TITLE: LORDS OF MAGIC 4 - THE KNIGHTS AUTHOR: DONNILEE E-MAIL: DONNILEE@SNET.NET RATING: NC-17 CATEGORY: MSR SPOILERS: NOT A ONE. SUMMARY: Mulder and Scully find themselves on a magical world no one ever knew existed. They must fight for their lives and the lives of others if they are to ever make it back home again. DISCLAIMER: All characters used from the show, The X-Files, are the property of Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions, and Fox Broadcasting. No copyright infringement intended. No money made here. DISCLAIMER 2: All references to elements of the game, The Lords of Magic, belong to the creators of the computer game, Sierra Games. No copyright infringement intended. I have not just stolen characters as I have in the X-Files. This time I've stolen an entire universe! Just showing that I'm an equal opportunity thief! THANKS: To my beta readers, Cratkinson, FatCat, and XochiLuvr, who keep me from making major boo-boos and looking stupid. I really appreciate it. Go team! Thanks so much. This one has been beta read to death! Any errors herein are mine alone. DEDICATION: I would like to dedicate this story to my late grandmother, Blanche Claire Wright Green Taylor, better known as 'Tot'. She was Mahopac, Native American, and was probably the first person to excite my imagination, as she was a storyteller to end all storytellers. She entertained my sister and me for hours by reciting epic poems and stories, filled with adventure and happy endings. She couldn't read well and she couldn't spell for shit, but she had what counted most; an unlimited supply of unconditional love and an imagination without limits. She died over a decade ago, in her own bed, at home, at the age of 84. I still miss her. So thanks to my Gramma Tot, for making me believe imagination can take you far. XXXXXXXXXX PART 1 MUNAY VILLAGE WATER TERRITORY We'd been traveling east for two days since we left Crestfall and we were just now reaching the border of the territory. Tomorrow we would cross over into Symmet, Order Territory. A sense of foreboding was hanging over me since we'd left Crestfall, the home of the Amazons. Natanni and Medini were leading our entourage now, followed by the cavalry, which consisted of thirty-six Amazon women in heavy armor, toting lances that were strapped to the rear of their saddles with clever scabbards. They stuck straight up into the air about a foot above the riders' heads. Munay was a village much like Sahanna, containing a barracks, several houses, lizard huts and a main watchtower that overlooked the borders of the territory. Someone was always posted in the tower, guarding the borders. We were a weary bunch that straggled into the village. I was stiff from riding for two days and sleeping outdoors. I couldn't wait to sleep in a normal bed. I wondered if I would be bow-legged for life now. We had to share the guest-quarters house with Ashante, Natanni, and Medini. At least we got our own room with a double bed. After making sure the unicorns were taken care of, we went to the bedroom, stripped immediately, took a quick bath, and crawled in under the covers, nearly moaning in delight. We curled up and were asleep in minutes. I wanted to make love to Scully, but we were both simply too tired. A good night's sleep can do wonders though, and we both woke feeling refreshed. I got up, still naked, and peeked out the window. It was just getting light. "We might have time for a quickie," I suggested. She snorted. "Even here, you have a one-track mind." "What, just 'cause I'm here, I'm not your average, horny man in love anymore?" I asked innocently. She sat up and let the sheets fall around her waist. I breathed out through pursed lips as I looked at her breasts. Her nipples were puckered in the early morning coolness and I strode quickly to the bed. I nearly tackled her as my mouth found her nipple and licked it with fervor. She moaned gently and I felt my groin do a full gun salute. XXXXXXXXXX NC-17 PORTION XXXXXXXXXX I slipped down the bed and positioned my face between her legs. Her eyes rolled back in her head when I blew cool air onto her lips and clitoris. "I thought this was gonna be a quickie," she mumbled. I didn't answer. Instead, I buried my face in her softness and began lapping at her like a starved dog. I eschewed finesse in favor of enthusiasm and she was soon writhing under my mouth. My hands held her hips still as I dove in again and again, teasing her clitoris until she was on the verge of orgasm and then backing off to start again. I explored all her folds and finally when she was nearly sobbing, I slipped two fingers inside, twisted them against her front wall and began pumping them in and out. When I felt a rough spot with ridges, I dug my fingers into it and lowered my head, sucking her clitoris in between my lips. She chanted, "Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah!" I felt her clitoris vibrate under my tongue and her muscles grip my fingers. I moved up beside her and held her until she came down. She blinked languidly at me and gave me a sultry look. "You're too good at that for your own good," she remarked. "How can I be too good at that?" I shot back at her. "Makes me feel like I owe you." "You do, so get ready, woman," I teased. She chuckled and pushed me over onto my back. Instead of straddling me like I'd expected, she slid down and took my rigid penis in her hand. I moaned as she stroked it, teasing the end with her tongue. She finally took it deep into her mouth and began to suck, swishing her tongue back and forth over the sensitive underside. It felt so fucking good, I couldn't help myself and I began to buck up into her face. She held on firmly and continued to work her mouth over me. I felt my climax coil in my low back and tighten up my nuts. I pushed gently on her shoulders, but she shook her head as best she could with my dick in her mouth. "Oh shit, Scully." She lifted quickly and said, "Come this way, Mulder." I just groaned and flopped back on the bed. She increased her pace and I was soon bucking hard up into her mouth, clenching my ass with every thrust. She put a hand on my hip to hold me still and then squeezed with her other hand on the base of my shaft. Her lips retreated but still contained the head of my cock. She sucked so hard I thought the top of my dick was going to blow off. I felt a throb that left my shaft aching and shouted, "Oh God, Scully. I have to come!" Her eyes twinkled at me and her mischievous look was my undoing. Well, that and the fact that she let go of her tight grip on the base of my cock. She continued to suck as I hurled ejaculations into her mouth with incredible speed, moaning like I was dying. I was finally drained dry and she crawled up my torso, laying her body over mine, and resting her head on my shoulder. XXXXXXXXXX END NC-17 PORTION XXXXXXXXXX I petted her hair and then ran my fingers through it, making her shiver. She rose up on her elbows and leaned in for a kiss. It was slow, sensual, and deep. She snuggled up to me again and we lay there until someone came to rouse us. I lived for these moments now when I could love her in solitude. XXXXXXXXXX SYMMET ORDER TERRITORY We had an uneventful crossing over a narrow strip of land into Symmet but the roads seemed especially deserted. Something wasn't right but I couldn't put my finger on it. I turned to Scully, "Is it me or is something really wrong here?" Scully turned to me and I noticed we had Ashante's full attention. "No, it's not you. Listen." I did and said, "I don't hear anything." "Exactly, nothing at all is making any sounds except us; not a bird, not a wave, not a stream, not a leaf blowing." "God, you're right. It's spooky." It was daylight but the day was overcast. The sun was not showing through the thick bank of clouds. I nudged Jadian to the side of the column and