm clouds, yet low to the ground and filled with a
malign purpose.  A single bird remained as the darkness overtook it.  It
looked about, startled suddenly, but unable to see anything in the
impenetrable murk.  A great roar then built, coming from far off but
growing louder and louder.  Seeking safety at last, it flapped its wings
and took to the air.  To late.  An arm shot towards it, grabbing its legs.
The vulture squawked and tore at the arm with its beak, adding to the
missing flesh and blood already present.  The vulture was pulled back down
then, and the other arm came across to tear its head off in a flutter of
feathers.  Rising from its resting place, the light elven corpse stared
through the murk with a baleful red light in its empty eye sockets.  Taking
one shuddering step, then another, it advanced towards the allied army. 
All around it, similar scenes were taking place.  Already slain once, the
dead were rising to fight again.

   *****

   Signaling, Nordan directed several dragons to break off and flank.  As
they closed with Ancaruin, the fear and awe washed over them.  Had it not
been for the incredible hatred the metallic dragons bore for Ancaruin, his
mere presence alone may have defeated them.  As it was, Nordan alone was on
Fyrentennimer's back, leading the charge at the dragon.

   "It is a good day to die, eh dragon?" Nordan cried out happily.  Wind
ripping through his long unkempt hair, one hand bracing him upon
Fyrentennimer's back and the other holding his hammer cocked back to throw.
Fyrentennimer snorted and climbed higher, trying to gain altitude on
Ancaruin.

   Ancaruin bellowed a challenge then, and had it returned by the good
dragons racing to confront him.  He eyed the gold dragon with the human on
its back with contempt, and considered dispatching them first.  It changed
its target then, however, and exhaled a mighty cone of flames.  The fire
swept over 3 dragons below and behind Fyrentennimer, two copper ones and
one silver, and consumed them wholly.  Already dead, their flaming corpses
fell lifelessly from the sky to crash amidst the raging battle below.

   Battle was joined, with Fyrentennimer cutting loose with its own fiery
breath and Nordan hurtling his hammer with a deadly accuracy.  The flames
washed over Ancaruin, but left him uninjured.  The hammer struck true as
well, the resonating thunder from the strike spreading rapidly.  Ancaruin
appeared unaffected by the hammer strike as well, however, in spite of it
smiting him soundly upon the back of the neck.

   Luingirth and Kelnozz struck then, with Luingirth's electrically charged
breath blackening the scales upon Ancaruin's side, then closing enough for
Kelnozz to leap free from the blue dragon's back onto Ancaruin's.  Moving
quickly to a place where he could grab on should Ancaruin decide to flip,
Kelnozz lashed out with his longswords.  His older blade, while still sharp
enough to sever a man's head with a flick of his wrist, did little damage
to the mighty wyrm.  His newer longsword had an easier job of it, powered
by the lost elven magics of long ago.

   Joining the fray late, Martin fired arrows from his bow so rapidly it
seemed a solid line of them.  The silver dragon he rode upon supplemented
his missile fire with its own brand of breath weapon, which was a cone of
frost very similar to that employed by white dragons.  Other dragons
charged in, using their impressive breath weapons on Ancaruin, hoping that
each of theirs would be the one to strike that critical injury.

   When the first barrage of attacks was done, Ancaruin still flew.  More,
he seemed barely fazed by the powerful assaults against him.  Twisting in
mid air, Ancaruin grappled with a gold dragon and tore great wounds in it
with his claws.  He roared in annoyance at the incessant stream of arrows
from Martin's bow that bounced harmlessly off of the armored scales about
its head.  Kelnozz left his less powerful sword sticking in the chink
between the scales he had found and clutched with his right hand to the
spines upon Ancaruin's back to keep from falling off.

   The battle raged on both above and below.  The gold dragon Ancaruin had
seized fell lifeless from his claws only moments later, yet the metallic
dragons attacked again and again.  Careful of Kelnozz on Ancaruin's back,
they struck out with tooth and claw more often then with magic.  Martin's
arrows continued to be useless, though they did serve as a minor
distraction and annoyance.  It was that annoyance, however, that soon got
the dragon he rode killed, its chest slashed open in a single mighty blow
from Ancaruin's talons.  Leaping desperately, Martin managed to catch
Ancaruin's wing and take two desperate steps to its back, to crouch
alongside Kelnozz.

   "Better hold on!" Kelnozz shouted over the din of battle.  Just in time,
for Ancaruin twisted again, trying to dislodge them as well as close on a
brass dragon that had just struck out at it.

   A few more tense minutes of battle passed, with dragons weaving in and
out of the skies, fighting for altitude, advantage, and an opening to
strike.  Nordan's hammer continued to strike home, blasting into Ancaruin's
flesh time and again.  Likewise, good dragons continued to fall to their
deaths below.  The count was soon up to eight good dragons slain by the
powerful red, with Ancaruin only beginning to show signs of being injured.

   *****

   "Watch where yer aiming those things!" Throin yelled towards the battle
above.  A copper dragon had fallen nearby, sending nearly a score of
dwarves to their deaths.  It had also crushed a good number of the undead
that fought against them, but that was little consolation to the dwarven
king.

   Studying the battle in the skies for a few moments, Throin felt himself
grow amazed.  An old dwarf by any standard, he thought he had seen it all.
From wars to veins of pure mithril, nothing put him in awe anymore. 
Nevertheless, he had to admit that the beauty of all the metallic dragons
flying through the air above was a sight he was glad to behold.  He was not
glad when one fell from the sky, however, for it meant that Ancaruin had
killed again.  He frowned as a silver dragon fell from the sky, angling
into the undead to take as many with it as possible in its last few moments
of life.

   Nodding his head respectfully, Throin spit in his hands and grabbed up a
hand axe in each hand.  Crying out in the dwarven tongue, he rallied his
men yet again, hacking away at the mindless undead before them.  Undead
were funny things to fight.  They did not know fear or pain, nor did they
lust for life and survival.  Instead they sought only to kill time and
again, depriving what was still alive from that very thing.  Hacking the
leg off a zombie meant little to the zombie, for it still had hands to claw
with and a mouth to bite.  Only by chopping them into ineffective pieces
could the problem be solved, and so few of the younger dwarves and elves
understood that.  Let alone the humans, they were truly terrified!

   "Bring the oil!" Throin called out, hacking the head from a zombie with
half the flesh missing from its face.  Behind him, dwarves hurried to load
the catapults that had moved up with the army with the oil.  In a few
moments they were ready, and the call came through the ranks to that
effect. "Fire the damned things!" Throin ordered finishing off the
dismembering of another zombie.

   Six catapults fired.  Kegs of oil flew through the air and crashed into
the rear ranks of the undead.  Burning pitch followed moments later, and
the oil was soon ablaze.  The undead caught in it followed suit, burning so
fiercely that they crumpled to the ground in seconds.

   "Charge!" Throin called out, running forward with both axes raised.  The
dwarves nearest him followed their leader into battle, and moments later,
those further out did as well.  The elves and humans followed suit after a
few moments, realizing what it was that the dwarf meant to do.

   Slowly, the undead were pushed back.  The loss of life was great, but
greater was the number of undead destroyed.  Caught between the hammer of
the Belurian army and the anvil of the growing flames, the undead were
quickly being destroyed.  Casks of oil continued to be fed into the flames
as well, increasing the heat and the damage they inflicted.

   All to soon it was over.  Throin glanced about, looking for a new target
for his hand axes, and was almost disappointed to not find any.  Looking at
himself, he was covered in gore.  He grimaced in disgust when he saw the
severed hand stuck in his side, still trying to dig at him.  He grabbed it
and threw it into the flames, then called for a retreat to let the fire do
its work.

   *****

   With the defeat of the undead on the valley floor below, something
seemed to happen above as well.  A full 16 metallic dragons slain,
nevertheless Ancaruin was showing signs of weariness.  Nordan's hammer
continued to pound away at him, as did both Martin and Kelnozz when
opportunity allowed them to strike out.  Reacting slower and his strikes
weaker, Ancaruin began to realize that he may not win the day.  Outraged at
the outcome of the battle, he nevertheless had not grown to be over 10,000
years old by acting foolishly.  He turned and began to retreat then, taking
both Kelnozz and Martin with him as unwilling passengers.

   As soon as it became obvious that Ancaruin meant to return to his army,
Kelnozz and Martin both began attacking feverishly.  Annoyed to the last by
them, Ancaruin's head turned on his sinuous neck and he opened his mouth so
that he could cleanse his back of them once and for all with mighty flames.

   "Jump!" Nordan screamed at them from a nearby Fyrentennimer's back.  He
threw his hammer as well as following his own advice.  Kelnozz and Martin
looked up and saw what was about to happen, and followed suit as well.

   Fyrentennimer's flames washed over Ancaruin's head, blinding him
temporarily.  Nordan's hammer had already disappeared after it had struck
the mighty dragon in the snout to reappear in Nordan's hand.  The gold
dragon then latched onto Ancaruin's back, seizing his wings in his hands
and biting down cruelly on Ancaruin's neck.

   No match for Ancaruin physically, Fyrentennimer nevertheless held on. 
The mighty red strove to throw the gold dragon from his back, but found his
weakening body unable to do the task.  He did manage to tear its neck away
from Fyrentennimer's maw, and return the bite, but the more immediate
danger had escaped him.

   Feeling his lifeblood leaking into Ancaruin's mouth, Fyrentennimer
nevertheless felt glad to know that he had played an important part in the
battle.  Ancaruin wondered why his foe was not struggling, and realized to
late what it had been doing all along.  Ancaruin struggled anew to free
itself, but even had it been able to do so, it would have been to late. 
The ground rushed up at the plummeting dragons, for with Ancaruin's wings
bound up in Fyrentennimer's hands and Fyrentennimer intent upon driving the
larger red to the ground, gravity was an undeniable force.

   *****

   The sound of Ancaruin and Fyrentennimer crashing into the valley floor
was loud enough to be heard for miles around.  The mere force of the impact
sent men stumbling to their knees throughout the valley.  The crater it
left was great as well, and from it, nothing could have survived.  In spite
of that, a great red scaly claw reached up and over the edge.  It rested
upon the edge and strove to get a purchase.  Then it relaxed, sliding back
into the newly formed crater.

   Luingirth landed a few minutes after, before the running dwarves, elves,
and humans could reach it.  From his back dropped Kelnozz, Martin, and
Luingirth.  As one they approached the side of the crater and looked down,
seeing the two massive forms lying intertwined in death.

   Speaking to one another in a way that only dragons could, Luingirth and
Fyrentennimer had hatched the plan that had just succeeded.  While
Fyrentennimer would tie up and distract Ancaruin, Luingirth would fly just
below him to catch the companions while they jumped.  It had worked well,
save that Martin had jumped off the wrong side and been missed.  It was a
harrowing plunge for Luingirth, Kelnozz, and Nordan to make, but they had
managed to catch Martin in time.

   Now they looked at the gravesite of the eldest and most powerful dragon
ever to live on Viconia.  Also, the grave of the bravest and most noble
dragon.  Twisted about one another, one keeping the other at bay.

   "Is that it then?" Throin said a few moments later, staring down at them
with a grin.

   "Aye friend, it's over," Kelnozz said, knowing it was not.

   "Bah, there's an army over that chasm!  They've yet to be dealt with!"
Nordan pointed out.

   "With Ancaruin destroyed and Alesha missing, they have nothing to hold
them together," Martin said, understand the look in Kelnozz's eye.  "But
you're not finished with it yet, are you Kel?"

   Kelnozz smirked.  "Not yet, I need to find Alesha and make sure none of
this happens again."

   "I have another offer for you Kelnozz."

   Not recognizing the voice, all of them turned about to see who was
speaking to the dark elf.  A group of beings walked towards them, coming
down from the very skies to stand in front of them.  Three of them stood
there, each resplendent and clearly divine.  A man wearing some sort of
fantastical leathers, with a bastard sword at each side and one upon his
back, as well as an obviously magical bow.  Another man wearing shining
full plate mail, with the visor up to reveal a ruggedly handsome face.  And
the final man they knew well, for it was Helmut standing with them.

   "Helmut, what is this?" Nordan asked, stepping forward.

   Helmut grinned and shimmered before their very eyes.  Now he appeared
much taller, topping even Nordan by enough to put him over seven feet in
height.  Shining brown hair that came to his shoulders, bright green eyes,
and a grin that defied them all.  On his back, instead of the two handed
sword they had seen Helmut use, was a hammer that looked like a copy of
Nordan's.  Or perhaps Nordan's was the copy.

   "Son, I am Garrick Hammerthane, not Helmut Helmsmasher.  Nor are you a
Helmsmasher, though you bore the name proudly," Garrick said, his grin
still evident.

   "And I have heard you speak to me many times as well, grandson," The
woodsman of the trio said, looking at Martin.

   Martin's jaw dropped and he fell to his knees, "Grandfather!" He
whispered, tears springing to his eyes when he saw the man had one arm
fashioned from mithril, just as he did.

   Kelnozz looked back and forth between them all.  Fair enough, he
supposed, Martin and the man claiming to be Carson bore a strong
resemblance, as did Nordan and Garrick.  But that did not explain the other
strange visitor, the one that had spoken to him.

   "And who are you, looking so regal and important?" Kelnozz said dryly.

   "I am Celos Lyonsbane, you have done me a service as well, elf, by
returning one who had fallen from my grace to me.  He wishes you well, and
considers you his truest friend in life," the third God said.

   "All well and good, but that's hardly a reason for you all to visit us
just to say hi," Kelnozz returned, his suspicions rising.

   "Ha!  You never change, elf...  even when facing Gods you're still an
ass!" Garrick laughed loudly, causing Kelnozz to blush slightly but not
deflecting his curiosity.

   "You are right, Kelnozz, all of you we have watched, and at times
helped. But more so, you have been tested.  All of you had to overcome
personal weakness.  You're skills and understanding have grown greatly, we
have chosen you worthy of new roles in life, if you would accept them."
Celos studied each man for a few brief seconds, staring deeply into their
eyes.

   "What would you have of me, Grandfather?" Martin had regained his feet
but the look of pride upon his face was unmistakable.

   "Take my place, Martin," Carson said, a twinkle in his eye.  "Take my
place as the God of the woodlands, I have done it for a long time now and I
fear that I am tired of it.  I yearn to just be a simple man again, alone
in nature or perhaps sitting with friends in a quiet tavern gambling."

   Martin's eyes grew wide and his lips parted.  He looked to his
companions, stunned and looking for help.

