TRANSCRIPTION DATE 10-3-89


THE DEFEAT OF OLEANTH                       

HISTORY (Based on original run notes)

 

Kalarina of the Stag:  Knee high doeskin boots, doeskin clothing,

    one stone dagger and one iron dagger, flame necklace?, long

    black hair tied in a ponytail, gray eyes, app-16, very lithe,

    5'-5", 115lbs, agile, 15 yrs old.

   

    NOW:  Arm guards, leg guards of leather, doeskin outfit same

    as before, no longer has flame necklace, two wrist sheathed

    daggers, thigh sheathed dagger, bandoleer with 3 of 5 one

    silver, 2 iron daggers, hair is shorter, nape of neck, new

    scars, thinner, looks older, more worn, less carefree, more

    experienced, does not know how to use a crossbow, face

    painted in red, black and yellow, triangle in middle of

    forehead point ending at bridge of nose, black vees on either

    cheek with three red stripes under either vee.

 

John Mendor:  As a person nondescript, black hair, brown eyes,

    tanned skin, 5'-9", fairly strong and extremely dexterous (in

    book describe him doing something gross sometime, like the

    android on Aliens), "the man who never missed", older 33 yrs

    but looks to be about 23, when Kalarina met him he was

    dressed as a captain of the Flaming Swords (which he removed

    immediately), he kept only the longsword he was given when he

    became captain, brace of throwing daggers, soft black mid-calf

    leather boots which had a dagger hidden in his right boot and

    in his left sleeve he had 4 finger throwing daggers, at this

    time no other hidden weapons (note this will change

    drastically after time with our group), under his shirt a

    holy symbol of Loki, he wore a light leather vest which acted

    like armor, black shirt, black pants.

 

Wei-Lee:  Small looking, 5'-4" high, 136lbs, muscular and much

    stronger than he looks, agile, odd appearance but quite

    attractive to other Dal-kon (app-17); straw colored hair

    pulled back into a pony tail, always clean shaven, loose

    clothing of indeterminate origin colors probably grey or

    brown, large side pouch, q-staff, fighting dagger, usually

    barefoot, green eyes, yellowish skin, almond shaped eyes,

    massive livid scar across throat.

 

    NOW: Clothing is now judges clothing obtained from the

    monastery, baggy gray pants and heavy knit brown wool sweater

    with high collar over baggy gray shirt of a silky finely

    woven material, brace of five steel throwing daggers, one

    hand crossbow strapped to thigh holster, ten bolts each

    holster, fighting dagger, two black chain gauntlets,

    Houndmaster's armored thigh-piece magical +5 plate, iron bound sandals, medium

    crossbow, iron gorgette, Trevon's magical collar of warding,

    red cloak from red guard,

 

Maeve Sunshard:  Beautiful (app 14), 5'-10", 26 yrs old,

    painfully straight posture, walk as if leaning into a stiff

    wind or swaggering, medium build, strong with no fat, face is

    set, she seems driven, an etched face lined from years of a

    grim life, features rarely broken by levity, straight

    platinum blond hair cut at shoulder level, straight nose,

    high cheekbones, solid jaw, light green eyes and straight

    brows, Elfcleaver, girhka: a heavy handled knife which comes

    out straight and 1" wide for 3" and then bends upward 45º and

    widens to 2" until the end where it narrows to a point and it

    is thrown point in like a boomerang, usually she guts people

    with it, garrote on wrist, pale skin lightly tanned, dark

    green hooded ranger cloak with a triangular gold clasp which

    looks rather old and has been mended several times, non

    descript clothes on tunic, pants, boots, belt, no pouch,

    brown (bursts out of her clothes frequently), no scars,

    flawless skin, speak Kernish, some common.

 

Maeve Bear:  Huge, whitish/blondish hair, polar bear, 4' at

    shoulder, 10' tall on hind legs, 1400#

   

    NOW:  Wearing scale mail shirt that fits tightly about her

    figure, comfortable, magical from Kay's supply house and ends

    just below her knees, hagul's helmet with a pointed top,

    loose brown buckskin trousers stuffed into soft doeskin

    boots, two handed sword 6' long, sheathed across back, wire

    wrapped hilt, iron, Damocles magical but properties unknown

    obtained fron Kay also, Maeve’s bow, color coded arrows,

    quiver on right side, Maeve’s hair is now at her nipples (Pam

    slaps Alex), garrote, girhka is lost, white cotton shirt

    that accentuates her breasts in a manner pleasing to the

    male eye, Maeve has a hat (pilgrim's hat but narrower at the

    top) 

 

Raec of the Stag:  (Both Kalarina and Raec are related as

    cousins) 5'-6", but square built, massively strong, agile,

    expert horseman, plain tunic and pants and vest made from

    heavy buckskin (almost armor), black slightly curly hair,

    App-11, Grey eyes don't stand out, think apache Indian,

    mahogany skin, large boned, 19 yrs old, lasso, two large and

    three small bolos, war clubs, daggers

 

    NOW:  Broken heavy crossbow with special back holster, 10

    bolos, one longsword (the assassins), two maces one iron, one

    meteorite steel both hitched at his side on his belt,  three

    daggers in a bandoleer, a belt pouch and belt sack hanging in

    back, (ask Hauke where is the stag head?), 35 foot lasso on

    left shoulder, very short hair, painted face with red, black

    and yellow

 

Kilsorana Moonmist:  Speaks Kernish, (looks like a dead fish

    according to Maeve), green elf = « wood elf, « sea-elf(87%)

    which increases the magic potential in those rare cases where

    the green elf survives being born, 4'-6", 78lbs, 166 yrs

    old, slight build, huge black pupilless eyes, thick coarse

    blue-green hair rooted down below her shoulder blades, app-15,

    look dexterous, agile (esp in water), intelligent, gills on

    the side of her neck, her knees can bend in both directions,

    this aids swimming but makes walking difficult and awkward

    (she is slow on land) but permits some fairly spectacular

    backward jumps, thick heavily muscled legs, must immerse in

    water at least once per day or become dehydrated (more in

    dryer climates, though sharkskin armor helps retain fluid),

    face thinner than a humans and tapers down toward the mouth,

    scant (bony?) lips, large ears very close to the head and

    tapered, hands have webbed fingers and feet can open up in

    water to form flippers, skin sparkles silver in sunlight,

    greenish blue with light scaling over it, her focus is a

    seashell in her throat, white scallop shell, green ranger

    cloak having a wave on the back (air brushed on), gold sunset

    clasp (sea ranger based on the feudal symbol of ranger a full

    sun), black boots with no heels can spread to allow foot to

    open into flipper, grey sharkskin tunic and gloves tucked in

    her belt, sharkskin belt at waist, buckle is two dolphins

    meeting in a jump, cloak is a waxy, thin nearly translucent

    material, grey pants of a similar material, irith at side

    (thin sword made of a highly flexible steel, 1" wide at its

    widest, a slashing, piercing weapon similar to an epee), hilt

    is sharkskin bound, elven silver dagger, harpoon and trident

    on back.

 

    NOW:  Bandoleer of darts around chest, trident is lost,

    irith, harpoon, silver two daggers, several belt pouches with

    mysterious contents, crossbow and backpack.

 

       

 

Amud Aleth:  NOW:  5'-8", 150 lbs, light build, medium boned,

    app-19, looks young, used to have a small beard below his

    chin which is now shaved off, moustache, glossy black hair

    which he keeps fairly long (neck length) and swept back

    (feathered), magically well groomed, most agile person in the

    group, moves very swiftly and flexibly, carries almost

    nothing on him, wears a white shirt, now somewhat torn and

    blood stained, he has taken some damage, wearing a black

    vest, wears a red sash about his waist through which is stuck

    two scimitar sheathes, the scimitars are of steel of the

    finest quality, fairly tight black pants, kneehigh black

    leather boots soft and always well shined, dark smooth skin

    (ie. hispanic), long dirk stuck through his sash but kept

    behind him and to the right.  Magical longsword tucked in his

    sash.

 

Gunther Brightblade:  Large man, 6'-4", weighs 225lbs (16stone),

    big bones, bright blue eyes and thick straight black hair,

    moustache carefully braided  and drapes down on either side

    of his mouth, he looks strong and tough, (app-13), old 35,

    chain hauberk, over which he wears leather furs (long heavy

    trappers jacket), heavy leather arm guards for lower arms and

    leather leg guards for his lower legs, heavy mid calf boots

    of a hard brown leather, samurai’s bow of excellent quality

    and quiver strapped to his back, two handed sword, a pack

    rests on his back over the sword and the bow is on top of the

    pack, the pack is huge and bulky but he is good at carrying it

    as if he has done this many times, pack contains rope,

    grapples, climbing spikes and other unknown items, he has a

    large fighting dagger, no crossbow,

 

    Maeve tells Gunther that they have taken Daniel. He looks at

    Maeve as if she had grown a third head, since she has never

    spoken to him, not ever. "Who has taken Daniel?"  "Kohl

    Greenbaugh's men and they shot Martha."  Gunther looses his

    temper. So he smashes her head into the wall. "What do you

    mean?" "Ow! They have taken Daniel you big dolt! We have to

    get her." He smashes her head against the wall again.

 

   B E G I N (see notes for previous encounter)

 

    A small man dressed in gray and brown sits, his back to a

tree, holding a well worn book in his lap. The book's leather

cover is blackened by much handling. His right hand holds a

quill, carefully sharpened to an extremely fine point. The man's

hand moves deftly, with swift short strokes, filling the page

with intricate glyphs in precise rows. Occasionally, he pauses,

either to consider or to dip the quill into a small uncorked

flask of ink set carefully beside him on a small flat stone.

    The cool damp post dawn air of early morning is still. Two

birds warble to each other in the treetops, discussing the weather

or whatever birds discuss as the sun pokes up over the horizon.

Otherwise the only other sound is the scrabble of the quill

against paper. The air is heavy with the scent of decaying

vegetation and sweetened by the fragrances of small flowering

plants scattered beneath the protective leafy canopy. A chipmunk

rustles through the dried leaves foraging for breakfast.

Movement from within the camp startles it and the chipmunk races

to a hole beneath piled stones. From the relatively protected

spot the creature scolds the cause of its alarm.  Slowly other

forms begin to move within the camp, preparing for the coming

day.

    After more than half an hour of creating tiny patterns of

marks on the fine pages of the book the man looks up from his

work. He rubs his temples as if remembering a recent, but now

healed head injury. Spread about him the man sees a small

campsite. Perhaps twenty feet away a huge man dressed in furs

begins to start a small fire. He hears the chink of flint on

steel and sparks fly.

    Gunther Brightblade bends low and blows carefully, nursing a

particularly promising spark. A wisp of smoke curls out from the

tinder. Soon a flame dances brightly at the center of a pile of

twigs. Steam hisses from a damp piece of wood and every so often

a knot pops, showering sparks out over the damp earth. Gunther

adds more wood and then drives two forked stakes into the ground

with the butte of an axe.

    The smell of smoke reaches Wei-Lee and he realizes that he is

quite hungry. Carefully he tucks the quill in the front cover of

the book resting in his lap. A piece of fine well oiled leather

wraps the book, protecting it from moisture. Carefully he corks

the flask of ink. He tucks these items into a small pouch

hanging at his side from a woven cloth belt. The entire procedure

is carried out in almost ritualistic fashion. Anyone watching him

would have thought that he performed some sort of religious

ritual by his precise actions.

    A very broad man dressed in buckskins strides up to Gunther.

Over one shoulder a small deer is slung. Raec's immense muscles

bulge and ripple as he lowers his prize to the ground. Weapons

hang about his bulky frame in profusion, like the deadly fruit

of a poisonous tree. He confers briefly with Gunther and then

moves off toward a girl, dressed in doeskins, who is occupied at

that moment trying to perfect a peculiar dance movement.

    Kalarina moves with practiced grace, surefooted, each motion

economical yet beautiful. Nearing the end of the dance she leaps

into the air, spinning and then lands lightly, poised as if

listening. Wei-Lee knows that it is called the Dance-of-he-who-hunts

but his tongue cannot quite manage the Phelosian equivalent. He

watches as Reac says something to her in Phelosian. She smiles, 5

vaguely pleased and begins talking to him in animated fashion.

    To his left Wei-Lee sees the kneeling form of a tall platinum

blond woman. Unaware of the activities around her, she sits,

Communing with the forces of Nature to which she has pledged

herself. Before her rests a long box, lid to one side. Within the

box lies a huge sheathed two-handed bastard sword, WindReaver.

The Sword looks relatively innocous thus bound within its

beautifully detailed ornate sheath. Wei-Lee knows better, having seen

its wielder command the very winds with that Sword in hand.

    Behind Maeve, and several feet to her right, the green elf

Kilsorana Moonmist waves her arms briefly above her head. A fine

mist appears in the air, soaking her gray sharkskin armor and the

translucent blue-green gossamer cloak she wears. She regards Wei-Lee

with her huge black pupilless eyes.

    "Good morning, Wei-Lee. How do you feel?"

    Wei-Lee considers briefly. "I believe that I am fully recovered

from the demon's attack. Still, memory does not fade quickly." Wei-Lee

stands and stretches. "I still have no recollection of what

happened over the past week."

    "I will fill you in when we have more time." The mist

disappears and Kilsorana approaches Wei-Lee. She is nearly a foot shorter

than him and he barely breaks five feet in height. More softly

she says, "The party nearly ripped itself apart, however. Your

absence was sorely felt."

    "As much as to be expected. Everyone is somewhat nervous. I

think that we are ill prepared for this venture. We know next to

nothing about Oleanth or the possible defenses he might have."  

    "Everyone at Heimdella seems to think that he is pretty weak

and helpless now. After all, his main temple has been destroyed

and all that remains of his minions are bottled up in that keep

ahead of us." She pauses, thinking. "We will have much help from

our allies to defeat him. Now that Maeve holds WindReaver Oleanth

cannot escape."

    Wei-Lee made no reply. All too soon they would see just how well

prepared Oleanth was to defend his property and his very

existence.

    Kilsorana, misinterpreting Wei-Lee's silence hastened to add, "I'm not

saying that we shouldn't still have some sort of plan. I just

think that he is probably very hurt now, in light of recent

events."

    "Are not the wounded beasts the most dangerous? But it is of

no consequence now, it is too late for us to turn back."

    "What do you mean?"

    Wei-Lee sighed. "Oleanth has been set against us for years now.

Whether he somehow anticipated this moment or, by his actions

caused it to come about, none can say. But after all this time he

knows much about us, both our strengths and our weaknesses. What

have we learned about him? The crux of our problem is that we

cannot plan, except in the most basic way, because we do not know

anything about our enemy."

    "We know where that bag of hot air is," Maeve adds

confidently as she stands and buckles the sheathed blade

WindReaver to her back, "that is more than enough."

    "Good morning Maeve," Wei-Lee nods at her. "I truly hope you are

correct."

    "What's wrong?" Maeve looks concerned. Then with sarcasm,

"Did those demons steal away your dauntless courage O wondrous

and mighty Wei-Lee?"

    Despite his concern Wei-Lee smiles. "I cannot stand here all day 6

wasting time with the likes of you two. Look Gunther needs my

help to prepare breakfast."

    Inwardly Maeve groans. Not again, she thinks. We really need

something good in our stomachs if we are to successfully destroy

an aspiring god. Despite her inner qualms she smiles, "What a

good idea. I'm quite hungry."

    Gunther looks up. "Hello Wei-Lee. How are you today?"

    "Much better."

    Gunther has removed several venison steaks from the deer

carcass. The fire burns brightly, grey smoke curling up into the

trees. Gunther represses an involuntary shudder as Wei-Lee begins to

pull various dried leaves and tubers from his pouch.

    "Wei-Lee, I can manage. I have had cooking duty for the past few

days, one more surely will not kill me. Why don't you use this

opportunity to rest up?"

    "Actually, I feel fine. Now I have some wonderful spices

here..."

    Gunther looks around frantically for something else for Wei-Lee to

do. He spies Amud at the edge of the clearing, steel scimitars

flashing; a gleam of sweat on his brow. With phenomenal agility

Amud bounces from opponent to imaginary opponent, puffy white

shirt billowing out over a bright red sash about his waist.  "Wei-Lee,

Amud has been anxious for your recovery. He was hoping you could

practice with him."

    "Very well. Here, I will leave these here for you. Call me if

you need help." Wei-Lee walks off toward Amud.

    Gunther breathes a sigh of relief and turns back to the task

of preparing breakfast.

    Wei-Lee waits patiently for Amud to finish a flurry of whirling

slashes, swift parries and devastating chops. Amud is amazing to

watch. Wei-Lee has never seen him use any other weapon. Bare handed

he would be somewhat helpless. But put two scimitars in his hand

and watch out. He becomes a whirling dervish of sharp edges.

    Finally, Amud stops moving and turns to face Wei-Lee. Always the

gentleman, he bows before he speaks, "It is good to see you up

and around, Wei-Lee. We have sorely missed your company."

    Wei-Lee returns his bow. "I am better, thank you. May I join in

your practice?"

    "I would be honored," Amud regards Wei-Lee. "Perhaps you should

warm up some. I do not wish to have unfair advantage."

    Wei-Lee nods and moves away from Amud. He calms his mind and

quiets the small internal voice that would jabber incessantly

were he to permit it to do so. After a moment of meditation Wei-Lee 

begins to stretch out and practice various movements.

    Amud watches as Wei-Lee begins one of his personal kata. Wei-Lee moves

with precision, some movements are slow and very tightly

controlled, and others are executed in lightning swift staccato

fashion. Each technique flows smoothly into the last; now Wei-Lee

seems to contract, becoming smaller; now, without warning, he

exhales violently exploding up and out in a great leap. While

flying through the air his hands move and his foot lashes out.

Amud has seem this technique remove mounted men from their

saddles. After having sparred with Wei-Lee on numerous occasions he

still marvels at how this harmless appearing little man has

turned himself into a living weapon.

    Wei-Lee returns to his starting point and turns to face Amud.

Together they bow again and drop into defensive postures.   

     Amud moves in swiftly, the gleaming blade in his left hand

arcing across Wei-Lee's abdomen; right blade held back to parry.

    Wei-Lee steps in to the attack, his gauntleted left hand sweeping

aside Amud's slashing sword and his right foot leaping up toward

Amud's face.

    Extremely agile, Amud twists away from the attack and brings

his right hand scimitar up for a downward slash. "Ah-ha!" he

shouts as he senses a killing blow.

    Wei-Lee, aware of the danger ducks under Amud's attacking arm to

avoid the slice and gain the advantage of a flank attack. 

    "Uh-oh." Amud, losing sight of his opponent spins away,

dropping low both scimitars held defensively.  A shadow passes

above his head as Wei-Lee's body flies over him. Amud feels the air

move as a foot passes through the spot where his head would have

been if he had not dropped low. Amud knew that Wei-Lee had a lot of

tricks and he was used to fighting him.

    Thus they fought, evenly balanced, neither wishing to truly

harm the other and both enjoying this test of skills.

    "Come and get it!" Gunther shouts. The group gathers around

the fire, anxiously awaiting something good to eat. Unbeknownst

to Wei-Lee peoples' appetites had improved dramatically during the few

days he spent unconscious. If Wei-Lee is aware that Gunther left his

bag of spices untouched, he does not show it.

    Now the time for action rapidly approaches. Everyone feels a

tightness in their stomachs. The normal bantering dies out as

each person does what is necessary to prepare for battle.

    Note: probably brief descriptions here; concentrating on

weapons.

    "Can we devise any plans of attack?" Gunther asks no one in

particular.

    "Why don't we form teams like we have in the past. Having a

person to watch your back or help you out of a tight spot is very

effective." Wei-Lee looks around. "Kilsorana and I should work together."

    "And I will stick to Maeve," Gunther adds.  

    Reac and Kalarina pair off together.

    Amud, the odd man out, now that John Mendor no longer travels

with the party looked around.

    "Amud, you should stay with us," Wei-Lee motions at him.

"Kilscarana needs as much protection as she can get."

    "Now that this is settled, how do we get in?" Gunther points

to a huge pack on his horse. "I have the equipment necessary to

scale the walls but that is not much fun when people shoot down

at you and pour hot liquids on your head."

    "I'll just change a portion of the wall to sand so that we

can gain entry without having to use the main gate or climb the

walls."

    After several more minutes of hurried discussion, no new

ideas arise. People break up and mount their horses.

    Wei-Lee travels on foot. He is not comfortable on a horse and the

distance is slight.

    As the group approaches its goal the leafy deciduous trees

give way to a forest composed solely of conifers. The arrow

straight trees soar high overhead. The air is laden with the

sweet aroma of pitch. A golden carpet of dead needles deadens

their sounds of travel. Occasionally, through the tall trees

someone will catch a glimpse of a tall spire, the central tower

within Oleanth's keep.

    Raec rides barebacked, in the lead, a heavy crossbow cocked

and in his hand. He has seen no signs of wildlife  since

breaking camp. The woods are completely still. He halts.

    A red falcon swoops by overhead.

    Maeve waves to it and begins to sing Kernish war songs under

her breath.

    Raec dismounts and studies the ground intently.

    "What is it?" Kalarina asks.

    "The tracks of a stag. They parallel the direction in which

we travel." He remounts his horse. "It is a good omen."

    Farther along a white stag suddenly bounds out ahead of us.

As the party travels it stays ahead, just in Raec's view. "The

great stag leads us safely through our enemies territory."

    For an hour the group travels thus following Raec who is

guided by the white stag. No other signs of life are apparent.

    A breeze sifts through the pines.

    Kilsorana shifts in her saddle uncomfortably. "That breeze was

slightly magical. Perhaps Oleanth knows we are here."

    "No doubt," Gunther says with conviction.

    Again something happens but this time Wei-Lee stiffens. His mind

well attuned to his body, immediately notices any changes within.

He vaguely perceives an enchantment encircling the party. Within

him he feels it affecting his perceptions of goodness, fairness

and law.

    A blast of wind hits the party and Maeve draws Democles. She

sees a large figure in gold baroque armor appear, kneel and drive

a flaming sword into the ground in a small clearing just ahead of

the party. The wind stops and the ornately armored figure

vanishes.

    Wei-Lee, preparing for an attack, immediately sets up a mind block.

    Kilsorana sees a blast of gold and white power fill a small clearing

ahead of us.

    "What was that?" Gunther strained to see what was causing the

commotion.

Maeve sheathed Democles. At the clearing she dismounts from her

horse and studies the forest floor. An area several feet in

diameter is scorched. At the center of the burn mark, the ground

was pierced by a pointed object of some sort. Beneath the carpet

of needles Raec uncovers the imprint of a huge armored foot and

the rounded depression caused by an armored knee. 

    Maeve looks up, "If we have time, I would like to Commune."