leaned forward. He broke into a smooth lope and we went to the head of the procession. As I pulled alongside the Amazons, Medini held up her fist and the column halted. "What is it?" she asked. "Something's wrong. Keep your eyes sharp. There are no sounds here." There was dead silence for a few moments as she looked around, listening. "You're right. I should have noticed that." "What would cause that?" "Something bad," she said, with bland understatement. "All the wildlife has been scared into silence. All the creatures are in hiding. That's never a good sign." She turned in her saddle and hollered, "Keep your eyes open, people. It's too damn quiet." Everyone seemed to sit straighter in their saddles and look around. I nodded to her and turned Jadian around with a nudge of my knee. We loped back to Scully and Ashante and got back in line. "I don't know how much good that will do," I said. "Can't hurt," Scully replied. XXXXXXXXXX It happened about a half hour later. We were riding along at a good pace. We were tense but not jumpy. Brenneka suddenly shuddered and then leaped sideways, bumping into Zalika and nearly unseating Ashante. Only her superior horsemanship kept her in the saddle. The young unicorn powered her way in front of the others in line and burst out the other side of the column. Scully yelped but held onto her mane. "What's wrong, girl?" I heard her ask, as she patted her neck. There was a pause as people turned to see what the commotion was. Then Scully said, "Oh shit." She turned and hollered at the top of her lungs, "Look out! They're on both sides!" I didn't see a thing, but like most everyone else, I drew my weapon, hearing metal sing as it exited the scabbards of all the warriors. I was surprised but Medini didn't question a thing. She shouted, "Cavalry One to me, left!" They peeled off the front of the column. Natanni followed suit, hollering, "Cavalry Two to me, right!" We watched them peel off to the right. I was turning in my saddle and finally nudged Jadian toward Scully. She was sitting still staring into the forest that lined the road. There was scrub brush for about fifty feet and then dense woods behind that. I pulled up next to her and sat quietly, my eyes scanning the trees. Dorian was shouting behind us. "Fan out, people. Cavalry's got the front. We need to protect the back flank." Horses moved and jostled for position. Joachim hustled up next to Ashante and nearly herded her into the center of the morass. Soon we were all spread out in a huge oval, facing outward. We sat for several minutes and nothing happened. "Are you sure something's there, Scully?" I heard people's saddles creak as they turned to look to her. She said, "They are there." "What's there?" "Something evil," she said. "Should we move?" I asked. "No," she said firmly. We waited another two minutes and then a fierce howling erupted in the trees. Then I could see them, black swirling masses, heading straight for us. They were on us in seconds and I swung wildly, my blade singing through the air, but passing right through them. I heard grunts and shrieks and a couple of elves and one cavalrywoman were slumping in their saddles. Scully shrieked, "Ashante! Light this place up like high noon!" I whirled to try and help one of the Elves, as he slid from his saddle. He was pale and I slid off Jadian's back and laid him on the ground. He had no pulse and I knew he was dead. I leaped back onto Jadian and whirled around to find Scully turning into the center of our circle. She rode up to Ashante. One of the ghost-like things whipped past me and I felt a cold enter my bones. My whole body shuddered with the feel of it. I headed for Scully. Time to watch her back again. Ashante, in an incredible feat of coordination, was standing on top of her saddle. Her staff held high and her arms spread. She was muttering and within seconds, the clouds above us tore open and streams of brilliant sunlight poured down on the group. I heard groans, shrieks, and unearthly wails as the shadows recoiled, spun, and disappeared. Scully's staff began drawing the sun as well, and directing beams of light at individual black blobs as they appeared from the trees. The warriors all tightened the circle, protecting Ashante and Scully and myself. Our blades were of no use here, but they could stand in the way. They just kept coming, increasing in density and I was getting really scared. I saw many of the Amazons taking swigs out of rejuvenation potions as the things bumped them. Scully shouted. "Anybody have a mirror?" I saw quite a few nods. I knew most warriors carried small hand mirrors but had no idea what she was thinking. They used them to comb their hair and use on the road. More shrieks surrounded us and soldiers scrambled into their saddlebags, looking for mirrors. Of course, I didn't have one. They caught on quickly and began catching the rays of sun and using the mirrors to direct the beams. This went on for another minute or so while I held my hands over my ears and stayed close to Scully. This wasn't their usual method of fighting anything. They were used to using their brawn. However, their hand-eye coordination was superior because of their battle training and it served them well now. Finally, it died down and rustling could be heard in the woods. Ashante was still muttering, apparently keeping the clouds open for the sun. Scully tapped her arm. She looked at her and looked around and her muttering came to a halt. She swayed and Scully leaned far out in her saddle steadying her as she slipped back into a sitting position. "Are you all right?" "Yes, just very tired. That's exhausting." "Good idea, the mirrors," Dorian commented. "Yeah, I gotta get me one of those," I said sarcastically. A few chuckles were heard. There was some nervous laughter that often follows the release of great tension. "What the hell were those things?" I asked. "Death Shades," Ashante replied. "Sentient spirits conjured by a necromancer through sacrifices. I haven't seen one in decades, and never outside of Skulldown." "Nasty," I said. Several people dismounted and checked on those that had fallen. Amazingly, there were only four dead, two Elves and two cavalry. Scully and Ashante had saved the day. "Glad we have our own personal enchantresses on this trip," I said. Joachim smiled. "Never go on a trip without them." We all laughed. Scully slouched in her saddle. "Tired?" I asked. She nodded. "Exhausted, and I have a headache." "Sudden use of magic without preparation can cause a headache. We usually meditate to prepare, as I've taught you. Cold cloths help, but there's really nothing to do but wait it out," Ashante advised. Scully nodded. "Can you ride with me?" I asked. She looked over. "I don't know." "You could sleep against me if you climbed up here." She poured herself out of the saddle and walked around to my side. I reached down, grabbing her under the arms and hoisted her up in front of me. She leaned back against me and I wrapped my arms around her. "This all right, Jadian?" I asked. He nickered softly and softly stamped one foot. We both smiled. Scully looked at Brenneka and simply said, "Stay close." The unicorn bobbed her head as though she understood. I had no doubt that she did. I watched Ashante sway in the saddle and said, "Ashante, have someone ride with you. You're about to drop." She smiled wearily and looked around. Joachim was still standing beside his mount. He gazed at her with adoration. She looked at him and smiled. "I'd be honored, My Lady," he said to her unspoken question. "My mount?" She shook her head. "No, you climb up here." He handed the reins of his warhorse to one of the other soldiers and came up to Zalika. He looked at the unicorn and said, "I'm invited." We all chuckled and then he grabbed the edge of the saddle and leaped up gracefully behind Ashante. He