   "I am much the same, Nordan, I have done this to long and known power to
great, I feel no challenge anymore.  My position is yours, if you will have
it," Garrick clapped Nordan on the back, knocking him out of his own moment
of stunned surprise.

   "No," Kelnozz said, staring at Celos, "I'm not interested in becoming a
God!"

   Celos chuckled then, his stern demeanor cracking.  "Worry not, dark one,
the offer was not extended.  You have no divine blood within you, nor are
there any willing to relinquish their roles in the pantheon.  To you falls
a different decision.  You have been the champion of the elves, now you
have the option of becoming Viconia's chosen one."

   "Chosen one?" Kelnozz said, his mouth dry.  "Is this a tournament?"

   "Nay, far from it.  Alesha was chosen by Bavorish and the other fey
Gods, and it was a choice she was seduced into, yet she made it of her own
will.  To you goes the same choice."

   "Ancaruin is slain, Alesha is no longer on this world," Kelnozz said,
"what would you need of me?"

   "I'll do it!" Nordan suddenly said, a look of childlike wonder in his
eyes.  Kelnozz glanced at him, realizing that both Nordan and Martin were
caught in their own decisions, and paid no attention to what Celos and he
were discussing.

   "Very well, Nordan, then let the power be yours," Garrick, grinned
happily and shook his sons hand.  When Nordan gripped it, he was suddenly
overwhelmed as what had been his life suddenly changed.

   To his right, Kelnozz saw Martin undergoing the same transformation.  He
had missed hearing him accept the offer, but he knew instantly that Martin
would take it.  His companions were no longer mere friends and travelers,
but something far greater.  That left Kelnozz with his own troubles.

   "What say you, elf?" Celos asked again.

   "Let me think on it, hopefully I will know by the time I return,"
Kelnozz said, uncertain of his own wishes.

   "Return from where?" Celos asked, surprised for perhaps the first time
in his tenure as the God of Duty and Loyalty.

   "From Earth," Kelnozz said casually.  "I believe that is where Alesha
has gone back too, if she is not stopped, she will return."

   Celos smiled then, for he could see that Kelnozz was already filling the
role he had hoped for.  "Well enough, Kelnozz, seek out the Tavern of the
Broken Axe, I believe it has a door in Sanctuary."

   Kelnozz was a little puzzled by Celos' words, but he chose not to speak
of them.  He figured the less time spent with a God, the less chance he had
of getting himself in trouble.  "My thanks," he offered instead.

   "How will you let us know of your decision?" Celos asked.

   Kelnozz smirked, "I'll find a way, don't worry."

   Celos nodded, a hint of a smile on his face as well.  He turned to leave
then, but stopped, as if torn with indecision.  Finally he spoke again. 
"Know this, Kelnozz, this world is far from safe.  Ancaruin is dead, but
not destroyed."

   Kelnozz opened his mouth to ask what Celos meant, but the God had
already turned on him again and began to walk away.  In moments, he
disappeared altogether.  Kelnozz turned then to his companions -e former
companions, that is.  They to were leaving him without a word.  So caught
up in their new roles were they, they had forgotten themselves.

   "Well then, what now?" Kelnozz said, seeing Garrick and Carson watching
Nordan and Martin disappear.

   "For me, a game of chance, some fine wine, and a willing woman!" Carson
said, laughing lightly and heading back towards the army.

   "A good plan," Garrick said, nodding thoughtfully.  "But after what I
went through with Alesha, I think I'd like to help you give that bitch some
payback!  What say you elf, care for a friend on the road?"

   Kelnozz chuckled.  "Barbarians tend to get me in trouble," he muttered.
"But, for a relative of Nordan's, how could I say no?"

   "First, I must be sure that Ancaruin's army is done with.  Then I must
find his lair and return the stone to the dragon portal to release the
Forbidding.  Then we can go after Alesha."

   "Look then, elf, and know that the first two quests are taken care of,"
Garrick said.

   Kelnozz followed his outstretched arm and saw that the evil army had
indeed begun breaking up.  Several fights had broken out, but for the most
part, the orcs, elves, giants, ogres, and others were going back home. 
Ancaruin had been the only thing that had held them together, and with him
slain, they had no great fear to keep them.

   "What of the gem?  You said 2 quests were fulfilled?"

   "Ancaruin himself was the fifth gem.  Instead of infusing an item with
the power of the key, he took it into himself," Garrick explained.  "By
slaying him, that power is released and the final lock on the forbidding
undone."

   Kelnozz looked to where the metallic dragons were recovering from their
wounds.  Though it was a distance away, they did indeed look to be resting
easier.  Satisfied, he nodded to Throin, who stood by stoically, in spite
of all that had happened.

   "King Throin, would you have someone find Vallanius and tell him of what
occurred.  I will be back," Kelnozz paused for a moment then grinned. 
"Sooner or later, that is!  For now, I have to finish this before the
people of Belurian can begin to worry about what comes next."

   Throin scowled, but nodded.  Then he started chuckling, something rare
in a dwarf.  "Aye elf, get ye gone, me boys will take care of it!"

   Throin turned to leave, then came back around and looked at Garrick, "Ye
made a fine God, Garrick, tis me pleasure to meet ye."

   Throin left then, with Garrick grinning like a fool with Kelnozz.  "Come
dragon, let's be on our way!" Luingirth snorted in derision, but lowered
himself down regardless.

   "I've never ridden a blue one before," Garrick said to himself as he
hopped onto Luingirth's back.  "Hey elf, you don't need the key, but I do
know where Ancaruin's lair is..."

   Kelnozz smirked, a little touch of a dragon horde that had treasures
from other worlds did seem like a fitting way to celebrate.  "Tell
Luingirth the way, my friend, a bit of a diversion along the way can't
hurt!"







































   The woman was just a few inches over five feet tall.  With dirty blond
hair cropped at her shoulder length and emerald green eyes, she could catch
any mans eye for at least a moment.  To her dismay, she had caught a few
women's eyes as well over the years with her flirtatious manner, ready
smile, and abundant wit.  It had also worked against her in the past, and
was about to do so again.

   Pamela was on her daily walk through the mostly tamed lands of Ireland,
to the North and West of Eglinton.  One of her favorite walks was along the
beach, but some workers doing construction on the road had made her decide
to take a less often used route, through the forest and hills past a
graveyard and an old abandoned keep.

   In her natural good spirits, she enjoyed the warm weather the day was
providing and moved along at an unhurried pace.  Drawing near the
graveyard, she heard some men talking nearby.  Still not concerned, she was
nevertheless curious.  The voyeur in her made her smile to herself as she
moved more carefully towards the origin of the sound.  Slipping behind a
tree, she peered around it and saw a group of men gathered together near
the low stone wall of the graveyard, discussing something heatedly.  They
were still some 40 feet away, but her instincts suddenly screamed in her
ear that something was wrong.  She turned to flee but was stopped by the
sight of a grinning man standing behind her.

   "What have we here?" The man asked rhetorically, grinning lecherously at
her and speaking in the baroque common to those from the emerald isle.

   Pamela's wits deserted her then, and terror took over.  She stammered
out something about being on a walk but was silenced quickly by the man who
grabbed onto her arm.

   "Shaun, what're ya doin?" One of the other men called out, seeing the
lone guard preoccupied.

   The man named Shaun pulled Pamela out from behind the tree and grinned
at the others.  "We've got a visitor."

   Pamela's speech returned to her then, and she said quickly, "I was just
going for a walk down the trail!  I did'na see a thing!" She was almost
limp in Shaun's grasp, however, and let him pull her towards the others
easily.

   "She's seen to much, methinks," Another man said, who appeared to be the
leader of the small band.

   Pamela glanced down then and saw several bags laying on the ground
between all of them.  Out of one of them was sticking the barrel of a gun.
She shook her head quickly and tried to protest, but the man had stepped
forward and slapped her across the face before she could say anything.

   "What do we do with her, Connor?" Shaun asked, a suggestive smile on his
face while he held her still.  He had no need, however, for with the slap,
Pamela had gone still and submissive, her terror taking control of her body
and her one thought was to do whatever they asked of her so that she might
survive.

   "Throw her off the cliff," One man suggested.

   Connor, the leader, looked at the man and pondered the idea for a moment
before he nodded, "Aye Patrick, a good idea.  Shaun, you and Ryan take her
up to the keep, we'll be up as soon as we've buried these." Connor nodded
to the guns to indicate that was what he meant.  Shaun pulled Pamela after
him, winking at Ryan on his way past.  Ryan returned the grin and moved
ahead of them on the trail.  Pamela was certain that she was going to die
now, unless she acted out and did something.  She was afraid to act though,
for both men towered over her short form, and each looked like they could
easily overpower her and outrun her.  Such was the curse of being a small
woman, even though she kept herself in shape, genetics were not on her
side. As she grew accustomed to the terror, her mind began to work again.
She thought up and discarded plan after plan to escape.  She knew her two
captors would take her up to the keep and rape her at least once each, then
the others would come and probably all take their turns as well before they
tired of her and cast her from the edge of the cliff the keep sat on, into
the Atlantic ocean far below.  Timed moved too quickly, for by the time she
had thought up and abandoned half a dozen escape plans, the open gate of
the keep loomed before them.  Small by any standards, the keep was little
more then a tall circular wall with a lone tower in the middle of it. 
Abandoned ages past, it had once been connected to a larger castle nearby,
and had been used to store ice and other consumable goods in it.  It was in
this tower that they took her, and with rope they produced from somewhere,
they tied her to an ancient wooden support that ran from the floor to the
top of the tower.  Pam's breathing started coming faster then, they had her
facing the pole, with her arms wrapped as far around it as they could go,
then her wrists were tied.  Then she heard the sound of a knife being drawn
from its sheath, and she started to really panic.  She tried to scream, but
her voice was caught in her throat.  The knife was placed at her throat
then.  "Not a peep from you lass, got it?" Shaun breathed in her ear. 
Pamela nodded as best she could, tears running down her cheeks.  Her shorts
and panties were pulled down next, and cruel hands grabbed her ankles and
forced her feet out of them.  Her firm ass was left on display for them,
and one of the men reached out and grabbed it roughly before the other tied
another rope around her ankle and looped it around the pole and then tied
it to her other ankle, forcing her legs to remain spread apart.  Pam
whimpered then, a subconscious act brought on by the rape they were about
to perform on her.  "Shut her up!" Ryan hissed, not liking the sounds she
was making.  Shaun grabbed up her panties from the ground and shoved them
into her mouth, following it with another length of rope tied around her
face to act as a gag.  Pam became acutely aware of the rough fibers of the
nylon rope scratching against her cheeks, and she strained to figure out
what the men were going to do to her next.  She felt them fondling her ass
again next, with one of them probing none to delicately at her asshole. 
She cringed and tightened up, trying to deny them entry, but that just made
it hurt more as the finger thrust against her rectum.  With a muffled sob,
she felt the finger break through and impale her anus.  Contented by that
victory, the hand withdrew from her bottom and slid lower, pulling and
pinching at the lips of her pussy.  Through her misery, she dimly heard
another man's voice, but she did not understand a word that was said.  The
hands were withdrawn from her body then.  Sobbing quietly, she overheard
the sounds of a very brief struggle.  Metal on metal, then the wet chopping
sound.  Another sound was that of a man having his breath knocked out of
him, and then she saw a body flying past her field of vision.  It was one
of her would be rapists, flying through the air with his arms windmilling
crazily.  Her crying stopped suddenly, realizing the man was at least ten
feet off the ground and still going up!  She heard him thud into the wall
of the stone tower, then he hit the ground.  She heard two separate voices
that time, from behind her.  She tried to turn her head to see what was
going on, but she was unable to.  Still she could not understand what she
was being told.  Of all the things to realize, she suddenly remembered her
naked ass was proudly displayed for the whole world to see, and her cheeks
flushed with color at the further humiliation.  She squeezed her eyes shut,
praying that this was a nightmare and she would soon awaken.  When she
opened them again, she found that she was still there, but the ropes
binding her to the pole had been cut.  The one gagging her was soon severed
as well, allowing her to turn and see her benefactors.  Her eyes nearly
popped out of their sockets, and her nudity and embarrassment was
forgotten. One of them was a black man, 6 and a half feet tall or so, with
long blond hair so pale it was nearly white, and eyes that looked red in
the dim light of the tower.  The other was a white man, looking like an
ancient Viking at just over seven feet tall.  The white man had unkempt
brown hair that came to his shoulders and bright green eyes.  What was even
more alarming to her was their dress.  Each of them wore clothing and
equipment reminiscent of the middle ages.  The black man wore a dark blue
tunic and breeches, with the sleeves tucked into black bands of metal
around his forearms.  His pants were likewise tucked into high boots that
were made from some strange leather she had never seen before.  At his
waist rode a belt that had many things attached to it, from a couple of
pouches to a sheathed sword at each hip.  A nice black hooded cloak hung
from his back as well.  The giant, as she had instantly come to think of
him, wore a similar pair of boots, but other then a similar earring shaped
like a dolphin they both wore in their left ear, the similarity died there.
A large hammer was on his back, and on his chest was a crimson colored
shirt that was open to reveal much of his finely chiseled chest.  His
breeches were brown, like the other mans, and while archaic, seemed normal
enough.  All of that she noticed nearly instantly, and further, that while
the black man was extremely attractive, the white man had the looks,
allure, and attraction of a Norse God.  She wondered idly if it was Thor
himself that had come to save her.  But who would that make the black man?
A black Loki, perhaps?  The black man spoke again, but his words she could
not understand.  She tried to focus on them, but they did not sound like a
language she had ever heard before.  Then the white giant glanced at her
naked groin and smiled.  The smile was not a threatening one, but still
Pamela felt her embarrassment return.  She glanced about and saw her pants,
and quickly pulled them onto her legs and over her hips.  In doing so, she
saw what had happened to her assailants.  Shaun was laying on the floor,
obviously dead and in a pool of his own blood.  The knife he had used to
scare her was on the ground nearby, but the gash across his stomach and the
puncture wound in his chest left no doubt that the black man's swords had
recently been put to use.  She felt her head lighten at the sight, and her
bile threatened to rise.  Turning quickly, she saw Ryan, laying crumpled
against the wall of the tower, his neck and arm bent at angles that proved
they were broken.  A trail of blood had leaked from his broken and mangled
nose to run down his cheek and neck.  She turned again, knowing her battle
was lost.  She rushed outside, past the two surprised men, and emptied her
lunch into the grasses of the courtyard.  They followed after, giving her
some time and distance to finish her retching and compose herself.  At long
last, she was finished, though she still felt chills running down her back
at the murders done in cold blood only a few feet away.  Sure, she had been
saved, but violence was against her nature, and the thought of it made her
stomach queasy again.