    Gunther meets Wei-Lee's gaze and shrugs. "Go ahead Maeve," Wei-Lee

advises her. "It might give us clues at to what we might have to

deal with later."

    Maeve kneels and prepares herself.  She begins to commune.

    As he waits for Maeve Wei-Lee probes the Gauntlet. Completely

introspective now Wei-Lee concentrates on the primal sentience

attached to his left arm. Detecting a flicker of recognition, he

attempts to will the Gauntlet to protect itself from scrying.

Gauntlet of Sarek, do whatever you must to protect us in the

upcoming battle. We must work together now. Wei-Lee is uncertain if

his efforts accomplished anything. "Kilsorana, would you look at the

Gauntlet? I wish to determine if it can be scryed now."

    Kilsorana grabs hold of Wei-Lee's arm and concentrates. Wl's life force

ends at his elbow. The gauntlet is not represented by its

characteristic red glow. In fact, looking at it on the astral

plane it does not seem to exist. She concentrates harder.

    In a blindingly fast motion, before he even knows what he is

doing, Wei-Lee's arm pivots, Gauntlet on top of Kilsorana's arm now. It

grasps her wrist, snapping it like a dried twig and spins her

around preparatory to throwing. Stepping in and around in a

peculiar fashion Wei-Lee hurles Kilsorana through the air. She lands heavily

several feet from Wei-Lee.

    She climbs to her feet nursing her broken wrist and looking

with shock at Wei-Lee.

    Wei-Lee, mortified at what he had done to his friend, teacher and

companion stood speechless, gaze switching from Kilsorana to the

Gauntlet covering his left hand.

    "Wei-Lee, are you all right?" Kilsorana asks tentatively, backing away.

    "I did not expect that--I tried to activate one of the

Gauntlet's abilities. I had no idea it would react to your probe

like that. I'm terribly sorry." Wei-Lee seems more shaken than Kilsorana. The

last thing he wanted to do was hurt any of his friends.

    "Don't worry," Kilsorana says just a little doubtfully. "Just warn

me next time you decide to do something like that."

    "Will you be o.k.?" Gunther asks her.

    "Give me a moment." Kilsorana begins casting. Minutes pass. She

tests her wrist. "It is fine now."

    Maeve, oblivious to the recent activities of her companions

opens her eyes.  "I think someone just intercepted an attack

meant for us." She stands and remounts her horse.

    "That's all you can tell us?" Kalarina asks.

    "If I knew more do you think I would tell you?"

    "Maeve," Gunther admonishes her, "we are curious too."

    "I couldn't tell exactly what happened, alright!" Maeve

exclaims with annoyance. "There is too much power flying about

right now. Everything is obscured." She glares at Gunther.

    "Calm down Maeve. It is important for us to work together."

    "We should be moving, otherwise we may lose the stag," Raec

warns the group. He urges his mount forward tracking the stag. The

terrain remains fairly constant. At another clearing the stag's

track's circle around, as if the stag was avoiding some  unseen

danger.

    Wei-Lee looks within himself again as he walks. He is puzzled by

the Gauntlet and also extremely intrigued. He senses the primal

power active within the Gauntlet. Less noticeable is the odd

flame which burns subtlely within him since the time of his

healing in the temple. Vaguely, he feels a mind or something

groping for him. He is uneasy. There it is again. A presence,

searching, looking for his unique aura, or perhaps that of the

Gauntlet. He continues to block it out, worried for reasons he

cannot explain.

    Reac noticed that the stags footprints ended suddenly. He

dismounts again to examine the tracks. The two rear footprints

seem to be sunk more deeply into the soft loam. "I think that the

stag jumped over something here." He looks around.

    "There they are ,the stag landed over there." Maeve points to

a spot a little more than 12 feet away. This particular area is

covered with dense waist high shrubs which grow in clusters.

    "We will be forced to leave the horses here." Gunther says.

"Anything you need you will have to carry on your back."

    Raec begins to clear the area around the last hoof marks of

the stag. He removed small bushes, stones and branches.

    "Who can get over there?" Gunther asks.

    Raec looks at Kalarina as Wei-Lee steps forward.

    "I can make it across."  With a running start, Kalarina

leaps. It is a perfect jump. She lands exactly in the stag's

hoof-prints. "The ground looks perfectly o.k. from this angle. I

wonder why the stag jumped?"

    "We don't want to find out," Gunther says as he removes rope

from his pack.

    "Yes we do," Maeve says as she kneels down out of the way and 10

prepares to commune.

    "Must you always refute what I say woman," Gunther looks

annoyed.

    Maeve, tranced, does not reply.

    Gunther tosses several coils of rope to Kalarina. "Stay on

the stag's hoof prints. We do not know what it was trying to

avoid."

    Kalarina ties the rope to a nearby tree. "Try this."

    Wei-Lee wraps Gunther's end of the rope around a thick branch and

braces himself. "O.k. Gunther."

    Gunther climbs up the tree and hangs from the rope. "This

will work." He drops to the ground and begins putting items back

into his backpack.  

    Intrigued, Kilsorana looks on to the plane of energy for clues to

this puzzle. Two items attract her attention immediately. Before

her a brightly glowing yellow wall rises up above her head and

extends down into the earth as far as she can probe. It gently

curves away from her in all directions, as if she were standing

next to a great sphere centered on the keep. Above her head

hovers a large blue sphere attached to a thin blue tether which

rises straight up disappearing into the distance. As always, when

looking onto the astral plane, Kilsorana  sees the black sheet of

physical earth beneath her feet. Around her, glow the familiar

life forms of her friends. She drops her Vision.

    "Well, we are being watched," Kilsorana says matter of factly. "Give

you three guesses as to who it might be." She looks around. No

takers.

    "Did you see what we are to be afraid of?" Wei-Lee asks.

    "No. An extremely powerful ward rises up before us here. It

probably extends entirely about Oleanth's keep, both above and

below. I could not see through it."

    At that moment Maeve opened her eyes. "I sensed great

unnaturalness in this area. Before us is a great ring of

emptiness ten feet wide and generally twenty feet deep. It

encircles the keep entirely. We cannot see it because it is

covered by one inch of soil. Some powerful magics hold it

together. Probably only living creatures trigger this trap since

boulders, shrubs and even small trees do not fall through the

thin layer of soil." 

    "Kilsorana, get on my back. We must get across this now."

Gunther squats down. Kilsorana wraps her arms about his neck. With Kilsorana

hanging from his back Gunther begins to climb hand over hand

across the taut rope. Just as it seems that he will make the

crossing without mishap one of his hands misses the rope. He

dangles, swinging from side to side like a human pendulum.

    Kilsorana jumps up from Gunther's back to grasp the rope with one

hand to help steady Gunther. Her movement was unexpected and ill-

timed, coinciding with his desperate lunge to regain his grip.

Flailing wildly Gunther once more swings out of control.

    Fearing for her safety, Kilsorana pulls herself on to the astral

plane. Etherial, she need not fear falling into a hidden chasm to

meet an uncertain, but certainly monstrous demise. Overhead soars

the huge yellow dome of the clerical ward. Before her, coincident

to the tower within the keep, she clearly sees a massive source

of pure power shaped in the form of a cylinder set upright on one

of the flat ends. Around that, at some undetermined distance

away, another yellow ward glowed. This one also encircled the

keep but only to a height of twenty feet. Near her she sensed

Gunther's and Kalarina's life forces. Odd. Near Kalarina she

perceives five sparkly coronas. As if something made of energy

was covered by something meant to hide it. That's it, like the

corona life forces generate but with no corresponding life force.

What would cause that?

    She attempts to drop back to the physical plane. Strange. Why

is this so difficult? She considers herself. Panic wells within

her as she sees great chains of yellow power binding her to the

astral plane. Even as she watches the bonds become greater. She

gathers power about her. In a blast of energy she shatters the

arcane fetters and drops back to the prime material plane.

    Gunther climbs across. "I wonder where Kilsorana is now?"

    As if in answer of his question Kilsorana suddenly appears in the

air near him and falls unconscious to the ground at his feet. She

looks sick and she seems to be in shock.

    On a hunch, Kalarina empties the contents of a water flask

over Kilsorana's body. She has been somewhat dissicated. Immediately she

begins to recover. Her nictitating membranes flutter and she tries

to sit up. "I saw several life forces over there," she indicates

a direction with a wave of her hand. She begins to cast a

material shield about herself for protection.

    Several things happen at once. Amud and Wei-Lee see three

excellently camouflaged men holding heavy crossbows stand up

perhaps twenty feet from Kalarina.

    Wei-Lee drops his end of the rope and prepares to defend himself

while pulling his crossbow from his back.

The rope gently drapes across the thin soil covering the trap.

    With a hiss Amud draws both scimitars and turns so that he

presents the narrowest target possible.

    Kalarina, aware of danger behind her begins to tumble away. A

crossbow bolt passes through the air where she had been standing.

She completes her tumble with throwing dagger in hand. Her dagger

sinks into the left arm of one of the attacking crossbowmen.

    "Shit," Gunther exclaims as a crossbow bolt appears in his

abdomen.

    Maeve pivots behind the tree and pulls her bow from her

back.  She peeks out and sights on a target.

    Immediately after Kilsorana's material shield went up a heavy

crossbow bolt passes through it and bounces lightly off her

forehead.

    Wei-Lee's bolt hits the man wearing Kalarina's dagger in the

chest. He staggers back, unbelieving. One of his partners is less

fortunate, however, as a heavy war bolt from Raec's crossbow

pierces his heart. The momentum of the bolt carries him back into

the bushes.

    Behind Gunther two men, who by their garb can be identified

as Black Cloud assassins, draw longswords. Surprise lost, they

desire to attack swiftly while the group is split up by the trap.

    Sheathing his scimitars Amud races past Wei-Lee and dives for the

rope draped across the hidden chasm. His leap takes him three

quarters of the way across before he hits the fragile surface and

falls through. A blast of frigid air erupts out from the hole

made by Amud. Wei-Lee watched, concerned. Slowly, hand over hand Amud

pulls himself from the chasm. He appears to be covered by frost.

    Gunther turns to face his opponents. They fight as a team. He

leaps between them feinting an attack at one and pivots about his

hips to avoid the lunge of the assassins' partner. Grabbing the

man's wrist, Gunther slams him into the ground attempting to keep

him held. The man, well trained and agile twists so that he lands

face up. Daggers snap out from spring sheaths above his hands.

Gunther holds the assassins arms in an attempt to keep the

weapons away from his exposed face.  In control, Gunther begins

to head butte the assassin.

    Raec's bolos wrap around the head of the other swordsman

attacking Gunther and knock him the the ground. As the assassin

sits up an arrow from Maeve's bow clangs against plate armor

concealed beneath his robes. With a wrist dagger the assassin

begins removing Raec's bolo from his face and throat.

    Wei-Lee leaps across the chasm. He overshoots his target and

stumbles to his knees next to Kilsorana. 

    The third crossbowman, noting that their ambush was not at

all proceeding as expected grabs another crossbow and scrambles

on all fours to escape Kalarina's attack as she closes with

him. In his haste the tip of the bolt snags in the ground causing

the crossbow to accidentally fire. The cocking mechanism is

rammed back into his face. The crossbowman pulls back on his

knees holding his face.

    Seeing her opportunity, Kalarina kicks her kneeling opponent

in the shoulder. Pain lances through her foot as her boot impacts

on armor hidden beneath his tunic. She may have broken her

opponents collarbone. Before she has the chance to attack again

a man dressed in black heavy studded leather erupts from nowhere

behind her, longsword drawn and lunges immediately. Kalarina

twists away from his thrust and as she turns to face her newest

opponent a pair of bolos wrap around his neck lifting him off his

feet and tossing him back into the bushes from which he emerged.

    Amud crawls from the trap and into nearby shrubs. He drags

his legs behind him as if they are not functioning properly.

    Kilsorana begins to cast. Her her high pitched voice singing the

runes necessary for the wizardry alteration. Wei-Lee stands near,

ready to defend their mage with his life.  An assassin drops from

the tree above them and charges on Wei-Lee in an attempt to get near

Kilsorana. The assassin wears six pointed poisoned claws. Wei-Lee rushes

toward him skipping sideways at the last second as poisoned claws

scrape across his gi top leaving black trails of poison. Behind

the assassin now, Wei-Lee's foot snaps out but the assassins back is

no longer there. Wei-Lee upgrades his initial assessment of his

opponents skill.

    Kilsorana completes her spell. She successfully directs the mass of

ordered energies toward the assassin facing Wei-Lee.

    As his opponent spins away, Amud erupts from bushes nearby

and both his scimitars flash, slicing into plate armor beneath

the black robes. The assassin, reacting superbly from Amud's

surprise attack, jumps back toward Wei-Lee, who is closing on him from

behind. Though he was still facing Amud, something in the Black

Cloud's stance alerted Wei-Lee to the danger. As the assassin lands he

rams his elbow, sporting a long and poisoned spike back toward

Wei-Lee's chest. Sarek, formed into a claw, rips at the attacking

elbow and throws the assassin to the ground, hard. Wei-Lee's hand

draws back and once again Sarek strikes, this time the claw rakes

across the man's face, breaking the nose and destroying one eye.

Blood pours from the wound yet the man attempts to roll to his

feet. Something is odd. Smoke begins to pour from beneath the

Black Cloud's robes. Suspecting another trick Wei-Lee pulls away. 

One of Amud's scimitars slices across the assassin's throat. He

crumples. Wei-Lee watches in fascination. Smoke is billowing from the

dead body. Soon it bursts into flame. Several metal objects

appear to be glowing red with heat. 

    Maeve focuses on the man Gunther sits on. Abruptly, the

assassin bucks and almost dislodges Gunther. He twists his right

arm free and tries to drive the poisoned blade into Gunther's

throat. Maeve fires and her arrow embeds itself in the Black

Clouds face. He screams, thrashing violently. Gunther grabs the

arrow and shoves. And then the man ceases to struggle.

    The fight is over as abruptly as it began.

    "Thanks," Wei-Lee says to Amud. He notices that Amud's pants are

dripping water and pieces of ice occasionally fall from his

clothes as he moves. "What happened to you?"

    "It is very cold there inside that trap. Even as I crawled

out I could feel my legs freezing. Fortunately," Amud smiles and

performs a little jig, "as you can see, no permanent damage was

done."

    "Your dance partner was not so lucky." Wei-Lee indicates the flaming

body. "He should have dressed casual." Several small explosions

occur. One of them flips the assassins metal chest plate off of

the corpse. It glows white shimmering with intense heat. Wei-Lee and

Amud, aghast, step back.

    "Is everyone unhurt?" Kilsorana asks.

    Several voices respond affirmatively.

    "Actually, my friend here got a little hot around the collar

when I belted him. You wouldn't happen to know why, would you?"

    "Who, me?" Kilsorana regards Wei-Lee innocently. "Why should I know? Do I

look like a mage or something?"

    Gunther moves back to the hole made by Amud when he fell into

the trap. He pulls the rope up to find that it ends at the edge

of the hole. He examines the smoking stump. "Well, now we know

why we do not want to fall into this trap." He looks at Raec.

"Throw my pack across."

    Raec grabs Gunther’s pack and heaves it over. He collects

Amud's and Wei-Lee's crossbows.

    "Toss them over too." Gunther pulls more rope from his

backpack. "Watch out for more trouble." He warns everyone as ties the

ropes together and throws the coils over to Raec.

    Reac ties the rope firmly to the other tree. Both he and

Maeve cross without mishap. 

    Once again, the group tracks the stag. This time everyone is

on foot. Less than 100 yards from the point where we crossed the

first ward Kilsorana raises her hand. "Raec, you are approaching a ward.

We cannot go further until we figure how to cross it safely."

    (Describe tower here). The group looks toward the keep.  The

stag had brought them to the edge of a ten foot wide path which

led directly to a gate in the wall surrounding the keep. From

the looks of the trees it appeared that at one time, many years

ago the path had been more like a field. For twenty or thirty

yards to either side of the path small pines, none much higher

than twenty feet, grew densely. Out beyond the growth of small

pines was a forest of massive conifers. The demarcation between the

different sized trees formed a line somewhat parallel to the path

which led to the keep. A circular wall that looked to be no more

than twice a man's height, judging by the nearby trees, protected

the keep. Centered within the wall was a wide tower, constructed

cunningly from a dull black stone, which rose to perhaps ten

times the height of the wall. A walkway of indeterminate width

completely encircled the tower roughly three quarters of the way

up to the top. A short, crenellated wall gives some protection to

anyone on the walkway. The nose of a massive ballista peeks out

between two crenels. Behind the ballista, a man in black armor

stands immobile before a wooden door set in the tower wall;

watching, waiting for something.  The wooden door seen above the

walkway seemed to be the only opening in the tower wall.

    "Something is moving over there," Wei-Lee points off to the side.

Without a sound, the white stag steps out from the shadows.

Maeve's dog runs up and the Stag nuzzles it. (Maeve's dog, with

each person who knows of its existence its power decreases

slightly, thus it attempts to remain out of sight at all times).

Everyone stands immobile, transfixed. Carefully the stag

approaches Maeve. It nods at her in greeting/acknowledgment/best

of luck. The stag nods at Raec as it moves past him. It steps

widely around Kilsorana and then bolts back down the path.

    Kalarina realizes that something is different now. Finally it

dawns on her. She has had a feeling inside her since just before

she talked to the old woman and began the long journey which lead

her to this point. Sometimes it was strong, urging her on. Other

times it smoldered like embers in a banked fire. It was

ever present, guiding her footsteps. Since she crossed the first

ward this morning that feeling has been gone.

    It leaves her slightly hollow inside.

    Kilsorana studies the ward before her. "It seems to have been

recently cast. Nicely designed too. Umm, it is powered by a spell

battery located in the tower and has several components." She

studies the spell's construction hoping to determine how it

operates. "I think this spell is triggered by anything that

attempts to pass through the field generated by the ward. From

the nature of the runes involved I would guess that anything

passing through the ward would be the recipient of a bolt of

lightning."

    "How do we get past it?" Gunther asks.

    "I do not know," Kilsorana says reassuringly. "Yet."

    "Great," Maeve says. "Why did we bring you along, you are no

help at all."

    Kilsorana sticks her tongue out at Maeve.

    "Well if you didn't notice it O mighty mage, someone on the

tower is pointing a very nasty looking weapon at us. I

personally think that he doesn't like us. If I'm right, you had

better figure a way to cross, quickly."

    As Kilsorana ponders the newest obstacle Maeve removes Malcom's bow

from her back and proceeds to nock an armor piercing arrow. She

draws her arm back; tension sings in the bowstring. It is an

impossibly long shot.

    Gunther, Wei-Lee and Raec watch her Maeve mild interest.

    And then, the arrow is away, glinting in the sunlight as it

arcs up high above the ground. As it passes over the wall

surrounding the keep it flares orange for a moment. Unaffected,

the arrow pierces the black armored man's left arm, pinning him

to the wooden door. He slumps from view.

    Everyone shouts at the excellent shot and Gunther slaps her

on the back.

    "Good shot Maeve."

    Maeve kneels down placing her bow beside her. "I am going to

see if we can go under this ward." She closes her eyes and begins

to Commune.

    "What are you talking about Kilsorana? I only see one wall."

Kalarina looks puzzled.

    Kilsorana walks up to a point in the path that looks no different

from any other and draws a line in the dirt.  "Just beyond this

line is the ward of which I speak."

    Kalarina picks up a stone and tosses it over the line drawn

by Kilsorana. Less than a foot beyond the mark the stone explodes in a

flash of light. The report rings in everyone's ears.

    Maeve startled asks, "What is happening?" as she scrambles to

her feet.

    "Kalarina threw a rock through the ward to see what would

happen."

    "Oh. Well, the ground here is tainted but the ward ends where

it hits earth. We should be able to tunnel beneath it."

    Gunther pulls a small shovel from his backpack and walks

toward the ward. At the line he begins to dig vigorously.

    "I will cover you," Wei-Lee says. He is not sure from what,

though. "Let me know if you get tired," he adds as sweat begins

to run from beneath Gunther's helm.

    "Look!" Maeve says.

    The man on the tower had regained his feet. Holding his arm

so that all could see he snapped the point off the arrow and

pulled it from his arm. Then tossing the arrow down he raises his

good arm in a rude gesture.

    Maeve annoyed that she did not have the last word, nocked

another arrow. This time it flew wide of its mark, bouncing

harmlessly off the dull black stone high above her antagonist's

head.

    He moves to the ballista.

    "Retreat!" Maeve shouts.

    Everyone drops what they are doing and heads for cover.

    After a moment the man turns away from the ballista and

enters the tower.

    "All clear."

    Gunther resumes digging. The hard-packed earth resists

digging. Cursing, Gunther pulls a pick from his backpack and

loosens the dry clayey soil. "There must be a better way."

    Maeve looks up at the tower. Damn. There he is again.

"Hey..."

    Before she is able to complete her warning the ballista

fires.

    Wei-Lee looks up in time to see the massive wooden bolt hurtling

down at the path. He raises the Houndmaster's thigh-piece in an

attempt to shield Gunther, who is now knee deep in the hole.

    In a brilliant burst of light the ground heaves and Maeve and

Kalarina are thrown to the ground. Wei-Lee, taking the brunt of the

blast on the shield, is hurled through the ward. Fortunately he

is able to extend his gauntleted left hand through the ward

first.

    Another flash and a massive jolt and Wei-Lee flips through the

ward, landing on his feet. His clothing smokes a little and he

feels somewhat fried but otherwise not seriously hurt. He senses

the power recede within the Gauntlet, as if it was recovering

from the massive attack it received. He hoped it would not prove

to be permanent damage.

    Gunther looks out of the hole amazed. "Maeve, are you hurt!"

    Maeve sits up dusting herself off, an impossible task since

chunks of dirt and a fine dust continues to settle out of the

surrounding air. "Only my pride."

    "Wei-Lee, you found a way through the ward!" Kilsorana says jokingly.

    "Sure did. Come on, Kilsorana, it is very easy. Next time he fires

just jump in the way of the bolt. If you plan it right the

ensuing explosion will blast you through the ward. Now if you

survive that you can follow me and attack the keep."

    "He is reloading the ballista," Raec shouts as he runs for

cover.

    At his warning, everyone begins to scatter, but not before

the ground beside the path erupts into the air. Amud, the closest

to the blast, tumbles head over heels before falling limply

several feet from where he had been standing.

    Once again, Maeve is knocked down.

    Kilsorana runs over to the unconscious form of Amud. Blood runs from

his nose and ears. "I have to heal Amud." Quickly she casts.

    Amud sits up. His head feels like it is splitting and he is

somewhat disoriented.

    "How do you feel?"