seemed tentative, but mimicked my pose, putting his arms around her waist and grabbing the unicorn's mane. She sighed and leaned back into him, her head resting on his shoulder. It was then that I knew he was in love with her. He looked down at her with such longing it made my heart ache. I knew that look. I'd worn it many times in the last six years. He was doomed to love a woman he could never have. No one questioned his riding with her, but a few odd looks were exchanged. Scully and Ashante both fell asleep within minutes. The unicorns dutifully followed the warhorse's ass in front of them so we didn't have to pay too much attention to steering. A nudge here and there with a knee was all that was needed. We fell to the back of the column and let the others stretch out ahead of us. When the gap was enough that I was sure we wouldn't be overheard, I asked softly, "How long have you loved her?" His head jerked around to look at me, his eyes wide with fear. I smiled. "Your secret is safe with me," I said. He sighed heavily and looked down at her tenderly. "How did you know?" "That look, the one that's on your face right now." "I didn't think it was that obvious," he whispered. "It's not. I'm just a perceptive guy," I informed him. "I'm also in love," I added, looking down at Scully and feeling warmth fill my chest. "I don't know what I'm going to do," he said. "I don't know either. Have you tried to be with someone else?" I asked carefully. He nodded. "Once or twice. Nothing there." "Try not to focus on it. It makes it worse. It's hard, but try to leave yourself open to other opportunities." "I don't think it will work," he said, sounding dejected. "You never know. There was a time I didn't think I'd ever find love. When I least expected it, it ran me over." He chuckled softly. "Maybe I'll get lucky," he said. "Like I said, you never know." After a pause I said, "What about one of the Amazons? They need men." I looked at Medini trotting up and down the outside of the column, checking on everyone. "She's a looker." He looked startled and said, "You're kidding, right? We've never mixed races." "No, I'm not kidding. They need men and they have nice bodies." "Big bodies," he commented. He held his hand up to indicate the size of their chests. I laughed and said, "Yeah, I suppose you could get lost in there." He laughed with me and said, "Yeah, but what a way to go." We continued until nightfall and then set up camp. Everyone was tense. The Amazon captains and Dorian went about setting up a rotating guard duty for the remainder of the night. In the morning, we reassembled our marching columns and proceeded with our trip. Much to our relief, we encountered nothing else on the road. XXXXXXXXXX PART 2 (PG-13) SYMMET KNIGHT TERRITORY As we approached the main city, we were met by a small group of three paladins and three horsemen that rode Belgian-like horses and were outfitted with armor and gigantic broadswords. The Knights were nearly human in form. They were a bit bulkier and a bit taller than humans, as well as being incredibly strong. The average Knight was built like a power lifter with about six or seven inches added to the height. They all hovered around six-and-a-half feet tall. Their features were almost pretty, which didn't fit quite right with the rugged, power lifter bodies they had. "King Eldren greets you and welcomes you to Symmet," the lead Knight proclaimed formally. "Please follow us." We rode the last mile to the city and were led through the gates of a huge complex. It was literally a walled city, with shops and vendors lining the outer walls, streets fronting the shops. In the center stood a huge stone castle with parapets and banners flying. "Looks like medieval England," Scully commented. We were taken to a guest stable where our mounts were taken care of and fed. Then we were escorted to the gates of the castle. The troops and cavalry stayed behind in the barracks and were told to relax and enjoy themselves. We would be here at least a couple of days. Natanni, Medini, Joachim, Dorian, Ashante, Scully and I were led to an audience with the king of Symmet. We entered a great hall with vaulted ceilings and long tables. We had arrived in time for dinner and a feast was being laid out on the long tables as we entered. We were quickly seated and served by ladies wearing aprons. There was some kind of pheasant or chicken, fish for the Amazons and vegetables for the Elves, along with a variety of breads and fruits. Everyone pigged out for a while, simply happy to be off the road and getting a good meal. We were all looking forward to beds again as well. I was weary but felt good. The shock of our fight with the Death Shades had worn off. Scully was still tired, but probably more awake than I was at this point. We were introduced to various Knights, crossbowmen, infantrymen, and rangers. I learned that the Knights' rangers were considered the best spies and trackers on the planet. When dinner was almost over, the king finally joined us as the rest of the people cleared out. The doors to the hall were shut and we all stood as he approached. He motioned for us to sit down. He came to Ashante and bowed before her. "Greetings, Lady Ashante. Our house is blessed by your beauty and your presence." Oh, he was sweet talker, this one. Scully grinned and whispered, "Chivalry is not dead." I nearly choked trying to swallow a bark of laughter and she ended up pounding me on the back. After that, introductions were made around the table. "You know why we've come," Ashante said. He nodded after seating himself at the head of the table. "Yes. Our messengers tell us that you are trying to ally all the races." "Well, yes, but first things first. We plan on holding a summit in two moons in Astarte." She didn't seem startled that he would know this information before her arrival. Apparently all the races sent out spies to other territories to keep up on what was going on. "Who is attending?" "So far, the Storm Giants, the Amazons, and the Elves. We're hoping the Fire Giants will come. We intend to extend invitations. Of course, we hope you will come." He was silent for a few moments and said, "I need to think about it." "King Eldren, this is of grave importance. It's a time when we believe that we need to set aside our differences and band together for the common good. Skulldown is growing stronger and we don't know how. We don't believe any race can stand against them individually. Even the Giants called for our aid." He snorted. "Yeah, well, the people of Atmos are not the warriors they think they are. They are big but they lack speed or stealth." Ashante sighed heavily. "They are fine warriors, Eldren, but they were grossly outnumbered. Just the fact that the Drow can stand the light of day is cause for concern. On top of that, we were set upon by a group of Death Shades on our way here." "Where?" he asked, suddenly concerned. "A day ago, one day out from Munay Village, the Amazon village on your border." She watched his face. "What is it?" "It's not so much that I'm not willing to sit down at the table with the Giants. The real problem is that I have my own problems here at home. I can't see myself leaving my own kingdom while it needs defending." "What's happening? Do you speak of the grave desecrations that were mentioned in the note?" He nodded. "Two different cemeteries now. I have since stationed soldiers in all of them. It seems to happen at night. In the morning, we find half the graves turned over and the bodies gone." Ashante was quiet for a moment before she said, "I'm very sorry for your loss. Perhaps we can help you." "How can you help us? We have the finest warriors in Urak," he bragged. She smiled indulgently. "Sometimes it's not muscle that wins the day." "Oh no?" he countered. I cleared my throat and he looked at me. "What is it, young