   "I thank you for your help, good sirs," She began, leaning against the
outside wall of the tower.  "But did ya have ta kill them?"

   The two looked to each other, a strange look of understanding passing
between them.  The black man's hand raised to touch the dolphin earring on
his ear and he grinned.  He looked back to Pamela, the grin still there,
and said something else she couldn't understand, then repeated what she had
said to him, though speaking it slowly and carefully.  Finally he made
motions with his hands between them that she interpreted to mean he wanted
her to continue.

   "Well, I do na know what to say," She said, surprised that for once in
her life she was nearly speechless.  "Where are you from and why are you
wearing those silly clothes and weapons?"

   Both men slowly repeated what she said after it was clear she wasn't
going to say anymore.  Then spoke to her in their own incomprehensible
language.  Shrugging apologetically, she realized that they were trying to
learn English from her, and they seemed to be able to do it at an
incredible speed.  A part of her was fascinated and excited by it, until
she remembered the rest of the men who would soon be showing up.

   "I do na know how you can understand me, if you do na know me language,
but in a wee bit there will be eight more men coming up here to help those
other two rape and kill me," Pamela said, finding herself almost wishing
that the same thing happened to the others that had happened to the first
two.  "Some of them will have guns, you can be sure!"

   "Guns?" Both men said, confusion on their faces.  Being a fine Irish
lass and raised on Irish folklore, Pamela was as superstitious as the next
Irishman.  Still, what was good to tell tall stories about over a pint and
what was real was beginning to become confused to her.

   "Ya do na know what a gun is, do ya?" She asked, grinning incredulously.

   Both shook their heads, a look of intrigue on their faces.  Pamela could
not help herself but laugh at the sight.  "A gun is a weapon that used
exploding gunpowder to shoot a lead bullet out from the barrel.  It goes
farther then a longbow, and can kill a man without the man even seeing the
man that's shooting at him!" She finally explained.

   The black man nodded while the white man frowned and said a single word
distastefully.  That caused a huckle from the black man, followed by some
words that Pamela could tell by the tone were used to make fun of the other
man.  The white man shrugged and grinned after a moment.

   "My name is Pamela, you can call me Pammy, good Sirs," Pamela said, when
they were done.

   "Kelnozz Risingmoon," The black man said slowly, nodding to her.

   "Garrick Hammerthane," The white man replied, smiling beautifully at her
again and making her knees tremble in spite of the recent events.

   A loud crack of thunder rang out then, making both men start and spin
about towards the direction it came from.  Pamela let out a shriek and
dropped to the ground.  She had recognized it as a gunshot.  Garrick
reached up to his arm and pulled his hand away, blood was on his fingers.

   "That's what a gun can do!" Pammy said, scooting further around the back
of the tower from where the attackers were.

   The open gate was a good twenty feet away, and in it stood all eight of
the men.  Two of which held guns pointed at Kelnozz and Garrick, while
another three held knives.  The remaining three men watched about
carefully, in case the gunshot drew any unwanted attention.

   "What happened to Shaun and Ryan?" Connor said, stepping forward and
pointing his pistol at Garrick and Nordan.

   "Shaun?  Ryan?" Kelnozz said.

   "Aye, the two that were to be holding that whore o'er there!" Connor
nodded towards where Pammy was hiding.

   Kelnozz looked to Pammy and saw the look of fear on her face.  He winked
at her, then turned back to the others.  Speaking in his own language, he
said something to Garrick, who was barely restraining himself already.

   Garrick exploded into action, pulling his hammer off the harness on his
back and throwing it with enough force so that when it crashed into the
other gun wielding man's chest, it picked him off the ground and sent his
body back out the gate.  A loud thunderclap accompanied the strike,
deafening the men at the gate and nearly doing the same to the more
experienced Kelnozz and Garrick.

   Kelnozz was moving as well, he ran in at an arc, somehow his swords
moving into his hands without anyone other then him realizing it.  Connor
only had a chance to fire once, missing Kelnozz, before the elf was upon
him.  One of the longswords crashed into the pistol, knocking it to the
ground and cutting Connor's trigger finger off.  The other one he reversed
and slammed the pommel with to much force into the man's head, cracking his
skull and knocking him unconscious.

   "Don't let any get away!" Pamela said, knowing that as much as she hated
what was happening, if they let any get away, they would be in even more
trouble.

   Garrick's hammer was back in his hands, and he strode forward into the
stunned group of men.  Kelnozz had already downed one of the knife
wielders, and was turning to deal with another.  The newest knife fell to
the ground, a disembodied hand still clutching it.  Then the body of the
man followed, blood gushing from the gash in his chest.

   Garrick's hammer found another victim, crushing the arm and ribs of the
third and final man with a dagger.  He collapsed, gasping for a breath that
would not fill his collapsed and punctured lungs.  Another swing sent
another man to his grave, shattered spine and broken ribs cutting into his
organs as he turned to flee.

   Kelnozz hamstrung another man that tried to flee, silencing his panicked
cries with a slice across his throat, and then only one man was left, and
he was already running away from the gate, trying to make it to the nearby
forest.  Garrick looked at him and threw his hammer again, then turned away
before it reached its destination.

   The sound of thunder telling them the hammer had indeed connected rolled
over them a second later.  Garrick opened his hand at his side and the
hammer magically reappeared in it.  He placed it back in the harness on his
back and Kelnozz cleaned off his swords on Connor's shirt before sheathing
them.

   Pamela approached them, her mouth open in shock and horror.  Never
before had she seen anything to resemble what had just taken place.  She
worked for the hospital, and had heard gruesome stories, but she was sure
those paled in comparison to what had just happened.  There was so much
blood on the ground, she could not believe it.  So much violence, and the
two that had done it appeared calm and casual, as though nothing was out of
the ordinary.  She saw the blood running down Garrick's arm, a wound that
he had appeared to have forgotten about, and her mind refused to accept
anymore.

   Kelnozz caught her on her way to the ground.  He chuckled as he set her
down, knowing from her actions and the look on her face that she was
unaccustomed to violence, as if her fainting was not proof enough!

   "I'll stay with her, you follow their trail and see if there are any
more of them," Kelnozz said, reverting to the common tongue of Viconia. 
"And check your arm, you're bleeding."

   Garrick looked at his arm, remembering it was where the gun had hit him.
He looked surprised and wandered away from the keep, easily following the
obvious tracks through the high grass.

   *****

   Garrick and Kelnozz sat in the courtyard of the keep, a fire keeping
them warm in the chill night of Northern Ireland.  Garrick was digging at
the hole in his shoulder with a dagger, trying to find the source of his
continued irritation.  At long last, through gritted teeth, he grunted
triumphantly and popped out the small lead slug.

   "It looks like a small sling stone," Kelnozz said, studying the bullet
in Garrick's palm.

   "Aye, but no sling could bury it so far in the flesh!" Garrick muttered,
eyeing his sore shoulder.

   Pamela had to leave them soon after she woke up, but she explained she
would return the next day.  After all, she owed them her life.  Something
about her simple and plain honesty had impressed both the men, and they let
her leave because of it.

   Garrick had tracked the men to a graveyard, and after determining no
more were waiting for them, he came back up and, with Kelnozz's help, they
put the bodies in an ancient tomb they found in the graveyard, including
Connor, who had died from a brain hemorrhage without regaining
consciousness.  Pamela claimed that the graveyard was seldom, if ever
visited, so in their minds, the situation was taken care of.

   Both men talked into the night, swapping stories and getting to know one
another better.  They were fast becoming friends, even more so then Kelnozz
and Nordan had been.  Losing the coin toss, Kelnozz drew the first watch
for the night.

   In the morning, shortly after Garrick had killed and butchered a sheep
for breakfast, Pamela showed up.  It was the method of her arrival that had
both men so startled.  She had arrived in a strange looking and extremely
loud carriage with no horses to pull it.

   Seeing their looks of curiosity, Pamela set about trying to explain
things to them.  First the car, then the English language.  With the
magical earrings they had gotten from the owner of the Broken Axe tavern,
learning the language was easy for them, for each word they heard they
understood and were able to remember.  Thus, in a few hours of listening to
Pamela talk, both men were able to speak to her in her own language, though
it was broken and in many cases, they needed more help with missing words.

   "Your car," Kelnozz said slowly, trying to put the proper words
together, "will take us to Florida?"

   Pamela laughed then, as she had many times listening to the two man
struggle to master English.  "No, good Sirs, it cannot.  Florida is over an
ocean, many thousands of kilometers from here.  To get there, you must take
a boat or a airplane."

   "Airplane?" Garrick asked.

   "An airplane is like a car that flies," Pamela said, not knowing enough
about the physics behind the science of flight to explain it.

   "It carries people?" Kelnozz asked.  Pamela nodded, smiling at how
quickly they figured things out.  She had taken to thinking of them as very
large children that were able to learn at a phenomenal rate.

   "Dragons," Garrick said, grinning triumphantly.  Kelnozz nodded, also
smiling.

   Pamela closed her eyes and laughed.  Instead of contradicting them, she
let them think an airplane was a dragon.  Formerly a flight stewardess, she
found the analogy not entirely unfitting.  Besides, everyone knew there was
no such thing as a dragon.

   *****

   Pamela yawned and struggled to open her eyes back up.  It was very late
for her, but after talking to Kelnozz and Garrick for the past two days,
she had come to here their stories.  Not for the first time, she wondered
at her own sanity for believing them, even for a moment.  The tales they
told were the stuff of legend.  Fairy tales told to children.  She was
Irish though, and an Irishman (or Irishwoman, in her case) that isn't
superstitious just isn't an Irishwoman.

   So, now she was on her computer and telephone, trying to locate some
acquaintances of hers.  Her luck was hit and miss, but when the phone rang
a few moments later, she felt deep within her that it was the call she had
been waiting up for.

   "Hello?" She answered it.

   "This is Robin," The man's voice on the other end responded.

   Pammy breathed a sigh of relief and quickly explained what she needed.
Robin listened patiently to her, then asked a few questions to flesh her
needs out a bit, then promised to get back with her in a few hours.  Pamela
groaned, knowing she would get no sleep that night.

   To while away her time, she resorted to her computer, chatting away with
friends scattered about the globe, fleshing out more ideas and details for
the upcoming journey.  By the time the night was over, she had not only
began to flesh out a plan, but it actually seemed to be taking place.

   *****

   Alesha woke up with a start.  For just a moment, she had felt something.
Something she had not felt in a long time.  Rising naked from bed, she
grabbed her sword and left her room behind.  Descending quietly to the
living room, she settled onto the couch and drew her blade from its
scabbard.

   "Talifernon, I demand answers!" She hissed, staring at the blade.

   'What troubles you, Mistress' he responded in his growling voice.

   "I just woke from sleep and sensed my old companion and lover, Kelnozz.
He is here, on Earth!"

   'You would know more readily then I, my awareness is trapped within this
blade.' Alesha could sense his frustration and anger, but knew he was bound
to obey by their God.

   "Is there no counsel you can provide?" She asked, annoyed.

   The demon was silent for a moment before he spoke.  'So long as I remain
trapped within this blade, I am powerless.'

   Alesha spat out a curse and lay back on the couch.  After a moment of
thought, she seized upon an idea.  The very same idea Talifernon knew she
would come upon.

   "And what if I let you out of the blade, Talifernon.  Would you then
have the power to answer my questions?"

   'Aye, Mistress, I would have that power.'

   There was something different in his tone that Alesha did not like. 
"But if I release you from the blade, what's to keep you loyal to me?"

   Alesha could sense the demon's mirth from within her sword.  It was an
unholy and evil thing, and she was certain that it did not bode well for
her.  'Bavorish forced me into your servitude, Mistress.'

   Somewhat placated by that, Alesha still did not trust the demon. 
Nevertheless, she needed answers.  Brooding on the problem longer, she soon
decided that it was a necessary risk.  With a minor flexing of her
willpower, she released the demon from the magical blade.

   The moonlight in the room seemed to dim then, though Alesha was certain
it was only her imagination.  A slight chill swept through the air, though
she did not feel it for her natural resistance to such things.  Then, as
though she had blinked her eyes, Talifernon stood in front of her.

   "Greetings, mistress," He said, a wicked smile upon his canine face. 
His eyes flashed over her body, openly admiring her beauty.  Then he looked
out the window and stared at the moon, waxing past a quarter full.  He
growled happily, a deep and harsh sound that made the hairs on Alesha's
arms raise.

   "Tell me what I need to know, demon!" Alesha snapped, refusing to allow
herself any uncertainty as to what she had done.

   The four armed demon turned back to her, forced to hunch over as the 10
foot ceiling in the room did not accommodate his 12 foot height.  "Find out
on your own, human, I have my freedom at last!"

   Alesha's eyes widened in outrage.  "What of Bavorish's decree?" She spat
out, rising off the couch and bringing her sword in front of her.

   "He has no power on this world, bitch!  Here the Gods lay sleeping and
dead."

   Talifernon reached for her then, grabbing her around the waist with one
giant pincered hand, and just under her shoulders with the other.  Both of
Alesha's hands came together on the hilt of her sword, which was raised
above her head, and she began to swing it forward, snarling angrily at the
demon.