    "I have been better. This has been a rough week for me."

    "Find some cover, Amud. I think I know how we can get by this

ward."

    Km runs up to Gunther. "Get out of the hole Gunther."

    "What?" He continues to dig frantically.

    "You do not have to dig a hole. I can make one more easily."

Not waiting for him to move she begins to sing.

    Gunther, aware that she is casting, grabs his tools and dives

from the hole.  

    Moments later a large area of the ground begins to bubble

beneath the ward. Steam hisses and waves of heat wash out.

Gunther steps back further, uncomprehending.

    Abruptly, the bubbling soil drops away in a cloud of hot

smoke.  Km stopped singing.

    "What did you do?" Gunther inquires.

    "Lead is denser than soil or stone. I altered the soil

beneath the ward here into lead."

    Steam still rises from the very square, newly made hole.

    "Why didn't you do that before?"

    "I didn't think of it. Besides, before that ballista began to

fire we had no reason to rush."

    Gunther sighs, grabs his backpack and jumps into the hole. He

feels heat seeping from the hard floor through the thick leather

soles of his boots. The lead base of the hole is roughly six feet

below the path, ten feet wide and ten feet long. The rest of the

group jumps into the hole with Gunther.

    "Kilsorana, you will have to look for magical traps for us. Raec,

keep an eye on the tower.  Kalarina, Amud and I will watch for

opposition on the ground. Wei-Lee seems to be unhurt; he is already

out there waiting for us." Gunther studies everyone intently.

    "If I think that the ballista will fire I will yell.

Everybody splits into the woods to either side of the path

staying in their teams." Reac reloads his heavy crossbow.

    "Ready?" Maeve asks when he has completed his task.

    Heads nod.

    "Let's go, then."

    The party climbs from the hole and moves swiftly down the

path.

    There doesn't seem to be anyone manning the ballista right

now."

    "It could be a trick, Raec. Keep sharp." Maeve carries

Democles in her right hand. At her side WindReaver stays

sheathed. Quiescent.

    "Hold it!" Kilsorana is alarmed. "Just before us is a ward of some

sort."

    "Yuo did not see it before?"

    "No. It was hastily erected." Kilsorana studies it using an identify

spell. "Fairly complex. I'm not sure what would happen if someone

tried to walk through this. However, a portal can be opened in

this ward with a magical keying sequence."

    "What do you mean?" Gunther asks, confused.

    "Well, the portal component of this spell accepts a specific

sequence of spell power at varying levels to key its activation."

    "Can you figure it out quickly, or must we tunnel beneath

this ward too?"

    "Give me a minute." Kilsorana sings softly and reaches out with one

hand. Nothing happens. "Go. Right here! I don't know how long it

will remain open."

    The entire group passes through the portal unharmed.

    Three hundred feet from the wall around the keep Wei-Lee detects a

trap in the path. Kilsorana discovers that some sort of very powerful

mind resides within the carefully camouflaged trap.

    The group moves up  the wall. Eerily, the gate creaks open

as we approach.

    "This could be some form of elaborate trap," Kilsorana warns. "I

can't see much here, very powerful magical energies are making

Vision difficult. Like staring into the noon sun."

    The group cautiously moves forward.

    Amud, near the rear of the group emits a groan. Then, without

further warning, draws a scimitar and attacks Raec.

    Wei-Lee realizes that Amud has been possessed. From behind he

grapples

Amud, attempting to subdue him. Amud struggles. Gunther and Raec

help subdue him. 

    Maeve, angered at this attack, draws WindReaver. The great

bastard sword slides from its sheath with a tremendous peal of

thunder.

    "Oleanth, I have come to slay you! Are you afraid? Come out

and face me, I command it!" Maeve saunters forward, alone. A

pillar of confidence, arrogant, WindReaver a driving force,

thrumming with power in her hand; singing a song of death that

could not be ignored.

    "Wait! Maeve! Wait for us." Gunther shouts concerned about

Amud's condition and the danger inherent in dividing the group.

    Wei-Lee and Kilsorana race to keep up with Maeve.

    Maeve feels wards of immense power fall before the sword. And

then she stands at the base of the black tower, facing a massive

ironbound wooden door.

    Air elementals flit about howling, commanded by the arcane

powers of the Sword; unable to leave.

    Maeve touches WindReaver's tip to the door. With a sharp

crack the door splits asunder, shards of wood flying in all

directions. Without hesitation, Maeve strides in.

    Close behind Wei-Lee and Kilsorana race to keep up with Maeve. Above the

sound of the wind Wei-Lee hears an ominous grinding sound. Glancing up

into the alcove just beyond the shattered remains of the wooden

door Wei-Lee spies a large section of the stone ceiling detach and

begin a rapid fall. Hoping that it is not the last decision he ever

makes, Wei-Lee picks up Kilsorana and leaps into the hallway.

    With a terrible sound of finality a large slab of stone slams

into place completely blocking the doorway they passed through,

heartbeats before. 

    Outside Amud breaks free. In the ensuing brief struggle, Raec

and Kalarina are forced to knock him out.

    Gunther pushes against the stone slab, worried. Raec and

Kalarina join him. It doesn't move at all. Disconsolate, he

desperately looks for another way in.

    Raec pulls out his magical mace and steps up before the stone

slab. Holding on with two hands he strikes the barrier a mighty

blow. The mace rings from the impact, shards of stone fly away

and a series of minute cracks radiate away from the chipped area.

As he winds up for another devastating strike a bolt of lightning

strikes him from behind shattering the crossbow on his back. Raec

staggers back, surprised but unhurt.

    "How do you feel?" Gunther eyes the shattered crossbow. "I

think you were lucky."

    "I am o.k." Raec, more cautiously this time, begins rain

powerful two-handed blows against the stone. 

    Meanwhile, Maeve, Kilsorana and lastly, Wei-Lee run down a series of

steps carved out from the stone foundation beneath the tower. At

the first landing another slab slams down from above. Wei-Lee leaps

back, narrowly avoiding being crushed.

    Pitch.

    Wei-Lee runs his hands along the impenetrable barrier before him.

Darkness and silence descend upon him like a blanket. Dust in the

damp cool air tickles his nose. He squats down feeling at the

base of the slab. The seam is perfect. Not the smallest crack to

slip fingers beneath. Wei-Lee stands, wondering what to do.

    Wham! Automatically, Wei-Lee closes his mind as a powerful mind

enfolds his. He feels increasing pressure against his hastily

erected defenses.

    "Judge, why do you resist me? I wish merely to explain my

side of this argument. Is it not true that you are to be an

impartial participant in pursuing your duties as Judge? Yet you

have not considered what I might have to say. What have I done

that brings us together with such enmity?"

    Wei-Lee recoils from the voice within his mind.  Possession?

Never! He redoubles his efforts to seal his mind.

    While Oleanth speaks within Wei-Lee's inner ear, he attempts a

more subtle mental attack. Not a direct assault on the strong,

well shielded mind. Rather, a fine mental probe, delicately

winding its way through the multiple layers of the cleverly

constructed shield. Oleanth, after all, was a master of

possession. All he needed was time. In time Wei-Lee could become a

powerful servant.  As it turned out he would have plenty of

time...

    Wei-Lee noticed that Oleanth had paused, as if sensing that

his words had no effect. Perhaps loath to relinquish such a

potentially useful individual Oleanth tried a different tack.

Still Wei-Lee was surprised by Oleanth's next words.                         

     "Ah, I see. How cleverly you have fooled everyone. You are

not what you seem..." Oleanth's voice became conspiratorial. "Do

you not know how powerful you could become with my aid?  What can

the Judges offer you that I could not provide tenfold?  Or Thor!

That buffoon. Please realize that the Gauntlet you sport is but a

childs toy compared to the weapons I have at my disposal.

Shall I remind you that WindReaver was mine before it was given

unto Maeve Sunshard's hands by that bastard son Sir Riva

Amadaeus Kay. I will predict this to you now Wei-lee, it shall

again be in my possession when this day is finished."

    Wei-Lee ignored Oleanth's babbling. Oleanth knew not what he

desired; what he sought. Wei-Lee laughed to himself. How could he? Wei-Lee

did not really know himself.

    Oleanth perhaps somehow sensed Wei-Lee's laughter. "So, you mock

me. Laugh in the face of death; for that is what you face..."

    Wei-Lee senses a little disappointment in Oleanth's thoughts.

Good. But where was Kilsorana and Maeve? Were they in some danger now?

Wl realized how cleverly Oleanth had separated the group.

Something didn't make sense about this whole thing. If only he

had more time to think.

    "You will regret not accepting my gracious offer to you. Do

not forget that I have your friends at this moment.  If you

would only let me show you the future you would realize that you

cannot help them..."

    And then the stone slab before Wei-Lee dissolved into a heap of

sand. A thin, silvery scaled arm snaked forward catching the

fleecy material of Wei-Lee's sweater. "Come on, Wei-Lee. Maeve will not

stop for anything. What are you waiting for?"

    Oleanth's hold broken, Wei-Lee followed Kilsorana wordlessly down the

stairs two at a time. After several minutes they reach Maeve

standing beneath an archway leading into a vast chamber.

They look around speechlessly. The walls of the dome curve inward

at either side of the arch, lit dimly by a faint green light. The

far side of the chamber is lost in gloom. At the center of the

chamber rises a massive set of stairs carved into the face of a

pyramid-shaped monolith. Set on a flat area atop the pyramid was

what appeared to be a large dish holding a glowing object. The

only light within the chamber seemed to emanate from that emerald

glowing object within the dish.

    "That is it. Oleanth!"  Maeve holds WindReaver out before

her, pointed up at the strangely glowing dish.

    Km studies the glowing object, confused. It looks to her

like a fancy spell battery sitting atop a smooth sided mirrored

pyramid with the upper six feet removed to provide a flat

surface. She watches as Maeve runs toward the glassy slopes and

somehow begins to run to the top.

    "What is wrong, Kilsorana? Let's go!"

    "How can we climb that? It is perfectly smooth!"

    "What? Look I'll carry you." Without hesitation, Wei-Lee picks her

up and begins to run up the slick looking mirrored slope. From

this vantage it appears to her as if his feet are sinking into

the face of the pyramid a little with each step. Odd. She watches

her reflection stare at her and wonders why she has to use such

an embarrassing mode of travel when her friends seem to have no

difficulty whatsoever. It just was not fair! Who was the powerful

mage here anyway?

    Back outside the tower Raec, Gunther and Kalarina continue to

struggle with the slab. Now it is shattered but the pieces are

wedged together, just as effectively blocking entrance. Kalarina

pries at a the stones with her dagger. Small pieces come loose;

then larger ones. Without warning the slab crumbles before her.

Leaving Amud behind they charge down the dark stairs; hoping that

they would not be too late. At the first landing Kalarina slips

on something and nearly falls.

    "Watch out! The stairs are covered with dirt here."

    Gunther and Raec follow Kalarina carefully. After winding

their way down several flights of stairs in almost total darkness

they abruptly find themselves passing through an arch into a

great chamber.

    Before them they see a mirrored pyramid rising perhaps ten

times the height of a man above the smooth stone floor of the

chamber. Halfway up the unusual surface Wei-Lee runs, somehow clinging

to the glassy surface. Kilsorana, who seems to be casting, rides on his

back. Ahead of them Maeve races for the top brandishing

WindReaver as if expecting armed resistance at any moment.

     

 

    ahhh what the fuck...

        go to young Wei-Lee

 

 

 

    It is a nice day. The sky is a perfect, clear bright blue

without a single cloud to mar ifs perfect beauty. The air is

completely still. There are pine trees rising all about us.

Near the main entrance approach the pines are rather short,

perhaps 10 to 20 feet and increase in height farther away

from the path until the trees are towering 100' high. Before

us is a stone wall that encircles a huge tower which is

currently collapsing behind us. A slain body lays before the

main entry gate. To the right a large stone brick building, a

barracks collapses as well as the ground shaves and heaves

violently. Currently, we find ourselves running out of the

front gate of Oleanth's keep. The sound of collapsing stone

and shattering wood behind us. The earth occasionally

shudders under our feet and a great cloud of smoke and dust

rises into the air obscuring the sky. Great cracks open up

the earth around us. Leading from the gate is a clearly

marked path leading between the young pines which dot the

grassy areas on either side of the path.

 

    (maeve had been healed with 100 points of power previously by

Kilsorana, what wound? See notes.) Wei-Lee carries Kilsorana. Wei-Lee is somewhat bruised

and battered but nothing too serious. Amud is hurt (htk) from

pummeling to the ground when he was possessed, Raec has a small

wound (3htk).  Maeve wears Hagul's helm. She draws Democles

(Alex what does it look like?), the sword given to her by Kay

since she cannot use WindReaver subtly. The accompanying

pyrotechnics are at best annoying. Kalarina warns us to look out

for the animal pit as she bounds ahead to take the lead. Then

Amud (breathing very heavily), Raec, Gunther stays together with

Maeve, Wei-Lee carries Kilsorana on his back out the gate, they are last out.

    While Wei-Lee carries Kilsorana she casts a detect mind spell, just

before her she sees a fairly powerful, fairly disciplined,

tightly defined mind, before him is an even more powerful mind,

Maeve's, next to her is a very carefully organized shield,

shielding a mind(Gunther), Amud ahead of him his frayed aura

streaming everywhere, pulsating as if damaged somehow from the

disastrous effects of the mental attack by Oleanth. Raec mind is

a blob and so is Kalarina's, much farther ahead is an alien

life force (in the pit). She senses extremely powerful minds

leaving, the gods, behind us, yes, traces of Oleanth's mind,

still very powerful but the barest fraction of what she saw

minutes ago. She also detects human minds, maybe three or five

dozen, behind us. KERASSSH! A huge section of the tower falls.

Kalarina picks up several stones.

    "There is an undead presence in the pit!" Kilsorana shouts. "She

adds a moment later "and several dozen humans behind us inside

the keep!" Wei-Lee keeps running. He figures that he can move much

faster with her on his back than she can on her awkwardly jointed

legs. A little exhaustion is a small price to pay to ensure her

safety. The tower disappears in a huge plume of dust and smoke.

We pass through the gate.

    Kalarina spots the stone markers. "There is the hole!"  We

reach the first invisible ward after several moments of running

headlong down the well maintained path.  Kalarina throws a stone

ahead of her. Ka Boom! The stone vanishes in a flash of light and

puff of smoke half way across the artificial hole made by Kilsorana when

she changed a large volume of soil to lead.

    Wei-Lee stops, Kilsorana still on his back, and looks back. He studies

their handiwork. Something is odd. The action seems to be

stopped, the clouds of dust just hang there, hunks of stone hang

motionless in the air, not moving at all. Then things move

normally again. Wei-Lee shakes his head wondering if Oleanth had

gotten to him somehow. He stands there a little worried and

somewhat perplexed, facing the cloud of dust which now flows over

the wall like a living entity. Kalarina, Gunther, Amud and Raec

all jump in the hole and scramble up on the other side.

    "Wei-lee," Maeve shouts. "Come on!"

    "Wei-lee, what are you looking at?" Kilsorana shouts in his ear.

    Wei-lee is not sure if he saw anything.  Concentrating, he

does not answer. He thinks back to the trap in the dark

stairwell. Something very important had happened there. What? Had

Oleanth somehow tipped his hand? What was it that he had said?

Damn, he had been working so hard to keep Oleanth out, he could

not remember; he was certain that it was extremely important that

he remember. Why? It flitted frustratingly just at the edge of

his grasp. Think. Oleanth had mentioned Kay. Yes, and Thor! No

that was not it. Something else...

    Everyone is confused. Amud looks dazed. He stands there

blinking, looking back at the cloud of dust now obscuring

everything.

    Raec looks back, there is the tower. No, what is he thinking.

It is gone. Look at the cloud of dust. But he is certain that the

tower is there, behind all the smoke and dust, images of stones

falling. He sees indistinctly a man standing on the tower near

the ballista, watching the group. "The tower is still there, I

see a man watching us!"

    Everyone studies the keep now in indecision, breathing

heavily from the headlong flight. Kilsorana enters a trance. She

attempts to study the keep magically. She meets some very strong

resistance. More power, a different spell. Suddenly, things begin

to unravel about her in her mind's eye as she probes with more

determination. All about her are silver strands of power linking

the ground and the air in a dense web. The power is so dense near

the keep that it practically obscures objects of the physical

world. The power is centralized about the tower. Some immense

spell of enormous scope is at work here, she is certain of it

now. Some object, completely obscured by silver webs of energy

lies nearly 100 yards away from us up the path. Kilsorana

recognizes this as an illusion spell of unimaginable power. It is

several magnitudes more powerful than the spell used to possess

the entire herd of deer during Oleanth's mysterious attempt on

their lives so long ago. She is awestruck.

    Raec is quite certain now that the dust and smoke is fake.

Bomeone may have thrown a lot of dirt and stone in the air but

the tower still stands. Raec speaks to Kalarina in Phelosian. She

can see the tower as well.

    "What are you doing?" Maeve asks in an exasperated tone.

    "Wei-Lee, get me to safety on the other side of this ward. We

must decide what to do." Kilsorana says softly.

    Raec says resignedly, "We have to do it again."

    "What do you mean, do it again?" Maeve states anger rising in

her voice. "We don't have WindReaver."

    "No listen," KN says reassuringly, "It may just be part of

his magic. It does not mean that he in not dead."

    "Wait a minute. Why would he do this. It seems to me that he

might have spread himself out so that it looked to Kilsorana that he had

been defeated.  Is it possible that this is some exceedingly

elaborate spell designed to fool everyone into leaving him

alive?"

    Raec sees two men step up by the loaded ballista.  He also

sees six men crouched low, moving very rapidly down the path out

of the gate. They are carrying a short stretcher between them.

They run as fast as they can past the body at the gate. Raec

describes what he sees. Maeve is exasperated. She sees nothing

but a massive cloud of dust. Maeve kneels down and begins to

commune with nature. Wei-Lee is also somewhat confused. Afraid that

he is somehow being manipulated he carefully constructs a shield

about his mind.

    "Put me down."

    Wei-Lee drops Kilsorana.

    "You all realize that we are still in ballista range, I

hope?" Kilsorana asks sarcastically.

    "We can use this convenient hole as shelter if they begin to

fire again." Wei-Lee points out.

    "Me look ballista, say 'jump' if they fire." Raec adds.

    "Let us get out of here." Kilsorana urges the group. "It could be

some sort of retaliatory trap designer to activate upon Oleanth's

demise."

    Maeve, oblivious to the discussion remains kneeling serenely

in total concentration.

    "Go back to tower." Raec states flatly.

    "No. That is stupid. There are between 40 and 60 men in the

keep."

    Gunther, quiet asks, "Well what are we going to do?"

    Raec says, "We must go back." He sounds adamant.

    "Why?"

    Raec ignores Kilsorana's question, staring a distance up the path.

"The men stop. They look at ground, but me see nothing there,

what men want?" He tries to make sense of what he sees.

    Kilsorana watches also. Her perceptions of magic allow her to see a

little more. The six men halted perhaps 50 yards from the group

and placed the unusual stretcher on the ground next to the object

bound tightly in a mesh of silver webbing. They grab at the

silver webbed object and it rises about three feet above the

ground. She sees more clearly that huge amounts of power are

contained there. She also sees something else. It is WindReaver

lying on the stretcher. "The sword," she gasps.

    "The sword..." Raec echoes.

    "Get those men..."

    "They have got the sword?"

    "Yes, who can go after them!" Kilsorana asks with an edge of panic.

"If that truly is WindReaver then perhaps Oleanth was not

destroyed after all."

    Both Raec and Kalarina jump into the pit and begin scrambling

up the opposite side.

    "Watch the ballista," Wei-Lee cautions them. "We can not cover you

at all from this range."

    "Go, oh just go!"

    Maeve continues to commune with nature. Suddenly, in a rush

she feels her consciousness expand. She is one with the earth,

the grass and the trees. She recoils with distaste as her mind

senses corruption beneath the tower. She senses an immense amount

of power concentrated there. She senses a hurt mind.

    Pain.

    Something is very hurt beneath the tower. "Oleanth is not

dead." Her voice is soft and leaden as if she speaks from beneath

several layers of heavy blankets. Gunther regards her with

surprise and new concern. She senses a mind powering unknown

spells of great power. She knows nothing of magic save to

recognize it as such. She senses the corruption of the earth but

now it is noticeably weaker. "He is hurt but still very powerful.

Energy is leaking from the tower now." Maeve searches in vain for

WindReaver. She is familiar with the "feel" of the sword. It is

not there.

    Raec and Kalarina race toward the men after they clear the

hole. Raec pulls a set of bolos from his belt and whirls it over

his head as he runs. Kalarina already has a dagger in hand and

faster than Raec, rapidly begins pulling ahead.

    Maeve opens her eyes. She sees six men carefully lifting the

sword on the stretcher. Maeve calls out to it with her mind.

"WindReaver. WindReaver, heed my call. Oleanth yet lives and

seeks our destruction." The sword weakly reaches out to her.

    Two of the men peel off from the stretcher and pull crossbows

from holsters strapped to their backs. Kalarina cannot see the

men clearly  enough to make out just what they are doing. Raec,

seeing Kalarina running at the men heedless of the danger shouts

in Phelosian, "Two have crossbows!" Kalarina immediately begins

to dodge evasively and heads for the cover provided by the small

pines growing beside the path. Just before the blurry figures are

obscured by the small trees she throws her dagger at one of them.

She hears the twanging of the strings as both crossbows fire.

Neither bolt hits her.

    Maeve looks at Gunther. "We must cross the ward. WindReaver is

calling me." They jump into the hole near Wei-Lee and Kilsorana and scrabble

up the other side. As Maeve and Gunther clamber from the hole she

senses WindReaver more strongly. "WindReaver!"

    Like a bolt of lightning the sword hurtles off the stretcher

directly at Raec. He drops to the ground, feeling the slight

breeze of the swords rocketing passage.  Raec, able to see

everything clearly looks up. His heart nearly jumps out of his

chest at what he sees. The men on the tower have already cocked

the ballista and have it pointed  down the path at them.

    "The ballista..." is all he is able to shout

    As Maeve and Gunther clamber from the hole two things happen

in rapid succession. WindReaver streaks into Maeve’s open right

hand with an explosive clap of thunder and the ballista fires.

Ka-boom. Grass, dirt and a small tree erupt into the air between

Raec and the hole beneath the ward. Maeve is knocked to to the

ground. Gunther is blown back into the hole, narrowly missing Kilsorana.

He lands heavily, his face bleeding from several cuts. Raec, on

the ground to avoid WindReaver feels a searing heat on the

exposed areas of his skin. The hair is burnt off the back of his

head and his arms and hands are blistered badly.