man?" "If it weren't for Scully and Ashante, we wouldn't have made it here. Our weapons were useless against the Death Shades. The blades passed right through them like so much silk." "How did you save your party?" he asked. Ashante said, "Sunlight, quick thinking, and mirrors." "Excuse me?" Scully said. "Ashante broke the clouds and brought down the sunlight." "Bet that was something to see. I've never had the privilege of actually witnessing Life magic." "Despite whatever protections they have, clouds seem to follow them. Direct sunlight killed them in spite of whatever spell was allowing them to appear in the middle of the day. Scully used the sunlight reflected by her staff to kill them and was the one to suggest the mirrors. The travel mirrors that the warriors carry were able to direct the beams of light as well, and kill them as they approached us. The Elves lost two men and the cavalry lost two women." He looked solemn. "I've never heard of a battle being won that way." Ashante broke in. "We have to marshal ALL our resources and band together. What works one place may not work in another. We are not fighting traditional foes, Eldren. These are Drow, vicious and evil. They bleed like the rest of us. Now though, they have the backing of some of the most powerful necromancers ever seen in our lifetime. We won't just be fighting Drow. I suspect your robberies are to provide fodder for the necromancers resurrection spells." "How powerful?" he asked slowly. Ashante met his gaze and held it. "We believe Balgoth is here, in Skulldown." "It can't be," he said. She nodded. "Yes, Eldren. Despite what we might hope, I believe the Age of Darkness is upon us." She paused for dramatic effect. She obviously had a black belt in politics but then she abandoned subtlety. "I hope you'll not let pride stand in your way," she mildly rebuked him. He swallowed and said, "Are there other signs?" "Yes. I have had visions and so has Foamrider. Various other magic users as well. I'll want to speak with your adepts." "Our wizards are anxious to meet you, especially our high priest, Troen." "I'll be happy to meet with him. I want to know if he's had the same visions Foamrider and I have. If he has, it will be the third confirmation of my fears." Eldren cleared his throat. "Well, I do need some time to think. Perhaps you can help us. I need to consult with my captains." "Of course. I didn't expect an answer this moment." He smiled. "Meanwhile, why don't you all get some sleep? I'm sure it's been a tiring journey. We'll resume here at midday for lunch. I'll have more to go on then, after I get my reports in the morning from my captains." "Certainly," she replied. That was our cue to leave and we all stood, including the king and filed out of the room. As we stood outside our assigned room, Ashante was standing next to us in the same hallway. Scully said, "Well, he's an odd one, huh?" Ashante smiled. "As full of man juice as they come," she joked. We laughed. "Are you afraid he'll refuse to attend?" Scully asked. "I'll get him to attend," she said confidently. "We have to figure out how his graves are being robbed of their corpses. I have a feeling if we solve his problem with something other than conventional warfare, he will see the benefits of an alliance." "I really don't like the sound of that," I commented. "We'll talk tomorrow," she said. "Good night." "Good night." We entered our chamber, and slid the bolt over to lock the door. We dropped our saddlebags and stripped. Once again, we were too tired to make love. I couldn't wait to spend two days in one place. XXXXXXXXXX As it turned out, we were in Symmet for three days. The next day we met with the king and he reported more grave robbing, despite his guards. Many of his finest warriors had been found passed out cold in the graveyards. He had no idea what had happened to them and they couldn't remember a thing. "They are lucky they aren't dead," Ashante said bluntly, after the king gave his report. He was solemn. He cleared his throat. I could tell him it pained him to ask. "Do you have any suggestions?" "I might have a couple. I think I may be spending the night in the graveyard, but I want to meet with your adepts first." "Of course, I would have thought they would have met up with you this morning." "Unfortunately, no. Apparently, Troen had some important lessons to conduct and said he couldn't meet with us until after the midday meal." "Very well. Let's go see him now." We left the remains of our meals on the table and went out of the castle. Behind the castle gates rose a blue and back sandstone tower that spiraled high into the air. It screamed, 'Wizard's Tower.' Subtle, the Knights were not. We entered the tower on the ground floor and found ourselves in the largest round room I'd ever been in. The floor was some sort of black tile and polished to a high sheen. Other than an enormous desk off to one side of the door and benches along the walls, there was nothing in this room. It was nearly as big as a football field. Off to one side, a spiral staircase wound up about twenty feet along the wall, ending in a doorway cut into the ceiling. Before we could get over our admiration of the room, the door opened and man wearing a long purple robe and an honest to goodness pointy hat with a floppy brim, came gliding down the stairs. His beard and mustache were snow white and hung to his belt. His hair flowed down his back to his waist. As he came closer, I realized how big he was, easily seven feet tall but not quite as bulky as the other Knights we'd seen. His face was weathered and wrinkled and lightly tanned. His startlingly pale blue eyes set in the milky whiteness behind his lids were unsettling. When he finally reached us, he stopped two feet away. He looked me directly in the eye and I knew two things. One, he was blind as a bat. Two, he could see me anyway. I swallowed harshly. The corners of his mouth turned up and his eyes shifted to Scully. She noticed the same thing I did a moment later. Finally, he turned his attention to Ashante. "Ah, Lady Ashante. It's my pleasure." "And mine as well, Troen," she replied. "They travel with you, I see," he said calmly. "Yes, they are traveling with the envoy but are under the protection of the Elves." "Excuse me?" I said. "We're standing right here." He chuckled. "I'm sorry. That was rude. I shouldn't speak of people as though they aren't in the room. Perfectly straight, lad. I'm just a bit overwhelmed." "I'm Mulder. Why are you overwhelmed?" He glanced at Ashante. I know he was about to ask her something again as though we weren't standing there and caught himself. "I'm Troen, the high wizard here. I'm pleased to meet you, Mulder. Has Ashante told you of your place in our history?" I nodded. "She's told me what she thinks." "You don't believe her?" "I don't know what to believe, frankly. I know this. We want to go home and the Elves saved our lives in Skulldown and have taken us in. We're very grateful for that, but we want to go home. We've figured that the best way to do that is to aid the Elves or anyone else that can help us find a way home." I turned to Scully. "This is my partner, Scully." He bowed slightly. "Nice to meet you. I hear you're a powerful enchantress in your own right." "I'm learning," she said simply. "Your humility is refreshing," he commented. The king finally interrupted. "What are you two talking about?" Troen looked at him. "Let's go upstairs where we can sit and be comfortable. I'll explain everything, Eldren. I was only waiting to see Ashante and her guests first." "You shouldn't keep things from me," King Eldren said as we made our way to the staircase. "I haven't kept anything from you. I simply needed to verify some things. I do you no favors, My Liege, if I give you false information," he said, his voice slightly uppity. The sarcasm in