   Talifernon's two human arms caught hers around the forearms, and with
his demonic strength, pulled them apart.  He forced her arms further and
further apart, drawing a strangled gasp of pain from her.  "Don't you want
to fuck me, demon?  Like you did before?  You remember how great it felt,
don't you?  You can have it again if you release me!" Alesha tried to
bargain with the dog faced nightmare.  Growling low in his throat, he
responded to her, "You defeated me like that before, you think that I am so
stupid?  I have waited to long for this, bitch, today you die by my hands!"
Alesha screamed as he pulled her arms further apart, until finally she
could not fight any longer.  With a wet popping sound, both of her arms
tore free from her body at the shoulders, trailing spurting blood and rent
flesh.  Knowing the shock and pain would drive her unconscious, Talifernon
wasted no time and dug his pincers into her flesh as well, tearing and
twisting her body so that in moments, her legs flopped and twitched as the
were separated from her body.  Alesha's upper torso fell on the couch,
blood, gore, and ruined organs slipping out of it.  She stared at the demon
with a cold hatred as the last light faded from her eyes.  Talifernon
remained standing for a moment, staring at the ruins of Alesha's body.  He
chuckled then, knowing that he was truly free and had an entire world to
plunder.  He turned to leave, then stopped when he remembered Alesha's
magical blade.  Turning back, he looked for it, determined to make it his
as well.  "Looking for something?" The demon whirled about, then stopped in
obvious shock to see Alesha standing between him and the patio door to the
outside.  In her hand was her sword.  Around them, the gory remains of
Alesha's body faded away, leaving no marks or stains behind.  "How?" He
asked in outrage.  "An illusion, Talifernon, I let you see what you wanted
to see, and now I know part of what I needed to know," Alesha responded
coldly.  "After all those months of counsel, all the companionship, you
would destroy me so readily?" Talifernon growled deep in his throat,
prepared to make what he had just thought had happened into a reality.  He
tensed his muscles and prepared to spring on her.  "But wait, Talifernon,
is this just another illusion?  Or am I really here?" Alesha asked.  The
demon noted that her head was turned slightly, as though she wasn't looking
quite straight at him.  He glanced about warily, determined to find her
true hiding spot and put an end to her.  Alesha's sword lashed out cutting
a deep gash into the demons side.  He howled and looked back at her in
surprise.  "It's me!" She spat out, reaching out with her other hand and
grabbing a fist that swung at her face.  In spite of his greater size,
Alesha easily held the hand at bay.  A supernatural black fire erupted
around her hand, burning cold into Talifernon's arm, while Alesha pulled
the demon off balance and lower so that their faces were less then a foot
apart.  His other arms reached for her, but stopped when it felt the point
of Alesha's blade touching his chest.  The demon growled angrily at her,
and began to mutter a spell.  Before it could finish, Alesha released his
hand and backhanded the demon across the face.  He stumbled backwards from
the incredible force of the blow, tripping on a chair and falling to his
back.  Alesha was atop him, her sword once more poised at the demons heart.
"Listen to me you dog, and listen like you've never listened before!"
Alesha spat out, her eyes burned with a cold rage that silenced any
protests Talifernon could make even more so then her voice did.  "You're on
the brink of extinction.  No entrapment, no counseling, no returning to
Viconia or the abyss.  I shred your existence in less then 60 seconds if
you don't bind yourself to me, body, soul, and mind." Alesha waited a
moment while Talifernon struggled to find a way out of his predicament. 
Seeing no response forthcoming, Alesha continued.  "Don't think, do!  I
have the power and know the rites, I have your true name, Talifernon!  Obey
me and survive, deny me and be forever destroyed." Talifernon growled a
moment longer before nodding.  "I, Talifernon, am bound by Alesha in all
ways of soul and in flesh, for as long as she shall see fit." Eyeing her
with hatred powerful enough to consume a lesser mortal in fire, the demon
reached up to his chest where the sword remained poised and drew one razor
sharp fingernail across his flesh.  Blood welled up in the cut, which he
then scooped onto his finger and offered to Alesha.  "Well done,
Talifernon, I would have been most disappointed had I been forced to
destroy you," Alesha said, leaning over so that she could suck the blood
off of his finger.  Instantly both felt the bond form, magical chains of
slavery forcing Talifernon to obey Alesha's every whim, desire, and
command, unspoken or not.

   "What's going on down here?" Brian said, coming to the foot of the
stairs.  He had been awoken by the struggling and the shouting and had come
running downstairs naked, but what he now beheld had him out of his league
and terrified.

   "Brian, meet Talifernon," Alesha said, rising off of the demon and
reclaiming the scabbard for her sword.

   "This is the demon you said was imprisoned in your sword?" He asked,
eyeing the demon fearfully.

   "One and the same," She responded, stepping next to him and turning to
watch the prone demon.  "Rise, Talifernon, and welcome to your new
existence of servitude."

   "How'd he get out of your sword?" Brian asked, his fear abating somewhat
due to his sisters attitude.

   "I let him out of it and tricked him.  I needed him to do me a service,
and he was unable to do so before," Alesha smiled coldly at Talifernon once
he had gotten back to his feet.  Blood still flowed freely from his side
and his chest, and about his wrist and one side of his snout were scorch
marks.  "It won't do to have you bleeding one everything," Alesha said to
herself.  In seconds, his wounds closed up and healed, though a pink scar
remained on his otherwise furry red chest.

   Brian's eyes widened.  As jaded as he had become following his sister
around and learning her craft, he could still be surprised.

   "I have a problem, Brian," Alesha said, walking to the couch she
sprawled down on it, leaving her body in a very immodest position. 
Fortunately for her, she neither noticed nor cared.  "You see, our Lord,
Bavorish, for all intents and purposes, does not exist."

   Brian's mouth opened as he struggled to find some words to express. 
Alesha had taught him of Bavorish - she had taught all of them about him -
and all who had truly believed had grown in power and strength.  Now to be
told that he did not exist was as bad as someone saying that gravity was
not the thing that held him to the surface of the planet.

   "How?" He asked finally.  "Worshipping him we've gained so much!  Power,
wealth, influence...  he has to exist!" Brian nearly pleaded the last to
her.

   "He exists on another world, Brian," Alesha said, more then a little
confused about all of it herself.  She'd never really considered herself a
member of a cult or religion, but now she saw that was exactly what she had
been forming.  "His powers are great there, but here different Gods exist,
though they are sleeping and turn a blind eye to mortals.  Here we make our
own power and become our own Gods."

   Brian sat in a chair across the room from her, forgetting about the
fearsome demon in his shock.  He even forgot about his sister's nudity,
which still caused a rise in his loins no matter how many times they sated
the incestuous lust.  "But if there is no Bavorish, then how will we keep
our people following you?"

   Alesha smiled fondly.  "Brian, you are perhaps the one and only person
who loves me truly, and for that I thank you." Brian blushed at the praise,
a rare thing from the powerful and cruel woman his sister had become.  "We
don't tell them of this," she said.  "We go on as before, but we must
filter out all mention of Bavorish.  It does not matter what name we use to
pretend worship, for the power comes from within.  Let us turn it into
another Satanic cult over time, something that you can continue to run and
grow more powerful from after I am gone."

   Brian frowned, as much as the thought of running the show and having all
that power and influence meant to him, he hated to think of his sister
leaving, as she insisted it must be.  Alesha turned back to her pet demon
then.

   "Talifernon, find out if Kelnozz is here."

   "Then what, Mistress?" The demon growled, clearly filled with hatred but
forced to endure it.

   Alesha paused, uncertain of what to do.  She was filled with conflicting
emotions, and some of them showed on her face because of it.  "What's the
matter, Alesha?" Brian asked.

   Realizing what had happened, Alesha instantly composed herself. 
Ignoring her brother, she addressed the demon, "Tell me if he is here, if
he is, I will deal with him."

   Talifernon nodded and turned to the patio again.  He stalked towards it,
and reaching out to vent some rage, tried to smash the doors out of his
way. Alesha beat him to it by using her powers to open the door in front of
him.  Growling deep in his throat in frustration, the demon stomped through
the doors to the back deck and leapt into the air, using his powers to fly
high into the sky.

   "Come Brian, we have busy days ahead of us," Alesha smiled at him and
climbed off the couch.  Her hand caressed Brian's cock on her way back up
the stairs.  Brian turned to follow her then stopped.  He shook his head at
the strange things he had seen and smiled mysteriously.  The patio door
slid shut behind him on his way up the stairs to join Alesha.

   *****

   Unseen in the darkness, the shadow slipped through the waters almost
noiselessly.  Behind it, the ship continued on towards its destination as
though nothing was amiss.  Three figures huddled on the inflatable black
raft, the nearly silent but powerful motor moving them through the relative
calm of the Atlantic ocean.

   "The captain said that we should be able to reach land by morning,"
Pamela said, steering the small raft as Robin had taught her.  Kelnozz and
Garrick looked about, studying the horizon for some sign of land.  Ahead of
them lay mist along the shore.  Still a few hours away, if it did not lift,
their landing would prove difficult in the fog.

   Weeks had passed, since their arrival in Ireland.  Studying under
Pamela, both Garrick and Kelnozz had learned English fairly well, though
not until speaking with the sailors or the ship did they learn that they
had strong accents.  They had learned as best they could from them further,
trying to rid themselves of their accents, but the passage had been short,
taking less then a week on the modern vessel.

   Both jaded by their travels and experiences, both men had been shocked
and amazed time and again since coming to Earth.  Pamela's plans to smuggle
them aboard an airplane had failed, but she had taken them to see one
regardless.  Both had tried to attack it, which caused more then a little
confusion and some hefty explanations as to why Garrick had suddenly
acquired a large sledgehammer and was trying to hit a small Cessna trying
to land.  Even worse was how he had managed to hit it, doing considerable
damage to the underside of the fuselage and nearly causing the pilot to
crash it.  It had taken a considerable amount of money to smooth things
over with the airport owners and the pilot.

   Next she had decided on smuggling them to the United States on a ship.
That had been much easier to accomplish, and fencing the gems and jewels
both men carried with them, Robin had been able to secure travel and
equipment for them.  An old hand at ocean-faring, Garrick had reveled in
life aboard the ship.  That is, until he realized there was nothing he
could do.  There were no sheets, no lines, not even any belaying pins.  The
speed with which the large tanker plied the waters left them both incapable
of speech for long moments.

   Now, cast away from the H.M.S.  Phoenix by her captain (a friend of
Robin's...  or anyone else with the right amount of money), they had
inflated the raft and headed towards the shore.  Pamela had tried to secure
passage towards Florida, but she needed to meet with another friend of hers
that lived in America that would make their journey easier.

   As Dawn approached, so did they approach the fog.  Instead of lifting,
it grew worse, and likewise the seas calmed from the three or four foot
swells to a mirror surface.  Garrick scowled then, finding it unnatural
that they should still be moving with no wind, in spite of what he had
learned of engines.

   Cars had given them quite a start as well.  A horseless carriage, they
had finally come to the conclusion that it was powered by magic.  Kelnozz
knew there was science behind it, but Garrick was less concerned with the
inner workings then he, and was content to view them with distrust.

   Inside of Pamela's car they had discovered music.  Or more
appropriately, recorded music.  More magic, as far as Garrick and Kelnozz
were concerned, but a very useful sort.  Pamela had laughed when Kelnozz
had commented that she must be a very wealthy woman, to possess such
powerful magical items for every day use.  When asked why, she had
explained to them that the gems and jewels they had given her were worth
more money then she had ever seen in her life, and the price of their
journey was worth at least 10 years of her wages.

   Things had gone smoothly for them, all things considered.  Though many
times both men felt as though something was watching them, neither could
pinpoint it.  It was no surprise that fate reared its head and caused them
to finally break through the fog and reach a landfall upon the shores of
New Jersey.  Few houses dotted the shoreline, and even those that did were
distant and almost invisible in the sparse fog.

   They pulled the raft onto the beach and emptied the plastic sealed
packs. Donning clothing, they deflated the raft and buried it in the sand.
They hurried inland and found a road running along the beech, which they
walked along.  The pace Kelnozz and Garrick set with their long legs left
Pamela panting, in spite of her daily exercise routine.

   On the road they soon discovered a sign explaining that they were
entering Forked River, New Jersey.  Never dull, the roadside habitation
quickly grew.  Businesses and other buildings dotted the roadside, with
traffic slowly beginning to pick up.  Still untrusting of the vehicles,
Kelnozz and Nordan kept a good bit of distance between themselves and the
vehicles that passed by them with increasing regularity.

   Soon they found a McDonalds, and had breakfast there.  Garrick took an
instant liking to fast food, whereas Kelnozz found it less pleasant, but he
endured it as best he could.  Four breakfast combo meals later, Garrick was
ready to leave with a grin on his face.  Pamela could not help but laugh at
his childlike manner at times.  Her laughter died when she saw the women
behind the counter openly admiring Garrick and Kelnozz, and it was only
when she reminded herself that she was not in love with them herself did
the jealousy pangs subside.

   Back outside, Pamela led them to a pay phone, where she dialed in the
number she had been given by her State-side friend.  After several rings he
answered, his voice groggy with sleep.  Pamela cursed, it was only 6:30 in
the morning still.

   "Sorry to wake ya Jason," she said, "but top o' the mornin to ya."

   Coming awake quicker, the man on the other end responded, "Pammy?  Is it
really you?  Are you here?"

   "Yeah, 'tis me!" Pamela said, smiling happily.  "Me and the boys made it
an' we're in a wee little town by the name of Forked River, near a
McDonald's."

   In the background, Pamela could here the sound of paper rustling, most
likely a road map.  "Okay, I got it...  I'm about an hour from there I
think.  Go have breakfast and wait for me there."

   Pamela frowned, they had already been in there, but he was right, they
needed to wait close by.  Shrugging she said, "Okay, we'll see ya then,
bye!"

   Another device the two had not grown accustomed to was the telephone. 
She smiled to see them eyeing it with caution as she hung it up and turned
to them.  "Care for a wee bit more to eat?" She asked, nodding back towards
McDonald's.

   Kelnozz scowled but Garrick smiled.  "Aye, a fine way to break our
fast!" He said, clapping Kelnozz on the back and heading towards the
restaurant.

   So excited was he at the prospect of another meal there, he stepped into
the road and was greeted by the sound of rubber screeching on pavement as a
car braked to a stop directly where he would have been standing had Kelnozz
not jumped into him and knocked him out of the way.  Garrick rose to his
feet instantly, hammer in hand, and swung once before he got control of his
reactions.  To late, the crushed hood of the car, a radiator hissing steam
and an engine coughing to a stop was the monstrous cars response to his
assault.

   Pamela looked on in horror, as did the man driving the car to work. 
Kelnozz chuckled and slowly got off of the ground.  Garrick realized what
he had done and had the grace to look somewhat embarrassed.  "Oops," he
said, sticking his hands and the hammer behind his back.

   The man opened the door of his car and got out slowly.  He looked at the
damage down to his hood and noticed the growing puddle of liquids - oil,
transmission fluid, and coolant - gathering under his car.  "What the hell
did you do to my car?!"

   The man, a few inches shy of six feet tall and clearly middle aged by
his receding hairline and growing waistline, turned to look at Garrick and
was taken back by how big he was.  "Um, I mean...  what just happened?  Are
you okay?"

   "Aye, I am well," Garrick grinned sheepishly and turned to walk away
from the man.  Kelnozz raised an eyebrow at him and nodded behind him. 
Garrick sighed and turned back to face the man.  "Um, sorry about your
carriage."

   Garrick reached into the pocket on the back of the jeans Pamela had
bought him and pulled out the wallet.  Opening it up, he took several of
the bills in it and handed them to the man, "That should fix it," He said,
closing the wallet and putting it back in his pocket.