    The two men holding the crossbows were facing the explosion

and thus took the brunt of the blast. They are thrown backwards

toward the tower and thrash about screaming in agony. Small

stones and clods of dirt rain over everyone. Fine dust glitters

in the clear cool air. Raec's blistered skin pulls painfully and

his ears ring incessantly from the concussive blast.

    Gunther, Wei-Lee and Kilsorana climb from the hole and dash forward up the

path. Wei-Lee counts off time in his head. At a predetermined time

they will veer off the ten foot wide path into the woods to avoid

the ballista's next shot.

    Raec rolls smoothly to his feet watching the ballista with a

renewed healthy respect. One man stands on either side of the

weapon turning a crank. Each crank seems to alter the angle of

the ballista in some fashion. At the rear of the ballista a man

looks through a device and shouts directions to the men

feverishly cranking. He pulls a large handle back and there is

an audible double clacking noise and the ballista is cocked. Reac

runs into the woods. He is not anxious to test the effects of

that ballista bolt a second time.

    Kalarina finds herself amongst trees. The needle covered

branches obscure everything. She catches glimpses of the tower

ahead of her now and then.

    Kilsorana and Wei-Lee dash into the cover of the pines. Wei-Lee is very

concerned about the ballista. He was quite aware what they could

do with it. He decided to try to give the enemy something to

think about.

    Under the cover of the pines, Wei-Lee stops and cocks a crossbow.

Wei-Lee drops to one knee and focuses the sights on the man at the

rear of the ballista who seems to be the most important. Twang!

The bolt arcs away, up higher and higher, seemingly in slow

motion. As it passes over the wall surrounding the tower it glows

orange and orange sparks fly from it. The bolt penetrates the

powerful ward surrounding the tower with a hissing sound.

    Thunk!

    The man jerks violently with a crossbow bolt protruding from

his side. Wisps of smoke rise from the superheated bolt. The man

dances desperately trying to pull the hot bolt from his side and

burning his hands. The other two men manning the ballista

suddenly become more wary. Wei-Lee begins loading his crossbow again

as fast as he can.

    Kilsorana looks around magically. She sees that the huge invocation

spell is beginning to unravel a little. Energy is beginning to

disperse. Still she marvels at the intricacy of this enormous

spell. The power concentrations form a shape similar to that of

a tree. Beneath the tower she detects a massive web of power

roughly spherical shaped. From this sphere power contours itself

roughly to the cylindrical shape of the tower. At the highest

point of the tower,  silver strands of power radiate outward like

the foliage of a great tree. Surrounding the tower itself, is a

yellow corona which she recognizes as some sort of warding. 

    She detects no new spells being cast nor any power being

drawn in. Raw magical energies, perceived as a red streak, bleeds

slowly from the tower. She surmises that some massive spell

battery was cracked with the activation of the immense illusion

spell.

    Maeve and Gunther move forward at a run. To Maeve the tower

looks like a mirage, wavery and indistinct, as if seen through

shimmering waves of heat. Already Gunther looks fully recovered

from the effects of the blast. He pulls his bow from his back as

he runs. Maeve surmises that the sword protected her in some way

from the effects of that magical explosion. WindReaver howls in

her mind for blood. But in the heat of the moment Maeve does not

notice that the sword is extremely subdued, no wind, no clouds

and no thunderclaps.  It is not vibrating in her hand, either,

though it communicates with her on a level more basic than

speech. It cries, cajoles, yearns to slay Oleanth. It is a raw

driving force. Maeve is convinced that Oleanth yet exists.

    Kalarina leaves the safety of the pines just ahead of the men

carrying the stretcher. Realizing that they have failed to

retrieve the sword they throw the stretcher down, draw swords and

face back down the path preparing to defend themselves and slow

the advance of the attackers.

    Kalarina has a perfect opportunity to attack from behind.

From a dead run she leaps into the air and her foot snaps into

the hardened leather armor on the back of a man nearest her.

Something gives way under the impact with a crack. Her foot

stings painfully but the man, taken completely by surprise, falls

to the ground screaming. Another blur turns quickly to face her,

sword held ready.

    Seeing some potential opposition, Maeve shouts a battle cry

and redoubles her effort to move swiftly through the woods

along the path. She begins to outdistance Gunther.

    "Maeve, where are you going?"

    "Heading for the gate!"

    "No, wait! We have to have a plan." Gunther attempts to

convince her, breathing heavily.

    "Plans don't work for us."

    "We have to rejoin the others, Maeve."

    "Where are they?"

    "I don't know! But we cannot take on the entire keep

ourselves!" Gunther, bow useless in the coming melee tosses it

away and tries to decide on how to fight the men ahead.

    "Wei-lee," Maeve shouts. "Where are you?"

    Kilsorana hears Maeve’s shout from somewhere behind. "Maeve!"

    she answers in a high pitched voice.

    Maeve angles off in the direction of Kilsorana's voice.

    Meanwhile Raec runs out of the woods to throw a bolo at the

men in the path. He looks at ballista and realizes it could fire

any minute. The ballista operators did not seem overly concerned

with the welfare of their own men. He spots Kalarina out in the

open engaged in battling a man with a sword. "Kalarina, the

ballista!" Raec shouts in Phelosian. Kalarina, distracted, is cut

across her chest, through her armor by the swordsman facing her.

He grins, thinking he will soon dispatch this young and easy

opponent. Raec seeing this throws his bolos at her opponent. His

legs are bound tightly and he drops to his knees, somehow

maintaining his balance.

    Maeve closes with one of the stretcher bearers partially

dodging his quick strike. Her armor prevents excessive damage.

WindReaver whispers through the air, point describing a vertical

circle starting above her shoulder, around behind her back, by

her right foot and up between the man's legs. The sword,

unstoppable, cleaves through the hard leather armor, from groin

to sternum. With a swift motion, Maeve jerks WindReaver free from

the grisly form.  Her abdomen smarts from her attacker's

ineffective thrust. Suddenly, she is almost knocked over from a

sword strike from behind. Bruised and slightly stunned Maeve

turns to see Gunther jump at her most recent antagonist, a

wicked looking dirk in hand. They grapple, neither able to get

the advantage. Gunther, in a show of strength, throws the man to

the side and rolls on top. His dirk moving slowly toward the

man's throat. Suddenly, the struggle is over. Gunther rises and

they begin running again. 

    Kilsorana and Wei-Lee catch up to Kalarina and all three of them run

foward. The pines whip at their faces.

    Raec hears running behind him. He turns, prepared to defend

himself. Wei-Lee, Kilsorana and Kalarina push through the pines after him.

They notice that Raec is limping and looks somewhat toasted.

Whisps of smoke still curl from his blackened leather buckskins.

He motions them onward. They run past him. Kalarina moves toward

the path to look for Maeve and Gunther.


(not yet do wl & Kilsorana reach wall)

 

    Kilsorana and Wei-Lee reach the 10' high wall surrounding the tower. Kilsorana

spots about twenty life forces moving out from the gate. Some of

them are not moving. Preparing to fire crossbows? Suddenly it

makes sense. "Kalarina, you are about to be shot!"

    Wei-Lee prepares his crossbow. Closer now, he has a much better

chance to hit one of the men manning the ballista. He will have

to move away from the protection of the wall to do so, however.

    Maeve runs out of the woods across the path. The gate,

obscured by a large number of armed men charging out, is to her

right. She notes that there is at least a score of men armed with

steel longswords and dressed in black, studded leather armor.

    "Would you people get over here?" Maeve yells at Amud and

Raec, both who are moving rather slowly a little farther down the

path. Maeve stops in the middle of the path in a defensive

position.

    Gunther charges at her from the side and grabs her arm. "Keep

running! The ballista!"

    She is nearly jerked from her feet by his grasp. But she

maintains her position. Gunther's momentum is lost. He stands

beside her shouting in her ear, "RUN!"  He pulls at her

desperately. 

    Maeve, realizing the foolishness of her action runs off the

path without comment.

    Gunther, now facing a score of heavily armed men without a

weapon in hand curses, and dives for the protection of the pines.

    Several crossbows fire. One bolt scrapes across his leg at

calf height. He gets up and runs. Another sinks into his back

pack.

    Thunk! A bolt embeds itself in his leg. He stumbles. A

searing pain in his lower back takes his breath away. Then he is

in the brush.

    "Are you coming Gunther?" Maeve shouts somewhere ahead.

    "Arrrg, yes," Gunther, in great pain limps after her voice.

He reaches Maeve standing there waiting for him. "I am all right!

Damn it, run!" As he passes her again he shouts, "Come on, run!"

    Reac runs along the edge of the path hoping to rejoin with

the rest of the party.

    Suddenly a man appears before Gunther, sword swinging in a

horizontal slice meant to remove Gunther's head. Gunther thinks,

'Be real, I do not have time for this.' Gunther ducks under the

swing and guts his opponent with a dirk.  The man, quite

surprised, clutches his entrails desperately and watches

Gunther's back as he dissapears amongst the pines. Maeve is

somewhere ahead of him now.

    KA-BOOM! Maeve is blown off her feet by the blast.  She falls

to the ground heavily. Suddenly an overwhelming urge to shift

forms comes upon her. She lays there, breathing heavily,

resisting the urge with every ounce of will she can muster.

    "Maeve! Gunther shouts, concern obvious in his voice.

"Maeve."

    "What," Maeve responds, sounding annoyed. "I'm busy."

    Gunther grabs her and pulls her under cover. "What is wrong?

Come on. Are you hurt?"

    "No! I'm alright now." Maeve gets up, glad to be holding

WindReaver.  Somewhere behind them they hear Amud's

characteristic shout, "Ah-HA!" and the sound of swords clashing.

    Kalarina runs back to Wei-Lee and Kilsorana. "They come, Gunther and

Maeve." She points to the top of the wall. "Me look."

    "Move that way a little, just in case they know we are hiding

here," Wei-Lee directs her. She jogs fifty feet along the wall in a

direction away from the gate. In a smooth motion she leaps

ten feet straight up, and perches on the top of the wall. What she

sees this time shocks her.  On the other side of the wall the

ground is twenty feet below her. From the tower, like the spokes  

of a wheel, eight bridges radiate out to meet gates in the

circular wall which lead to paths like the one they just used to

reach the keep. Where each bridge meets the tower a single door

penetrates the thick stone. On each of the bridges stand twenty

men. On the upper section of the tower a ballista is set up. Two

men turn cranks desperately attempting to aim at a point

somewhere just before the gate. Another ballista is being wheeled

into place near the first by four men. She guesses that it will

be in place within minutes. On the bridge nearest to her are

several men who now have crossbows aimed at her.

    As she turns to jump down from her precarious vantage,

Kalarina sees Maeve being helped from the ground by Gunther, who

has a crossbow bolt sticking out of his leg. She also sees Amud

Engaging ten men by himself. His scimitars are a silvery blur as

he deflects the attacks of the men surrounding him. 

    From a distance away they hear the sounds of sttl on steel

and crossbows firing. Several people are yelling all at once.

    Raec runs up he sees Wei-Lee preparing a crossbow. "Wait, I shoot

too." He pulls up his heavy crossbow and loads it with a nasty

looking crossbow bolt that is thick as Wei-Lee's thumb and has a razor

sharp barbed point.

    "Where the hell did you get that? Wei-Lee asks incredulously.

    Raec smiles happily, the war paint giving him an oddly evil

look. "The fletchmaster at the Monastery. It might hurt a little

more."

    Wei-Lee looks at his puny weapon and wonders why he bothers to

shoot at all.

    "When I say now we both move out from the wall. Shoot at the

man to the rear of the ballista."

    "Ready." Raec states simply after a few moments.

    Wei-Lee clasps Trevon's collar around his waist. He looks at Raec

and nods. "Three. Two. One. NOW!" Wei-Lee leaps out away from the

wall, turns and kneels. 

    Raec, just behind him, kneels and sights along his heavy

crossbow.

    "Now!" Wei-Lee says. Both crossbows buck slightly as the missiles

are launched upwards at an oblique angle from the ground. Again

both glow orange and spit sparks as they hit the ward. Raec's

bolt is deflected slightly but reaches its target first.

    "ARRG!"  The team leader is thrown back as a red hot broom

handle magically appears from his side. He does not have time to

consider his predicament before Wei-Lee's bolt blows through his right

temple and his head comes apart with a splash of blood. The crank

man to his left, splattered with blood and brains, stops cranking

and stands there screaming trying to wipe himself and staring in

horror at the corpse beside him. The other crankman dives for

cover. Raec and Wei-Lee dive for the wall and congratulate themselves

for their excellent shots.

    "Maybe that will slow them down a little."

   

    "Can you get us through this wall?" Maeve asks Kilsorana. "We must

get Oleanth before he has a chance to recover."

    "Not without hurting myself," Kilsorana doubtfully replies.

    "Hmm. How about over. Can you get us over the wall somehow?"

    Kilsorana considers. "Yes. I could cast a ladder using the web

spell. But anyone reaching the top would be completely exposed to

crossbow fire. And only one at a time could climb over. It

sounds a little suicidal." 

    "But you can do it?" Maeve wants to get at Oleanth so

desperately she is willing to ignore the dangers. Maeve looks at

the smooth wall surface which afforded neither hand nor foot

holds. The massive blocks were hewn so cunningly that no mortar

was required to hold them together.

    "Maeve, help me." Gunther points at the crossbow bolt in his

leg. He lays on his side near the base of the wall.  Maeve holds

the leg. Wei-Lee grasps the bolt. "Sorry Gunther."

    "Go on, I know you don't mean it."

    Wei-Lee swiftly jerks the bolt from Gunther's leg.

    "Arrg!" Gunther stiffens and sweat breaks out on his brow.

"Hurry, pull out the other one," Gunther manages to say through

clenched teeth.

    Wei-Lee grabs the bolt protruding from his lower back.

    This time Gunther only groans but the pain is obviously much

worse. After a moment Gunther whispers, "Thanks, now these can

heal. This ring has saved my life several times now but I must

endure the pain of a thousand deaths because of it." He manages a

weak smile. Already he looks better.

    The sounds of battle outside of the gate intensified. 

Kalarina, not being able to assist here runs off toward the

sounds of fighting.

    Kilsorana looks at Wei-Lee and Gunther. "You had better help Amud."

    "Give him time." Maeve says, worried.

    "No time, no time. Come on Wei-Lee, Amud is in need of our help."

    "Are you sure you will not need assistance?" Wei-Lee asks Kilsorana

skeptically. "There are hundreds of armed men anxiously waiting

for you inside."

    "Go, we will be alright. It is better this way."

    "Oh, shit," Gunther says as he stands painfully.

    "Here," Maeve says, "take this. I think you will need it."

She hands Gunther Democles.

    He takes it and makes a few practice swings. "Thanks, this

feels good." It is probably the most emotion either has ever

shown the other.

    "Be careful." Maeve cautions Gunther nudging the bloody

crossbow bolts with her toe. "Don't make this a habit."

 

    Kalarina comes out of the pines. There before her is a most

frightening scene. Amud, surrounded by five swordsmen, is sodden

with his own blood. His swords weave intricate patterns for

defense.  He has a crossbow bolt in his leg and one in his

shoulder. Three other men, a short distance away, frantically

crank their crossbows in an effort to aid their comrades. Two men

lay at Amud’s feet, obviously no longer in any condition to fight.

    A little farther down the path Kalarina glimpses ten more men

circling around in attempt to flank the position held by Maeve

and Kilsorana at the wall.

    "Amud!" Kalarina screams to draw attention. Amud does not

seem to notice. But several other men do. Two of the men lift

crossbows and point at her. 

    "I need help! Amud is dying!" Kalarina shouts, hoping that

someone will be able to help. She drops to one knee and throws a

dagger at one of the men looking at her. The dagger slices across

his cheek beneath his right eye. He flinches and pulls back,

"Aaaah!" She has only one more throwing dagger and a fighting

dirk. Without hesitation she throws the dagger at the red target

made by the blood beneath his eye. This time the crossbownan is

not so fortunate. His head, jerked back by the momentum of the

dagger, becomes a bizarre sheath for the throwing dagger.

    Suddenly, Gunther runs past Kalarina shouting, "Brightblade!"

Democles waving menacingly over his head, he charges into the

melee. Democles, almost of its own will, cleaves into the head

of one of the swordsman. Without pause Gunther slams into another

swordsman, attempting to knock him off his feet. The man is

knocked back but remains standing and parries Democles as the

sword chops at him obliquely.

    Raec hearing Kalarina's call for help runs to her aid. He

pulls a small bolo from his belt. As he moves into a less dense

area he picks a target, whirling the bolos over his head. In his

concentration he runs headlong into a tree and falls to the

ground. The bolo tangles in the branches of the tree.

    Wei-Lee dashes out onto the path. He sees Gunther chop down one of

the men facing Amud. He sees Kalarina, holding a fighting dirk,

facing a swordsman. Two men kneel on one knee looking for a

clear shot at either Kalarina, Gunther or the horribly wounded

Amud.

    The men they face are wearing black heavy studded leather

armor. The studs look slivery in the bright sunlight. THe tunic

hangs just below their hips. They have heavy armor on their arms

and legs. Their head protection consists of a steel cap with

leather beneath hanging down the back of their head and wrapped

about their necks. They all carry medium crossbows on their backs

and have longswords and dirks. They seem to fight well together.

    Wei-Lee runs up to one of the  men holding a crossbow. The man

turns to Wei-Lee pointing the crossbow at his chest. Wei-Lee suddenly knows

the timing will be extremely critical. His left arm lashes

outward, Sarek gleaming dully in the bright light. Crack! The

crossbow is shattered by the impact of that terrible gauntlet and

ripped from the startled man's hands. As Wei-Lee completes this action

he sees Amud drop to one knee out of the corner of his eye.

Amud's left arm hangs limply at his side.

    With cold efficiency Wei-Lee turns back to his opponent. The man

begins to back away and draw his longsword. Something in Wei-

lee's look seemed to frighten him.

 

    Back at the wall neither Maeve nor Kilsorana are aware of the

impending danger. Maeve kneels at the base of the wall. "Kilsorana,

watch out. I will find a better way in to this cursed place." She

begins to commune with nature. Her mind empties and once again a

serene bliss comes over her. All will happen in good time. Why

rush. She fights the desire to relax and slow her efforts. That

is the way of nature. One that she can hardly afford to

experience at this moment. She reaches down. Power blossoms from

the region of her chest. Perhaps the leaf? Maybe the nut? It does

not matter. She feels power run down her arm and through her

hand.

    She is linked to the earth.

    No matter how often she does this she never looses the thrill

of that initial contact. Maeve searches about.  She senses eight

tunnels radiating away from a cavity beneath the tower. One of

them runs just beneath them. "There is a tunnel ten to fifteen

feet beneath us." She can find no nature power in the tunnel. It

feels slightly unnatural. She shivers involuntarily. WindReaver

wants to go through the wall. She lifts her hand breaking

contact.

    Reality.

 

    Kalarina lunges toward her opponent, neatly avoiding his

thrust. Unfortunately, the angle is all wrong and she nearly

looses her dirk. Pressed up tightly against the man's armor she

fumbles desperately trying not to drop her only weapon. The

swordsman attempts to pull away for a clear strike, but Kalarina

stays close. Straightening his left arm the man thrusts her from

him and swings wildly with his longsword. Kalarina, dirk solidly

in her grasp again, dances back almost far enough. The tip of his

sword cuts through her leather tunic and leaves a long but

shallow slice across her abdomen. With his other hand he whips

out a dagger and moves forward.

    By this time Raec has regained his feet and his bolo and

notices much movement in the woods off to his right. Deciding

that Maeve and Kilsorana may be in great danger he moves off

stealthily to intercept the flanking group. Knowing that bolos

will be useless here he draws two maces instead. As he closes on

the sounds, he is able to discern two distinct groups of people

moving in a roughly parallel direction. He does not know how many

move through the woods. He moves in closer.

    Wei-Lee's foot snaps up before the man's sword is halfway out of

its sheath. His kick is aimed at the only unprotected area, the

face. The crossbowman's head seems to give way like an eggshell

before the iron shod foot and he falls to the ground beside his

ruined weapon. As he pulls his foot back, Wei-Lee spins toward Amud.

    Unable to defend himself any longer Amud falls prone. 

    Gunther faces four men with longswords. He is trying

desperately to keep them away from Amud but the men are all

crowded very close together. One of them reverses his sword over

Amud and begins to raise it above his head. Instinctively, Wei-Lee

knows that he must use a fighting form here. He drops into the

first moves of the Irristible Whirlwind Kata. And disappears.

    The longswordsman facing Gunther and nearest Wei-Lee is confused.

Did he not just see one of the enemy there a second ago kill one

of the men in his squad? Where did he go? He looks about in

confusion while holding his guard against Gunther's attack.

Suddenly, his foot is nearly yanked out from beneath him by some

extremely hard object. His foot is badly bruised and the leather

boot is ripped wide open. What manner of weapon could do this? He

quickly glances around, sword held defensively... and sees

nothing save his partner beginning to turn in his direction

lowering a crossbow. He has time to feel relief that he will

soon receive help against this huge man dressed in furs. Then

Democles chops into his stomach and he crumples over the sword.

Simultaneously Wei-Lee sweeps his legs out from under him and the

swordsman flies through the air over Wei-Lee's hip. Gunther, unaware

of Wei-Lee's aid, is quite impressed by the effects of his attack.

    Wei-Lee feels the impact of Gunther's sword into the armor of the

man above him and is glad not to be the recipient of such a blow.

Then Wei-Lee looks up into Gunther's surprised eyes as the unfortunate

man crashes to the ground several feet behind Wei-Lee. Wei-Lee smiles

briefly and spins back into the fight to find himself facing a man

with a crossbow pointed at his face. Wei-Lee's claw lashes out

catching the armor covering the man's groin. The man yells in

panic and jerks his hips back from Wei-Lee's grasp before he is able

to do too much damage. He turns slightly and fires his crossbow

at Kalarina. His shot flys wild.

    Wei-Lee feints at him with a claw strike and the man pulls back

again off balance. Too late he realizes the ploy as Wl's foot

snaps up catching him in the cheek. Wei-Lee is not certain but he

thinks he felt bone give way. Dropping his crossbow the man moans

loudly protecting his wounded face with one hand and trying to

recover with his sword in the other hand. Wei-Lee looks around just in

time to see the man who had his feet swept out from him point a

crossbow at him from a kneeling position. The bolt glances off

Wei-Lee's shoulder less than a finger's breadth from his neck. Wl

breathes a mental sigh of relief.  His newest antagonist curses,

drops the useless crossbow, and begins to draw his sword. Wei-Lee

roundhouses the man in the right eye with his right foot. His

head snaps back and he looks confused. Blood runs from his

damaged face. With a surprisingly quick motion, he whips a finger

dagger at Wei-Lee, it slices deeply across Wei-Lee's scalp. Wei-Lee feels sick. 

