Ch 21: The Fog of War

Piramay dug the end of her staff into the earth releasing it as she knelt to Fifth's side. She reached out the look of concern still on her face as her hand gently touched the side of Fifth's face affectionately. "Indeed time is of the essence my sweet Fifth."

Her hand slipped away from his face as she reached down lifting up his right hand holding it gently in between both of her own. Her voice was soft as velvet and sweet as honey as she spoke to him. "I told you the girl would be trouble and you blindly ignored my counsel on the matter, but for that I forgive you. Even after all these years of life in service to this great goal you wear still only a man and again I forgive you." She smiled sweetly "I hope that in the after life you... can forgive me."

As she spoke that last word he would feel the new soul well pressed against his palm as she spoke the activation word.

Fifth could not help but smile as Piramay cooed at him. He had managed to prolong his life for hundreds of years, using the power of others souls to re-energize his body and keep himself young. Never had he found a woman however, always it was the pursuit of magic, the striving for power, and even despite his own protests to the contrary he knew that he had made the right choice in Piramay for not only a partner in the pursuit of power, but she too was now, while his body was broken, showing her affection for him as well. Her warm touch on his cheek was comforting despite the excruciating pain he was in due to his injuries. As she looked into his eyes he felt assured that all would be well and that the two of them would rise again and formulate a new plan.

As she clasped her hands over his and spoke he felt slightly downcast as she gave him her honest words, he hadn't listened and he should have, Kali was a wild card but her power was perfect to complete the triangle, he had failed to see however that she was not fully devoted to the cause. He nodded weakly as she said those words, but he took slight pause as she continued, he was ... 'just a man?' What did she mean by that... and what forgiveness was she asking for...

His eyes went wide as she spoke the word he himself had created. It was the magic that he was responsible for even BEING here and with a smirk she was turning on him too, using his own innovation and magical device against him, he instantly felt the device pierce his hand and he twitched as he reached up quickly with his right hand, grasping at her throat, he was intent to squeeze the life from her. He clutched and missed, grabbing her robes on the right shoulder. She merely looked at his hand and her smirk seemed to grow all the more mocking as she whispered, "It's strong magic sweet Fifth, I thank you for showing it to me."

He gasped and the silver mirrors of his eyes faded, deep green eyes appeared as his natural ones returned while the life force was sucked from him. His skin began to shrivel and turn ash gray as the grip on her shoulder gently released, a gurgle escaped his lips and his body twitched. He was too weak to scream but she could tell by his face that the agony was tremendous. After about ten seconds a horrific scream finally exploded from his mouth and his body slumped over, turning to ash leaving nothing behind but his robes.



Nol roared and the remnants of the flight dove. The dragons of the Dark Lady were routed and escaping over the horizon. The only two dragons left in the area were the ones that remained from Piramays flight and Nol's dragons came from above and hit them with a vengeance. One was dead before it even knew what hit it as three of the five hit it with cone of cold breath attacks and shattered it to pieces. The second, larger one twisted and avoided Nol's breath weapon but they passed by close enough that Kellan slashed the beasts throat with the barbed end of the Dragonlance. Blood like molten magma exploded outwards and scorched the land all around it's body as the creature smashed into the earth below and hissed its last breath.

Nol twisted his body up and beat his wings heavily, landing just outside the gate of Heartlund, the other four dragons landed in a perfect V formation behind him and the five ancient creatures, Kellan on Nol's back, stood and looked towards the city, their heads held high and staring at the guards along the battlements.



Ceridwyn grinned at Pela and the two of them rallied the troops in the area. Together they blasted through the front of the lines that had broken through and within moments the enemy was routed or dead. The two of them stood near the half broken gate, staring out towards the field, five silver dragons staring back. Pela was beginning to flare her magic again as she looked at Nol and Ceridwyn touched her gently, "Worry not Pela, that is Nol'Lore Silentclaw, I am sure you remember the tall, handsome elf that once walked the fields of Glen Durel."

Pela looked at her in amazement and Ceridwyn could tell immediately that she understood.

Kellan sat on Npl’s back and looked at the tattered remains Heartlund. It had taken quite a bit of damage but it could be rebuilt in time. And as what was leftof the Dark Lady’s forces retreated much faster than they had arrived, she knew the battle had been won. But as she let her gaze slide around, she realized the cost of the battle. The trees lay waste in ash and smoke. Huge chunks of the wall had been demolished and bodies littered the area. Her left hand tightened around the Dragonlance and her leather glove creaked ever so slightly. All of these lives were lost for a pair of mages greed for power.

Her gaze drifted then to the guards on the wall and she watched them to see what they were going to do. It was obvious the Silver Dragons had not come to harm the people of Heartlund, but she could still see the wariness in their gazes. She would wait until an invitation was given before she even tried to make contact with anyone.

Without realizing it, she reached down and stroked Nol’s scales as she sat pondering what the next move would be and who would make it. Movement caught her eye and she recognized Sir Trysten, Lady Fairwind and Saul as they climbed what was left of the wall and looked out at the dragons and another Knight she didn’t recognize . Kellan’s face guard was still in place and she planned on keeping it that way. For now






Pela actually enjoyed blasting her way through the front of the lines. Not since she had worked with Bad Rock had she had so much fun. As the enemy forces turned tail and ran, sometimes quite literally, she walked with Ceri to the gate and looked out at the five dragons that landed. She was preparing to cast when she felt Ceri’s hand on her arm explaining who one of the dragons were. Blinking, she looked back at the dragons and whistled surprisingly.

”Well I will be a Minotaur’s uncle. I knew there was something strange about him but I had no idea he was….well…..THAT. So if that dragon is Nol, then who is the rider upon his back? Who ever he is, he knows what he is doing with that weapon of his.”






The group heard the agonizing scream coming from the trees and everyone snapped their heads in that direction. Pela looked at the dragons to see what their reaction was and she could see they were on high alert but remained where they were. Even the rider on Nol’s back gripped the weapon in a way that spoke volumes.

Pela glanced at the silhouettes of Kali and Olwa and took a small step forward as she spoke softly more to herself than anyone around her.

”I do not like the sound of that. I fear we are not over yet.”






Rayann was looking in the direction the scream came from and she shook her head as she spoke.

”You’re right, Pela dear. It’s not good. And we’re far from over right now. That fire bitch is still out there somewhere and from the sounds and feel of it, she’s still doing what she does best.”