   The man opened his mouth in outrage, he looked at the handful of money
Garrick had handed him and was about to lose his temper in spite of the
likelihood that Garrick could easily pound him into the ground.  Counting
up the bills he saw caused him to stop.  Garrick had handed him nearly
thirty $1,000 bills.  His jetta was old and in need of replacing anyhow,
and nowhere near worth $30,000, even when new!  He nodded and smiled at
Garrick and the others.

   "Yeah, I guess we don't need to worry about police or insurance or
anything, just slow things down and cause a hassle...  I'll uh, I'll just
consider it closed...  I'm glad you're okay...  sir!" The man said,
glancing back at his car and smiling.

   Garrick nodded and turned away, heading across the road again (but not
before checking this time).  Pamela and Kelnozz joined him, with Kelnozz
still chuckling.  Garrick willed his hammer away and it disappeared again.
Pamela shook her head and said, "You didn't have to give him so much money!
That was worth more then the car was worth!"

   Garrick shrugged, "What is money, I have more where that came from, it
is just pieces of parchment here."

   "This keeps him from calling the city watch as well," Kelnozz pointed
out as they returned to the fast food restaurant.

   Pamela nodded her head thoughtfully, they had a point there.  And it was
not like they were running short on money, even taking a serious loss on
their worth, the gems that Robin had fenced for them had brought in several
hundred thousand dollars.  She hoped that he would be able to sell them for
at least as much as he had fronted them for the jewels, though it would
take him time so that nothing seemed too mysterious or the precious
gemstone market was not flooded.

   Roughly an hour later a red four door blazer pulled into the parking
lot. Kelnozz was a bit jittery from all the coffee Pamela kept getting for
him, while Garrick was pleasantly stuffed on greasy hashbrowns and egg
Mcmuffins.  A man walked into the restaurant wearing a pair of shorts and a
blue polo shirt.

   He was six feet tall with just less then an inch of brown hair cropped
into a flattop.  Well built himself, his arms and shorts showed a fine
definition of muscle and his shirt bulged in the proper places to indicate
he took care of himself.  In comparison to Garrick or even Kelnozz he
looked like a lazy slob though, Pamela decided.  She chided herself for
such thoughts then and waved at him to gain his attention.

   "Jason?" She asked as he got closer.  He smiled at her and nodded. 
"Hello Pammy, welcome to America." She blushed, remembering how before she
had met Garrick and Kelnozz she had though Jason was the ultimate specimen
of masculinity.  Then again, she had seen pictures of him, but mostly it
was her imagination of how perfect he must be, since several thousand miles
had separated them.  "You will help us reach Florida?" Kelnozz said,
tapping his fingers against the table anxiously.  Jason sat down with them
in the booth and looked at them both.  "You must be Kelnozz," He said to
him.  "And you must be Garrick.  Interesting names, I can't say as that
I've heard of them before...  though I must confess, there's something
naggingly familiar about you two." Pamela could see the skepticism on his
face.  "Jason, I didn't make up a story to see you, these men are really
from another...  place." Jason looked at her and smiled.  "I believe you,
I'm just not ready to jump into my truck with 2 strangers and drive to
Florida.  Especially when one of them looks like he could pick my truck up
and carry it to Florida if he wanted to!" Garrick's face took on a darker
and more menacing expression, but Kelnozz intervened, "Aye, from what we've
seen of this world, I'd not believe our tale either.  What can we tell you
to make you accept us?" Jason leaned back and sighed.  "Good question.  Why
don't you tell me your story and we'll take it from there." So it was that
they spent the next several hours recanting their story.  When they finally
finished, they had thoroughly annoyed the crew working at McDonald's, for
while they occasionally would purchase a drink, they were taking up a table
with no clear intent to leave anytime soon.  "Where in Florida is it you
wish to go?" Jason asked after the tale had been told to him.  "Alesha said
she was from a town called St.  Petersburg," Kelnozz replied.  "I know the
place," Jason said.  "I've been there several years ago.  Had a few buddies
that lived down there." Pausing thoughtfully, Jason finally said, "Okay,
I've heard your story and I can't find fault with any of it, but it's quite
a lot to believe.  Okay, it's impossible to believe.  What proof can you
show me?" Garrick scowled and Kelnozz sighed in exasperation.  "Look human,
we've been in this world long enough for an entire moon to pass!  Alesha
will not wait for us to come to her, she will return to Viconia and start
where she left off before!"

   The man drew back a bit in surprise at being called a human.  Pamela
smiled faintly and tapped her ears meaningfully.  Jason stared at her
blankly a moment before he turned to Kelnozz and studied him closely. 
"Pull your hair back.  You said you're an elf, and not just a black man, I
take it that means you have pointy ears and all that?"

   Kelnozz shook his head angrily but reached up to his nearly white hair
and pulled it aside to reveal his sharply pointed ear.  Jason studied it
thoroughly, clearly fascinated by it.  "You look like a Vulcan," he
muttered to himself.

   "Is that what you call elves on this world?" Garrick asked, his magical
earring not providing a translation for the word.

   "No, it's...  um, ah...  nevermind, forget it," Jason said, realizing it
would take to long to explain.  "Come on, I don't know that I believe you,
but I have nothing better to do and if you really wanted my truck that
badly, I have a feeling that you could just take it from me.  I'm sure I'd
put up a good fight, but I don't think I'd win.  Besides, Pammy says you're
on the up and up, so I'll trust her."

   Garrick slapped the table hard happily.  Jason's and Pamela's eyes
widened when they heard the plastic crack.  They all stood up and headed
out of the restaurant, Jason and Pamela leading the way.  "Trust me, Jason,
I've seen them fight, if they wanted your truck, they'd take it!"

   Jason snorted and said, "Well, they look big and tough enough, but
you've never seen me in action, I can hold my own."

   Pamela rolled her eyes but kept her derisive laughter to herself.  They
reached the blazer and piled into it, with Garrick and Kelnozz sitting in
the back somewhat uncomfortably.  Their large backpacks they carried with
them went into the back of the truck, joining a smaller duffel bag Jason
had brought with him.  In moments, they were on the road and heading south
on the expressway bound for Florida.

   *****

   "You were right, Mistress, they have come for you on this world,"
Talifernon said to Alesha later that night in her office in the nightclub
she had acquired.

   Alesha remained silent for a long moment, putting her thoughts and plans
in order.  Brian was out in the club, overseeing things while she was alone
in the room with the demon.  Finally she reached a decision and looked up
at the demon.

   "You say they have come, who has come with Kelnozz?  Martin and Nordan?"
She asked.

   "Nay, Mistress, Nordan's father, the one you knew as Helmut," He said, a
wolfish grin on his snout.

   "Helmut!" She hissed, her breath momentarily stolen from her.  "He
escaped me!  Now he returns with the elf to claim vengeance..." She lapsed
off thoughtfully for another moment then.

   "Let them come.  Things progress smoothly here, we can return to Viconia
sooner then I thought, if they show up before we leave, then we will deal
with them."

   "Mistress, is returning to Viconia wise?" The demon asked, speaking
boldly for the first time since his indentured servitude to her.  He
loathed and despised Alesha still, and would nurse that hate for as long as
they both still existed, but he had also realized that her powers demanded
respect, and that his best chance of regaining his freedom was not in
trying to deny her control over him.

   "Of course it is, this world is all but ruined, and certainly not a
place where I can carve out an empire for myself," she responded, staring
at him suspiciously.  "What makes you question me so?"

   Talifernon chose his words carefully before proceeding.  "On Viconia,
Bavorish will again be able to reach you, and he may not be happy with the
decisions you have made.  And more so that you have discovered your powers
do not depend upon him."

   Alesha pondered this before discarding it, "Nonsense, he was the one to
send me back here.  Why would the Gods seek to destroy me?"

   Talifernon bowed his head submissively, "As you say, Mistress.  But I
overheard the one Kelnozz travels with be addressed to as Garrick."

   *****

   "Welcome to Florida, land of the giant fucking swamp," Jason said as
they crossed into central Florida and were surrounded by lakes and weeds as
far as the eye could see.

   "You don't like it here?" Pamela asked, enjoying the changing scenery as
they had driven south over that day and the day before.

   "It's hot, humid, and filled with lots of things that bite," Jason
explained.  To accentuate his point, he pointed out the side window to a
swimming alligator.  "Bugs mostly, but I'd take a mosquito over a gator any
day."