Blood pours down his hair and into his face and eyes.

    Wl thinks that this opponent is probable pretty good with

these daggers. He had already taken tremendous damage. Blood

drips from around his eye and the armor around his abdomen is

sheared through and covered with congealing blood. Wei-Lee starts to

become concerned. What if, as unlikely as that would be, this guy

had some sort of healing spells on him?

 

    Kalarina sees Amud fall. Disregarding her own safety, she

turns and leaps toward the man standing above Amud's bloody prone

form. Sensing imminent danger, the man looks up just in time to

catch a foot in the side of his head. His head snaps back

sharply and his body is thrown backwards away from Amud.

    Kalarina has no time to determine if the man is out or not.

She manages to roll as she lands and avoid the cutting edge which

plunges into the soil where she had been just seconds before.

She spins to face the swordsman holding the dirk. Rather than

continue to fall back she steps in toward him as he wrenches his

sword free from the soil. He is in an awkward stance. Seeing an

opening Kalarina kicks out against the heavy armor of his

extended left leg in an attempt to shatter the bone. His leg does

not break but twists at an odd angle and he falls over with a

yell.

    Pressing her advantage, Kalarina drives her dirk into his

abdomen. It is so heavily armored she cannot tell if the strike

was effective or not. Her opponent jerks away and swings at her.

Again his sword slices the armor on her abdomen. It now hangs in

bloody ribbons. The longswordsman, slightly distracted by the

sight is slow to bring his sword around. Kalarina hops in and

slaps the flat top of her boot up into the man's groin. He cries

out and falls to his knees holding himself up with his sword arm.

Kalarina kicks at his exposed elbow bending it against its normal

pivot. The joint pops with a spray of blood and bone. He falls

prone, screaming louder and shaking on the ground.

    Kalarina somehow sensing danger, ducks. A crossbow bolt flies

over her head. Kalarina springs up with a front snap kick aimed

at the chin of the man towering over her. The toe of her boot

slides into the soft area of his neck just below the jaw. The

force of the kick lifts the man off his feet. He crumples like a

rag doll. Kalarina goes to Amud's side.

    Amud does not look happy. He has received several cuts to his

ribs, chest and abdomen. He has a crossbow bolt lodged in his

thigh and one in his shoulder. He has a long gash beneath his

right eye and blood flows down the side of his head. Kalarina

removes his shirt and begins to tear it into strips. 

 

    Behind him Wei-Lee hears a man scream in mortal agony and Gunther

shouts, "I am going after Maeve!" He decides that the scream was

not Gunther's. He perceives heavy footsteps vanishing in the

direction of the keep.

    Wei-Lee drops low to the ground and his left hand swings out, the

gauntlet ridgid. The man already has another finger dagger in

hand ready to flick at Wei-Lee. Wei-Lee is slightly faster. The hand,

covered in fine black chain looks anything but lethal. It smashes

into the man's side cracking ribs and tearing armor. The man

drops his finger dagger and groans, collapsing in a heap.

Continuing his motion Wei-Lee moves in for the killing strike. He is

unaware of the feint until his feet are swept out from beneath

him. Taken totally by surprise Wei-Lee falls flat, cursing his

carelessness.

    Snap, Wei-Lee's opponent bounces to his feet. Wei-Lee,  shocked by the

speed of his recovery, prepares to block the inevitable finger

dagger. Flick. Wei-Lee sees the dagger tumbling through the air. Sarek

whips out knocking the dagger aside.

    Wei-Lee's surprised opponent wonders just what kind of opponent he

faces. He has never seen anyone do that before. This little man

seems unbeatable.  Who are these people?  Somehow he feels that

their briefing earlier in the morning was missing key informa

tion.

    With an extremely quick motion Wei-Lee draws his only operational

hand crossbow and fires. The leader twists his face to the side

and the small bolt glances off his helm.

    The leader, desperate now, he leaps at Wei-Lee hoping to avoid any

other nasty surprises. He lands beautifully, pivoting off his

right arm. His left hand grasps around Wei-Lee's neck. Wei-Lee does not try

to avoid the attack. Instead, he gages his opponents movement

and, using his momentum, attempts to throw the leader off him.

THe leaders right hand closes on Wei-Lee's windpipe and Wei-Lee's eyes

water. Wei-Lee bucks his body and throws the leader from him.  The

leader lands heavily.      

    Kalarina sees Wei-Lee, covered in blood, having difficulty with

his last opponent. All around her the air is filled with the

screams and moans of the wounded and dying. She approaches the

man nearest to her. His left arm is shattered  and his right

hand clutches his groin.

    "OH my god. Ohhh. My arm. Ahhhh." He sobs and moans, unaware

of her approach.

    She takes her dirk and kills him. Then she takes his dagger

and turns back to Wei-Lee and the other man.

    "Ohhhh, ohhhhh. Help me please, someone. Argh!" Unable to

stand this other man's moaning and fearing a potential trick,

Kalarina flicks the dagger into him. He is silent. She has quite the bedside manner.

    She grabs Amud's her dagger and throws it at Wei-Lee's opponent.

He dies with Amud's dagger buried in his neck and his last finger

dagger clutched in his hand.

    Wei-Lee looks at Amud. He tries to bind him up as best he is able.

He is afraid to stay in the open too long. He carefully picks up

the unconscious form of Amud and carries him into the pines

angling towards the wall surrounding the Keep. They hear a

ballista explode in the direction which they walk. Wei-Lee hopes that

someone friendly will still be there to greet them when they

arrive.

    Meanwhile, Maeve finishes describing what she saw in her

commune with Kilsorana. Kilsorana begins to draw power in to magically change

the soil and permit entrance to the underground tunnel. As she

does this men begin to pour out of the woods before them. Some of

them have crossbows held ready and others have longswords drawn.

Maeve lifts WindReaver and faces them, her back to the wall. Kilsorana

draws her irith and using the last power in her spell focus

begins to create a material shield about herself.

    Maeve sees several crossbows pointed in her direction.

"Help!" She shouts and springs backwards, slamming into the wall,

and, losing her balance, drops to one knee.  Ping! A crossbow

bolt bounces off of the magical scale armor Maeve wears. She

feels a tremendous pressure and then it is gone. Maeve laughs,

confident again. At that moment Kilsorana completes her material shield

and laughs in a gurgling fishy sort of way. Maeve glances at her

and asks, "Why are you laughing?"

    "Well I could be going insane you know."

    "Oh, that's comforting."

    Raec creeps up behind one of the men concentrating on Kilsorana and

Maeve. One of Raec's maces smashes into the crossbowman's lower

back. "Arrg!" He staggers forward clutching his bruised spine.

Raec's other mace, moving in a great arc from over Raec's head,

smashes into the base of the crossbowman's skull with a crack of

metal against bone. Bone usually loses in such contests. Blood

drips from the magical mace as the crossbowman falls limply.

    "The green one is a mage, kill it!" One of the other

swordsmen shouts.

    Three other men fire crossbows. Two of the bolts are

deflected by the material shield. The third bolt passes through

the shield and bounces lightly off Kilsorana's sharkskin armor.

    "Come on boys. Are you going to let two little women stop

you?" Maeve teases them attempting to keep Raec's presence a

secret a little longer and perhaps entice one of them to within

striking range of WindReaver.

    "Be men, drop your bows. Get over here." She moves from side

to side holding WindReaver loosely. It thrums a little in her

hand. Still, something seems very wrong with the once mighty

sword.

    Kilsorana, perceiving Maeve's intent, pretends to be casting

something.

    "Gunther!" Maeve shouts and then begins to sing in Kernish.

    Reac prepares to stalk another man but the man turns to face

him. With a swift motion, Reac drives his mace up between the

man's legs and into his groin. He screams, doubled over in agony.

    Another longswordsman lunges at Raec attempting to pierce his

thigh. Raec is able to parry the worst of the strike but the

blade slashes the skin of his upper thigh. Reac realizes that

this man must be the squad leader, he is very adept. Raec brings

his other mace across from the side of his opponent's head. A

longsword sweeps in deflecting the blow into the man's nose. It

and breaks to bleed. The leader brings his dagger up in a quick

thrust which Raec narrowly avoids. Raec's mace bounces off his

chest armor with little effect. Raec slips by his opponent in an

attempt to attack from the flank. The leader turns with him,

however. A mace slams into the tang of the dagger. Both men's

weapons ring as they parry each other's blows. They are locked

together, neither willing to risk exposing himself to the other.

Both men are on the defensive now, assessing each other's

strengths and weaknesses. 

    With a heave they simultaneously push apart. Raec attempts a

quick strike with the magical mace. The leader's dagger slices

down on his hand and Raec's mace flies off behind him. Raec's

hand stings and feels useless. Raec retreats toward his mace

parrying longsword blows with his other mace. When he reaches for

the mace the leader swings mightily at him. Raec tumbles out of

danger just in time.

    As Raec turns to face the leader, the leader throws his

dagger. The dagger sinks into Raec's chest. Somehow, he remains

standing. The leader thinks to himself, why is he still standing?

He should be dead. Painfully Raec draws bolos and throws. The

leader dodges, still amazed. As he looks up another set of bolos

wrap about his legs. Raec grins. The leader maintains his balance

keeping an eye on Raec and turns to defend himself from another

attack.

 

    Three men with longswords charge Kilsorana. One swings at her and

the blade scrapes ineffectively against the sharkskin armor,

leaving only a shallow furrow to mark its passing.

    Three men approach Maeve. One of them suddenly charges at

Maeve, his sword arcing in obliquely from above. She is unable to

get WindReaver up and around in time.

    Suddenly, the man is hurled to the side as a blurring red

object streaks past his legs, grabbing a foot. He cartwheels and

falls upon his sword. The blade erupts through his back and he

lays there kicking spasmodically.

    Ignoring their partner's unusual demise the remaining two men

close with Maeve. They work well as a team. Maeve feels a blade

bite through her boot and into her leg. She grits her teeth and

ignores the pain. WindReaver, describing a huge arc, hits her

opponent just above the hips. The blade jolts as it hits the

armor and again when it cleaves through the spine. A gout of

blood and viscera sprays out. Unstoppable, the blade embeds

itself deep into the other man's hip smashing him into the

unyielding surface of the wall. She yanks her weapon free. He

leans against the wall, his face a mask of pain. As she hauls the

heavy two handed bastard sword back for the killing blow two men

fire crossbows at her. Spak! One of the bolts shatters against

the wall. Clang! Her head rings as the other bolt bounces off

Hagul's metal plate helm. Maeve laughs heartily. Her leg hurts

but she is having fun.  Undiscouraged, she chops into the man

leaning against the wall beside her. WindReaver cleaves into his

shoulder and he falls in a bloody heap.

    On the backward swing Maeve into one of the men attacking Kilsorana.

Soundlessly he falls, mortally wounded. Maeve charges at the

man behind Raec preparing a crossbow. Raec, intent upon the

leader before him, is unaware of the danger.

    

    Kilsorana's irith jabs into the side of her opponents head. He

grabbs her wrist with his right hand and yells as the blade

pierces through his helm and into his skull. He raises his sword

in an attempt to strike her. Blood pours down his face as he

attempts to pull free from the fine blade. Kilsorana ducks under his arm

between him and the wall. His blade rings in a shower of sparks

as it strikes the wall beside him. She maintains the pressure on

her irith, marvelling that he is yet able to fight. She hangs on

his arm to pull him lower and then, with her powerful legs,

thrusts upward, forcing the irith deep into his brain. He gasps

and dies with a shudder.

    Her last opponent jams a dagger into Kilsorana's back. It pierces

the sharkskin enough to cause pain but little damage.

 

    And then Gunther bursts out from the pines directly on top of

a crosbowman. The hapless man glances up as Democles crashes down

on his helm. Without pause Gunther continues his charge bellowing

inarticulately. He knocks another crosbowman over and sitting on

him begins to bash his skull with the pommel of Democles.

    Maeve reaches the crossbowman as he raises his weapon at

Raec's back. WindReaver, covered in blood, chops down on the

man's upper arm just below the shoulder. His finger clutches the

trigger of the crossbow spasmodically, but the bolt flys wide of

its intended target. Maeve keeps running. She sees Raec's bolos

wrap around the legs of her next target. She anticipates an easy

kill.

    And then he turns to regard her and ducks beneath her swing.

Maeve’s momentum carries her past him. He draws another dagger and

begins to slash viscously at the bolos binding his legs. Maeve

turns and brings WindReaver back around. It hits him in the back

and clanks off of plate beneath his leather tunic. He pauses in

his attempts to free himself and slashes at Maeve with his

longsword. She is a little too close and his strike is superb.

The sword penetrates her armor and she staggers back lowering

WindReaver, stunned.

    Raec advances, wary, drawing another bolo. The leader,

longsword held out before him, begins frantically sawing at his

bonds once again. Raec tosses the bolos which wrap about the

leader's sword arm. He is not happy. Maeve, though stunned,

slowly raises WindReaver again. The leader also sees Gunther

crush the last crossbowman's shull with the pommel of his sword.

Gunther rises and begins to advance toward him from behind.

    As Raec charges at the leader, Maeve swings WindReaver. The

leader parries that terrible blade while recovering is attacked by

Raec. Raec's mace impacts solidly on his chest with a resounding

ring as the plate beneath the tunic absorbs the force of the

blow. At this moment Gunther shouts, "Brightblade," and  cuts

horizontally at the leader with Democles. Once again the plate

beneath his leather tunic saves him from crippling damage.

    The leader bends low and finally frees his legs. Raec

anticipating this possibility, throws another set of bolos which

wrap about the man's upper thighs, as he attempts to tumble away.

Shit, he thinks, bound again. This time he is able to remove them

quickly. Rolling away he regains his feet and moves evasively,

hoping to escape into the forest.

    Raec throws another bolo. This time the leader is prepared

and cuts them apart in mid-air. By this time Maeve is in range

again. WindReaver bites into his upper left arm but her attack

has little force behind it. She feels faint and very weak. The

leader seems a little dazed. Knowing that the odds are too great

he turns and runs.

    Gunther pulls out a throwing axe. His aim is poor and the axe

flips end over end into the brush.   Both Raec and Maeve follow

the leader. Raec throws a heavy bolo at the leader just before he

reaches the safety of the trees. His feet are swept out from

beneath him and he falls on his back, winded. Maeve chops off his

sword arm with WindReaver.

    "I surrender," he cries out, realizing death is near.

    "Sorry, we have no room for prisoners." That said, Maeve

kills him without pause.

    Suddenly it is quiet except for the cries of the wounded.

From inside the keep they hear the order, "Hold your positions!"

    Raec moves toward the leader to recover any bolo still

usable. Gunther and Maeve join Kilsorana at the base of the wall. Kilsorana

dispatches the wounded with her harpoon. Raec, remembering

something glances up at the tower. Two ballista are pointed in

his general direction. He dives at the wall as a ballista fires.

The ground just beyond where he stood a moment before erupted

into the air. Maeve is knocked over and a little scorched.

Gunther is also burnt but remains standing. Reac is blown head

over heels and falls in a heap, dying. 

    A few moments Wei-Lee walks up cautiously, carrying the bloody

form of Amud. Kalarina is just behind him. He sets Amud down at

the base of the wall.

    Gunther runs off to bring Raec over to the relative safety of

the wall. Raec is in bad shape.

    Wei-Lee helps Gunther bind Raec. He puts some brightly colored

powders in the wounds and wraps them up. Raec's condition visibly

improves.

    Looking along the wall we are just able to see the gate.

    "We can't stay here. People are beginning to move

around inside. I think they will send someone out to investigate

shortly. I don't think we can defeat twenty more of them in this

condition." Seeing no noticeable response, Kilsorana continues, Come on,

we must move now before we are trapped against the wall again."

    "Kilsorana, give me some more time. If I do not work on Amud he will

certainly bleed to death." Gunther snaps.

    Kilsorana looks around worried.

    Gunther proceeds to unbind Amud. "Who did this?" He asks

incredulously. "Were you trying to kill him? What a shitty job."

    Wei-Lee feels bad. "I could do no better. I am afraid that I lack

your skills in treatment of wounds such as this."

    Gunther does not speak. His hands move deftly over Amud’s

tortured body. He removes the crossbow bolts and applies powders

and liquids to the wounds. "Ah. He is stable now. Still we must

carry him carefully."

    KA-Boom! Another ballista bolt explodes at the edge od the

woods. Two trees fall over and the dry grass begins to burn.

Everyone feels the blast of hot air and Wei-Lee is hit in the head by

a stone which knocks him over. His scalp wound opens again and blood

begins to run down his face. When Gunther finishes Amud  he begins to 

put hissupplies away.  Wl asks him if he could do anything with his

headwound.

    "Sorry Wei-Lee. Sit down here." After a few moments Wei-Lee feels quite

a bit refreshed.

    "What is that?"

    "These medicines can have an immediate healing effect if

applied properly.  Certainly not as great as Kilsorana's magics but much

better than nothing. When travelling alone it is a useful skill

to have." Gunther looks around. "Anyone else need this while I

have it out?"

    Maeve volunteers. "Just the leg. I need to walk. Kilsorana is right

we must leave soon."

    KA-Boom! Dirt and stone flies up in the air. More trees

topple. The fire continues to spread.

    Maeve senses an alert passing through the forest. Fire!

Fire! The trees try to draw more water from the moist soil to

contain the blaze. Small animals frightened by the explosions and

the smoke run deeper into the woods.

    "Come on, let's go!" Gunther picks up Amud. "Wei-Lee, can you and

Maeve get Reac?"

    "Yes." With great haste Maeve and Wl each grab one of Raec's

arms. We all run along the wall for a while and suddenly we come

upon another gate. This one is closed. At this point we cut off

into the woods.

    Ka-boom. The explosion is more than 100' away.  

    Soon the walls of the keep are hidden from view. They keep

moving as fast as their burdens will allow.

    Whoof, whoof. Gunther breathes heavily, sweat glistening upon

his brow.

    Wei-Lee and Maeve struggle to carry Raec's bulk. His armor and

weapons make him weigh twice as much as Maeve and Wei-Lee together.

There is an air of discouragement about the group. Everyone is

lost in their own thoughts as they retreat from the keep. Worry

and tiredness shows in the dirty and blood covered faces.

    Kalarina is in the lead.  Occasionally she tosses a stone out

before her. Suddenly one of them explodes in a flash. THey had

reached the second ward!

    Km attempts to key the gate.  A portal opens. As she moves

through it she is blasted. She sees blue flames streak at her on

the astral plane. She falls on the other side of the ward dazed.

    "That didn't happen before!?"

    "What is wrong Kilsorana? Didn't you open the gate?" Gunther looks

at her with concern.

    "Yes. I did. I think someone is actively modifying the ward."

Astrally, she sees a small blue orb with a fine blue line fading

off in the distance toward the keep. Around the blue cord is

wrapped a red one which ends at the orb.

    Wl meditates. Using the training Kilsorana gave him he looks on to

the astral plane.  He sees the an object which seems to be

following the party. Wl nonchalantly approaches it while drawing

on internal energies, he focuses his ki to augment the damage of

his planned attack. As he gets closer the object zooms over in

front of his face as if staring at him intently. Suddenly the red

line begins to blossom with power just in front of his face. Wei-Lee

strikes out with Sarek. The Gauntlet exists on all planes. It

closes about the now brightly blowing red orb and rips it from

the blue line.

    "Wl, Shield!" Kilsorana yells as Wei-Lee grabs at the orb.

    A small but powerful explosion of energy occurs in the palm

of the Gauntlet. His arm and face is burnt.

    There is a sparking and the blue line quickly vanishes toward

its point of origin.

    "Try it now Kilsorana," Wl says with a gleeful voice. "Did you see

that?"

    Kilsorana nods and the others are puzzled. Wei-Lee explains what he did.

"Maybe we can cross through the portal now?" 

    Kalarina tosses a stone through. Nothing happens.

    "No more time to waste," Gunther exclaims as he strides

through the portal. He turns, walks back to Amud. He picks him up

and passes through the gate once more. Kalarina runs through

after him.

    "Hurry," Kilsorana warns. It might close any second.

    Wei-Lee and Maeve grab Raec and pass through. Everyone makes it

through without incident this time but the gate closes just as

Wei-Lee passes through.

    "Incoming!" Maeve shouts. The party drops to the ground.

Fifty feet away the ground rocks from a violent explosion.

    "Our cover is blown. They know we are here!"

    Maeve takes Amud and Gunther helps Wei-Lee carry Raec.

    "We need to stop those damned ballista!"

    "How can we do that?" Gunther asks.

    "I don't know," Maeve replies annoyed.

    Ka-boom. The explosion is twenty yards away.

    "We must get out of range of the ballista then."

    Gunther, breathing heavy again says, "There is no way that

we can cross the first trap while under fire. Also, we cannot

cross that trap with two bodies."

    Kilsorana detects mind. "Kalarina, stop. About 10' in front of you

is a pit with some sort of undead creature in it."

    She looks around. "Also another over there about 60'," she

points to the left, "and one just behind us to the right. We must

have just missed it as we walked by."

    "Oh great," Maeve says sarcastically. "If we aren't chopped

to pieces or blown up we get to spend eternity digesting in the

stomach of some undead monster. Sounds like fun.'

    "Don't worry, you would give any monster indigestion," Kilsorana

adds after a moment.

    "It is a good thing I have to carry Amud here, or I guarantee

that I'd give you indigestion."

    Kilsorana makes a face at Maeve.

    "Excellent response. You are so clever."  Maeve is tired. "We

must stop for a rest. She places Amud carefully on the ground.

Everyone stops to rest. It is just about noon. No one feels like

eating, however.

    Maeve kneels down in a trance. Kilsorana enters a mage trance to

speed her recovery of magical energy.

    Raec looks very hacked up. Still, he comes to consciousness

after a time.

    "How do you feel?" Gunther asks. "You got hit pretty bad."

    "Oh yeah," Raec agrees.

    "They were pretty tough, huh?" Gunther asks rhetorically.

    "How are we supposed to get through all those defenses now?"

Wei-Lee asks. "I think we were allowed to get in there before. It was

just too easy."

    Gunther looks at Maeve. Her face and hands are massively

burnt from the first ballista explosion she experienced at point

blank range. Small pieces of wood, metal and stone are buried in

the exposed areas of skin. Her hair is singed where it hung out

from below Hagul's helm and her eyebrows are completely gone. She

has numerous small cuts and abrasions. The cut above her ankle

bothers her quite a lot. Gunther works on her, carefully removing

objests embedded in her skin. Then he applys a white cream to the

burned areas.

    So far Kilsorana is fine physically, but rather tired mentally.