Piramay sat there kneeling over the robes of her former partner looking at the palms of her two hands. In one a pile of ash and the other the soul well, her final gift from Fifth. She stared at the ash for several moments before blowing the stuff from her hands and wiping the remainder off on her robes as she slipped the soul well into her robes. Her hand clasped the ashwood staff and she turned facing the cloud of dust and dirt as it drew ever closer. Her own tower exploded in a brilliant display of fire and stone and she only smiled. She could feel all that power starting to wane but it did not matter to her.

The wall of dust and debree was rolling towards Her and her creations. She pulled upon the remaining reserves of power from her destroyed tower glaring at the dust cloud. She lifted her staff into the air once more and slammed it down into the earth. The flames of the wall of fire flared becoming hot white in color that shifted surrounding her remaining dragons. Her free hand came out creating a swirling motion in the air and within moments as the dust cloud past harmlessly over her pets cages the dust swirled and move past a pocket of air that she had wrapped around herself. She grit her teeth knowing she only had a short period of time to get to the rift before she was left here alone and powerless against the little wretches allies. Her free hand clenched slowly and she could here the joints popping as she did so. Her eyes closed as she stood in contemplation of her next move.

Her pocket became enveloped by the cloud of dust and it obscured her from the sight of everyone but the elves. For several moments there was nothing but then the pocket began to move slowly at first. The dust began to churn and swirl as Piramay moved. The pocket had shifted and she had formed it into something of a vortex that she was using to clear away the dust choked air from her path. A Path that was very quickly moving in Kali's direction with clear intentions. After such a display she knew the girl would be weak and she would prey upon that weakness.

Keatara and Gideon made it to the eastern battlements fighting their way through. Tara sported more than one deep gash, but kept fighting alongside Gideon. By the time they were able to take a breather, she was bloody and bruised as he was. But, his armor had protected him better. She was breathing heavily as they ran for cover, finally stopping for a few moments. Tara was in somewhat of a stupor, watching the carnage around her and remembering the day her family had been slaughtered. She was in a daze, moving on instinct rather than thought. Gideon kept looking at her, worry in his dark brown eyes. She was quiet.....too quiet.

Keatara looked at the bodies laying around them, but she didn't see the soldiers or elves....she saw her family. She wasn't a seasoned warrior like Gideon. Sure, she knew how to fight, but it was more for survival than battle. When she saw the undead coming, her green eyes widened with fear.

Gideon grabbed her by the arm, "Come on, Tara!!! We need to get up to the battlements!!! Come on!!"

Tara followed him, hitting the stones hard of the battlement. She looked out over the interior of the keep and all she saw was the destruction and death. Gideon was shouting orders to the men and women on the battlement and keeping an eye on Tara at the same time. He didn't like the state she was in, but he understood it. What they saw back on the western battlements was unreal. A black ooze that sucked the life out of people. As he looked at Tara again, he saw that she was beginning to shake, her eyes darting everywhere. "The children. Are the wee ones safe? Please.....keep the little ones safe. They can't die again.....never again." She was remembering the slaughter of her nieces and nephews. Gideon knew that she was going into shock from the trauma of the battle, not knowing just what all she'd been through when her family had been killed, but those words told him that she witnessed the children she'd loved so dearly being mutilated.

Gideon was now a warrior, his brown eyes hard as was his face. He was worried about Tara, but had no time to comfort her as he wanted to. "Yes....Tara, the children are safe. They are well hidden."

Gideon had seen his fair share of fighting and battle but the things these mages were doing to the fallen soldiers by reanimating them and making them walk around in grotesque formations of some sort was enough to make even his trained, tried and true mind spin. He hesitated when he struck down the first Knight that had been reanimated but he quickly realized this was no longer his comrade in arms. This was some sort of abomination that should never have been. After that, he easily struck down each one he came in contact with uttering prayers to Paladine for their souls unknowing what was really happening to them.

He was impressed with Tara’s fighting skills. She wasn’t a trained warrior like he was but she held her own fairly well. She’d taken a few hits and he could see blood that was from her own wounds and not the enemy and he was concerned about that, but he saw the way she fought to stay alive.

When the dragons entered the picture, he felt the uncontrollable fear grip him and he struggled between wanting to run away screaming in terror and holding fast and not giving ground. There were a couple of times he coward behind some fallen debris and it was all he could do to control the urge to curl into a ball and tremble.

When the dragon fear lifted as the second wave of dragons appeared he got to his feet and started hacking and slicing his way through the throng of enemy forces. He couldn’t help but stop for a moment when he heard that Huma had returned to fight the dragons. Like his fellow Knights, he had to see for himself if the legend was true or not. Daring to glance up he saw the armor clad warrior riding astride the dragon and holding a rather long lance and when he saw the way it sliced into a blue dragon, he raised his voice in cheer like the rest of his comrades.

He started making his way towards the breached wall then with Tara in tow. All around he could hear the screams of the dragons and hear their powerful breath weapons as they exploded from their open maws. As the dragons started crashing from the sky the ground rumbled all around them but he couldn’t stop now. He had to keep going or he and Tara would die.

Finally the fighting seemed to be taking a turn in the favor of the Knights and Elves and finally they reached the others. He saw the lady mages fighting back the enemy forces near the destroyed gate of the Keep and he saw how many of the enemy soldiers began to retreat. Hearing another loud roar come from overhead he saw what was left of the second dragon wave diving in from overhead. Again he watched the rider working as one with the dragon he rode and they dispatched the molten dragons the one mage had let loose. Now what was left of the dragons landed just outside the gate and stood looking at the Keep as well as the lone rider.

As he saw the look in Tara’s eyes as they fought their way through the throng of enemy soldiers, he could see the change come over her. When they finally reached the gate and he heard what she was saying, he knew he had to bring her out of her shock or she would be so far gone there wouldn’t be any chance of pulling her back. Especially when he heard the agonizing scream come from the trees followed by the moving orb that was headed straight for the fallen towers debris.

He grabbed a hold of her shoulders firmly and shook hard. When she blinked and looked up at him he gave her a hard look. His normally soft brown eyes were gone and what she saw now was the hardened warrior he was trained to be. His voice held an authoritative tone to it he’d never spoke to her with.

”Snap out of it, Tara. We’re not out of the woods yet. The children are safe and well hidden. They have been spared. But we won’t be if you don’t get your head back to the here and now.”

Kali looked over at Olwa, both were crouched low after the explosion and slowly stood almost simultaneously. Olwa rubbed his eyes as he stared out into the fog of dust and debris, "Never in my days would I have expected to see magic so powerful."