   Kelnozz and Garrick chuckled.  Over the time they had spent together,
they had grown to like Jason, he had a constant sense of humor that, while
often dark and sarcastic, nevertheless kept them entertained.  "That's a
small one," Kelnozz said, judging it carefully.  "And they taste good,"
Garrick added.  "You've seen alligator's before?" Pammy asked them, turning
around in her seat.  Both men grinned at her, a sure sign that they had
many stories they could tell.  Something both Jason and Pamela had learned
was that both of the strange men had a host of stories that bordered on the
fanciful and outrageous.  So outrageous were they that both of them found
themselves believing the stories.  "There was this road that went through a
swamp near Yolarch," Kelnozz began.  Jason and Pammy were swept up in a
story of how Kelnozz, Nordan, and an old friend named Pompey had been
caravan guards for a while.  Ambushed by lizard men, they had seen the pets
the lizard men had in the distance.  Pets that made the alligator that they
had passed already look like a hatchling.  By the time the story was done,
they had reached the outskirts of St.  Petersburg.  They drove around until
they found a motel to stay in, and took their things inside the two bedroom
motel room to set up a base of operations while they searched St. 
Petersburg for Alesha.  It was late in the day, after 7 p.m.  already, and
it seemed to them that it would be best to search on the following day. 
For something to do that night, Jason took them to a topless bar that he
had visited several years past.  The fake ID's that Robin had provided for
Kelnozz and Garrick were more then sufficient to let them in.  Pammy felt a
bit uncomfortable entering the club, but she had lived a relatively
sheltered life and had never been to one herself, thus her curiosity easily
won out over her inhibitions.  Garrick and Kelnozz were won over by the
nature of the bar, Garrick more then the elf, but not by much.  That was
until Garrick decided to get a little friendly with one of the dancers. 
Jason cursed as he realized he had not explained the rules of the club very
well to them, for Garrick's attempts to fondle the stripper were not
appreciated by the management.  "Hey, you can't do that!" She protested, a
wisp of a girl named Chastity.  Garrick grinned lecherously and reached for
her again.  Clearly the smile on her short blond haired face indicated that
she didn't mind, but club rules were rules, and she had seen more then one
dancer get fired for getting to personal with the customers while at the
bar.  "Hey buddy, no touching the girls!" A bouncer, a large black man,
said, clamping his hand on Garrick's shoulder.  Garrick flew out of his
chair instantly, the bouncer's hand unable to hold him.  Glancing around
quickly, they saw that three other bouncers had positioned themselves
nearby and were now moving closer.  "Time for you boys you to leave," The
first bouncer said menacingly.  One of the other men noticed how much
bigger Garrick was then the rest of them and showed signs of nervousness.
They had dealt with drunks and even a few crazy men from time to time, but
this guy looked like he could seriously hurt them.  "Look, my friend isn't
from around here, he didn't realize it was against the rules to touch the
dancers," Jason said, jumping to his feet and trying to defuse the
situation.  Kelnozz was also up and ready for action.  Pamela stumbled to
her feet last, her senses fully overloaded by what was going on.  "Fine,
then leave and there won't be any trouble," The bouncer said again, coming
closer.  "If you're going to have wenches dancing and teasing me, you can
be damned sure I'm going to touch them!" Garrick growled.  "And nothing you
do will stop me!" Jason groaned as the head bouncer accepted the challenge
and came at him, intending to grapple with him.  The other bouncers came at
them too.  Pamela shrieked and just tried to stay out of the way of all the
adrenaline crazed men surrounding her.  Garrick and the man grappled, and
from the beginning it was obvious that the bouncer was overmatched. 
Garrick toyed with him for a moment before he drove the man to his knees
and then lifted his own knee into the man's chin, sending him sprawling
backwards unconscious.  Another bouncer came up behind him and caught him
up when Jason swept his feet out from under him.  Kelnozz slipped off to
the side unnoticed and watched the growing brawl as tables were bumped and
patrons got upset.  He sat down next to another dancer, this one a well
proportioned black girl named Jasmine who was wearing only a tiny g-string
and some red high heels.  "This happen often?" Kelnozz asked, nodding
towards where Garrick was hit in the face by the fourth bouncer.  The girl
opened her mouth to reply when Garrick retaliated, his fist catching the
man in the stomach and making the breath explode from his lungs loud enough
for nearly everyone to take notice even over the loud music.  What really
made her jaw drop speechlessly was how the force of the blow not only
lifted the bouncer off the floor, but it literally threw him backwards and
onto the stage that was several feet away.  The downed bouncer climbed back
to his feet and turned to face Jason, who was waiting for him.  Two punches
to the bouncers face sent him staggering back, trying to gain some room to
recover.  Jason advanced on him, but was caught off guard when the bouncer
charged into him, grappling with him and wrestling him to the ground. 
"Excuse me, I need to borrow this," Kelnozz said to a couple of guys
sitting at a nearby table.  He grabbed one of their beer bottles and, with
a lightning fast move of his arm, threw the bottle.  It cracked against the
bouncers head and shattered, raining beer and broken glass down on the
bouncer and Jason both.  The bouncer slumped down, stunned by the hit, and
Jason scrambled out from under him.  Garrick turned to the last bouncer,
who grabbed onto his arm in the hopes of calming him down.  Garrick grinned
and pulled the bouncer closer to him.  With his other hand he grabbed the
bouncers thigh, then used the first arm to easily overpower the bouncer's
grip and grab him by the shirt.  Lifting him up easily, he aimed at two men
moving towards him from a nearby table that had gotten overturned by the
first bouncer on his way to dreamland.  Heaving him forward, both men tried
to dodge but were caught up by the body of the thrown bouncer, knocking all
three to the ground.  "We need to go!" Jason said, climbing to his feet and
kicking the stunned bartender that had been accosting him in the side. 
"The cops will be here soon!" Kelnozz frowned but hopped to his feet.  He
threw a wink to Jasmine, who still sat there looking stunned, and hurried
over to his companions.  "Come Garrick, the watch comes!" Garrick grinned
and nodded.  They followed Jason out of the bar, who stopped only long
enough to grab Pamela's hand and pull her out with them.  Once outside,
they hurried to his blazer and hopped into it, tearing out of the parking
lot as quickly as they could before the police showed up.  Pulling back
into their motel spot, Jason checked his rear view mirror and saw a car
pull up beside them.  They hopped out of the truck to confront whoever had
followed them and saw that it was the first dancer, Chastity.  "What are
you doing here?" Jason asked harshly.  "I followed you guys," She said,
eyeing Garrick appreciatively.  "I've never seen anybody fight like that,
you could have killed those guys!  And Franky, he'll be pissing blood for a
month!" "Why did you follow us?" Jason asked, not wanting the extra
attention she would bring.  She had a long T-shirt on and that looked like
it was the extent of her outfit, other then her purse and the mini skirt,
g-string, and high heels that she had on at the club.  "Because I wanted to
tell you," She was talking directly to Garrick, "that you were welcome to
touch me like that somewhere other then the club, but you had to wait until
I got off work!" Kelnozz laughed and said, "I see where Nordan gets it!"
Kelnozz headed towards the door to their hotel room.  "Ah, a good night you
have shown us, Jason!" Garrick said, clapping the man on the back.  "A
tavern brawl and a whore to boot, well done!" "Hey, I'm not a whore!  I
just liked you and thought maybe we had a connection, ya know," She said,
not looking terribly upset at being called a whore, but protesting for the
principle of it.  She had a piece of gum in her mouth now, and was chewing
on it vigorously.  "Somebody has been here," Kelnozz said with a deadly
seriousness to his voice.  All other conversation was cut short, and
together they moved towards the door.  "How do you know that?" Pamela
asked, her head still swimming from the events of the night.  "And old
trick I learned a while ago.  I placed some hair near the top of the door,
and any body opening it would disturb it, somebody was in our room."
Garrick opened and closed his fist in mid air, and Chastity gasped as his
warhammer appeared in his hand.  Kelnozz took the key from Jason and put it
in the lock quietly.  Turning it suddenly, he opened the door quickly and
leaned away from it.  Just in time, for a hail of gunfire poured through
the opening, tattooing a pattern where Kelnozz had just been.  The sound of
several wet pops and thuds could faintly be heard over the gunfire, and
glancing back they saw that Chastity had not moved away from the door when
the rest of them had.  Her body fell to the ground and she gasped in pain
and confusion as her life rapidly poured out onto the sandy parking lot. 
Garrick growled and leapt in through the doorway as the gunfire ceased. 
His hammer was already on its way, crashing into one man and crushing his
head.  The resultant thundering boom stunned the two men next to him.  He
found another man closer to the door and his fist closed around his throat,
crushing his windpipe and spine holding him off the ground while he
flailed. Another bout of gunfire followed, though this time Garrick held up
the dying man as a meat shield between himself and them.  A few bullets
still found him, but they only grazed one arm and one thigh.  Clips ran
empty and Garrick threw the bloody corpse, catching a man while he
struggled to place another clip in his pistol.  Kelnozz was in the room by
now as well, a knife he had hidden in his boot slicing through the air and
sticking in the throat of a gunman wielding a Mac-10.  The sub-machinegun
fired erratic bullets into the ceiling as the mans arms went up.  He
dropped the gun and grasped at the knife in his throat, pulling it out and
increasing the flow of blood both into his lungs and onto his hands and
shirt.  He collapsed to his knees and drowned in his own blood moments
later.  The two men that had been stunned where coming to their senses by
then, but Garrick had reclaimed his hammer and with a swing smashed the
Mac-10 out of the hands of one of them.  Jason leapt over the bed and
crashed into the other man, forcing his Desert Eagle pistol to fire over
his head as he drove him to the ground.  Shaking away the deafening noise,
he drove his fist into the mans jaw until he slumped unconscious.  Turning
back, Jason saw Kelnozz duck in time to see Garrick throw the man who had
just had his gun smashed out of his hand into the wall next to the door.  A
sickening crunch sounded, indicating that the mans neck, at the very least,
was broken.  No others remained in the room.  Pammy looked in and saw the
carnage of the room.  Her hand flew to her mouth and she turned away,
retching into the parking lot.  Jason was quite shocked himself at the
display of gore and violence, and just as much at his own reactions taken.
His special forces training was apparently not forgotten in spite of how
many years it had been since he had left military life.  Garrick had the
look on his face that would have easily convinced him that he was the angel
of death right then.  "This one's still alive," Jason said, clearing his
throat first to make sure his adrenaline laden nerves did not make him
tremble.  Garrick proceeded towards him then, deadly intent evident. 
Kelnozz grabbed his arm and stopped him, shaking his head and saying,
"Perhaps he can tell us something." Garrick nodded and took a deep breath.
Letting it out, he searched through the bodies of the dead men.  They had
nothing on them by means of identification.  Jason and Kelnozz gathered up
their bags and quickly loaded them into the truck, knowing that they could
not stay there.  Already people had started approaching, asking questions.
Kelnozz grabbed his dagger off the floor and slipped it back into his boot,
then followed the rest of them into the blazer, which then screeched off
into the night in search of a new place to stay.  "We need to talk,"
Kelnozz said when the remaining attacker began to come to his senses.  The
man groaned as he tried to put everything back together in his bruised
mind. Realizing where he was, he struggled to put distance between himself
and Kelnozz, only to realize that he was in the back of the SUV and could
not get out.  Jason pulled it over to the side of the road in an empty
Circuit City parking lot and let Kelnozz do his thing.  Torture had never
been his specialty, but between him and Garrick, they soon had the man
trying to scream.  Had his mouth not been gagged and bound, he would have
surely gotten the attention of several nearby people, including the law. 
And they had not even gotten to the point where they started asking
questions yet.  Both his hands had been smashed with Garrick's hammer,
breaking most, if not all, of the bones there.  They had promised to do the
same with his feet next, if he didn't tell them what they needed to know,
and left him gagged tied to a lightpost in the parking lot with some time
to think before they returned and began again.  A rope ran from one wrist
to the other, holding the lightpost inside of his arms and near his face.
Blood ran from his mouth and nose, where Jason's earlier punches had split
his lips, broken his nose, and even bloodied his eye.  Garrick and Kelnozz
returned to the truck to talk to Pamela and Jason.  Jason handed Kelnozz a
small radio and said, "Do you think this will work?" Kelnozz nodded and
smiled.  Garrick grinned as well, for his part in the plan they were
executing.  "What are you talking about?" Pamela asked, clearly upset at
all the violence that had gone on around her so far that night.  She knew
what Garrick and Kelnozz were capable of, but she did not realize that
Jason could be as violent and ruthless as he had been so far.  "Hey!"
Pamela said, glancing out the rear window of the blazer.  "He's getting
away!  He'll tell the police if you don't stop him!" Silence greeted her as
the other men watched out the windows.  In a moment, Kelnozz reached into
his pack and pulled out his equipment.  Stripping quickly out of his shirt,
he slipped his magical bracers on each forearm, then some gloves.  He put a
loose black shirt back on and then slipped his feet into his magical boots.
Slipping daggers into his boots and also hanging one from his belt, he
finished making his preparations.  In a moment, he was off, heading after
their escaped prisoner with the radio clipped to his belt as well. 
"Where's he going?  After him?" Pammy asked.  "Aye, he's going to follow
him back to wherever Alesha is," Garrick said.  "Kel and I both know how
powerful Alesha's control can be, he would have told us nothing.  Letting
him think he escaped lets us follow him back there." "But, we need to stay
within a couple of miles or the radios won't work," Jason added, starting
his blazer and pulling out of the parking lot in the same direction that
Kelnozz had gone.  Every so often the radio would come on and Kelnozz would
speak into it, trusting that the magic of the device would let it function.
Jason chuckled as he listened, letting the elf lead them as best he could.
Neither Kelnozz nor Garrick had learned how to read English, only to speak
it, so street signs were useless to them.  Instead the elf would describe
what he saw and hope that Jason could follow him.  At one point they made a
wrong turn and lost contact with him, but by driving fast and recklessly,
they managed to get within range again after turning around.  Nearly two
hours later saw 3 o clock in the morning approaching, but Kelnozz relayed
the description of the building that he was standing in front of to them.
The building that their former prisoner was about to cross the street and
enter.  Before he could do so, Kelnozz slipped up behind him and took out a
dagger.  He held it firmly against the mans back and told him to walk into
the building.  The man crossed the street fearfully, not knowing what he
should do.  Suddenly, the man tried to run away from Kelnozz, heading down
the street.  He knew that leading Kelnozz into the club would grant him a
fate worse then death at Alesha's hands or her pet demons.  Kelnozz was a
step behind him when he jumped in front of a car, slamming into the front
grill and tumbling down under the front wheels.  Kelnozz stopped and
grimaced at the sound of the squealing brakes and crunching bones.  Without
waiting for the driver, he turned away and ran towards the club.  Opening
the door and stepping inside, Kelnozz was greeted with two men at the door
stationed as bouncers, even though it was after hours for the club to be
open.  Wordlessly, both came at him, and Kelnozz knew they weren't trying
to kick him out for an improper ID.  He slipped away from one and pounded
his dagger into the chest of the other, leaving it planted there as the man
fell forward.  Spinning around, Kelnozz punched the other man in the face,
driving him back a few steps as blood gushed out of his nose.  He raised
his leg up and pulled another dagger out of it, slashing quickly to keep
the man away from him.  The slash caught the inexperienced bouncer across
the forearm, opening up a deep wound that bled freely.  He clapped his hand
to it to apply pressure and Kelnozz kicked out at the mans knee.  It
cracked and he fell to the ground with a loud grunt.  Kelnozz descended on
him quickly, slashing out his throat.  Rising to his feet, he turned around
and listened carefully.  He could hear a band playing inside still, and the
further loud noises of many people still drinking and partying.  He wiped
his daggers clean on the dying mans shirt sleeve and put them back in their
sheathes.  Straightening up, he made sure he didn't have any blood on him,
and pulled the two men behind a desk where one of them should have been
collecting cover charges.  That done, he went through the inner doors and
entered the club.

   *****

   "Is that it?" Pammy asked, pointing to a club that matched the
description that Kelnozz had given them.  Garrick grunted and Jason nodded.
He pulled his blazer over and parked it.  Down the road a bit they saw some
red and blue lights flashing.

   "What's that?" Garrick asked, looking at the lights.

   "Let's hope it's not your friend," Jason muttered, and hopped out of his
truck.  Garrick and Pamela got out as well, but Jason stopped her and shook
his head.  "You don't like what's happened so far tonight, and inside of
there will be a lot more of the same.  You're right, these guys are
incredible, I'll be lucky to take care of myself in there, I can't watch
out for you too.  Stay out here and keep my truck running in case we have
to get out of here in a hurry, okay?"

   Pamela looked at him for a moment and saw the genuine concern in his
eyes.  She smiled and nodded, then felt an irresistible urge to kiss him.
Turning back to face him, she saw that he had already gone, heading after
Garrick towards the door of the nightclub.

   "Jason, you'd better come out of this okay!" She whispered, then hopped
back into the blazer and took the keys he had given her and started it up.

   *****

   In the entryway, Garrick and Jason saw the corpses hidden behind the
desk and judged them very recently dead.  They hurried inside, Garrick
carrying a large bag in one hand.  Inside the club was easily a hundred
people, jammed inside and dancing to the music.  Or at least it looked like
dancing at first, but as the two men took in the scene better, they saw
that they were swaying back and forth in time with the music, but both were
merely a compliment to the ritual going on up on the stage.

   A young man with red hair was standing on the stage with his hands in
the air while a woman was kneeling before him, sucking his cock deep in her
throat.  He jerked into her, pounding himself mercilessly into her throat.
Just as mercilessly she was thrusting her head forward onto him. 
Mindlessly might have been a better word for her actions, for her eyes
seemed to realize what was happening and were filled with terror, but her
body performed mechanically as though it was not under her control.

   "What the fuck is going on?" Jason asked, making certain that only
Garrick heard him.

   "Alesha's unholy rituals.  She gains power from them, to have raised a
following this big so quickly, she must be powerful indeed," Garrick said,
studying the crowd carefully.  "If you should see her, avoid her at all
costs.  With merely a thought she can make you do things you would not
believe."

   Jason nodded and said, "Okay, let's kill this sick bitch and get the
hell out of here!"

   Garrick grinned and motioned for Jason to follow him as they began
trying to move through the crowd.  Up on the stage the girl raised her
hands up above her head, and in them was held a wicked looking dagger.  The
two participants continued to thrust into each other, and soon the man's
jerking became even more erratic.  The sexual energy charged through the
crowd, reaching into even Jason and Garrick, though both ignored it as best
they could.

   It was then that they saw Kelnozz, up near the front, with only a few
rows of people between him and the stage.  He tried to act like the rest of
the crowd of devil worshippers, but was out of synch enough to prove to
them that he was merely trying to avoid discovery.

   "He's got a good point," Jason said.  "We should act like they do, makes
it less obvious why we're here."

   Garrick grunted and tried to slip into character, swaying with the music
and raising his arms as they were.  Jason joined him, and between the two
of them, they were even more obvious then before that they had no good
reason to be there.

   Up on the stage, the man was on the verge of an orgasm, his jerks so
erratic that the woman had to struggle to keep his cock in her mouth. 
Tears ran down her eyes, but her body continued to behave as a wanton sluts
would.  The dagger in her hands flew forward then, stabbing deeply into his
chest.  He came then, exploding his seed into her mouth as his lifeblood
exploded out of his chest around the dagger.  The girl sucked and sucked,
gathering all of his final burst and then letting the dying man fall off
the stage and into the crowd, where the onlookers rushed forward to consume
him.

   Jason was visibly sickened, and fought to hold down the contents of his
stomach.  Garrick was disgusted, and Kelnozz had a look of deadly resolve
on his face.  It was then that a woman appeared out of nowhere on the stage
and walked towards the girl.