    Kalarina has several flesh wounds in the abdominal area and a

cut on her leg. Gunther works on her and it helps. She enters

some sort of trance.

    Gunther regards Wei-Lee. "All the women are in some sort of

trance. I guess it is up to us to come up with a plan of

action."

    "We need a better attack than this," the usually indomitable

Raec says, discouraged. 

    "We cannot leave in this state. And we cannot attack either,"

Gunther agrees.

    "What if we wait a few hours. When Kilsorana has rested she perhaps

can heal Amud and Raec enough for them to move about by

themselves."

    "That is possible Wei-Lee. But we can not attack the keep again.

At least not the same way we just did. That is foolish."

    "Agreed," Wei-Lee looks from Gunther to Raec. "I doubt that he

will risk many of his forces out here in the woods. Here we have

the advantage."

    "We must attack," Gunther closes his hand into a fist. "We

will have to leave Amud here. He is too wounded fro Kilsorana to heal

before Oleanth figures out some way to attack us again."

    After a while Maeve comes out of her trance. "There are

tunnels leading to the keep beneath us. If we can get into one it

might be a way to get to Oleanth."

    "Or a huge trap."

    "Then we might have to fight our way to him underground,"

Gunther says pensively. "But, that is to our advantage. It gets

us away from the ballista. We are better than they are one on

one."

    "Some of those guys were pretty tough," Wei-Lee adds dubiously. "I

fought one who gave me a lot of trouble. If not for Kalarina it

would have been a much longer battle."  

    "Yes. We fought one like that. He fought three of us. He took

on Maeve, Raec and myself at the same time," Gunther says.

    "My thinking is this, we have plenty of daylight left. We

have her," Wei-Lee nods in Kilsorana's direction, "heal up Raec some, if she

can. And anyone else who needs some extra healing."

    "Un-huh."

    "Now if she could also make some heal triggers..."

    "That takes a long time does it not? We cannot stay here too

long, Wei-Lee. Remember the ballista."

    "Kilsorana will have to rest if she heals Raec and Amud. Before she

can get us into the tunnels. I guess that you are right Gunther."

    The discussion peters out for a while after more speculation.

Eventually Maeve comes out of her trance begins to commune with

nature. She gives a running commentary of what she sees of the

area beneath the tower and the tunnels radiating out beneath the

group.

    "There seems to be several tunnels leading out from a

central chamber beneath the tower. The unnaturalness is centered

there though this whole area is rather tainted." She says this

with distaste. "Off of the main tunnels are shorter tunnels which

each end in a pit containing one of those undead creatures Kilsorana

keeps talking about." She pauses a minute, then continues. "Oh.

There is a vein of pure earth power near here... it intersects

the tunnel which runs beneath us. There is earth fire relatively

near the surface here. The main tunnels seem to tie into another

tunnel which seems to parallel the stone wall on the ground

above. In other words it forms a torus which encircles a

subterranean chamber which I think is somewhere below the room

where we thought we slew Oleanth. Human scum infest the land

beneath the tower. I sense a great wrongness there... I wonder if

I can reach him in his lair..."

    "Greetings child," Maeve hears in her mind. Suddenly Oleanth

is inside her.

    The group listens to her monologue with interest. There is no

warning that anything is wrong except that Maeve stiffens and

slaps her hand to her chest where she keeps the leaf from the

tree of life.

    Wl is suddenly aware that something is very, very wrong.

    Kilsorana's eyes snap open. With her magical vision she sees Oleanth


40

within Maeve.

    Suddenly an explosion of power comes from WindReaver, which

lays across Maeve's lap and is held by her right hand. Power

flows from the leaf, at Maeve's call, into her hand.

    "Oleanth just possessed Maeve!" Kilsorana shouts and jumps to her

feet expecting the worst.

    Maeve struggles to push him out. Her efforts are small

compared to the energies Oleanth wields. He continues to pour

power into Maeve through the link she inadvertently created.

    Kilsorana perceives huge amounts of power gathering. It spills out

from Maeve in an incredible emerald wave. Kilsorana flinches back. 

    Maeve sits on a hard stone floor the walls angle away from

her. There is a shadow of a sword in her hand. Just the vaguest

image. She sees a dais. Set on the dais is a crystalline half

globe which glows emerald from within. It is about three feet

across. It is fascinating. It shines with a dull green luster. An

emerald light shifts through it constantly. It is set in what

looks like a tree of silver. The "tree" holds it up off the dais.

Inside the tree is the half globe filled with beautiful glowing

green liquid, moving almost gaseously. It lights the room up with

a beautiful emerald glow. Standing behind the object is a man

dressed in a blue robe. Nothing seems natural about her here. The

man holds his hands cupped together.

    The most pleasant voice she has ever heard says, "Maeve

Sunshard, join with me. And I give you my most solemn oath that I

will make you the most powerful of my lieutenants." Maeve

advances toward the chalice. A huge wind erupts from the blue

figure, pushing her back. She brings the insubstantial sword up

before her. But still she cannot move forward. But no longer is

she pushed back. Maeve cuts her way through the wind. With each

stroke of WindReaver she is able to take a single step forward.

    "Maeve," the voice continues pleasantly, "if we go on this

way I will destroy your mind. I will rip it to shreds." She

presses onward and the wind begins to howl past her. THe voice

speaks louder, insistent, "I will desecrate all the nature in

this area and all the nature within my reach. There are at least

four druid groves which I can desecrate at this instant if you

persist; including the one of that damnable elf you trained with."

    Resolve strengthening, Maeve continued to push forward though

it seemed as if the screaming wind would deafen her or drive her

insane.

 

    The voice booms angrily, "I WILL DESTROY THEM ALL!

CEASE AND DESIST!"

 

    As she gets closer the resistance increases dramatically.

Soon she cannot move despite her best efforts. In fact, she is in

danger of being torn from the floor and carried backwards. She

struggles. Using both the power of the leaf and the power of the

sword she barely holds out against this onslaught. She cannot

move her hands any more. She focuses her will for one last

tremendous effort as Oleanth begins to speak again.

    "Very well, Maeve, then I will rip your mind..." Whoosh. She

is sitting back in the clearing.

    Kilsorana casts a power shield around herself. She sees a huge

struggle reflected by the roiling of different colored powers

about Maeve. Then Maeve emits a grunt and the sword glows with a

pure white light and Oleanth is gone. The sword is glowing

brightly and humming at a very high pitch. Slowly the whine dies

and the sword stops glowing.

    Maeve is exhausted. Her head throbs as if it might blow apart 41

any minute. 

She breathes deeply. When she has

recovered enough to speak she says softly, "The tunnels lead to

the tower. Oleanth is here beneath the center of the tower. The

tunnels lead to him."

    "How did he get to you," Kilsorana asks worried.

    "I went to him," Maeve says flatly.

    "You went to him?" Gunther repeats in disbelief.

    "I was having a look around." Maeve says, characteristic

annoyance back in her tone of voice.

    "Do you think Oleanth knows we have stopped here now?" Raec

asks, concerned.

    "I think Oleanth might know we were here anyway," Kilsorana

responds.

    "It might be prudent to move a little way from here," Wei-Lee

suggests. "But you," looking at Kilsorana, "have to locate the pits so

that we do not fall in them."  

    The party stands. Wei-Lee picks up Amud. Reac is able to stand by

himself. He is very shaky. He wavers, and falls. On the way down

he revives just enough to realize that he is about to hit the

ground. He attempts to turn the fall into a tumble but slams into

the ground anyway. By luck alone he manages not to hurt

himself too badly. Gunther helps him stand again and walks beside

Raec to keep him steady.

    About 100 feet from our original campsite we halt again.

Maeve sits and decides to commune with nature to quiet her

nerves. As soon as she begins the procedure she feels a weak

presence of Oleanth within her. She begins to fight it. A bolt of

energy leaps from her and speeds away. WindReaver, suddenly

glowing, leaps up in Maeve's hand and arcs obliquely at the

remnants of Oleanth's mind.  The little bolt of energy escapes

unscathed.

    The glow fades from the sword.

    "The sword is very quiet lately," Kilsorana comments. "Does it seem

to be working alright?"

    "Something is wrong," Maeve answers, "but I am not sure what.

WindReaver normally would be calling the wind, and you have heard

the thunderclaps. I do not know what it is."

    "Hold still. I'll try to look at it." Kilsorana concentrates.

Normally the sword creates all sort of interference when drawn.

She has had trouble seeing anything when WindReaver is drawn. But

now that she thinks about it Maeve has had WindReaver drawn

continuously, waving it about left and right and it has not

bothered her at all. She studies the sword. It is bound by a fine

sheet of yellow abjuration magic, almost as if it is in a sheath

composed of power. "WindReaver seems to be magically bound."

    "Well can you do anything about it?"

    "It seems to be a very powerful spell. I doubt if I can

disperse it. Even if I can I think I might not be able to control

the release of such energies without weeks of preparation."

    "Just get it off. We have to get it off or it is useless and

we might as well go bloody well home."

    "Well a binder could unbind this easily. But I am not trained

in such magics. I could blast it. But it is very dangerous."

    "I do not care! It has to get off."  

    "Maeve! Please, we are thinking about it."

    Wei-Lee interrupts their rapidly heating discussion. "Kilsorana, do you

remember how I removed the enchantment from you with the

Gauntlet? Perhaps I could attempt that trick again?"

    "This spell is far more powerful."

    "Perhaps one strand at a time?"

    "Once the spell begins to come apart no one except perhaps

the individual who cast it could predict what it will do. What if

it blows up in your face?"

    "Can you protect me?"

    "I can set up a massive power shield about the sword to

contain most of the blast should there be one. But I really think

this is a bad idea. Unbinding items is extremely dangerous. I

must reemphasize this point."

    "Can we move while you talk?" Kalarina asks.

    "Raec can you move again?"

    "I think so Gunther."

    "Someone grab Amud. It is not good to stay too long in one

place, no?" Gunther helps Raec to his feet once again.

    "I don't know," Kilsorana says in indecision. "Maeve is right

though. We must unbind WindReaver or forget killing him right

now. Perhaps it is worth the risk after all. Oh, there is so much

power involved." She is very worried. 

    "I have a question," Gunther asks, "when it becomes unbound,

do you have the sheath? Remember it is very noisy and distracting

when drawn."

    "Yes. This is its sheath here on my belt. I never had tome

to take it off even though the sword seemed to be dead."

    "Have you sheathed it since you retrieved it  a few hours

ago?"

    "No. No, I have not."

    "Do you think the magics contained by the sheath may be able

to remove this, what you call it, binding spell?"

    "Well Gunther, there is only one way to find out." Maeve

sheathes WindReaver. She waits. After a few moments she draws it

again.

    Not a whisper of wind. No thunder.

    "It did not do anything." Maeve says unhappily.

    "Wait. Let me study it." Kilsorana looks at the sword. Little

streamers of yellow energy leak from the periphery of the sword.

"Yes, it did something!" Kilsorana says excitedly. "Sheath it again."

    Maeve sheathes the sword.

    "Just keep it in there for a while."

    "How long is a while?" Maeve asks impatiently.

    "Give it ten minutes at least. Then I will look at it again."

    "While you are waiting why don't you heal Raec?" Kalarina

suggests.

    "I want to recover some more."

    "Well we want Raec." Kalarina insists.

    Maeve, out of patience says, "Kilsorana, fix him, will you? If you

don’t I am going to kill someone." 

    "All right." She sighs deeply and kneels down by Raec. With

an enter body spell she studies his condition, locating wounds

and attempting to determine how best to apply power to repair the

damage. "What an abused body this is." She exclaims despite

herself. "He is too wounded," she decides.

    "You can do it. We will need Raec!" Kalarina chides her. "You

are so concerned about yourself. We are in this together whether

you like it or not."

    "Oh, this body is a tortured thing." She sees that he is

covered with a patchwork of severe burns, his muscles are badly

crushed and bruised and he has a deep knife wound in his chest.

She draws in power for a wizardry spell.

 

(Describe later)

 

    Raec is so wounded that Kilsorana is forced to wait a while before

she can heal him more. When she is finished he still looks like

he could use two or three weeks on his back resting but all the

wounds are scarred over and most of the worst damage is patched

up.

    Raec still feels fairly lousy compared to normal, but he can

tumble, run and fight now.

    After resting more Kilsorana looks at Maeve with her magical vision.

"Oleanth is definitely gone. Wait! There is wild magic in the

leaf!" She studies it a little more closely. "I guess that is

normal."

    She examines her mind. She sees Maeve’s aura streaming out in

a manner similar to Amud's. Great tears run through the fabric of

her mind. Suddenly, white rivulets of wild magic attack Kilsorana from

the sword. Kilsorana recoils as Maeve draws WindReaver. A great wind

springs up, and a thunderclap peals across the sky. Quickly Maeve

re-sheathes the sword. Little dust devils playing with leaves are

all that remain of the disturbance.

    Kilsorana enters Maeve's body. Maeve's skin is almost as badly

burned as Raec's. Bones are bruised and muscles contused. Maeve

has several small flesh wounds and a nasty one above her left

ankle. Much blood loss here.

    After the healing is complete Kilsorana looks around using her

magical perceptions. (Perhaps for the sake of the book and

consistency I should just explain it once and from then on call

it Vision?) Some things inevitably distract her. She sees Wei-Lee's

gauntlet shining brightly red and the Houndmaster’s thigh piece

glows purple with a tinge of green. Trevon's collar glows yellow

about Wei-Lee's waist. She sees Maeve's sword sheath glowing as

well. Power radiates from a point just between Maeve's breasts.

Raec's mace dimly glows red as does his crossbow and the points

of several bolts.  Several small points of power are scattered

around Amud’s prone form. Gunther has a ring on which glows rather

brightly and something else is wrapped about his wrist that glows

magically. A medallion hung about Gunther's neck glows as well.

    Amud seems agitated though he is unconscious. Gunther feels

for his pulse. It is rather irregular.

    "Can you help Amud?" Gunther asks.

    "Yes," Kilsorana says with resignation. She works on him in silence

for several minutes. "I do not have enough power."

    "Can I help some?" Gunther offers assistance.

    "Yes, perhaps you can. Come here. Relax. Open yourself to

me." Kilsorana places a webbed hand on his forehead. "I don't have to

touch you to do this but it is much easier this way."

    Gunther wills his magical defenses to a minimum. He has done

this before.

    "Amud's mind is pretty frayed. I hope he can recover on his

own. There is little that I can do to counteract such damage,

however, his condition is much more stable. We can move him

around without fear of killing him. Though he will need much

attention eventually."

    "How do you feel Gunther?"

    "Tired, but the ring...even as we speak, I feel much better." 

    Wei-Lee looks up. "Something does not seem right."

    "What?" Maeve asks quietly.

    "I am not sure, just a feeling. I can not be more explicit

than that."

    Maeve communes. As she becomes attuned to her surroundings

she feels Oleanth's malignant presence everywhere. It is a

passive presence, his being is nowhere near. Using her clerical

abilities to their greatest potential she asks the very bedrock

through which the tunnels pass if anything has passed recently.

The bedrock, relatively young on the geologic scale, seven or

eight hundred thousand years old still seems to take forever to

answer. She waits impatiently as the stone slowly forms its

answer.

    "These tunnels were cut through me." The bedrock replies at

last.

    Maeve mentally kicks herself. She knows that the tunnels are

probably thirty years old, or older. To stone, which lives for

many millions of years that small timespan is like minutes to a

human. Well, she mentally shrugs, might as well have a careful

look around. She locates a tunnel which passes perhaps twenty

yards to her right.

    While Maeve communes, Wei-Lee notices a flash of movement. "Raec,

did you see that."

    "What did you see?"

    "Maybe nothing, but I thought something moved out there."

    "Let's take a look."

    Raec and Wei-Lee load their crossbows and walk away from the camp

cautiously.

    "Hear that Wei-Lee?" Raec whispers.

    "What?"

    "A branch moved, there." He points.

    Wei-Lee sees nothing.

    Kilsorana sets up a psi shield around her mind. She probes the area

for minds.

    Wei-Lee and Raec continue to circle around the camp. Both have the

feeling they are being watched by unseen eyes. Neither sees

another indication of someone nearby, however, so they return to

camp.

    Kilsorana waves Wei-Lee over. When he reaches her she whispers in his

ear, "Wei-Lee, that divining globe is back again."

    "Where?" Wei-Lee whispers, "I guess he didn't learn his lesson the

last time. I will try to grab it and hold it. Then you blast it,

o.k.?"

    "Sure. It is just above Maeve now."

    Wei-Lee calmly walks over to Maeve, as if concerned about her. He

looks into the astral plane. There, the globe is just out of his

reach. He prepares himself. The globe seems wary this time, but

Wei-Lee knows that distances are difficult to determine on the astral

plane, unless you happen to be a being of pure energy. He knows

that the globe has to stay close to them in order to see them on

the physical plane and eavesdrop on their conversations. Abruptly

he springs in the air above Maeve. "I have it!" His left hand,

encased in the fine meteorite steel chain Gauntlet, grasps the

blue tether about two feet from the blue globe. The globe whips

about in alarm desperately trying to determine what is holding

it. "Blast it! Blast it!"

    Kilsorana motions with her hands. (Describe better). Energies

coalesce into a bolt of bright energy which touches the cord. In

a bright flash the cord is severed and whips out of the Gauntlet,

sparking and cracking as it looses energy. It corkscrews away

and then it is gone.

    Maeve, her senses heightened by Communing, is alarmed by the

activity about her and magical energies appear as bright flashes

just over her head.  Snapping back to physical awareness she leaps

to her feet drawing WindReaver.

    The air is split by a great bolt of lightning and thunder

rolls across the afternoon sky.  Kilsorana and Wei-Lee, their Vision activated

see a huge air elemental roar into the camp, bending the trees

with great muscles and slapping bodies around with wide hands

knocking everyone about with blasts of wind.  Its monstrous

visage is terrible to behold. It reaches down and grabs Raec in a

mighty fist, lifting him from the ground. Grimacing the

Elemental howls as it struggles with Raec’s heavy form.

 

    Reac sees Wei-Lee jump over Maeve and grabs at the air above her

head. He lands as if holding something in his left hand and

shouts

"Blast it! Blast it!."

He sees Kilsorana move her hands over her head the way she

sometimes does when she casts a spell. Suddenly

Wei-Lee flinches back from something in his hand and looks pleased.

At that Moment, Maeve leaps to her feet drawing the Sword. A peal

of thunder assaults his sensitive ears and the trees begin to

sway violently in a very strong wind. Everyone is buffeted by

blasts of air. A whirlwind springs up around Raec and begins to

lift him from the ground. In surprise he yells. Maeve leaps

toward him and grabs his belt with her free hand. They hang

there, spinning slowly. The winds increase and both begin to move

farther from the ground. Kalarina, attempting to help Raec, joins

Maeve.

    Angrily, the ail elemental shakes and pulls at Raec, trying

to rip him apart. Gunther, alarmed by the fact that this bizarre

mobile is now five feet from the ground, and rising still higher,

adds his weight to the mass with a yell. He pulls himself up

Raec, hand over hand, until he is hanging from one of his

shoulders. Raec screams as he contracts his massive muscles and

holds himself together. He pulls a sai from his belt and flails

at the air about him.

    "Wei-Lee, grab on!" Kalarina shouts in a panic.

    Meanwhile, back at the keep, Oleanth thinks to himself, "I

can't believe that this is going to work."

    Then Maeve, WindReaver in hand, commands the Elemental, "Set

us down!"

    They all drop, cushioned by a rush of air. 

    A small tornado spins in the center of the camp.

    Kilsorana sees a huge Air elemental sitting there, waving his arms

about in frustration. He slaps trees, breaking branches, and

grabs handfuls of leaves and dirt and throws it into everyone's

face.

    Raec immediately runs to a strong looking tree and hangs on,

sweat pouring off his brow.

    "Leave us." Maeve waves at the air elemental.

    With a loud moan, the elemental stalks back towards the keep.

Eventually the howling fades and the trees stop moving. Dust and

leaves settle to the forest floor.

    "We cannot stay here much longer. Oleanth will keep sending

these terrible opponents out at us from the safety of the keep."

    (Note: the diviner has two black eyes and can no longer see.)

    Kalarina notices a furtive movement behind a tree. Raec and

Kalarina advance toward it.

    "Come out, whoever you are. We know you are there." She draws

a dagger.

    A man steps out, seemingly from nowhere. Black shirt, black

pants and facemask with a slit for his eyes. No apparent armor.

Black cloth soft shoes. He carries a longsword, a dirk and a

crossbow slung on his back. He has various weird instruments

attached to his belt.

    "Who are you?" Maeve asks, her hand on the sword.

    Kilsorana thinks he might not exist. Either that or his aura is

shielded very carefully.

    "Names are powerful things. Why should you need to know

mine?"

    "Alright. What are you doing here, then?" As Maeve says this

she glances around thinking that he is trying to capture

everyone's attention so that his friends can sneak up behind. She

does not see anything suspicious, however.

    "I observe for the owner of the keep." The figure in black

points into the woods in the same direction the air elemental

left. "I was paid to watch you." His accent is similar to Amud's.

    "How can you sneak up on us like this?  Maeve asks.

    "I am just very quiet and no one notices me. Now just what do

you want?"

    "Why did you come out?"

    "I was told that I had to."

    "By whom?"

    "The one who pays me, of course." He sounds slightly

exasperated. "You never would have found me had I not wished it.

I dislike standing here exposed like this so get to the point."

    "Do you take other contracts?" Maeve asks. "You know why we

are here. We will succeed you know." She says this with a

confidence she does not feel in her heart.

    "Of course I take other contracts. But not while one

contract is still in force. Bad for business you know," he says

candidly. "Look me up when Oleanth is dead. Perhaps we can make a

deal." That said he disappeared into the woods with a small

rustle.

    Kalarina's dagger flies through the spot where he stood.

    Raec fires his heavy crossbow. The bolt disappears.

    (Man hit in groin).

    Gunther and Reac carefully search the woods. He is gone. They

find Kalarina's dagger but the quarrel is missing. They return to

camp.

    Kilsorana looks at them questioningly with her huge black eyes.

"Anything?"

    "No. I think he is gone." Gunther hands Kalarina her dagger.

    "The tunnels will be dangerous if Oleanth knows our plans."

Maeve says.

    "I think he must. That man was in telepathic contact with

him. He has probably been with us all afternoon. That is why the

ballistas do not fire."

    "Maeve, can you tell if he can flood the tunnels?" Gunther

asks.

    "I'll try." She communes again. After several moments she

opens her eyes, "There is no adequate water source for him to

flood the tunnels. I did find molten rock very near this tunnel,

though."

    After some discussion we decide to attack underground. It

can't be worse than our last attempt.