He turned and looked at Kali who simply shook her head and laughed, "Aren't you a little young to be making assumptions like that?" Olwa quirked a brow and looked at her. He was about to respond when she felt the pull of magic and heard Fifth scream his last. She turned to look at Olwa with alarm on her face and her voice became much more authoritative, "On your toes, we aren't out of this yet."

She turned and looked around, they were in the massive crater that was her former tower and she grabbed his arm, "This way!"

The two of them dashed to the east and then swung down into one of the draws that ran between the towers. The bodies of dead elementals were strewn all over the landscape as a result of the explosion and she spoke again, "Damn it, I thought I killed that bastard..."

Olwa looked at her and spoke, "Who?"

Kali turned and looked at him with furrowed brows, "Fifth."

He turned and looked back into the dust, searching for the pinkish outline of life that only Elves could see, "So he's still alive?"

Kali huffed and shook her head, "No, but it wasn't my blow that felled him...," She turned and looked at Olwa, "Apparently Piramay had a few little plans of her own as well."

She grabbed him by the arm and turned him to her looking deeply into his eyes, "Listen closely Olwa, Piramay is not going to take this lightly, she is vindictive and motivated by a lust for power. There isn't a bone of kindness in her body and my guess is she is not going to allow the loss of this power to go without seeking revenge. The power of the towers is waning and the rift is closing, but it will be most advantageous to kill me now while she still has this power. Be on the ready, we might be in for the fight of our lives. I am going to need your protection while I cast, do you understand? She casts differently, her abilities to cast using her seals separate her from most wizards, she can wield arcane magic but my guess is she will resort to her seals and faster casting to come after us."

Olwa nodded and reached into his quiver, "I still have one of these."

She looked curiously at the arrow. She could feel that it was enchanted but had no idea what it would do, she shrugged and spoke, "What does it do?"

He spoke, "Ceridwyn enchanted it to destroy the trebuchet that were lined up along the ridgeline, I don't know what manner of magic she put in them but it knocked Fifth on his face, they are pretty powerful."

She looked at the arrow and spoke, "You only have one?" He nodded. "Very well, we will count that as one of our assets. Also she doesn't know that I am with you, so that is asset number two.

Kali felt the wind increase and saw the tornado like spiral coming and throwing the dust and debris in the air to clear the path, "OK, she is coming. She does not know you are here. Hide, I will confront her face to face and you get around behind some of those dead elementals and make yourself invisible, get to her back and while I keep her distracted and concentrated on me you drive that arrow into her spine, you got me?"

Olwa nodded and in a flash he was off, hidden behind the elementals. As the dust swirled and spun Piramay's spell went out and across where Kali's tower had been. Kali was tucked safely behind the hilltop of the draw and when the spell had passed and cleared most of the stuff from the air she walked to the top of the hill and using magic her voice exploded from her mouth, "Come on Piramay! It will take more than wind to kill me! Face me if you think you have a chance in Hades!"

She sent a missive to her parents, ~ "Do not intervene, if you do she will surly send those two dragons that are left to raze the city to the ground. Stay on the battlements, it will keep her from unleashing them." ~

Lavender and Emerald eyes were glued to the debris tornado as it drew closer to the destroyed towers. Rayann knew Klai would be weakened by the massive spell she just cast and she knew Piramay was going to take full advantage of it. Rayann started to dash off to help her daughter when she felt a strong grip on her arm preventing her from going anywhere. When she looked back over her shoulder, she saw Myth’s hand holding her arm and a stern look on his face.

Rayann received the message from Kali the same time Myth had but her maternal instincts kicked in and she was going to ignore Kali’s warning. She glanced down at his hand as it held firmly to her arm and she furrowed her brows then looked back up at Myth.

”She needs my help!”

Myth took a step closer and reached out with his other hand to grab a hold of Rayann’s other arm.

”You heard her, Rayann. Our forces are depleted and even Nol’s flight has suffered great losses to the point where they can’t afford to engage with those beasts.”

Rayann knew in her heart Myth was right but she still struggled to free herself from his unyielding grip.

”But….it’s Kali….our daughter. Myth….we have to do something.”

Myth nodded and held firm.

”I know. We ARE doing something. We’re doing what she instructs us to do.”

He looked her deep in the eyes then and spoke softer.

”Have faith, mel’amine.”

Rayann couldn’t believe she was hearing what Myth was saying but she slowly stopped trying to release herself from his grip and turned to look out over the dust and debris at the scenes unfolding before her. She felt a lump form in her throat and tears sting her eyes.

”By Lunitari I pray she has the strength to fight Piramay. Please…..Kali…..come back to us…”








Pela felt her heart jump to her throat as she watched the tornado make its way towards Kali and Olwa. Even she knew Kali had to be weak from casting such a massive spell as she had. Pela could only imagine how drained she must be right about now. She saw rayann start to move off the battlements and Myth restrain her. She was ready to join Rayann when she felt gently hands on her shoulder and she turned to see Aeolis’ hand there instead of Ceri’s. Her eyes met his and he shook his head

”Not this time, Pela. This is not your fight. It is Kali’s. Piramay is far too strong for any spell you may have for her and those twin dragons of hers would only destroy anything left standing. Look. Even the dragons and rider are not moving on this one.”

She looked over and saw that Aeolis was indeed right. The five dragons and rider stayed put but watched everything with guarded interest. She looked back at the swirling dust and debris cloud and heard Kali’s voice taunting the fire mage. Pela curled her fingers into her hands and strained to see if Olwa was still there and if he was OK but her human vision was simply not good enough.

Finally she settled and stood, watching and waiting with baited breath to see what was going to happen next and praying to any God that would hear her Kali was strong enough to face the fire mage.

The spiraling mass of wind shifted drawing in upon itself before it exploded in a pulse of wind pushing the aerial pollutants away. The air was clear and Piramay stood there staff in hand with her usual pleasant smile. She was the picture of calm as she stood in silence looking at Kali. Taking in a breath she spoke in a bemused tone "Kali my girl if thought I only had a chance I would not be here. While I had not considered the destruction of the towers your betrayal was easily foreseen."

The fire mage looked around the area shaking her head. "So much destruction in such a short period of time. I must admit that for once I enjoyed myself, but the time for enjoyment is over. This is now a matter of business and I do not mean to fool around with you." The air in front of her shimmered as trails of fire weaved themselves into an intricate pattern before her. It was her infamous seal, the the intricate framework that limited access to her true strength to prevent her from literally burning herself out. She lifted her hand settling her fingers into the intricate patterns center and she physically shifted the pattern by twisting her hand. The outer most rings of the pattern snuffed out.