   She was dressed as Kelnozz and Garrick had described her, resplendent in
her armor crafted from the scales of silver dragons and wearing nothing
else.  At her side her sword hung from her hand.  Jason thought she looked
every bit as beautiful as Garrick and Kelnozz had described her.  Or
perhaps more so.  He had to catch himself from falling in love with her on
the spot, and remind himself what it was that she was doing.  She motioned
and the girl stood up, revealing her shapely figure.  Streams of tears ran
down her cheeks, but she moved towards Alesha and opened her mouth to show
that she had captured all of the man's cum.  Alesha smiled at her, and
their mouths embraced.  The girl used her tongue to push the cum into
Alesha's mouth, transferring every last bit of it to her.  Alesha continued
the kiss, but raised her sword between them.  Drawing it quickly across,
she opened the girls throat in one move.  They continued to kiss as the
girl drowned in her own blood.  When her body could stand no more, she
collapsed to the stage and died.  Alesha turned and looked into the
audience, which cheered her on with soulless abandon.  The blood that had
sprayed out from the girls throat ran off her armor and skin leaving no
marks or stains.  "Oh God," Jason whispered, at a loss for words or even
feelings to express what he had just seen.  "Aye, but it's not your God,"
Garrick responded, forcing a path through the surging crowd.  A dagger
hurtled through the air then, aimed straight at Alesha.  It would have
struck true had it not been for the demon that shimmered into existence and
plucked it out of the air with one of its four arms.  It roared a challenge
and the crowd roared in response, lost in their debauchery.  Kelnozz leapt
onto the stage, ignoring the band which still played further back on it. 
Talifernon glowered at him and advanced.  "Mistress, shall I dispose of
this thing for you?" "Aye, Talifernon, but try not to kill him if you can
help it," She said, smiling cruelly.  "Alesha, what is this madness!"
Kelnozz called out to her.  She blinked and looked at him, for a moment she
let a look of sadness show, then she shook it away.  "On second thought,
Talifernon, you had better kill him." "Kel!" Garrick called out, throwing
the bag he carried with him high through the air.  Kelnozz caught it and
reached in before Talifernon could reach him.  He pulled out his longswords
just in time to block the swinging pincers of the demon.  "We've got to
help him!" Jason said, trying to push through the crowd faster.  "Nay lad,
we've got our own troubles!" Garrick responded, summoning his hammer into
his hand and readying himself.  "You're no God here, Garrick, you can be
slain as easily as any other man!" Alesha cried out, seeing him in the
crowd.  "Not so easy, I think!" Garrick challenged her.  "Kill him!" Alesha
screamed, pointing at Garrick.  "Get away lad, if she knows you're with us,
you're a dead man," Garrick said, swinging his hammer and crushing the
first man to come at him.  Jason hesitated a moment, then nodded when he
realized how he could help better.  He ducked into the crowd as it tried to
overwhelm Garrick.  On the stage, Kelnozz sparred with the demon.  He
remembered his last encounter with it, but this time, he was more
experienced and possessed better weapons.  After a few minutes of battle,
Kelnozz was amazed.  He'd long considered himself near the peak of his
potential for skill, but he had passed up half a dozen openings already in
the fight with the demon.  The demon howled when Kelnozz's long sword cut
into his hip.  Another moment and its side was wounded.  A few more swings
and Kelnozz severed one of the pincers off.  Talifernon snarled angrily,
the elf was hurting him, and it seemed there was little he could do to stop
him.  He tried to summon up his demonic powers to cast a spell on him, but
Kelnozz slashed into his thigh, just above his knee, and his knee buckled,
driving him to the stage.  Holding one arm up to ward off the impending
blow, The demons left forearm ending in a hand fell to the stage floor
next. The demon fell backwards then, glowering both hatefully and fearfully
at Kelnozz.  Kelnozz advanced on him, slashing across and incapacitating
the demon's other leg.  The demon tried to summon up its powers to
disappear in order to recover, but it was blocked from doing so by the oath
it had taken to Alesha.  If it teleported away, it would fail her. 
Kelnozz's next swing cut through flesh, muscle, and bone along its side. 
The demon swung its arms up at Kelnozz, the two it had left, but Kelnozz
blocked the strikes with the bracers on his forearms.  "You've gotten
better since the last time you fought Talifernon," Alesha commented,
showing that she was impressed but betraying no concern.

   "Funny, you've gotten worse," Kelnozz responded, keeping track of her
out of the corner of his eye, but keeping his attention on the wounded
demon.  He dodged another weak swipe from Talifernon and swung again, this
time cutting deeply into his shoulder.

   With only one arm still useful, Talifernon grabbed Kelnozz's leg,
finally connecting.  Kelnozz looked down at it, surprised, and swung his
sword, severing the hand at the wrist.  The demon howled in pain and
terror, knowing it was doomed.  Kelnozz's next swung was aimed at the
demon's head, striving to send it back to the abyss.  It was blocked.

   Kelnozz looked up to see Alesha on the other end of the blade that had
halted his own.  "Apparently more then your power has changed," Kelnozz
commented dryly. "The demon and I have an arrangement, if you destroy his
body, that would seriously inconvenience me for the next hundred years or
so," She responded, backed up a bit and preparing to face Kelnozz.

   "Remember the last time we dueled?" Kelnozz said, advancing on her
threateningly.  "This isn't my world, I don't care what happens here. 
Surrender to me and I'll see to it that you live."

   "How sweet," Alesha responded sarcastically.  "Sorry lover, no deal."

   Kelnozz shook his head sadly at her.  "Then let it end."

   Alesha stood still and Kelnozz swung.  Instead of hitting her, his sword
struck an invisible barrier around her, only inches from her skin.  She
smiled and lashed out at him while he was surprised, nicking his shoulder
and tearing his shirt.  He backed up and came at her again, more carefully
this time.  One sword probed her defenses, meeting the barrier each time
while he used the other blade to defend himself from her own attacks.  She
abandoned defense and attacked him wholly, trying to score a incapacitating
wound.

   Kelnozz could see the increased look of concentration on Alesha's face
while they fought, clearly it was taxing her to do battle and keep the
shield up.  Then he was through it, scoring a glancing blow on her elbow.
She grunted and fell back, gaining some room to catch her breath.

   "Now what witchery will you use?" Kelnozz asked, advancing on her.

   Alesha let her sword lower a bit and glanced around nervously.  "After
all we've been through, would you really kill me, Kel?"

   "It is because of all we've been through that I would kill you," Kelnozz
said matter-of-factly.

   "Look at me, Kelnozz, I can be yours!  Spare me and I will devote myself
to you!" Alesha said, holding out her arms to display her body.  On cue,
her ornate breastplate was magically unclasped, falling to the stage floor
around her legs.  Her grieves and loin cloth fell next, leaving her with
only her gloves, bracers, boots, and her softly glowing pendant on in front
of him.  She stepped forward out of the pile of armor and knelt before him.

   "You're making it awfully easy for me to kill you," Kelnozz said
neutrally.

   "Then perhaps I deserve to die, if the one person I have been involved
with for so long now wishes me dead," Alesha responded, her voice filled
with sadness.

   Kelnozz lowered his swords as well and stopped directly in front of her.
"I know you too well, Alesha.  You try to give me what I want, hoping to
prey on my weakness for you.  Time and again, you have shown me what you
are truly capable of.  I'll not be misled again."

   Kelnozz raised the tip of one sword and a single tear fell from Alesha's
eye.  "If it must be so, lover, then let it be!" She reached up and grabbed
the blade of his sword, ignoring the sharp edge, and held it steady while
she lunged towards it, letting it thrust deeply into her chest.  Her hands
held on to the blade, preventing Kelnozz from withdrawing it.

   Kelnozz gasped as a paralyzing cold swept up his blade and into his
hand. From there it passed into his arm and quickly into the rest of his
body.  His other blade, raised to strike her head from her shoulders, was
frozen in mid air and his muscles betrayed him and he stood still, aching
in the frigid magic that ensorcelled him.

   Alesha pulled the blade out finally, grunting in pain as blood burst
from the wound.  She shivered for a moment herself before she got control
and used her magic to seal the wound.  With the blade no longer imbedded in
her flesh, Kelnozz fell to the floor, breath hissing through his teeth
painfully.  Alesha grabbed up her sword from where it had fallen and
towered over him.

   "I am sorry for this, more so then you will ever know," Alesha said,
gritting her teeth with resolve.  She raised her sword and began the
downward plunge that would spell Kelnozz's fate.

   Movement from the corner of his eye drew Kelnozz's attention.  Jason
slammed into Alesha's back, throwing both his hip and his shoulder into her
forcibly.  Her downward plunge aborted, she half flew, half stumbled into
the set of drums that the band had only recently abandoned in their attempt
to help the crowd destroy Garrick.  Instinctively, Alesha slashed out as
she flew, feeling the tip of her sword connect before she herself was
stunned by the impact of the drums and the floor.

   Kelnozz groaned and lurched to his feet as feeling returned to his
limbs. He clumsily gathered up his weapons and moved towards Alesha.  She
had dropped her sword when she fell, and was struggling herself to get back
up.  He kicked it away from her and rested a blade on each side of her
neck.

   "Any more tricks up your sleeve?" He asked her, exerting enough pressure
to let her feel the edges of his blades parting the outer layers of her
skin.

   "I don't have any sleeves on," She said carefully.

   "That'll teach you to fuck with a hockey player, bitch!" Jason said,
coming to stand next to Kelnozz.  He held his left shoulder with his right
hand, but blood still trickled down his arm from where her sword had
connected.

   "Is it bad?" Kelnozz asked him, not taking his eyes off of Alesha.

   "Yeah," Jason muttered, "She got me deep, it's spurting out when I don't
put pressure on it."

   "Heal him," Kelnozz commanded her, letting the blades cut in a little
deeper.

   "I am out of power!" Alesha hissed.  "And even if I did, I have no bond
with him, it would take to long."

   "Then you are of no use to me anymore," Kelnozz replied, taking one
sword away from her neck and preparing to bring it back in more forcibly.

   "Wait!" Alesha cried out.  "Let me try!  Come closer to me, let me put
my hands on it."

   "If you try anything, know that I will take you back to Viconia and
execute you, so that your pet demon and Bavorish will be able to reward you
for your failures," Kelnozz whispered to her.

   Alesha ignored the elf and motioned Jason forward.  With a wary glance
towards Kelnozz, who nodded approvingly, Jason knelt down next to Alesha so
that they were almost on the same level.  Alesha raised her hands and
placed them on his shoulders.  Closing her eyes she began struggling to
raise the last of her powers.  After a few moments, Jason felt a warmth
spread through his shoulder, and the stinging numbness began to fade.  A
few minutes later she removed her hands and slumped back to the floor,
clearly exhausted.

   Jason studied his shoulder through the tear in his shirt.  It was still
sore, and there was a fresh pink scar, but he could move it and he knew he
was no longer in danger of bleeding to death.  "Neat!" He said, stepping
back away from her and admiring his shoulder.  "Kinda sore, but I'll live."

   "Get her sword," Kelnozz said, still watching Alesha like a hawk.

   Jason nodded and walked around Kelnozz to pick up Alesha's sword.  It
felt warm in his hand, and the grip seemed to adjust to fit his hand
nicely. He walked back over near Kelnozz, but was interrupted by a loud
roar behind him.  Spinning around, he caught Talifernon's fist in his jaw,
making him stumble back a step.

   Demon's possess a greater rate of healing then most beings do, due to
their unnatural origins and powers.  Talifernon had managed to not only
heal his severed leg muscles, but also one of his fists and one of his
pincers.  He advanced on Jason now, reaching out and grabbing the man
around the waist with the pincer and lifting him into the air.  Jason
groaned as the sharp edges of the demonic claw cut and scraped his abdomen.

   Remembering the sword in his hand, he swung it then at the demon.  An
awkward cut, his intent was to hack into the arm that held him aloft.  One
of the demons other arms, with only a stump that was just beginning to
regrow some fingers got in the way, causing the blade to be diverted.  It
still struck the demon though, but it managed to hack into Talifernon's
head, severing the canine ear and shaving off a section of scalp.

   The demon dropped Jason then, and howled in pain as he covered his head.
Wasting no time, Jason scrambled away from the towering beast, concerned
more with putting distance between the two of them then anything else at
the moment.

   Kelnozz watched Alesha carefully during the confrontation.  She had
roused herself somewhat, but only laid on the floor watching with interest
as Talifernon growled and stalked towards Jason.

   A body came flying through the air between Talifernon and Jason then,
and a quick glance to the side showed the Garrick was still in the middle
of the crowd of people, though many were now unconscious or otherwise
incapacitated.

   Talifernon came in swinging, forcing Jason to backpeddle furiously to
avoid another ringing blow to his head.  He stopped when he reached the end
of the stage though, only a two foot drop to the floor remained, and the
distance from the edge of the stage to the wall of the club was less then
five feet away as well.  Cursing, he saw the demon bearing down on him and
made a rash decision.

   Bellowing loudly, he charged the demon, trying to catch it off guard. 
He held the sword down low and threw his shoulder into the demon's
midsection, trying to shoulder-check it.  The greater mass and supernatural
nature of the demon made his attack useless however.  Bouncing off the
demon's belly, he shook his head and slashed upwards with the sword. 
Talifernon howled as the sword cut into his crotch, narrowly missing his
genitals, but slicing upwards through his abdomen and belly as though they
were made of butter.  His own strike at Jason landed on the man's head, but
it lacked any force behind it, merely stunning the man.

   Jason fell away from the demon then, amazed that the sword cut so
cleanly and easily through the flesh and bone.  He scrambled back to his
feet as the demon tried to keep its bowels from pouring out of the wound
until it healed back up.  Slashing again, he opened up a horizontal wound
that crossed the vertical one, making the demons efforts a failure.  Jason
then lashed out at the demon's knee, remembering how Kelnozz had taken him
down earlier.  Alesha's sword cut through the knee as easily as it did
everywhere else, bringing Talifernon down to the ground with a crash.

   Talifernon howled in pain and outrage.  That such a puny mortal was
hurting him was unthinkable.  He swung for the man again, trying to swipe
him off the stage and crush him in the process.  Jason lunged forward,
however, sinking the sword deeply into the demon's chest, and received only
a glancing blow from the demon's hand.  Talifernon's mouth opened in agony
as it knew it had been defeated.  As its body began to fail, it grabbed
hold of Jason's arm with its pincer and threw a last punch at him.  As the
blow landed, the demon's form dissolved into smoke.

   Jason flew backwards across the stage, some of the force diverted, but
enough remained to crack his ribs and launch him into the air.  He landed
with a thud and laid staring up at the ceiling trying to work some air back
into his lungs.  The sword was still in his hands.

   "What are you going to do with me?" Alesha asked once the fight was over
and it was obvious that Jason was still alive.

   "I'm still working on that," Kelnozz admitted.  "I suppose I should kill
you, but I'm having a hard time working up the conviction to do it."

   Alesha tried to smile but failed.  She glanced out at the crowd trying
to overwhelm Garrick, in spite of his obviously incredible strength and
skill.  "You got a God to come with you for me, I suppose there really is
no chance for me."

   "He's not a God anymore, Nordan has taken his place.  As Martin took
Carson's place."

   "Oh?" Alesha asked, beginning to win her fight against the fatigue the
extensive use of her powers had caused her.  "You've bested my demon and
defeated me twice now.  With your friends, you've slain dragons mightier
then I could ever hope to best.  I give up, Kelnozz."