    Kilsorana casts a alter spell on the ground. A circular hole appears

leading to darkness as the soil and stone turn to mud.

    "We need light."

    Gunther pulls out some torches from his pack. He lights them.

    "Maybe I could sic an earth Raver on Oleanth to distract

him?" Maeve speculates.

    Then the wind begins to pick up again. A winged figure

launches itself from the tower. A terrible black specter flies

toward us at great speed.  It looks like a huge winged horse with

a rider sitting on its back. A great black cloak billows out

behind him. The rider draws a flaming sword from a sheath on the

horse.

    "Give me the bow Maeve." Gunther asks without taking his eyes

from the frightful apparition.

    "What bow?" Maeve asks sarcastically. "You mean the bow

someone dropped?"

    (Note: Make it clear earlier in this tale that Gunther lost

both his and Maeve's bow)

    "Shit! Sorry Maeve," Gunther says sheepishly. "I guess I

dropped them all on the path."

    Maeve curses. "Now what do we do?"

    Raec shoots a silver heavy crossbow bolt at the figure as it

draws near. He is unable to see what happens but there is a small

very bright flash of light.

    As the specter gets closer details can be made out. Ragged

armor, pieces falling off. The cloak has several holes in it and

the end is tattered. A blackened skull with green flame licking

all over it wears a scarred great helm. The creature shrieks

horribly.

    The groups skin crawls. Everyone's stomach grows cold with

fear.

    Kilsorana casts frantically.

    MS reaches down to pat her dog.

    Wei-Lee desperately tries to set up a shield to protect his mind.

He has felt mental attacks before but none like this.

    Raec becomes angry. He is tired of all these distractions.

    The horse glides over the camp, obscuring the sun. Those

beneath its shadow feel cold and sick. It shrieks again. Fear, a

living entity runs up everyone's spine. Hair stands up on the

back of necks.

    As the rider sweeps into the camp a wingtip passes through

Maeve. The cold darkness, the finality of death passes

through her being. She shudders.

    The rider wields the flaming sword with precision. Its tip

slices Kilsorana's throat as he soars by. She falls to the ground in a

pool of black blood at the edge  of the hole. Her head swims.

    Gunther runs over to her prone form desperately pulling items

from his pack.

    Deep within, her mind struggles to remain conscious. With all

her will it focuses on one goal. From years of practice it slips

into casting, pulling energies together, shaping the proper

runes, initiating a ritual.

    Gunther grabs the prone form of Kilsorana and begins wrapping cloth

around the wound.

    Kilsorana's mind reels. Energies begin to dissipate. Chains of runes

fall apart. Her mind rallies. With supreme concentration she

continues casting. She sees the proper chains of runes in her

mind's eye. Energy continues to build.

    Gunther picks up Kilsorana and begins to carry her down the hole.

"Get down here everyone. You cannot fight him!" Gunther grabs a

lantern just before he disappears.

    Kalarina leaps down the hole after him. She lands in squishy,

slippery ankle deep mud. She moves out from beneath the opening.

Dimly she perceives muffled sounds from above. She looks around.

A smooth tunnel stretches off in both directions.

    Reac grabs Amud and climbs carefully into the hole. Maeve

guards the hole until he is safely to the bottom. The specter

seems intent on Wei-Lee now. Maeve shouts, "Come on Wei-Lee. Everyone is in

the tunnel!" as she dives in the hole.

    Wei-Lee moves toward the hole Maeve disappeared into. The

blackened skull grinned and green flames belched from its mouth

and singed the metal helm. With a motion of it's arm the hole

disappeared. Wei-Lee, filled with a dread that was not his own,

turned to face this terrible foe.

    Maeve looks up. "Where is Wei-Lee?" Suddenly, the opening at the

top of the hole closes up. The rope still hangs down, but there

is something covering the hole. Climbing up the rope she pokes at

it with Democles. It is earth. Dirt falls into her face. She

sputters and wipes it from her eyes.

    "Oh, Wei-Lee." Kalarina wails.

    Maeve clambers farther up the rope. It is awkward with

Democles in her hand. With her legs wedged against the sides of

the hole she pokes with more strength. Clang. The earth is now as

hard as rock. Even with her nature sense she can not tell how

thick the barrier is. She hangs there listening.

    Silence.

 

    The frightful visage regards Wei-Lee.

    Wei-Lee desperately attempts to set up his mind shield to no

avail.

    "Wei-lee," a deep voice says slowly. "You have annoyed my

master's servant for too long." The figure lifts the flaming

blade toward Wei-Lee. "I give you one chance. Come with me."

    Wei-Lee looks at the skull, revolted. He is glad for the extra

time. He senses the beings mind attempting to dissuade him from

resistance. In response he attempts to construct a shield about

his mind. his attempt ends in failure. Fear churns in his

intestines. His mind is wide open. He acts as if

considering the offer to buy time all the while trying to compose

his mind and construct a shield.

    "Well?" The figure asks and flames spurt from its tongueless

mouth. "Your choice?"

    Just then Wei-Lee gets his shield together. "You know what my

choice is. I serve no one."

    "Fool." The figure re-sheathes its sword. "DIE!" it commands,

flames spouting from eyeless sockets.

    Wei-Lee falls to the ground. His heart begins to pound in his

ears. Loudly. Insistently. Harder and harder. He cannot breathe. 

His body useless, Wei-Lee turns inward. He begins to focus his ki.

Everything goes gray, the color of the plane of death.

    Wei-Lee hears music. He redoubles his efforts and using every

ounce of willpower resists death.

    There are flowers everywhere.

    The pain begins to fade. Why struggle so hard. Just let go.

It feels so good, wonderful.

    "No!" Wei-Lee fights wrenching his mind from the cold embrace.

    Women begin dancing before him.

    He no longer feels anything. His body does not exist.

Soft. Floating on a cloud.

    A woman approaches. She is completely pale. She has long red

hair down to her knees. Flash of green eyes.

    Wei-Lee is quite peaceful now. What was he struggling for? Why was

he afraid? He cannot quite remember. This is so pleasant. Why is

he worried? He thinks vaguely that something is wrong. The women

seem so nice. This is where he should be, isn't it.

    Then why is he so terribly afraid?

    Drifting.

    Something hangs on to him. A comforting presence. It is

familiar. It is strong. He reaches out. It grabs him firmly.

    "Wei-lee," a very deep voice says. Not a spoken word, rather

a feeling, like a vibration. But it was his name.

    "Wei-lee." Not a language. It calls on a very basic animal

level. As he focuses on it he realizes it does not say "Wei-lee."

Not communication, no. Just a call, "you." But a call that cannot

be ignored.

    "Wei-lee, return." Again no words but communication

nonetheless. Like the brain communicates to the muscles and the

nerves communicate to the brain. "Use my power." Then Wei-Lee dimly

recognizes that which had been with him so long; that which had

become a part of him like nothing else.

    The Gauntlet.

    Wei-lee draws on its strength. With a roar colors and sounds

assault him. And then he is himself. He looks about. He is

sitting on a blue plane. Mist surrounds him.

    A black horseman sits on a magnificent horse with

outstretched wings. Huge, with plate armor that is falling to

pieces. The blackened skull, green flames licking about the head

and helm, regards someone standing opposed to it.  The rider's

outstretched arm holds a flaming sword.

    Wei-Lee sits there, confused, his chest pulsating with an awesome

pain.  He looks at the other figure. It is Thor.

    "What's going on, Deathknight?" Thor asks in a booming voice.

    "Get away thunder spawn," The deathknight says venomously.

"This one is mine. I have already claimed him. Look, his body is

dead."

    "No. He is attached to my glove. He is mine." Then looking at

Wei-lee mischievously, Thor says reassuringly, "But don't worry

about it, you can do whatever you want."

    Wei-Lee, feeling more attuned to the Gauntlet than ever before, 

points at the Deathknight hoping to imitate what he did at

Heimdella with the lightning. Nothing happens.

    Nothing at all.

    "Good man!" Thor says, sensing Wei-Lee's attempt to manipulate the

Gauntlet. "He is mine. Get lost. He lifts his black hammer.

Lightning begins to streak about hammer.

    "He is on our land. You cannot take him. We will not allow

it."

    The powerful beings face off.

    "You know we can keep him if we want. Go from this place now

and I will not take his soul."

    Wei-Lee telepathically roots for Thor. Thor returns his thought,

"Shhhh."

    Slowly both images dissolve.

    Stabbing pain lances through his chest. He realizes that he

is lying on the ground, back in the camp. Above him kneels the

creature with the skull face. It puts its bony hand about Wei-Lee's

neck. A paralyzing cold permeates through Wei-Lee's body. His chest is

on fire and his heart feels as if it surely must burst.

    "Next time," the Deathnight says softly in a gravelly voice,

"you are mine."  He fades away.

    Meanwhile Maeve communes from her awkward perch. Odd. That is

not earth there. It is some type of magic. Maeve pushes against

the magic and her hand passes through.

    Wei-Lee lies on his back gasping. Suddenly, a hand pushes up

through the soil near his head.

    "Wei-lee," Maeve's voice says, "take my hand. There is a

hole here, trust me." 

    Wei-Lee cannot move. He shakes uncontrollably.

    Worried, Maeve climbs out of the hole. As she does so the

last remnants of magic fade away and the hole appears again.

    Maeve kneels over Wei-Lee. His face is ashen and he pants as it

breathing is the most important thing in life. Wei-Lee's lips are

blue. His skin is very cold and coating of frost melts off his

neck and jaw.

    Maeve begins to rub his arms and chest.

    PAIN! Circulation begins to return. He shivers

involuntarily and croaks out something indecipherable.

    Wei-Lee concentrates. With great effort he wills himself to be

still and not cry out. After several minutes he is able to sit

up.

    "What happened?" Maeve asks with concern.

    "We must move. I think I am alright. I will tell you all what

happened later." Shakily he stands. "I think things are about the

happen." He watches a black figure glide to a landing atop the

black tower.

    "They must be afraid. They are calling in some big weapons,

now." Maeve says thoughtfully.

    From below voices call out for Maeve.

    "Is he O.K.?"

    "Do you need help?"

    Maeve looks down into the relative darkness. "He will live."

    "Then get down here, now." Gunther yells up.

    Wei-Lee and Maeve climb down the hole. Wei-Lee rapidly regains his

strength.

    At that moment Kilsorana sits up, her healing spell complete. She

looks at everyone in the cramped, flickering darkness and begins

to remove the bandages from about her throat. Noticing everyone's

stares she says, "Well what are you all looking at? Haven't you

seem a Green elf before?"

    "We thought you were dead."

    "Of course not. We have too much to do." And as an

afterthought, "Besides, I am only 200 years old. That is much too

young to die."

   

    The lantern glows brightly in Gunther's hand. Its light

extends for forty feet before him. Then blackness. The tunnel

seems to close in around the party which is used to being in wide

open spaces. We move along cautiously. Gunther carries Amud.

Wl walks at the rear. The other's bodies block out most of the

light. Maeve, just behind Gunther,  nervously grasps the handle

of WindReaver.

    "Gunther, you don't have a sword, do you?"

    "No. I don't kneed one. I can fight without one. Better than

you probably, unless you turn into a bear."

    She does not reply. She is looking for the earth power she

detected here earlier. It feels close now. "Here it is."

    Gunther puts Amud gown with a sigh of relief. Gunther is tall

enough that he is forced to walk stooped over slightly or catch

his helm on the tunnel roof.  "Maybe you could make a niche for

me to put him in Kilsorana."

    Kilsorana casts. Part of the wall turns to mud and sloughs away. She

casts again and the mud on the floor turns back to stone.

"There, now he can stay dry." 

    "Can you bless this ground so we can leave Amud here?" Kilsorana

asks Maeve.

    "I will try to do something. This is not what I am familiar

with. I use nature power, not earth power." Maeve concentrates,

placing her hand against the tunnel wall. She summons. She feels

the earth power coming toward her. Rushing toward her. A wave of

power hits her with as much force as the ballista had earlier.

But the effect is very different.

    Suddenly, Maeve stiffens. She becomes stone. She looks like a

statue. Everything that she wore or held became stone also.

Filled with earth power.

    Maeve stands there staring at the now ruby glowing walls.

Flabbergasted, no one says a word.

    Kilsorana reaches out tentatively and touches Maeve. She feels

warm. Kilsorana reaches out with her mind. She definitely detects life

there.

    Maeve felt the earth power wash over her. She can still

think but the earth power pervades her body. She tries to let is

disperse but to no avail. Maeve knowing something is wrong, but

not certain what attempts to move the little finger on her left

hand.

    The group clusters around Maeve in the cramped confines of

the tunnel.

    "Maeve," Gunther whispers, aghast.

    And then the statues little finger moves.

    "She moved!" Kalarina says, surprised.

    "This is interesting, isn't it," the statue says stonily.

    "Maeve, you're invulnerable," Wei-Lee exclaims with appreciation.

"How did you do that?"

    "Why whatever are you talking about. I'm fine..." The statue

steps away from the wall. Maeve sounds massively heavy. She

examines her hand. It looks perfectly normal, though it radiates

huge amounts of earth power.

    "Maeve, you are made of stone," Kalarina adds observantly.   

    "I am just full of earth power now. That is all."

    "You feel like stone. How did you do it?"

    "I don't know. It was an accident. I lost control of what I

was doing and the earth power just rushed in and filled me up."

    Maeve sees her dog sitting there in the earth power looking

at Maeve oddly, its head cocked to one side.

    Gunther picks up Amud and places him in the niche. He begins

to sink into the warm, glowing stone. "Shit. What is wrong,

Maeve?

    "I don’t know."

    Gunther puts Amud back on the floor in the middle of tunnel.

"We have to leave him here. Let's move."

    All press onward down the tunnel. Soon a damp breeze begins

to push against everyone. It rapidly picks up strength until it

screams through the tunnel making walking difficult. Maeve seems

unaffected by the wind. She strides boldly forward. The rest of

the group falls behind.

    "Maeve, can you do something about  the wind?"

    Maeve grasps the hilt of WindReaver. "Everybody stop!"

    The wind cuts off abruptly. Everyone leaning forward into the

gale stumbles forward as the pressure abates.

    Complete silence.

    "Why don't we tie ourselves together in case this happens

again?"

    "Good idea," Gunther pulls out a length of rope.

    Soon the group presses onward. 

    It is difficult, being tied together. Everyone has a

different stride. It is obvious that fighting would be almost

impossible bound this way.

    WindReaver directs Maeve forward. It throbs in her hand now.

    Again the wind picks up again. This time more powerfully than

before. Soon even Maeve feels the drag of all the party behind

her. "You know, this is a real pain in the ass."

    Democles seems to be made of stone. The wind howls and we

pull against Maeve. Raec falls and cannot seem to regain his

feet. Wei-Lee, not tied to the rope attempts to help Raec but he

looses his grip and is blown back down the tunnel. Desperately he

slams the clawed Gauntlet against the side of the tunnel. It

holds.

    Kilsorana seeing their trouble casts a material shield centered on

herself.

    And then the wind seems to stop. Everyone  behind Kilsorana regains

there feet and holds on to the rope. Kilsorana seems to be in distress

though and ig bent against the straining rope at an odd angle.

    As Kilsorana's spell activates the entire force of the wind is

suddenly pressing upon her and the rope threatens to cut her in

half. With a horrified squeal, Kilsorana dispels the shield. The wind

blasts at everyone again. The earth power in

Maeve begins to fade. Soon she stops pulling us all forward. Then

we are stepping back at an alarming rate. The wind, as if sensing

victory blows even harder. Raec and Kilsorana are whipped against the

tunnel walls by the unceasing wind.

    Maeve draws WindReaver. It pounds in her hand. "I said STOP!"

    Silence.

    Kilsorana seems wilted.  "Why don't we untie ourselves?  We will

never be able to fight this way."

    "Good idea," Maeve says. "Just hold on to it with one hand. I

can’t pull everyone into Oleanth's lair. You will just have to

get there by yourselves."

    Once again the group starts forward. Suddenly, Maeve stops

dead in her tracks.

    "What's wrong," Wei-Lee asks from the rear. 

    "We are at a crossroads."

    "Keep moving forward."

    "I can't. Our tunnel ends."

    "This is like a maze."

    "You said all corridors lead there, so it doesn't Matter." Kilsorana

offers.

    Maeve, disoriented and confused, agrees. "We will go...left."

    In this corridor the walls are black, shiny and completely

smooth.  Maybe obsidian. It is perfectly circular. There is a

fine dust all over the floor. It crunches beneath our feet. It

also makes this tunnel extremely slippery.

    Raec says, "Check to see if we can go straight. Maybe the

wall is just an illusion."

    "That is a good point." Maeve touches WindReaver's point to

the wall. WindReaver pulses and begins to glow slightly. It

starts to cut into the wall. Soon four inches of the blade are

buried. "Someone else push on this wall, maybe it is just me."

    Raec leans against the wall. "It feels real enough."

    Maeve tugs WindReaver clear of the wall. It leaves a smoking

gouge in the wall. The earth power is nearly gone from the blade.

Maeve steps back with crunching footsteps. She looks  into the

right tunnel. They both look the same and curve off a little in

the direction we had been moving. She says, "Look this is

getting us nowhere. I'm going down this tunnel." She heads down

the left one.

    Maeve, Kilsorana, Gunther, Raec, Kalarina and Wei-Lee brings up the rear.

    We move cautiously.

    Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

    We hear the sound of metal striking stone. Now what?

    We move forward, more wary than before. Soon we reach a steel

door. After several attempts to breach it we give up. It is

completely smooth and slid closed from above. It is impossible to

move.

    Kilsorana studies it. "Well it is steel alright." She sighs. " It is

also protected with a ward equivalent to a material shield and

held closed by evocation magic. We will not get past this today."

    "Well there must be some way to open it." Maeve says

stubbornly.

    "Yes. Of course. Some particular series of of units of

Aeromancy power will key this door. When I become a Raver look me

up."

    "You mages are all alike," Maeve says in disgust.

    Wei-Lee begins to have a bad feeling about this.

    As if her words were a signal a wind begins to blow again.

This time it blows in a circular motion. Little whirlwinds pick

up the crunchy dust on the floor of the tunnel and hurl it at

each person.

    At first it is just annoying. As the wind picks up, however,

the little chips cut into exposed skin. People begin trying to

cover exposed skin areas. Wei-Lee holds his shield in front of his

face. Again the Houndmaster's thigh-piece proves useful.

    Maeve commands the wind to stop but it continues to build.

    "Why doesn't it work?"

    "We are in Oleanth's domain now? How should I know? I can't

even use this damn sword."

    Soon the little chips begin to cut skin. Wei-Lee examines one.

"This isn't dust. It looks like glass!"

    Kilsorana examines the maelstrom. "No." She shouts. "It is diamond

chips."

    "Ow!" Maeve has a cut above her left eye. The dust is cutting

cloth and leather alike to tatters. The group begins to run. At

the intersection everyone stops.

    The corridor fills with inhumanly loud laughter. The wind

tears at the party. Nearly everyone is bleeding freely by this

point from numerous small wounds.

        "Ow!" Reac yells. Blood runs from a small hole in his

arm. He and Kalarina huddle together on the other side of the

corridor.

    Kilsorana still using Vision, sees fading alteration magic there the

other tunnel intersected this one. "This whole area of wall was

recently shaped by magic." 

    Exasperated Maeve asks, "Why didn't you see it before?"

    "I wasn't looking."

    "Great! Now we stand happily in a vortex of diamond dust. Any

ideas?" She begins hacking at the stone with WindReaver. Chips of

obsidian break out and sparks fly.

    Reac pulls out his magical mace. Crack! Slightly larger chips

fly away. He winds up again Krack!

    WindReaver fights the wind in Meave's hand but it does not

abate.

    "You will never get through that wall like that," Wei-Lee

comments.

    "Ow!" Kilsorana is cut across the cheek. Kilsorana creates a small material

shield. She is surrounded by a yellow corona. Wei-Lee stays close to

her and is protected also. Kilsorana assesses how she feels. "This will

be tough." She begins casting. first she identifies the outline

of the new rock. "The wall is about one foot thick here. There is

constant alteration power here." Then she turns a 7x5' section

of the new obsidian wall into thick crystal. Everyone looks in. A

green glow comes from the glass.

    "Clear from the glass," Raec shouts. With a mighty blow the

glass resounds. Myriad cracks appear in the clear surface.

    Kalarina begins to shout. She jiggles as everyone

concentrates on breaching the barrier. Wei-Lee places his hand on her

but it does not help.

    Maeve strikes at the glass with the Sword. More cracks

appear.

    Kilsorana casts. She feels great resistance.  Suddenly the glass

turns to fine sand. Raec's mace shatters the wall of densely

packed sand and it collapses in a pile beneath the opening.

Immediately the wind begins picking up the sand and blowing it

into peoples eyes.

    A cloud of diamond dust blasts forth from the opening in the

wall. Several diamonds cut into Wei-Lee's forehead. Squinting he moves

forward holding his shield before him. Kalarina huddles against Kilsorana

as if for protection from the deadly sandblast.

    Reac dives through the hole and runs forward down a smooth

square hallway carved from stone.

    Wei-Lee looks ahead. "Wait!" He yells. "Reac there is a pit before

you."

    Raec barely stops in time. The group moves inside the square

corridor. Wei-Lee turns to Kilsorana. "What is that in the pit?"

    Abrupty, Kalarina whips out a dagger and her arm arcs up

to drive it into Kilsorana's back. Wei-Lee, thankful of his incredible speed,

knocks the dagger from Kalarina's hand before Kilsorana becomes aware

that anything was amiss.

    The dagger clatters to the floor.

    Kalarina leaps on Kilsorana and begins to strangle her.

    Maeve and Reac move forward, uncertain of what to do.

    Wei-Lee warily approaches the possessed Kalarina. "Sorry

Kalarina," he says as he punches her in the nose. Her nose breaks

and she passes out. Oleanth's presence leaves her. Two down. He

is pleased.

    Wei-Lee turns around in time to deflect a big stone screaming at

the back of his head.

    Maeve is hit by a cutting particle. She attempts to slow the

wind. WindReaver flexes under the onslaught.

    And then the particles hurt less. The wind still screams at

the group but Kilsorana has altered the diamond chips to sand.

    Raec moves back to the edge of the pit.

    Maeve moves beside Raec.

    A green mist flows out of the pit. Suddenly, two tentacles

snap out of the pit and grab Raec’s leg with surprising strength.

AN odd creature attempts to yank him into the pit. Raec smashes one

of the tentacles with the magical mace. It releases his leg.

Maeve chops the other off with WindReaver.

    Now they can see into the pit. He sees a smallish creature

crouched at the bottom of the pit. It has leathery looking skin

and a long tail. About it's torso it has numerous tiny tentacles

which wave distractingly. One of the tentacles hangs limply.