The seal faded from view and her hand remained lifted as her eyes focused on Kali. It was clear she felt that Kali was a legitimate threat or she would not bother releasing her limiters at all. It also showed that she respected Kali's ability based on the fact they had not even started to battle and she was removing her limitations. She never even spared a look towards the keep letting her pets keep a watchful eye upon Kali's friends.

The pull of magic was fast but the application was something one would expect from Piramay as a cone of flames spewed forth from her outstretched hand. It served no other purpose than to get their battle underway. The smile upon her face was one of utter joy.

Kali watched as Piramay appeared and bantered with her. She remained perfectly calm and her face showed no sign of emotional response. She responded with a calm coolness to her voice, "For you it was foreseeable, for that son of a bitch it was as easy as leading a blind man to a cliff. I only needed to fool him, not you."

Piramay released her seals and Kali prepared herself with a clam breath. This was no match of the meek, Kali knew the extent to which Piramay could cast and reign destruction down, even before the towers she was a force to be reckoned with and Kali was not about to underestimate her.

The cone of fire was unleashed and Kali responded with a quick snap of her hands, her staff implanted into the ground. Her hands exploded in a violent wind and the flames flared back at Piramay, engulfing her and surrounding her in a swirl of color. Kali knew that the flames would do nothing to harm her, but the spray of dirt would temporarily blind her and give her a precious few seconds to maneuver. As the blast sprayed towards Piramay Kali vanished and appeared directly behind Piramay and in the path of her own spell. She hissed words of magic and rotated her hands high above her head as she pressed the natural arcane magic of Krynn through her body. Her Staff flared to life and became as cold as ice. She reached and the staff released from the ground hurling itself straight towards herself, and Piramay was directly in the path. Hopefully the staff would smash into Piramay in route back to Kali's hand due to her being blinded by the first spell.

A missive not directed at anyone but broadcast due to her pulling so much magic flashed through Kali's mind, only those sensitive to her mind messages would hear it but the calm and focus in her voice was clear, ~ "Fool around with this, bitch." ~

As the fire was washed back upon with the strong winds Piramay had turned her head away. The dirt carried upon the wind still limited her sight and she never saw Kali vanish until the flow around her shifted letting her know Kali had ported behind her and was casting at that moment. Her hand came out as she took control of the wind mixing it with the flames strengthening them as she whipped the two elements into a ball around her. However she was unaware of the staff until she felt it coming at her. She took a guess stepping to the left and she felt the staff punch through her robe grazing the bare flesh of her right side. For anyone but her it would have been discomforting but the pain exploded fromt he point of contact causing her concentration to falter causing the air she gathered to push the flames to the earth creating a circular pool of fire around her.

The was no question about how angry she was when she focused her eyes upon Kali. She was not suprised by the girl's use of cold but it did not make her any less angry, and it showed as the fire at her feet flared upwards. She resisted the urge to remove the remaining seals. She was angry but not enough to make a tactical mistake such as that. She brought her hand up running it through the fire like it was water. The flames were drawn from the blaze swirling and gathering into a tight ball as she muttered before casting the orb into the air several feet where it hovered and began spraying the earth in Kali's direction with small bolts of white fire. She now set herself to gathering a sphere of pure air in her hand preparing her next move.

Kali heard the imapct and the tearing of fabric as the staff make contact. She caught her staff as it returned to normal and then saw Piramay appear as the debris were cleared from the air. She looked back at Piramay with the same hatred that was in the fire mages eyes and without a word she reached into her robes and removed reagents. She was about to start casting when the orb of fire appeared and she was caught unaware by the white hot flames shooting at her. Before she had a chance to clear the area her robes were pierced and she felt the intense pain of the burn as fire hit her just above the hip in the flesh. She grit her teeth and clutched her hands around the reagents so as not to drop them.

Knowing that was just a prelude to something bigger she quickly hissed and threw the reagents into the air across a wide arc between them. The sand mixed with other components flared to life and her sleep spell broadcast itself towards Piramay. She knew all she had to do was throw Piramay off enough to kill her. It didn't need to be anything fancy, Kali was perfectly content to simply get Piramay on the ground and stab her in the heart with her dagger.

There was a light chuckle on the air as Piramay prepared to unleash her spell. The a look of bewilderment spread across her face. The orb of fire in the air ceased its bombardment and the ball of air in her hand faded from existence as Piramay suddenly leaned heavily upon her staff. She was fighting the spell as best she could but after several moments she went to one knee and then the other. The fire in her eyes was waining with her strength as she sat there upon the earth a deathgrip upon her staff as her other hand went to the earth. "Filty.... little... half blood...."

Piramay tried to rally her strength and stand but she went down once more. Her head sagged but her hand refused to relinquish its hold upon her staff. The earth steamed and hissed as fire spread form the point her hand touched the earth. The flaming curls of her hair shifted with the natural winds as the mage of fire went still and silent. Her breathing slowed and all was silent except for the crackling flames of the fires around them.

Kali stepped back, drawing the dagger that was sheathed on her left forehand from her sleeve, she was about to dash in and stab Piramay in the heart but something stopped her. It was too easy, too simple that a sorceress as powerful as Piramay would be felled by a sleep spell, but then again, sometimes it was the simplicity of a spell that it made it so much more powerful.

She glanced up and saw Olwa climb atop a dead Elemental and look at her, she sent him a missive, ~ "I do not know if she is truly affected by my spell, she might have protections in place and I dare not approach. I will port to you and I want you to fire an arrow into her back and kill her from a distance." ~

Kali appeared beside Olwa and he drew an arrow from his quiver. She placed her left hand on his forearm and withdrew reagents from her robes, sprinkling them on the arrow. Hissing words of magic the tip of the arrow became cold as ice and sparkled like shimmering diamonds while letting off a wispy blue steam. She nodded and Olwa nocked the arrow in place, draw back and released. It was a short shot for any elf, and the arrow loosed from the string and hissed through the air leaving a comet trail of cold behind it as it headed straight for Piramay's back, aimed to go straight through her heart.

It was always the simple tricks that could be most effective. The fire mage wanted to laugh lightly but she resisted the urgeAs Kali debated her move Piramay's fingers dug into the earth and shifted slowly. Had Kali decided to take a closer look she would have seen the seal burnt into the earth. However she was wary as Piramay had expected an instead chose to strike from a distance.