   "What should I do with you?" Kelnozz asked her suspiciously.

   "Kill me, most likely," She replied.  "If you take me back to Viconia
and don't kill me, I'm sure I'll resort to my wicked ways.  I never was
much good with temptation.  If you leave me here, what's to stop me one day
from starting up another cult?  I love power, Kelnozz, it feels so good to
control others wants and needs"

   If Kelnozz was surprised at her honesty, he hid it well.  Instead he
said, "I have another plan for you, I think.  If you can guarantee your
best behavior while with me, perhaps there is a way out of all this."

   Alesha looked at him with genuine curiosity.  Finally, she shrugged and
nodded.  "Alright, old friend, you have my best behavior."

   "Good, now call off your minions so Garrick will stop having fun," He
told her.

   Smirking, Alesha rose off the floor and approached the front of the
stage.  Laying on the floor in misery, Jason had to admit that he nearly
forgot the pain when he could stair up at a perfect nude body such as
Alesha was displaying.  She caught his eyes and smiled briefly, then threw
him a wink and blew him a kiss before turning to the grand melee below.

   "Stop!" She said, her voice magnified loudly enough so that everyone
within the building heard it clearly.  Kelnozz flexed his hands around his
sword hilts warily, never before had she recovered her powers as quickly as
she appeared to now.

   "All of you will go home now, leave this place and never return to it.
Forget the things that happened here.  Go now!" Alesha turned back to
Kelnozz and nodded her head.  Kelnozz eyed her suspiciously for a moment,
then nodded in return.  Already the people below had stopped harassing
Garrick.  They turned as one and moved towards the exit, leaving the club
as best they could.  Those that could not make it on their own were helped
out by others, and soon only the dead remained.  Garrick had seen to it
that that number was impressive.  A full score of people lay with broken
necks, backs, skulls, and other important bones.

   Garrick hopped up onto the stage, half sneering at Alesha, and walked
over to where Jason was laying.  "You okay lad?" Garrick asked him, seeing
the man's eyes were open and that he was conscious.

   "Yeah," Jason replied weakly.  "Just thinking about taking a nap is
all."

   Unseen behind them, Alesha closed her eyes and contacted her brother. 
'Brian, I'm leaving now.  Not the way I'd planned, but I'm still leaving.
Continue your work and come and find me when it's time.  Talifernon has
been banished for 100 years by a man they call Jason, but I transfer
ownership of his soul to you.  Be well, my brother.'

   "What's the matter?" Kelnozz asked her, seeing her eyes closed and her
body swaying a little bit.

   "Hmm?  Oh, nothing, just trying to see if I had enough energy left to
heal your friend again," Alesha lied.  She walked over next to him and
knelt down beside him.  She placed her hand lightly on his chest and caused
her healing energies to flow into him.  He moaned as he felt his ribs shift
to their proper positions and begin to mend.  Alesha then leaned down to
him and kissed him for a moment.  Feigning weakness before getting back up,
she let her head drop beside his ear and knew her hair hid their heads.

   "Be wary, my brother will be after you for banishing his demon," She
whispered.  Jason's eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat. 
"Shh, not a word of that to your friends, that's an order."

   She stood up and moved away as though nothing had happened.  Alesha then
began to put her armor back on after checking with Kelnozz to see if she
was allowed to.  Jason struggled to his feet, his chest still sore much
like his shoulder, but otherwise he felt fine.  He opened his mouth to tell
them what she had just said, but found that the words would not come out.
He shut his mouth before they noticed and instead remained content to
simply glare at her.

   "What about this?" Jason asked, holding the sword out towards Kelnozz.

   "Keep it, she won't be using it anymore," The dark elf replied,
challenging Alesha with his words and gaze.  She refused to take the bait,
and simply nodded her head.

   "Destroy this place," Kelnozz commanded her.  Alesha frowned but nodded.
They headed towards the door but before getting there Jason asked them to
wait a moment.  He hopped behind the bar and grabbed a few bottles of beer.
Handing one to Kelnozz and one to Garrick, he opened one himself and said,
"After a tough hockey game it's always good to suck down an ice cold beer.
I figured this was kinda the same thing."

   Alesha smirked while Garrick and Kelnozz just looked at each other. 
Twice now he had mentioned hockey, but neither of them knew what it was. 
They did know what to do with ale, however, and having already been shown
how to remove the tops from the bottles, they quickly did so.

   Once in the truck, Pamela was introduced to Alesha, and immediately the
tension could be felt between the two women.  As they pulled away, Alesha
concentrated long enough to work her magic again.  Brian slipped out the
back door of the club moments before the liquor bottles behind the bar
shattered and then ignited, spreading flames rapidly and consuming the
place.













































   Using her magic to help instead of hinder, Garrick, Kelnozz, Alesha, and
Pamela had returned to Ireland easily.  They had left Jason behind in
America to return to his home and normal life.  Or at least, what sense of
normality he could accept, given what he had seen and experienced.  Then it
was Pamela's turn to be left behind at a blank stone wall near where she
had first encountered Kelnozz and Garrick.

   She stood there with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes as the
three travelers walked into the stone wall and disappeared before her very
eyes.  Pamela reached out and touched it after they had gone, encountering
only hard rock.  Smiling again at the magic of it all, she turned away to
leave.  She stopped when, just for a brief moment, she thought she had seen
something out of the corner of her eye.  Looking back, she once again saw
the rocky cliff face.  Shaking her head, she realized she must have
imagined the doorway she thought she had seen.  Sighing, she began to
concoct the details of the visit to her cousins in France that she had told
her husband she was visiting.  Snorting, she realized he probably would not
even ask for any.

   *****

   "You do deserve to die, you know," Kelnozz said to Alesha while they sat
around the table in the common room of the inn.

   Alesha glanced around, surprised to see so many varying races getting
along together.  At one table, a finely dressed ogre and a fully armored
troll sat playing cards.  At another, humanoids the size of men with the
head of a wolf drank and ate and caroused.  At other places humans, elves,
dwarves, halflings, and even a woman covered in soft white fur with the
head of a rabbit interacted with one another as though nothing was amiss.

   "You keep saying that, but you don't do anything about it.  If you're
going to kill me, then get it over with already," Alesha responded, tired
of not knowing what Kelnozz had in store for her.  "Otherwise, let it go
and shut up already."

   Garrick slapped the table and laughed at her outburst.  A dark look from
Kelnozz made him hide his mirth behind a mug of ale the serving wench had
brought over.

   "What is this place?" Alesha asked, changing the subject.

   "This, my dear, is the Tavern of the Broken Axe," A man said, coming
over to join them.  "And my name is Rizzo, I am the proprietor of this not
so humble establishment."

   "Our thanks for the use of these, Rizzo," Kelnozz said, taking his fish
shaped earring off and sliding it across the table to him.  Garrick did
likewise.

   "I am glad they served you well.  Is this the woman you spoke of?" Rizzo
asked, eyeing Alesha appraisingly.

   "Aye, she's the one.  A troublesome wench, to be sure!" Garrick said,
enjoying the scowl Alesha sent his way.

   "Well then, my dear, let me explain a few things," Rizzo began.  "You
are now an employee here.  I'm not quite sure what to do with you yet, but
I'm sure we'll get that sorted out in due time.  This tavern rests on a
sort of a hub or extra-dimensional pocket.  Hundreds and thousands of other
worlds can be accessed from here, and likewise others from any of those
worlds may gain entry to here, if they can find the way."

   "The tavern has many different prospects to it.  Down those stairs over
there," Rizzo pointed to a large stairs descending from the back of the
tavern, "is an arena for sparring and training and the like.  Up those
stairs," he pointed to a different staircase that was on a different wall,
"are the guest rooms and the baths.  Elsewhere here you will find a rather
large brothel, fully staffed and with accommodations to fit nearly any
fantasy or desire.  Another room has a eutopic garden with a rather
pleasant grotto in it.  It's really quite impressive, all the things here,
and my words alone cannot do it justice.  But rest assured, you'll have
plenty of time to see it all, as you will be staying her from now on."

   Alesha looked to Kelnozz with an alarmed look on her face.  "What is
this?  You think to imprison me as a common tavern wench?"

   "Hardly common, my dear," Rizzo said, smiling at her without malice.

   "Here you will be safe," Kelnozz said.  "Bavorish and his minions can
not reach you here.  Rizzo alone holds dominion here.  Should any who know
you or seek to harm or help you enter this place, their powers will be
largely negated."

   "You see, I don't allow any violence in here, save for in the arena, and
even in that instance, I can't think of a single time when a fight to the
death was sanctioned.  That man, over there," Rizzo pointed to a large man
sitting at the card table with the ogre and troll, "his name is Lazim and
he is my bouncer.  You see, he's immortal, can't be killed.  It is amusing
to watch people try sometimes though.  I remember this one time we let him
walk around for nearly a week with a sword stuck through his head.  He
didn't even realize it, and we didn't have the heart to tell him...  ah,
but that was funny." Rizzo chuckled at the memory of it.

   "So I'm sentenced to menial labor until I grow old and die here?" Alesha
was torn between outrage and shock.  Her knuckles were white gripping the
table and her face was flushed with heat.

   "Actually, that's not the case either, you see," Rizzo explained.  "Time
doesn't function quite normally here.  For some reason, those that are here
don't see to age.  A day still passes, or so we think, but nobody gets
older.  A candle will burn down, and food and drink will go bad, but aging
doesn't seem to happen.  Not quite sure how that works, but I always
believed in not looking a gift horse in the mouth, you see."

   Alesha ground her teeth in frustration at the cheery man and turned back
to Kelnozz and Garrick.  "Are you serious?  You're leaving me here with
him? I surrendered to you, Kelnozz, I thought I meant something to you!"

   "Have you noticed any difference in yourself since leaving Viconia?"
Kelnozz asked her, ignoring her ranting.

   Glaring at him, she answered curtly, "No."

   "Perhaps that was because you still had Talifernon's influence.  Now you
are separated from both Bavorish and Talifernon, it is my hope that you
will remember the girl who you used to be and remember kindness and
fairness.  That is why you are here, and your term of service is dependant
upon your behavior accordingly," the elf told her.

   "If I returned you to Viconia, Bavorish would continue to corrupt you,
and history would repeat itself.  I am giving you another chance, which is
far more then any of the thousands of peoples you have wronged would give
you, and perhaps even more then you deserve."

   Garrick winked at her and smiled.  It was a cold smile and it sent
chills down Alesha's back to realize that without Kelnozz's protection,
Garrick would be the first one in a long line of people ready to repay her
for her harsh deeds.  She nodded at last, slowly and hesitantly.  "Alright,
I suppose I don't have a choice.  I have no weapons and even my armor
you've taken.  My powers are weak, I'm at your mercy." Alesha sighed
forlornly, glancing down at the simple boots, breeches, and blouse that she
wore.  "Well then, Rizzo, what will you have of me?"

   Rizzo smiled broadly, "Excellent, I was hoping you'd see things through.
You'll go far, my dear!  Now then, as for what to do with you, I'm not sure
quite yet.  I suppose I'll have you try a little bit of everything so I can
get a feel for what you are good at."

   Kelnozz slid a pouch filled with gems in it across to Rizzo, "Here's
payment for her training, room, and board.  I'll check in on her from time
to time as well, bringing more if need be."

   Rizzo chuckled and stood up.  "I'll take your gold, elf, but don't you
worry, she'll be earning her own keep right away, I'm sure." Holding out
his hand to her, Rizzo led Alesha back towards the kitchen to meet the rest
of the staff before putting her to work.

   Kelnozz and Garrick sat silently at the table, finishing their drinks.
Finally Garrick spoke up, "You think she'll change?"

   Kelnozz sighed.  "No, not really."

   Garrick chuckled softly then said, "Then why this elaborate ploy?  Why
not simply kill her?"

   "That'd put me out of a job," Kelnozz said, his dark humor not lost on
Garrick.

   "Hardly my friend, with Alesha out of the picture, there are plenty of
things awaiting the Protector of Viconia.  Take Ancaruin, for example."

   Kelnozz looked sharply at Garrick.  "What do you mean?  We slew him!"

   "You killed his body, aye," Garrick responded.  "That dragon helped
create Viconia, he's not so easily destroyed without destroying Viconia as
well."

   Kelnozz cursed under his breath.  He raised his beer mug and noticed it
was empty.  Setting it back down, he idly fingered the glowing pendant he
had taken from Alesha.  "So much for a vacation," He muttered.

   Garrick laughed then and rose up from his seat.  "Aye, now you begin to
see why I gave Nordan my powers!  To much responsibility, I'd rather be
wenching and fighting!"

   Kelnozz laughed and followed Garrick to the door.  Once there he spoke
to Lazim and said, "We need to go to Viconia, good sir."

   Lazim nodded and reached for the door.  Pausing a moment in indecision,
he finally opened it up for Garrick and Kelnozz to walk through.  In
moments, they were back on the streets of Sanctuary.  Turning around, they
saw the Tavern of the Broken Axe behind them, though it looked nothing like
the one that had just emerged from.

   "Magic," Kelnozz whispered, impressed at how Rizzo's tavern worked. 
Garrick grunted without interest.

   "I think I'm going to go steal a ship and become a pirate again,"
Garrick said to himself.  "I miss those days."

   Kelnozz chuckled and patted him on the shoulder.  "Be well, new old
friend, I must find Luingirth and be off to Innowendyn."

   Clasping hands, the two parted.  Garrick wandered through the streets of
Sanctuary, looking for a tavern, a whore, a ship, or a fight...  in any
order.  Kelnozz headed towards the wilderness, already calling out to
Luingirth over the bond they shared.

   *****

   "Find this man, his name is Jason," Brian said to the other people
sitting around the table with him.  He showed them the picture on the
computer screen and made sure they all memorized it.  "Find him and tell me
where he is, but do nothing else.  He is the key to finding Alesha."

   They nodded to him and, as one, got up to indicate the meeting was
adjourned.  Brian alone remained sitting at the table in his house.  With
Alesha gone, Brian had learned how best to use his powers quickly, and
already he had gained control of his father where Alesha's had left off. 
The man continued to work and function somewhat normally, completely
ignorant of anything out of the ordinary.  Most of the time he now slept at
his office as well.

   Brian toyed with the idea of finding a woman to fuck, but discarded it
quickly.  He had more important things to do.  It was not every day that a
18 year old man had the power and control that he had.  He smiled and
decided that it was far more important for him to begin to build back the
following that Alesha had before she had been taken away from him.