the words 'My Liege' was obvious. To my surprise, the king stayed silent after that. Somehow I found that out of character. XXXXXXXXXX WIZARD'S TOWER SYMMET Once we were seated and tea and pastries were set out, Troen leaned back in his padded, ornate chair at the head of the table and looked at each party in turn. "Where to begin?" he asked rhetorically to no one in particular. "How about if I ask a few questions first?" Ashante suggested. He nodded for her to proceed. "Have you have visions of the Age of Darkness?" "Yes," he said simply. The King leaned forward in his chair. "Troen, why didn't you tell me?" "Same answer as before, Eldren." I thought they were rather familiar with each other. Troen didn't seem to show the deference and respect to the king that I'd seen everyone else show, plus he called him by his first name, without title and the king allowed it. Out of the blue, Scully blurted out, "You're brothers, aren't you?" They both looked at her. Eldren looked startled and Troen looked pleased. "Indeed," he said simply. Now that she said it, I could see the resemblance. The king's beard was neatly trimmed and hung only about an inch down below his chin. His hair was bound in a queue and was almost completely gray, but it still retained some shots of dark brown. Troen's hair was completely white and while combed neatly, it was unfettered and long. They were of a height to each other though and their facial features were similar, although Troen looked older and more wizened. He said, "Yes, I'm the oldest." I startled and looked at him. They had both seemed to take my staring along with the others rather well. They must be used to it. "How did you know I was thinking that?" I asked politely. He gave me a cryptic smile. "You wear your heart and mind on your sleeve, Mulder, or in this case, on your face." "I'm sorry. You can see me obviously. I hope I didn't offend you." "Not in the least. I am twelve years older than Eldren here." "He never lets me forget it either," the king said. We all chuckled. "Now then, what next?" he asked, steering us back to business. Ashante cleared her throat delicately. "Have you seen the Savior in your visions?" "Yes," he said simply again. Obviously, he wasn't one to volunteer information. If we kept going this way, we would be here all day. "Why don't you give a brief explanation of what you've seen," I suggested. He said, "Very well. I've had several visions. One has shown me the massing of the undead army by the Drow; consisting of death shades, resurrected skeletons, vampires, liches and several foul creatures I could not identify. I can only assume they are some sort of hell spawn. Another has shown me Balgoth in charge of that army and the sacrifices on their altar. Those sacrifices are feeding his power. He is half-demon, and evil, chaos, and death feed his power." "Holy stars," Eldren muttered. Troen continued. "A third has shown me a great battle between good and evil." Scully asked, "Who was included on the good side?" He chuckled. "Everyone except the Drow." "Including us?" she asked tentatively. "Especially including you," he said. Ashante asked, "One or both of them?" He smiled but there was no humor in it. "I have seen the two that act as one, that is female and that is male, that is not of this world, and belongs to none." "Quit speaking in riddles," Eldren said testily. Troen continued. "I'm not. In this case, unlike most prophecies, I believe the meaning is literal." "Explain," Eldren said, giving the simple command. Troen raised one bushy, white eyebrow, clearly irritated with his superior attitude, but he didn't comment on it. "The Savior is not of this world, meaning that the Savior is of another world, literally. Mulder and Scully are from a planet called Earth in the Milky Way galaxy." "How the blazes did you find your way here?" the king asked. "We were abducted by the Grays and the ship crashed here, killing them all," I replied. "The Grays?" he inquired. "The other-worlders," Ashante clarified. He nodded. "Okay, continue." "They belong to none because they are Human, not a race found on this planet. The Savior is two that acts as one. Again, it's literal. The Savior is not one person, but two, a male and a female pair." The king looked at us with interest now. "You mean these two together are the Savior of the prophecy?" "That's what I think, yes," Troen answered. He continued. "They are a male and female, two that act as one." "I hate these blasted riddles!" Eldren exclaimed. Troen smiled indulgently. "My visions show me that these two are a team, in every sense of the word. They are mates, they are fighters, and they are believers in each other. One does not function well without the other. Together, however, they are nearly unstoppable, a force to be reckoned with." XXXXXXXXXX PART 3 (PG-13) SYMMET ORDER TERRITORY "Then we can't fail!" the king asked. "Wait a minute," I interrupted. Troen held up a hand to stop me. I retreated into my chair, grabbing Scully's hand without even thinking about it. He looked at our laced fingers and smiled again with a knowing look. "We could fail, Eldren. Do not get overconfident. It's way too early for that." "If these two are the Saviors, then we need to let destiny happen, right? Isn't that what you always say? We can't interfere with destiny?" "We can't interfere, but we play a part in that prophecy as well." "How so?" "It is our job to protect the Savior until they can unite the races. We, means the leaders and head magic users of each race. If we fail in our mission, and allow them to be killed, we will fail miserably and to the detriment of all peoples." "How do we do that?" Eldren asked. Troen said, "We are to give what we consider our best and most precious gifts to the Savior to use in the coming battle." "What would that be?" Troen looked at Ashante for her answer. "We have given them protection and lodging and the resources of our Rejuvenation Temple, a standing offer, and training. Battle skills for Mulder, enchantress training for Scully. We are dedicated to escorting them to each race's kingdom in an effort to secure the alliance, or at the very least, an agreement to attend the summit. Since we have the least enemies on Urak, we are most suited to the task and this is part of our gift, along with training." "What did the Amazons give?" Troen asked. Natanni spoke up. "Foamrider gave them each two rejuvenation potions. In addition, Imatra gave them each a totem full of blue crystals. She has assigned six captains and thirty-six cavalry to the escort. Unfortunately, we lost two cavalrywomen in the fight with the Death Shades." Both of Troen's eyebrows went up this time. "Impressive gifts. I'm sorry for your losses, Natanni. May they rest in peace." 