The appearence of young Olwa from hiding brought a smirk to her face that was hidden beneath the curls of her hair. She felt the magic being cast over the arrow and she could hear the bow being drawn. Her body tensed and when she heard the arow launch she moved. There was a pulse of air around her as she spun and stood cast her hand out. A force of air plucke dhte air casting it off to teh side where it detonated when it hit the earth.

As the dirt flew Piramay drew back her arm creating a flaming spear. She gave it a mighty heave pointing with her free hand as it released sending the flaming projectile towards Olwa. Kali had her defenses but the young elven archer did not.

Kali waited as the arrow flew and sure as her instincts told her Piramay was sandbagging to find cracks in Kali's strategy. The wind that pushed the arrow aside and caused it to detonate harmlessly caused her to grind her teeth and curse under her breath.

Kali could feel her heartbeat in her head, her eyes blinked in slow motion as she watched Piramay's dance unfold. She had seen Piramay many times at work while they were both under the service of Tahkisis and it was nothing as elegant and calculated as this. Piramay was known for roasting those whom the Dark Queen saw fit over a prolonged, brutal period of time. She was not calculating, she was not cunning, she was more what one might refer to as "muscle". She was sent to a task and that task was completed with brute force, or in her case, powerful magical fire. This day however Kali was aware that the fire sorceress was becoming something different, something far more lethal. She was learning to be cunning and calculating, to search for the weakness and exploit them rather than simple bash on the door with a hammer and force her way in.

Kali immediately recognized her mistake in having Olwa stand and shoot. He was completely vulnerable and the sphere of fire that hissed through the air would kill him before he even had a chance to move from its path. All this would be a result of her poor tactical decision and he would be the victim, this was simply something she could not live with. Her goal was the preservation of their planet. Not necessarily all life, for not all life was needing to be saved. It was about balance, it was about all having a fair and fighting chance to make their own path and find their own happiness without a small group of individuals dictating the rules. She knew that this journey for her was not noble, but necessary, and she knew that of all the lives on the planet, hers was the most expendable as long as the mission was accomplished. As if seeing with a third eye, Kali knew the rift was closing, surly this was Piramays escape route, but there was no magic left in Kali's arsenal that would prevent Piramay from doing so. As if the pieces of the massive puzzle were finally falling into place Kali understood that the more she fought, the more powerful Piramay was capable of becoming. No, this fight was going to have to linger on the horizon, it was going to have to be tactically planned and brought to bare with the strength of more than she was capable of right now.

Instinctively Kali's hands came up and a flash of blue light erupted from her palms. All wizards could counter spells with spells, that was a simple task. In desperate situations a deflection or an absorption would do the trick, allow for a movement, a breath, a thought, and a response, but there was only time in this situation to save one. Kali could feel Rayanns scream of grief instantly enter her head, she could feel the hearts of her parents suddenly sink, and she could feel the wide eyes of all the watchers along the wall as her spell fired a split second before the impact against the shield, a shield that was cast to protect Olwa.

The explosion sent them both reeling backwards. The heat was more intense than anything Kali had ever felt, the skin on her the left side of her face instantly charred and she felt the dizzy, light headed sensation of shock immediately embrace her body. The sensation of falling lingered far longer than the actual flight from the elementals body to the ground, but the impact hurt far less than the flames. Instinctively she rolled and her heavy robes snuffed out the flames, but there was smoke and the smell of burnt flesh mixed with burning reagents rapidly filling the air. She coughed and tears streamed down her face as she endured the anguish of the fire which cooked the left side of her body, and then the darkness of unconscious bliss took her.

The rift was mere seconds from closing, writhing in the sky like an injured serpent. The horrors of raw, unfiltered magic were rapidly receding, and the magic users were feeling the lift of its burden for the first time in months.

Piramay watched with satisfaction as Kali did what she could to defend the young archer. The scent of burnt flesh filled the air as the mage went unconcious. Piramay let out a low chuckle as she grabbed her staff looking ot the sky. She spared a glance to Olwa grinning. "Remember your friends lesson here young elf. When you play with fire you get burned."

Piramay's remaining dragons were closing in on their mistress while she lifted her staff high. She drove the staff down hard into the earth and a stream of fire shot into the sky. Reaching to the heavans it exploded out into the shape of a phoenix with it's wings spread wide. The shrill call of the legendary bird filled the heavens. With satisfied smile upon her face Piramay waited for the larger of her two dragons to lower itself top teh earth before she climbed onto the back. A quick pat to the side and they launched off into the sky winging towards the fast closing rift in the heavens.

Piramay and both her creations vanished through the swirling rift before it winked out of existence.

Olwa released the arrow and all he could remember was a bright orange flash coming at him, then a blue flash of light, and finally an explosion that threw him to the ground far below and an impact that he would never forget.

He coughed as the air was knocked from his lungs and rolled as best he could to absorb the impact. He rolled onto his stomach and stared helplessly as the red streak of the dragons disappeared into the vanishing rift and then he looked around as the smell of burnt flesh hit his nostrils. In horror he saw Kali, her face burned and her robes smoldering, he scrambled to his feet and ran to her as fast as he could.


The instant the fiery dragons released from their holding place Nol exploded into the air and ordered his dragons to pursue, he tipped and headed over to Kali, hitting the ground Kellan slid off his front leg and they both ran to her as he turned back to his Elven form. They both hit the dirt beside her and Nol went to grab her to see if she was OK but Kellan grabbed his arm, speaking from beneath her face guard, "No, don't touch her, you will make the injury worse."

She could see the compliance in his face but also the concern in his eyes. He was no longer romantically involved or for that matter interested in Kali, but she was still someone he cared for. As she wheezed and her breath became increasingly shallow he sent a missive to Raju, ~ "Raju, come to me quickly, Kali is dying." ~


Ceridwyn screamed and brought her hands to her mouth as she watched in horror what unfolded. Kali had saved Olwas life but sacrificed herself in the process. She could have easily moved aside and shielded herself, potentially even striking while Piramay was recovering, but she elected to save a young Elf she barely knew and at the expense of herself. In a flash she was out on the field, kneeling down at Kali's feet. She sobbed as she saw the extent of the injuries and her tears instantly fell across her dirty cheeks.

Kali's robes were burnt and the skin was charred and peeling off. It would take nothing less than a miracle to save her, it was obvious by the raspy, labored breathing she only had moments to live.

Rayann watched the battle between her daughter and Piramay. With each spell cast she felt her heart skip a beat. And like her daughter, Rayann knew Piramay was full of tricks but even she wasn’t quite prepared to see this from the fire mage. From everything she heard about the legendary mage she was more of the act first and not think about any of it at anytime.