Another is shorter and a greenish fluid oozes from the wound. A

greenish smoke emanates from its the surface of its' skin.

    Reac and Maeve both breathe some of the green smoke.

WindReaver sparks.

    Suddenly Raec sees a DeathKnight appear before him swinging a

flaming sword. Reac leaps across the pit.

    In his most commanding voice Wei-Lee says, "In Thor's name

begone." Unfortunately, Wei-Lee has not the slightest idea how to turn

creatures away. The Deathknight ignores him probably laughing under

it’s visor.

    Kilsorana begins casting. She sends a bolt of pure life energy at

the center of the Deathknight's chest. The Deathknight,

devastated by this unexpected attack vanishes in a blast of

power.

    Suddenly Reac turns, an odd look in his eyes. He pulls a pair

of bolos and begins to whirl them above his head while staring at

Kilsorana.

    Kilsorana notices his look and she dives to the side shouting, "Help

Wei-Lee. Boloman is after me!"

    Raec tracks her.

    Kalarina stands up and begins throwing daggers at the

creature in the pit. Blood pours from her shattered nose.

    "Here Gunther. I don't need this anymore." Maeve hands him

Democles.

    "Thanks." He takes the sword. With three great strides

Gunther leaps blade first down into the ten foot deep pit.

"Brightblade!" He shouts his battle cry and plunges Democles

straight through the disgusting creature. The tunnel is rocked by

an immense explosion. A sheet of flames roars out of the pit and

splashes nearly thirty feet along the ceiling in either direction

along the tunnel.

    Maeve, at the edge of the pit is engulfed in a spray of

orange dust and blown back into the wall. Her mind is filled

with hallucinations. She does not even see Gunther at all.

WindReaver pulsates in her hand. With one mind she drops into the

pit, heedless of the thick dust and carnage and climbs up the

other side.

    Kilsorana dodges back away from Raec and slams into the wall. She is

slightly stunned.

    Raec's bolos begin to slow. He is dimly aware of Gunther's

death through Oleanth's mental link. He struggles against

Oleanth. Oleanth, distracted by the unexpected demise of his

Demon of Possession looses some of his control over Raec. Oleanth

creeps back into Raec's subconscious mind trying to exert his

will over him. Then the struggle is over. Reac again spins the

bolos rapidly about his head.

    Kalarina, sensing that Raec is losing the mental battle

begins to sing tribal chants.

    With a roar Raec throws off Oleanth's influence.  He spins

around and whips his bolos at the silver tree holding up a

glowing emerald globe. They strike the roof of the tunnel half

way there and slide along the floor for a while before coming

to a rest.

    Kalarina's dagger flies by his head and disappears down the

corridor. A small clang of metal against metal echoes up the

corridor.

    Maeve climbs out of the pit next to Raec. "Are you all

right?" She asks as she points WindReaver at him.

    "Yes. Now."

    "Lets go! Check on Gunther for me please!"

    "Watch out for more traps!" Wei-Lee admonishes Maeve and Reac.

    Kalarina attempts to jump over the pit. Her fool slips on

sand and orange powder. Crack. Flailing through the air her waist

slams into the far edge of the pit and she slides in. Kalarina

looks at Gunther. He is shredded. His left hand is missing etc.

ASK ALEX. He is not bleeding. She sees ring still on a finger of

his right hand. She tries to remove his ring. It comes off

easily. Quickly, she puts it back on.

    At that moment Kilsorana jumps into the pit.

    "Kilsorana, I think Gunther is dead! The ring is loose on his

finger!"

    Wei-Lee seeing them looking at Gunther's shredded body shouts,

"Just leave him alone! You cannot help him if the ring can't." Wei-Lee

leaps over the pit.

    The wind roars past us. It is difficult to see or do

anything. Kilsorana studies Gunther. With Vision she sees his soul

disconnected from his body. She shrugs and leaps out of the pit.

Wei-Lee helps her up.

    Kalarina draws a dagger and follows Kilsorana.

    Maeve, running full tilt down the hall notices that the

floor just before her is slightly different. Suspecting a trap,

she attempts to stop. Her feet slide on the glassy floor and

she is unable to stop in time. She sails out over the odd colored

area and suddenly there is nothing beneath her feet. 

 

    Reac notices Maeve trying to stop. Then he sees her feet

disappear into the floor. He has merely a fraction of a second to

make a decision. In a burst of speed he leaps out and over Maeve

hoping to be able to grab her and pull her over to the other

side. His burly arms encircle Maeve's waist.  In her panic Maeve

starts to struggle. Then Raec is across and Maeve's knees slam

painfully into the side of the pit she almost dropped into. In a

tangle, Maeve and Raec slide a few feet on a smooth solid surface

after clearing the illusionary floor surface.

    As Maeve climbs to her feet, trying to regain her breath, she

glances back into the now exposed pit, the illusionary floor

dissipated to her eyes. Instead of the short ten foot drop she

expects to see, she finds herself looking at a dizzying drop of

sixty feet onto extremely long and deadly looking spikes. The

sides of the pit appear fuzzy. Upon closer inspection she

discovers that the sides of this second pit are covered with

finger length needles spaced perhaps 1" apart. Involuntarily, she

shudders. "Nasty."

    "What?" Raec asks.

    "This trap."

    Raec studies it briefly. At the bottom of the pit he sees

long steel spikes. "We will have to be more careful."

Without taking another step towards the central chamber Raec

draws a dagger and slides it along the floor. It sinks into the

floor about 20 feet away from him. "There is another pit, eight

paces farther."

    Wei-Lee moves up to the edge of the different appearing floor. "I

can just distinguish where the floor is different."

    "We can see it perfectly," Maeve says. "The edge is here."

She points it out with the toe of her boot. "Don't fall in this

one. It is very deep and there are spikes on all sides."

    Wei-Lee leaps over the pit with just a little difficulty. His

metal shod sandals slip on the glassy floor and he lands at the

edge of the pit beside Raec. 57

   Kilsorana looks around. In this area, she sees no air elementals. The

air, however, is thick, cloying, pregnant with aeromantic power.

Quiescent, waiting. "How do I get across?"

    "I have an idea," Wei-Lee says, looking at Kilsorana and Kalarina. "It

means that one of you will have to go back to Gunther but..."

    "And get his rope?" Kalarina finishes the sentence.

    "Yes. But we have nothing to tie it to  so you will have to

tie it to Gunther somehow. Probably his belt. Then I will hold

one end and Raec can hold the other. What do you think?"

    "Sounds alright. I will get the rope." Kilsorana walks back toward

the first pit. She disappears from view for several moments. Then

a huge coil of rope flies up over the edge of the pit. Kalarina

grabs it and drags the rope over to the edge of the second pit.

    Wei-Lee leaps back over the pit to join Kalarina. "Is this end

tied now?"

    "Yes. Kilsorana will be here soon."

    Wei-Lee throws the coil over to Raec. Raec catches it and wraps

the rope about his arm a few times. Wei-Lee grasps the rope with

Sarek. They tug against each other a couple of times.

    "I think this will be sufficient." Wei-Lee looks at Kilsorana. "As soon

as you are ready..."

    Kilsorana grabs hold of the rope and begins to cross the void hand

over hand. When she is midway across the pit a wind begins to

blow her into the pit. Raec and Wei-Lee pull at their ends of the rope

to prevent it from sagging. Kilsorana holds on with all her strength.

The wind becomes more violent. Kilsorana slowly drops lower as the rope

sags beneath the pressure. Wei-Lee slips, Kilsorana's body lurches downward.

Kalarina grabs the rope behind Wei-Lee and helps him hold steady.

    "I can't hang on to it much longer," Kilsorana shouts, voice barely

discernable above the shriek of the wind in the enclosed

corridor. Her face grimaces as the muscles in her arms scream

from the intense effort.

    "Raec. She cannot move.  When I yell, pull her across with

all your strength. I will permit enough slack in the rope."

    Reac nods.

    Wei-Lee can only hope he understood. The wind's ferocity increases

with each heartbeat. "NOW!" Wei-Lee allows the rope to slip through

his fingers.

    With a mighty tug, Reac practically runs towards the central

chamber.

    Kilsorana's taut form slams into the side of the pit. Her sharkskin

armor prevents her from receiving any damage from the hundreds of

needles. The wind has now formed a vortex which threatens to suck

everyone into the pit.

    "I'm losing her!" Wei-Lee shouts as his feet slide closer to the

edge of that terrible pit. No longer is there an illusion of

floor. Sensing victory the wind worsens. It feels like a solid,

irristible, force. Tirelessly it blasts the party.

    Maeve brings WindReaver up and slashes at the thick air in

the vortex. The Blade glows crimson, leaving a sparkling track as

if cutting through water. A peal of thunder deafens everyone.

    The wind is gone.

    WindReaver thumps loudly, twitching in Maeve's hands.

    Kilsorana, exhausted and shaken, climbs from the pit. Both Raec and

Wei-Lee rejoice.

    Wei-Lee removes the rope from his arm. Without considering the

danger, he leaps across the pit. Instantaneously, the wind pulls

at Wei-Lee. He slams into the side of the pit, steel toes scrabbling

for purchase. Kilsorana snatches his right arm. She is being pulled down

with Wei-Lee. Wei-Lee reaches out desperately with the Gauntlet and digs at

the hard, smooth floor. WindReaver cuts at the wailing vortex,

cracking with power. Again the wind dies, more slowly this time.

Reac and Kilsorana help Wei-Lee from the pit.

    Oleanth laughs. The disembodied sound emanates from all

directions. It echoes hauntingly back and forth down the various

tunnels long after the laugh has died. Slowly, the terrible sound

fades away. Crack! Suddenly, a man dressed in blue robes stands

at the end of the hallway, just beyond the last pit. He stands

with his arms crossed against his chest, sleeves together. Face

is shadowed by the great hood of the robe.

    "Children." A deep, soothing yet somewhat condescending,

voice speaks. "You have come close. Why do you continue to press

this ridiculous cause?" Oleanth's voice brings a chill to the

air.

    "Shut up. You are running scared." Maeve boldly asserts

holding WindReaver out before her like a shield. "Why don't you

give it up now." It was not a question. WindReaver vibrated

warmly in her hand. Get him. Get him, the sword urged her. 

    "You have yet to reach my inner sanctum. Do you think the

way will be easier as you move closer?" A modicum of concern

enters his voice. "How much longer can you go on?"

    "How many more Deathknights have you got?" Maeve answers.

"They are the biggest obstacle we have faced, yet they have

proven singularly ineffective."

    "The servants of my ally..."

    "Your master, you mean..."

    "...are of no significance to me."

    "Obviously."

    "Two of your friends already lay dead in my sanctuary. Do you

wish to join them in permanent repose?"

    "I think you will be the next one to join the legions of the

dead, Oleanth. I will see to that." Maeve moved toward the Raver,

WindReaver, glowing imperceptibly, held in a two hand grip.

    "Empty threats spoken by a band of fools." The voice took on

a menacing edge, "Very well, O great and fearsome warrior, see if

you can blithely shrug this off." The blue robed figure spread its

arms wide. The sleeves were empty. "All of you, kill each other."   

    Wei-Lee realizes, as Oleanth begins to speak, that something very

nasty might soon occur. As he completes a carefully constructed

shield about his mind he feels Oleanth reach out for him with

will shattering force. The exceptionally strong attack builds

against the mental walls and failing to breach the barricade,

subsides. Feeling the aeromantic presence surround him, Wei-Lee

strikes at it with Sarek. Oleanth, aware of the powers of the

Gauntlet, avoids the attack.  

    Wei-Lee, extremely wary now, watches the figure of Oleanth and

keeps half an eye on his friends about him. Oleanth has a bad

habit of using others to fight his battles.

    Nothing happens.

    Seconds drag by like hours. Did he get to anyone. He had

reached Kalarina and Raec before. If Oleanth managed to possess

them both at the same time Wei-Lee wasn't sure he was ready for such a

contingency. He looked around.

    "Is everyone all right?" Maeve asked, all business and ready

to kill something.

    "Yup," Kalarina says, happy to remain free from that terrible

mind control.

    Raec draws a dagger and with the shout, "Horseslayer!" throws

it at Oleanth. The dagger flies straight at the opening in the

hood where a face might be hidden in the shadows.

    Oleanth's robed arm rises and the dagger stops a foot away

from the empty sleeve. The dagger hangs in the air for a moment

and then falls impotently to the floor with a clatter.

    Kilsorana suddenly feels the entire might of Oleanth's mind press

upon hers with crushing force. Her partially erected shield

shatters before the onslaught and her mind, helpless, becomes

bound to the Raver's will. Kill yourself! Throw yourself into the

pit! She resists these urges but her body betrays her and she

turns toward the pit and takes one step. Then another.

    Maeve reacts quickly. Seeing no obvious danger to herself she

grabs Kilsorana's arm, "Kilsorana!"

    Suddenly, Oleanth flees her mind with Maeve's touch.

WindReaver thumps angrily at the close presence of Oleanth's

essence.

    "Amazing." Oleanth says softly in spite of himself.

    At last, the earth power is drained from her. Maeve begins

to swing WindReaver above her head. The Sword drags as if in a

vat of sludge. She strains against unseen forces, calling;

calling to the air about her. And then the Sword moves more

freely, thumping like a strong heart. Heartened by the success of

this maneuver she calls to Oleanth through WindReaver. "Come to

me. Fight me! We are bound now; I shall slay thee!"

    "As you wish!" Oleanth says aloud. The figure's arms raise up

high and as the robe dissipates Oleanth's essence fills the

corridor, surrounding the entire group. A roaring, not unlike

that made by a great waterfall, vibrates the very floor beneath

the group's feet. Something moves down the hallway at a very high

speed.

    Maeve braces herself. 

    Kilsorana begins to cast a material shield about herself.

    "THEN DIE!" And a massive wall of air smashes into everyone.

As the air blasts the group back all light disappears. Pitch

black darkness descends. The sound of the wind threatens to

deafen sensitive ears.

    At his command Raec develops a headache. Maeve nearly falls

over but WindReaver arcs up and across in a flash of light.

    Kalarina and Raec kneel down against the wall. With the magic

mace, Raec describes great arcs through the almost solid mass of

air rushing by. Kalarina attempts to cling to the floor. Blasts

of wind buffet her about.

    Kilsorana's shield holds against the wind but she cannot do anything

else to fight Oleanth. She conserves her remaining reserves of

arcane power and waits for the proper time to act.

    Wei-Lee, fighting an unseen and insubstantial opponent, attacks

Oleanth's mystical essence with Sarek. The Gauntlet tears

through a spongy resistance. Dimly, Wei-Lee is aware on some primal

level that the Gauntlet is causing considerable damage to the

Raver.

    And then a dim glow begins to light up the corridor. It comes

from WindReaver, the sword forged solely for the purpose of

slaying an Air Raver, which describes an intricate pattern of

blocks and attacks about Maeve. Maeve's face, set in grim

determination, is lit palely by the energies released by the

conflict between Oleanth and herself. Faster and faster come her

swings. With each strike the corridor is rocked by a thunderclap.

    The wind howls. In the dim light cast by WindReaver, Maeve

fights as if one with the Sword. Each attack stronger than the

previous one. As windreaver's strokes become more violent and

frenetic so too does the wind blow more strongly.

    In the darkness, protected by her shield, Kilsorana senses her feet

moving along the floor. It is very smooth. She finds no purchase

whatsoever. Disoriented, she tries to keep standing. Suddenly the

wind changes direction. It seems to be pushing down. Down? That

is odd. Unless...!

    Almost before the thought is completed she steps onto the

astral plane, with her physical body. She glimpses streams of

bright blue aeromantic power about her, within the black tube

representing the walls of the pit.  Moving at nearly sixty feet

per second her etherial form plunges down through the deadly

steel spikes and penetrates deep into the underlying rock before

she slackens her momentum. Careful not to lose her sense of

direction, she reverses her direction and swims back up to the

bottom of the pit. Poking her head up from the rock she sees tall

thin spires of black physical matter rise perhaps four feet above

her. Blue Aeromantic power cascades down the pit toward her and

then veers off to the side down several large ducts, cut through

the solid rock walls at the base of the pit.

    Kilsorana moves up against the flow of magic within the confines of

the black walled chimney. Blue waves of power sweep by her. Where

the magic impinges on her shield she is surrounded by a corona of

light.

    Slowly, she moves upward.

    Maeve, her arms locked to the Sword, moves fluidly;

WindReaver snaps about continuously. Each strike is an attack;

each attack does horrendous damage.

    Oleanth attempts to cast her into the pit. WindReaver, arcing

obliquely, slashes through the powerful magics with a great peal

of thunder and an explosion of light. A jolt of power slams up

Maeve's arms, nearly dislocating her shoulders. 

    In this brilliant flash of light Reac notices that Wei-Lee has

been pushed back to within scant feet of the fanged black

maw which yawns behind him. He also sees Kalarina squatting

before him. He studies the image burned temporarily into his

retinas. Where is Kilsorana? He did not see her anywhere. Kilsorana is gone!

    In that flash of light Kalarina looks forward into Oleanth's

inner sanctum. It is perhaps a dozen feet wide; spherical but

with a flat floor. A half spherical emerald glowing object about

18" in diameter sits atop a bizarre chalice. She tries to fix the

location of the globe in her mind. She will wait for a break in

the wind, however, before she throws.

    "Gunther!" Maeve shouts. "I will avenge thee!" Completely

attuned to WindReaver, Maeve is not aware that the blade prompts

her movements. Suddenly, the blade is there. And there. And

there. It moves completely of its own accord now, guiding her,

directing her; she responds fully. Without pause, she and the

Sword perform a deadly dance with Oleanth. She whirls and jumps,

twists and turns facing an opponent WindReaver knows and hates

equally. Now she kneels and now she stands; WindReaver always

moving; glowing; pounding like a mallet on a large wooden cask.

    A corona of white light streams from about Maeve. Individual

movements can no longer be discerned. She and the Sword move in a

blur. Only her superb fighting skills allow her to maintain such

a pace.  WindReaver's accelerated movement creates a halo about

Maeve as it moves with the speed of thought, defeating unseen

attacks and cleaving into the invisible opponent with deadly

precision. Thunderclaps come in continuous succession, assaulting

already deafened ears.

    With wild abandon Oleanth throws himself at Maeve. He attacks

her mind. He attacks her body. He attacks the Sword.  WindReaver

cuts deep, but he has tremendous reserves. Oleanth is supremely

confident. And why not? Did he not just fool the very gods

themselves? Those fools. Someday they would all grovel before

him. In the last several months he had, admittedly, suffered

great setbacks, but his plans had worked almost without flaw. He

would rise from these ashes stronger and far more powerful than

before.

    And now, facing her in direct combat, Oleanth knows that

Maeve has learned only the smallest portion of WindReaver's

abilities. He rejoices. It is such a simple task to keep her busy

and destroy her weak and stupid companions one by one.

Eventually, when only Maeve remains, he can remove that damnable

sword from her grasp and prove the true nature of her folly.

    All in good time.

    Km reaches the top of the black rectangular box. Great

streamers of blue energy whip past her as she looks out above the

lip of the pit. She sees space before her. All of the blue power

pours out from the far end of the corridor and "drains" down

into the pit almost like water through a pipe. She sees several

pathetically small white life forms immersed in an incredible flow of

controlled power. A massive blob of power extends nearly fifty

feet down  the corridor from a point somewhere before Maeve's

brilliantly shining life force. An emerald green glowing mass of

power engulfs these tiny life forms, struggling to snuff them out.

She senses the raw hate emanating from the entity and recoils

slightly, despite herself. Occasionally, some of the emerald

power will collect near Maeve's life force and slap at it.

    Kilsorana considers travelling through the stone surrounding the

corridor because it is a wonderful blocker of magic but she knows

that the probability of becoming lost is very high. When

travelling through soil or rock etherially, one tends to follow

the grain of the rock or soil rather than a predetermined

direction. 

    Maeve presses Oleanth back from her with several particularly

effective strikes. The corridor is lit by successive explosions

of light. WindReaver hacks a hole in the emerald green entity

surrounding her.

    Suddenly, the wind stops.

    Kalarina, waiting patiently for this moment, whips a steel

dagger down the corridor. It spins end over end, seemingly, in

slow motion. Kwang! It impacts soundly on the emerald globe.

    Oleanth, in a blast of rage, hurtles magical attacks at his

tenacious antagonists and roars out to engage his opponents once

more.  Focusing on one target, Oleanth, collects

emerald power and strikes.

    Wei-Lee strikes at the solid wave of energy which engulfs him. He

feels Sarek rip into the entity around him. And then his feet

leave the floor. Desperately, he tries to orient himself in the

darkness. Frantically, he thrusts his feet out. The metal shod

sandals spark briefly as they scrape along a solid surface.

    And then weightlessness. Hurtling through blackness at a

frightening speed.

    Suddenly, Kilsorana perceives Wei-Lee's life force, denoted by the red

glow of the Gauntlet, hurtle past her shoulder and down into the

black oblong box.  Horrified, she watches it race toward the

bottom of the pit she just passed through; but without the

protection of shifting onto the astral plane.

    Options? None. Reaching around Wei-Lee pulls the Houndmaster's 

Thigh-piece from his back to his side, so that the top extends

just beyond his head and the bottom ends just above his pelvis.

Trained to fall, he pivots to land on his shielded side, legs

first to absorb the energy of the fall.

 

    Impact.

 

    Kilsorana, furious now, realizes that Oleanth cannot be defeated

this way. Eventually all will lie broken at the bottom of that

frightful pit. In that instant she conceives a desperate plan.

She gathers spell power about her and streaks toward Maeve.

    Oleanth, divining Kilsorana's intent begins to create a powerful

shield about Maeve's flailing form.

    Maeve concentrates. Blackness all about her. She does not

know if any of her friends yet live. White streams of power

radiate from WindReaver. The Sword pounds in her hands leaping

this way and that; inimical to the invisible entity before it.

    And then emerald blocks of energy begin to form about her,

falling cunningly into place. When the odd construct has risen to

about waist height, WindReaver begins to strike at it repeatedly.

It shatters beneath the powerful attacks with a flash of light.

    And then she feels a presence near her, something grasps her

about the waist...

    Whoosh! Maeve is yanked etherial. She finds herself in the

arms of Kilsorana travelling at a truly mindboggling speed. Startled,

she sees what she really battles. With vision she sees a roiling

mass of emerald power set against her. A vast flow of blue power

races past her down the corridor. Maeve, still holding WindReaver

shouts, "Take me to his soul!" She begins to swing again at the

now visible form of Oleanth.

    Kilsorana, straining with her last reserves of energy, swims

valiantly against the current.