'There must be more to those crystals than I realized,' I thought. I would have to ask Natanni more about them later. She nodded, visibly upset. "They were brave soldiers," she said quietly. He nodded. "Where are they now?" She swallowed. "I sent one of the captains back with them tied to their mounts. Our husband will wish to ... bury them at home." "Two from the same family?" he asked, visibly dismayed. She nodded. "Yes. I have lost much this week." "Damnation!" he said through clenched teeth. Ashante said, "They will not be the last losses in this war. However, if we can see past our egos and differences and use each other's strengths, we have a chance to prevail." She looked directly at the king. "ALL races have their strengths and weaknesses." She paused. "Even yours, true Knight," she stated firmly. He looked chagrined and pressed his lips together. I could see him wrestle with his ego. I glanced at Troen who was raising his eyebrows, trying not to look amused as this small, feminine Elf enchantress put his big, bad brother in his place. Finally, Eldren cleared his throat. "You have the support of the Knights. I will send an entourage to the summit, come hell or high water. That's all I can promise for now." Ashante smiled a brilliantly wide smile, her teeth gleaming. The big king seemed to melt under the brightness of it. He cleared his throat and said, "Yes, well, what's next?" Ashante said, "We will try to camp out in your graveyard tonight. I have a feeling the sun may vanquish your foes." Eldren looked skeptical. "Even a high enchantress, such as you, cannot draw the sun in the middle of the night," he stated. Scully and Ashante both smiled. Scully said, "No, but you have two moons as well." "So what?" he questioned. "What do you think makes the moons shine their light in the night?" We watched as it dawned on him. "You're telling me the sun provides the light of the moons?" he asked, clearly thinking they were crazy. Ashante nodded. "It reflects it from the other side of the planet." Troen was highly amused now. He said, "See, we can all learn something new every day." He paused for dramatic effect and looked at his brother. "Even you, Eldren." "Oh, put a sock in it," the king grumbled. We all chuckled at the brotherly exchange. Troen contained his mirth and then said, "On to the next. The wizard Knights do not have the gift of healing arts as the Amazons and Elves do." "We have healers!" Eldren exclaimed as he leaned forward. Troen shook his head in exasperation. "Eldren, for once, please, I'm begging you, BE QUIET." He retreated into his seat, chastised. It appeared to me that Troen was the only one in the kingdom that could get away with talking to the king in this manner, and he took advantage of it at every opportunity. "Now then. He's right, but we do not have a skill equal to the others. That is our weakness. We need magical tools to fashion our healing." Scully nodded. "And what are those tools?" she asked, knowing this would probably be the gift. "We have enchanted grails that turn regular lake or ocean water into healing waters. I will give each of you a grail. The enchantment lasts for ten cycles of the moon, but then needs to be re-enchanted." "A fine gift," Ashante said. Troen smiled. "There is a second gift." Eldren wanted to ask what it was so badly, his face was turning red, but he restrained himself, perhaps knowing that while being the undisputed leader of the Knights, he was not diplomacy personified. "Bear with me," Troen said, standing up. He left the room and returned with two small packages, one wrapped in black silk, and the other in beige silk. He reclaimed his seat and unwrapped the beige one first. It was a small book, about four by six inches. "This is an enchanted spell book." He carefully tipped it up so we could see the cover. Etched into the finely tooled leather was a sort of hieroglyph of feet and hooves in a circle. The book looked like two covers with nothing in the middle. I frowned, slightly puzzled. Ashante asked, "A wizard's Haste spell?" Troen nodded. "Yes, and because we have enchanted the book, you do not need to be a wizard Knight to use it." Ashante looked up at us and said, "THIS is a kingly gift. The wizards have no equal when it comes to enchanting objects. We Enchantresses are good at Enchanting people and creatures, but the Wizards excel at enchanting objects. One of the reasons the Knights are so successful at warfare is their ability to travel at great speeds." Eldren grunted and Ashante smiled. "Besides their battle prowess, of course," she said, with a teasing lilt to her voice. He nodded acknowledgement to her compliment. Scully said. "Thank you very much. I will be sure to keep it safe." Troen shook his head. "No, this one is for Mulder." "What? I'm a fighter, not a magic user," I protested immediately. He smiled. "That is the beauty of it. You don't even have to be trained in magic or have any mana. It's all here." He wrapped the book up in the silk pouch and handed it to Mulder. "You simply open the book and an area-of-effect spell will be cast. Everyone within a 100-foot radius will be affected by the spell, but not the Drow. The spell uses sunlight, so it's useless at night. That's its one drawback. But during the day, it will cast the spell on everyone near, and will have the opposite effect on any evil creature with mal intentions toward the one that opens the book." "What does a haste spell do, exactly?" I asked slowly. "Everyone affected will be able to move at twice the normal speed. Not only soldiers, but mounts as well; any creature within the area of effect. If you are overwhelmed and need to retreat, this could hopefully give you the advantage you need to get away safely." "Better to live to fight another day, huh?" I asked. He nodded sagely. "Yes, I believe so." "Thank you. I shall treasure it." I spread the long drawstring of the pouch and put it around my neck and under my tunic. It now hung next to the pouch carrying the Amazon crystals. I had a lot of stuff hanging down my chest now, but it didn't bother me. It wasn't exactly a fashion statement, but it if it would save my life or Scully's, I'd wear a stockade around my neck. He turned his attention to Scully. "This will not seem like a gift," he began. She frowned, not understanding. "It's not something you can use really, but hopefully its something you can learn from." "What is it?" she asked. "It's a Drow grimoire." Ashante gasped, as did several of the Amazons. Scully said, "I don't think I could or should use a Drow spell. I don't understand." "This is not a spell book such as I gave Mulder. This is a teaching manual of sorts with the spells written out, how to perform them, etcetera." "How did you get it?" "We managed to kill one of their assassins a fortnight ago. This grimoire was on his body." Ashante frowned. "Why didn't it dissolve when the light hit it?" Scully said, "Did you keep it in the pouch?" "No, I opened the bag to see what was in it. I don't have an answer for you, not a complete one anyway. I can tell you this, being an enchanter myself; there is powerful enchantment on this book. I can feel it even when I'm not touching it." "So can I," Scully and Ashante said at the same time. He nodded. Ashante said, "Is there more to your visions?" He nodded. "After we found this, I locked it up safely. Two days later, I had a dream vision. It showed you sitting in a field, poring over this book. I can only conclude that I am supposed to give it to you to study. Perhaps it can help us in our fight against the Drow. If we can decipher it, as the language is dense and difficult, we might gain an edge. I just don't know, but I know I'm not meant to have it." Scully nodded. She reached for it, recoiled and then reached for it again. "I'll need something else to put this in." Eldren said, "I'll get you a leather pouch that you can tie onto your saddlebag. Maybe the leather will block some of the feelings or whatever that you are getting from it." "That would be wonderful," Scully said. He smiled at her. There was silence for several moments and I watched Troen raise another eyebrow at Eldren. He cleared his throat again. "I'll send one of my paladins with five mounted warrior Knights to join your party. I have to speak with Riven, the head of the Ranger's Guild. Perhaps he'll be willing to spare some troops as well." "That's most generous of you. We really appreciate it," Ashante said, smiling warmly at him again. He smiled at her, bobbing his head. "Well, if we're done here, I need to go round up those troops and speak to Rivan. Scully, I'll send someone with a pouch for that book." He stood and pushed his chair in. He looked at Troen, but then said, "Excuse me." He turned and left, closing the door softly behind him. Ashante said, "I'm afraid you ruffled his feathers, Troen." He chuckled. "I always ruffle his feathers. I'm the only one that doesn't bend for his attitude." "He is still your