Time stood still for Rayann and Myth as they watched the white hot projectile hurling towards Kali and Olwa. When she saw the shield erupt from Kali’s hands and protect Olwa, Rayann screamed without realizing she had even opened her mouth. She knew Kali had left herself unprotected by casting her spell to protect Olwa.


As the two fell back off the dead elemental they had been perched on, Rayann could feel her daughter was not responsive but she knew Kali wasn’t dead either. She could still feel her daughter’s heartbeat within her own chest. Faint, but it was still there. As the molten dragons advanced on their mistress, Rayann could feel the oppressive atmosphere caused by the rift ease and as Piramay made her escape from the area before the rift disappeared entirely, she knew they hadn't seen the last of the fire mage. Not by a long shot.

As the rift closed Rayann snapped her gaze to the area she saw Kali and Olwa drop from. Without any word to anyone she blinked from standing next to Myth to the location close to Kali and Olwa. The smell of burnt flesh instantly assaulted her nose and she braced herself for the worst.

The smoke and dust still made it difficult to see so with spoken, spidery words of magic, she reached into her robes and withdrew some regents. As she threw the dust like particles up, into the air overhead a gentle wind blew down over the area and cleared out all the smoke and dust s she could see better. Using her vision and her connection with Kali, she zeroed in on her daughter and rushed over to her.

What she saw almost made her vomit but she swallowed down the bile she felt rising in her throat and knelt down next to Kali. Tears stung her eyes as she saw the damage her daughter had taken and she stroked the right side of Kali's head with a trembling hand. Her voice, while soft, trembled like her hand when she spoke to Kali.

"Kali....my daughter."

Rayann looked up when she felt Myth's presence and she saw her husband kneel down next to Kali with her. ShHe could see the anguish in Myth's eyes and could feel the hurt he was feeling for it matched her own.







Pela was taking in all that was happening between the two mages. Her mind, forever like a sponge, absorbed everything she saw each woman do. For her, school was in and she was the avid student. Always watching. Always learning. She had not seen Olwa but she knew deep down he was alright.

The moment she saw Piramay start to droop she furrowed her brows. Her blue eyes darted from the fire mage to Kali and back again. When she saw Olwa appear and draw back the arrow, she felt as though this battle was finished but int he blink of an eye everything changed. As Rayann screamed Pela sucked in her breath. Olwa was totally defenseless and she just knew the young elf was doomed.

But when she saw the shield Kali made to protect him, she felt the air rush from her lungs. As she watched both bodies fall backwards from the perch they had been standing on, Pela thought she was going to pass out. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to stay on her feet. Olwa HAD to be OK. Right? She couldn't lose him like she did Bad Rock too. What would she do then?

The voice in the back of her head told her she would do as she always had; survive. And she knew she would. But she would much rather live than just survive. Life was much better when she lived than survived. And she never really knew what that meant until.....until Olwa showed her.

When she saw Piramay make her escape through the closing rift, Pela looked tot he last place she saw Olwa and Kali. Blinking when she noticed Rayann disappear, she knew where she was headed but didn't know the exact location until she felt the pull of magic and saw the way the smoke and dust was cleared away from the area behind the dead elemental.

She joined Ceri and the others as she blinked herself to their location. She saw Olwa, dusted and dirt covered, but all right. SHe was byt his side in a heartbeat and she tried to blink back tears that form almost immediately at seeing him alive and for the most part, well.





Kellan watched the battle between the two mages. She felt Nol's muscles ripple every so often as he watched as well. She could tell he wanted to help in some way but at the same time she knew it would be a distraction Kali didn't need. Several times Kellan herself let out a small cry of alarm as she watched the massive, deadly spells being hurled across the way at each other.

When Piramay sent the last, damaging spell at the young elf and Kali shielded him from the worst of the fire, Kellan watched their bodies tumble off the perch they were standing on like a couple of rag dogs. She felt Nol's muscles ripple again and she prepared herself for his launch and when he took to the air, she was once more working as one with him.

When he landed and she slid off his front leg, she saw the flash of silver behind her letting her know he had morphed into his Elven form once more. She saw the broken and battered body of Kali on the ground and as Nol reached for the young woman,Kellan stopped him before he could do any more damage. She stood back and let Nol have his time with Kali knowing he still cared for her, especially after what she had done for all of Krynn.

As the crowd began to grow, Kellan glanced around from beneath her face shield. She remained close to Nolto make sure there was no threat to him in this form while he was distracted, but she also made certain she didn't crowd him either.

Tara raised her eyes up to Gideon's hard, brown ones and blinked. Her gaze began to clear as she came back to herself. She blinked again then allowed Gideon to help her to her feet. "I am so sorry, Gideon. I got lost for a moment and was back at the farm." She noticed then that his eyes were anything but soft and saw that he was in his warrior mode....something she'd not yet witnessed. She remembered fighting alongside Gideon and then the dead started rising and she fell into a darkness, reliving that day on the farm, screaming for the children to hide.

She stood with Gideon up on the battlement now with the others, watching the scene unfold. It was horrific and mesmerizing at the same time, not wanting to watch and yet unable to turn away. When the mage they called Kali protected the young elf, Keatara felt a great sorrow at the outcome. Someone who seemed to have turned to the darkness finally came back to the light only to sacrifice themselves for another. She watched the rush of elves appear near the fallen mage and watched as they gathered around her. Even from this distance, she could sense the pain the red robed woman was in and had a feeling that she must be her mother. A tear slid down her cheek and she wiped it away, looking up to Gideon. "Something tells me we have not seen the last of the red-headed one."

Trystan dashed off the line and stopped only when he had reached Kali. He looked at her and threw his helmet off, kneeling beside Rayann but keeping his distance for now. He dared not interfere with mother and daughter, but he remained close and felt the grief Kali's parents were feeling.


Olwa grabbed tightly as Pela appeared and hugged her with everything he had. He drew her into his chest and kissed the top of her head. He felt tears sting his eyes as he turned to look at Kali. She could have easily shielded herself and allowed him to die. He had no idea why she had made the decision she had made, but he was relatively unharmed besides some spots that were going to have significant bruises. He looked down at the bow which was still in his hand, the impact had snapped the lower limb and it dangled sadly by the string. He sighed as he dropped the useless weapon and then turned as he saw a small, silver dragon appear from behind the wall.

He watched as Raju appeared and knelt beside Kali.


As the battle unfolded Raju and Tanjee took the opportunity to keep patching people up, praying over them and sending them back out to the lines in case a second fight broke out.


Raju looked up from the triage area when she heard Nol's missive and she turned to Tanjee speaking with urgency to her voice, "Get on my back." Tanjee quirked a brow as she looked at Raju curiously and Raju winked with a sly smile. In a flash of silver she took her native form and before Tanjee stood an elegant silver dragon. She turned and looked at Tanjee, "Come. Quickly. Kali needs us."

With some trepidation Tanjee climbed onto Raju's back and Raju lept into the air, adjusting as Tanjee almost fell off. She spoke to Tanjee in missive ~ "Worry not friend, we are just going over the wall." ~

They were up and down in a matter of seconds, Raju took her Elven form the instant Tanjee slid off her back and Raju knelt beside Kali. She looked up at Nol and Kellan with concern in her face and then back down to Kali. She leaned forward and whispered into Kali's ear. Kali's face twitched slightly, obviously she had heard and understood. Kali reached up slowly and took Rajus hand and the Priestess of Mishikal removed the silver medallion that hung around her neck and placed it on Kali's chest.

She spoke as she looked at Kali, her voice was soft and quiet and as her prayer filled the air a soft blue glow appeared around the medallion. The light shown for a few seconds and then sunk into Kali's chest, disappearing under her burnt robes. Her breathing calmed and became less labored and then finally softened as she fell to sleep. The charred skin disappeared but the scars of the wounds remained. Raju watched and inhaled deeply as she turned to look at Myth and Rayann.

"Mishikal has granted her healing of her internal wounds, but she is destined to walk the rest of her mortal days baring the scars of her actions. What she did was outside the will of the gods, she defied them by turning to this raw magic. Even though she destroyed its presence on Krynn she will always bare the burden of her decision."

Rayann shook her head and Raju could see it in her face that she was not at all happy with this decision. Raju touched her gently on the arm and spoke, "None of us know the will of the gods, all we can do is understand that they know more than we do, and it is their world. I am sorry that she will bare these scars, but know that she will live."

Rayann bristled slightly at Rajus words and the Priestess withdrew her hand. She looked up at Myth who's face was like stone and she spoke, "I am sorry Prince Myth'alas, I am only capable of healing that which the will of Mishikal allows. Maybe someday we will know all teh answers, for now your daughter lives." Raju retrieved her medallion and stood, walking to stand next to Nol and Kellan. She turned and looked at the rapidly gathering crowd. They were curious about Kali's condition, the fact that there were dragons standing amongst them, and most importantly, who the barer of the Dragonlance was.

Rayann knew she should be grateful for the fact Kali would live but to see her daughter disfigured the way she was brought disappointment and anger into her heart. If it hadn’t been for Kali, Krynn would no longer be here. The Gods could have at least seen it in their hearts to give Kali that much recognition. But the fact Kali was still alive was enough to offset her negative emotions for now. She looked up at Myth and spoke to him empathetically letting Ceri hear as well.

~I am taking Kali back to Glen Durel. She needs the rest, peace and quiet our home there can give her. When she awakens I will send word. For now, we will take our leave.~

She looked to Ceri then as tears welled up in her eyes.

~Please watch over Pela for me. I will let you all know how Kali is doing when she awakens.~

She looked over at Nol and Raju then.

~Thank you for all you have done. I cannot thank you enough for everything. Know Glen Durel is always open to you and your kind.~

She looked over at Raju then and sent her the last missive for the dragon alone.

~I know what you mean about the Gods wills and I am not angry at you. But right now, I am not happy with the outcome for my daughter. While I am forever grateful for her life, I am disappointed they didn’t see the sacrifice she made for Krynn.~

She looked up at Myth with the pain, anger and frustration she felt at Kali’s condition but the love she felt for him too. Her emotions were very raw right now and she didn’t want to be among the crowd any longer and she didn’t want Kali to be looked upon as anything less than what she truly was. A beautiful, young woman whose heart was bigger than anyone could have ever imagined.

When Myth nodded, Rayann took out a pouch filled with a sparkling powder. Sprinkling the contents around her and Kali’s bodies, she touched her right hand to Kali’s shoulder and her left hand to Kali’s abdomen and whispered spidery words of magic. The regents sparked to life and began to glow. As the glow grew brighter, those closest to the pair moved back out of the way. The light became so bright it was difficult to look at it without shielding the eyes. When the light suddenly disappeared, Rayann and Kali were no longer there but the sweet smell of the regents still drifted around the area.





Pela never hesitated when Olwa grabbed a hold of her. She reached out and wrapped her arms around his back and held him tight, burying her dirt covered face in his chest. Never in all her life had a hug felt so good and she was going to revel in every second of it. When she felt him sigh and drop his beloved bow, she turned to see another smaller dragon coming from the Keep. As she watched Tanjee slide off the dragon and the dragon take her Elven form, Pela blinked yet again. Wonders would never cease to amaze her.

As she watched the woman heal Kali and heard her speak to Myth explaining what happened to Kali, she felt a pang of regret the beautiful half Elfe would forever bear scars. When she saw Rayann’s reaction she knew the woman wasn’t all that happy about it either. And Pela couldn’t blame her. But Pela didn’t understand what it meant when it came to the will of the Gods.

She could tell there was some silent communication taking place by the way Rayann looked at people and the look on her face. When she saw Rayann disappear with Kali, Pela looked at Ceri and Myth then blinked. She looked back to Olwa then and squeezed his hand tighter. Right now, she preferred to stay here with him. And she wasn’t so ignorant to know mother and daughter needed some time to themselves.





Kellan stood back and observed Raju as she healed Kali. As she heard Raju explain how Kali would remain scarred and Rayann’s reaction, she could tell the red robed mage wasn’t happy. As she watched Rayann look at others she knew the woman was talking to others without verbalizing.

As the red robe sprinkled the regents around herself and her daughters prone form, Kellan had an idea of what was getting ready to happen. As the light grew so bright it became painful to look at, Kellan held her gloved hand up and turned her head away to protect her eyes from the light. When it was gone, she blinked and looked around from the eye slits in her face guard.

As the crowd had grown and Kali and Rayann disappeared, the focus was slowly turning to her and she felt her heart thump hard in her chest. Her eyes darted from one person to the other and she suddenly felt as though she was surrounded with no escape.

She turned to see Trystan walking towards her with Commander Fairwind and Sir Ordin, although she didn’t know who he was. She glanced over at Nol and saw he was approaching from the opposite side they were approaching from to stand next to her. Her hand flexed several times, an old habit she had when she was nervous, but she stood perfectly still, her breathing now slowed and regulated.