king," she reminded him. "He's still my little brother, too." Medini said, "Well, what now?" Ashante said, "We need to figure out what we're going to do come nightfall. Scully and I need to be in that cemetery, but I wouldn't mind having a wizard there too. In case these are traditional Drow. Either way, I don't want to be without warrior protection." Medini said, "Our cavalry will stand with you." "Don't send them all, maybe six or so." She nodded. Ashante smiled. "Then I suggest you go get some sleep this afternoon. It's going to be a long night." XXXXXXXXXX SYMMET CEMETERY #3 SYMMET ORDER TERRITORY One cavalry troop consisting of six mounted warriors was in the graveyard with us. Medini convinced Natanni to stay behind. She was sister wife to the ones that were killed. They didn't want to risk losing her as well. Medini belonged to no family at the moment. I wondered if it was a consequence of leading the Amazon military or if there was no place for her. It made me sad. Losing two warriors from one family was a devastating blow. Medini was making sure it didn't happen again. Two other captains, Deirdre and Naim, accompanied Medini. They were each from different families as well. Each captain had six mounted soldiers at their command, but tonight they had brought three and left three behind. Medini had taken command of the four riders left behind when their captain was sent back with their the dead. She now had ten under her command, in addition to being the overall general of the entire group. She brought five of her cavalrywomen and left five behind. Eldren had sent a ranger by the name of Aidan and three crossbowmen to help as well. Soldiers, horses and crossbowmen, along with five of the Elven riders were lining the fence of the cemetery. It was quiet, and a heavy sigh or cough could be heard now and then. Scully, Ashante, and I were grouped together in the middle of the cemetery, mounted. Siobhan, a wizard Knight, and one of the adepts under Troen's command, was sitting with us. He had been our next surprise. He'd arrived on the back of a gigantic stag. The thing was nearly as tall as the unicorns. It had a ten-point rack of antlers that almost seemed to weigh its head down. It was munching grass contentedly, as were the unicorns. I asked Scully, "When the Death Shades were approaching, how did you know?" "Brenneka told me," she said. "What did she say?" "It wasn't specific. At first, I just felt her fear. Then I felt her say, 'trees left' and 'trees right', which I took to mean something was in the trees on both sides of the road." "Anything else?" "Yes, one word resonated in my head." I waited, saying nothing. She replied, "Evil." I swallowed hard and said, "I don't know about all this prophecy stuff, Scully, but promise me something, whether its true or not." "What?" "Stay with me, stay close. Don't wander off. Don't take off without me like you did in Crestfall." She hung her head. "I promise," she said. "We might die here, Scully." She nodded morosely. "I know." I reached out and turned her face to me, leaning off Jadian's back toward her. "If we do, we're dying together. You hear me?" She stared at me in the dim light of the moon and swallowed hard. "I hear you. We're a team, Mulder." "Always." "No ditching me either," she added. I smiled. "I promise. I'm your shadow. You're going to be so sick of me by the time we get out of here, you'll be ready to wring my neck." She smiled. "I never get sick of you, Mulder." I felt a lump in my throat. "I love you, baby," I said softly, wondering if I was going to get slapped for using the endearment in front of everyone. I didn't. Everyone was politely pretending they couldn't hear us and looking away. I leaned a little farther and she met me halfway. We kissed quickly and then straightened in our saddles. I was fast realizing that we had roles to play in this adventure. Prophecy or no prophecy, it seemed success hinged on Scully, again and again. It was my job to keep her alive and watch her back. I hadn't always done a great job of that in the past. As I sat there in that moonlit cemetery, I made myself a promise. I wouldn't fail this time. XXXXXXXXXX As it was, I ended up being the one to make the first move. The night got unnaturally still and quiet as it had on the road a few days ago. As soon as I realized it, that we'd been sitting there for several minutes in utter stillness and silence, I felt Jadian tense underneath me. I didn't holler, but raised my voice enough to be heard at the edges of the cemetery. "Heads up! Something wicked this way comes," I said, trying to add some levity. Then I remembered they wouldn't be familiar with that expression. Instead, they took me literally, and I heard creaking saddles and muffled voices as they went on alert. I don't know why I looked behind me. There were gravestones, as tall as we were in the saddle, standing behind us. We'd stationed ourselves there on purpose, for just that reason. All I know is that the hair stood up on the back of my neck. I shrugged my shoulders in discomfort and glanced behind me. I thought I saw something move, but maybe I just felt a slight breeze. In any case, I reacted on instinct, and hurtled myself off Jadian's back and in between Scully and the gravestone, drawing my dagger at the same time. My stomach landed on Brenneka's ass behind Scully's saddle, making the unicorn startle and leap forward. I slashed blindly with my dagger and connected with flesh. I heard a grunt and before I knew it, I was rolling in the dirt, fighting something or someone. Whoever it was had dressed in pitch-black garments. I couldn't even see his face inside the baggy cowl. I had a flash memory of the mention of the cowl. Death assassin! I kneed him, her, it, whatever it was in the groin and he wheezed in pain. It gave me just enough time to leap to my feet and draw my blade. I stepped back and swung it wide, slicing across my front, as I saw the shadow rise in front of me. I was holding the hilt with both hands and felt the sharp blade hit flesh and sink into it like butter. I felt a sharp pain in my rib cage but finished my strike. My blade hesitated when it hit bone but suddenly I felt something give and my blade was loose. I staggered and listened to the body thud to the ground. Warriors were running from the edge of the cemetery by now, weapons drawn. Ashante had leaped sideways when Brenneka bolted and avoided getting caught in the melee. I went down on my knees, dropping both weapons and bringing my hands to my ribs. I felt the wet, warmth of blood and the tangy smell that reached me a second later made my stomach roll. It was all over in about twenty seconds. I heard Ashante muttering and the voice of a man chanting. The moon suddenly brightened and its light was focused on the cemetery. It didn't light it up like high noon, but it made the corpse visible. A few seconds later, the wizard stepped forward, holding a glowing ball of white light in his outstretched hand. He raised it up to illuminate the area. Nothing was said as everyone gathered around and looked on in horror. There lay a completely decapitated death assassin. It was a gruesome sight. His loose black clothing was hardly visible now, and I wondered if it was spelled to be hard to detect. A few more mutterings from Siobhan, and his clothes became more visible, losing their shimmering quality. "He was enchanted to be invisible," he said calmly. Scully was suddenly at my side, pulling up my tunic. I hissed in pain and she said, "He's hurt! Medini, help me!" The Amazon was instantly in front of me, and helped lift the Mithral chain mail over my head, while Scully steadied me. She gasped at the sheet of blood running down my ribs. "It's not as bad as it looks," I assured her. "Bad enough," she said. "It's a surface slice, bleeding badly, but it's not deep." "I'll be the