Her armor was not as shiny as it had been when she first arrived but the emblem of the Solamnic Knights was still visible in gold on the front of her left shoulder. As the Commander approached, Kellan could see Rose trying to see inside her face guard as she spoke to the unknown rider.

”It seems we owe you and your dragons a great deal of thanks for what you did.”

A hush fell over the crowd then as they waited to hear the response from the rider. Kellan glanced around at the assembled group then turned her head to glance up at Nol. He looked at her and nodded letting her know it was alright. The moment of truth had arrived for the Knight and she hesitate a moment before she spoke from beneath her face guard.

”The thanks belongs to the Dragons, Commander Fairwind. It was their training and their patience that gave me the ability to wield the Dragonlance the way I did. But it was Paladine’s blessing that gave me the faith I needed to do it. But these are not my dragons. They trained with me and came here to fight because they wanted to. Their love for humanity never waned as humanities did for their kind.”

She could see the looks on the faces of those nearby as they realized it was a female beneath the helmet that spoke to the Commander and even Rose’s features showed her surprise when Kellan called her by name. Lady Rose took a small step forward and spoke again.

”Then we are grateful for Paladine’s blessing and the dragons want to help but I fear we are at a disadvantage as to what to call you. You obviously know me, but I don’t believe I know you.”

As Kellan talked to Rose, Nol’s flight returned and landed a short distance away and stood with their heads held high watching everything and everyone. Kellan glanced up at Nol again before she reached up with her gloved hand and unclasped the leather strap that held her helmet on her head. Slowly her hands lifted the helmet off her head and finally her face was revealed for all to see. She heard the collected gasp from everyone who knew her as they saw her standing there. Alive and well.

Kellan looked at Rose then saluted.

”I believe you do, Commander. Lady Kellan Longblade. Warrior of the Crown. And I have returned to fulfill the promise I made to the Dragons, if I will be permitted to do so, ma'am.”

Raju listened to Rayann as she spoke. Her eyes never left the face of the red robe wizard's and as she made her objections and declaration that the gods should restore her fully. Raju stepped forward and spoke in missive so only Rayann could hear, ~ "The fact that your daughter lives is proof enough the gods recognize her sacrifice. She lives because of the will of Mishikal, not because of anything I have done. There are consequences for any action we take, and in this case the gods see it fit that she will bare the scars of her decision, both externally... and internally." ~

It was obvious there was more to what Raju was saying than what was being said. She stepped back and allowed Rayann to do what she needed to do. As the spell flared and Rayann disappeared with her daughter Raju turned to look at Nol and spoke, "There are other wounded, Tanjee and I should get back to attending them." She turned and looked at Tanjee, her eyes were again emotionless about what had just happened. It was obvious that Raju did not have sympathy outside the will of the gods, and if it was their decision that Kali should live but be scared, Raju was not one to question it.



Trystan watched as Commander Fairwind spoke with the silver knight. When a female voice answered he glanced at Sir Ordin and Lady Rose, their reaction was one of slight surprise as well. He recognized the voice, but could not place it. It was strange, as if he was suddenly in a fog. He narrowed his eyes and focused on the areas through the mask slits, but the shadows prevented him from seeing anything more than some strands of blond hair.

When the rider finally removed her mask Trystan swallowed hard and felt his eyes well up almost immediately and his voice exploded with great surprise, "KELLAN!"

He instantly cleared his throat and fought his urge to embrace her. His eyes caught movement and he turned, a blur of white whizzed by him and Ceridwyn ran into Kellan with a hug so tight that even through her armor Kellan could feel it. She spoke as she pressed her cheek against Kellans, "By the gods... I am so glad to see you alive!"

Kellan heard Trystan’s shout of her name and she glanced at him, nodding slightly before she had a body hurled at her, literally. When Ceridwyn embraced her tightly, Kellan didn’t shy away from the affection and embraced her friend as well. She felt moisture trying to fill her eyes and she blinked rapidly to make it go away. Her voice was thick with emotion when she spoke softly to Ceridwyn.

”It’s good to see you as well, Ceridwyn. I’ve waited for this day and now that it here….”

Kellan couldn’t finish her sentence and when she reluctantly released the Elfess, she stepped back next to Nol and cleared her throat softly as she looked to Lady Rose. Rose was equally surprised and it took her a few moments to gather her composure. When she did, she offered Kellan a smile and nodded.

”It appears we have a great deal to discuss. And we will. For now, I believe we need to assess the damage beyond what we can see, gather our wounded for treatment and collect the fallen for proper burial.”

The commander turned and gave the orders to the remaining forces. Kellan noticed Trystan remained where he was looking at her. She could see the emotion in his eyes and she glanced up at Nol who nodded again. She walked over to Trystan and reached out, hugging him tightly and whispering in his ear.

”You didn’t honestly think I’d leave you to handle all of this on your own, did you?”

She felt him hug her and heard his half chuckle half release of emotion at her words. It was something Liam used to say to him all the time and when the ice was broken between them, she stepped back to look at him and nodded.

”I will fill everyone in later. For now, we have our work cut out for us.”

She turned to look at Nol then looked back at Trystan and smiled then walked over to where Nol stood. Her emotions were swirling like a chaotic tornado and she didn’t give a rats tail who was looking at her. She practically threw herself in Nol’s arms and hugged him tight then remembered his own injury and stepped back as tears filled her eyes.

”Nol…..Your injured….Please tell me you will heal….”

It was obvious the day had taken a toll on Kellan both physically and emotionally and now that it was over, for the most part, her emotions wouldn’t be held back any longer. Her light brown eyes looked into Nol’s gaze and she knew he could see the deep rooted fear she had at the thought of him being injured or worse……

Tynen stayed hidden in his knight's uniform....sensing Tara's presence not too far from where he was. She was with that damned knight that seemed to be attached to her ever since she'd found him after killing the knight who's uniform he was wearing now. He'd taken out a few more knights, but had to stop due to the commotion that was going on now. He didn't know what had happened, but whatever it was....it seemed to be in the favor of the knights and elves...damn them.

That was when he heard his Dark Lady speak to him inside of his head, telling him to leave Heartlund and to head to the cavern a few miles from Heartlund. He looked around, knowing that now was as good a time as any to leave the keep undetected. He replaced the knight's helm which his his face and headed to the gates, stopping here and there to check on citizens and fellow knights, making sure all was well and keeping up the pretense that he was indeed a knight.

By nightfall, he reached the caverns and entered to wait for his mistress.