judge of that," she said sternly. Medini put an arm around my shoulders and helped Scully lay me down flat on my back. She probed the wound gently and then removed a crystal from her pouch. "What about the rejuvenation potion?" I asked. "I want to save that for more serious wounds." I nodded, deferring to her, and let her minister to me. I heard a soldier say, "Should we clean this mess up?" Siobhan said, "No, not yet. Let me call to Troen. Don't touch the body. We don't know," he cut himself off. "Just don't touch anything." I wheezed, "Back to the fence. One man isn't robbing your graves." They all shuffled away, heading back to their appointed posts. Scully tore a strip of cloth from her gown and wiped up the majority of the blood. "I need some water," she said, to no one in particular. I heard footsteps move away. She was drawing the large blue crystal across my rib cage, following the incision made by the death assassin's blade. I felt a wave of nausea and the skin began to sting. I groaned and pulled my legs up in an involuntary response. "Easy, Mulder." "It stings, Scully. It stings bad, not normal. I'm going to be sick." She and Medini rolled me to my side just in time for me to projectile vomit everything out of my stomach. I puked so hard I couldn't catch my breath. Ashante cried, "Poison! You're right. It's not as bad as it looks. It's worse." A hand suddenly appeared next to Scully. It was a gold, gem encrusted goblet full of water. "Use this to cleanse the wound," Siobhan said. Scully nodded, ripping another strip from her robe and wetting it in the water, washing the cut. Next thing I knew, Ashante was kneeling by my side and Medini was stepping out of her way. She cradled a glowing yellow gem in her hand and then gently laid it on my rib cage. I felt a flash of warmth spread through my chest and the stinging stopped. Siobhan said, "Have him drink the rest." The goblet was still about half full. Medini knelt at my head, and helped raise my shoulders. Scully carefully held the goblet to my lips and I gulped the water. It tasted delicious, not to mention washing the horrible taste of vomit out of my mouth. It was cool and refreshing and had a slightly sharp taste to it. Scully went to hand it back to Siobhan when I was done. He shook his head. "You keep it, you were to be gifted with it anyway." Ah, the healing goblet that turned regular water into healing water. Well, I guess we'd gotten that gift just in time. I was suddenly weary, but I sighed. Scully said, "I can't believe it but the cut is closing, healing up." I struggled to sit up and finally got on my feet with Medini's help. I looked down to find bits of dried blood on my chest. The incision was new and pink and raw looking, but it was indeed closing up. "How do you feel?" Scully asked, steadying me as we stepped away from the mess I'd made. "Exhausted," I said. Jadian walked up to me and carefully folded himself to the ground. I patted his neck. "There's my buddy. Thanks, pal." I had felt movement or sensed it, but Jadian tensing had been my first alert to trouble. Medini helped steady me on one side, and Scully was on other. I managed to throw my leg over his back without toppling to the ground. He stood up slowly as though aware I was hurt. I was sure he knew. "Mulder, you should go back and lie down," Scully said. I looked down at her, watching Brenneka snuffle her shoulder with her soft nose. Scully reached up and stroked her nose without looking. The creature rested her chin on Scully's shoulder, for all the world like a neglected child. I smiled. "No separating, remember?" "But you're hurt!" "No separating," I said firmly. She finally nodded and turned, hopping up onto Brenneka. Troen arrived and assessed the situation. He found another spell book on the assassin. It was wrapped in a black silk pouch as well. He said, "I'll find another leather case for this one and give it to you." Scully nodded. "Siobhan said he was spelled to be invisible. Invisibility spells work well. You can see a shimmer in the air during the day if the spelled person moves quickly while invisible, but at night, its impossible to see them, moving or not." He paused and looked at me. "How did you see him?" "I didn't," I said grimly. He frowned. I added, "I felt him." He held my gaze for a while with his odd, milky eyes and then he nodded sharply. "You are indeed a chosen one. Few escape the Drow assassin's poison blade." Aidan strolled up. "I hate to admit it, but they are probably the only ones on the planet stealthier than we are." "It's amazing he didn't kill you," Scully said. "I didn't sense anything." "He wasn't trying to kill me," I said. "I didn't know that until I had to leap sideways to get to him." Ashante looked at me and said, "Who was he after then?" "Scully. I got in the way," I said without fanfare. Ashante took a deep breath and said, "Seems you are good at getting between Scully and death." "As long as I'm alive," I said. XXXXXXXXXX As it turned out, no more graves were disturbed that night and we wondered if they had moved on to greener pastures, so to speak. Ashante advised Troen to have the wizards erect light poles in the corners of the cemeteries and post guards. If they were lit up, even at night, chances were the Drow wouldn't attempt to enter. He thanked her, presented me with a goblet to match Scully's, and gave the pouch with the second grimoire in it to Scully. She carefully tied them to her saddlebag but refused to put them inside with the rest of her belongings. We slept most of the next day and visited with the king again. He had indeed assigned an escort. Instead of his promised paladin and five mounted warriors, he sent three paladins and fifteen lancemen to accompany our party. Personally, I think he didn't want to be outdone by the Amazons. The plan was to leave the next day and head toward Fire Giant territory, skirting the edge of Skulldown. That would be the most dangerous part of the trip. We woke late morning, had breakfast. A paladin, Amandine, asked us to accompany him to the Shrine of Order. This was their temple. It was an impressive building of sandstone with soaring columns at its front. We entered and looked around at the large pews, build to hold big people. Siobhan had us kneel in front of the altar at a rail and performed a ceremony, calling on the God of Order to protect and guide us. Basically, he blessed us. We spent one more night resting up, by which time I was fully healed and never felt better. Scully had always said I healed like a dog. It was even more evident here. We packed up and mounted. As we were assembling in the courtyard of the castle, Aidan appeared and said, "We would like to come if you will have us. Behind him were six crossbowmen. They were all dressed in various earth tones that blended well with the landscape. I said, "The more the merrier. We're honored." He smiled and they were gone in a flurry of billowing beige capes. I looked at Scully and said, "What are we forgetting?" She laughed. "I hope nothing. It's not like we can just drive back and get it." I chuckled. Natanni appeared and asked us if we were ready. Scully said, "Lead on, friend. We have some Giants to see." I stopped her with a hand gesture. "Why don't you go home, Natanni? You've lost your sister-wives. Why risk yourself?" She was silent for a few long moments. "I owe those bastards the sharp side of my blade now." With that, she turned and stalked away to her camelus mount. I hoped revenge wouldn't sour her and make her bitter. Our entourage was growing with every stop. We were now quite a party that pulled out of Symmet. We had added three paladins, fifteen lancemen, a ranger and six crossbowmen, for a total of fifty-seven people. Medini and Natanni were still leading the column but Aidan and his crossbowmen were now doing reconnaissance ahead of the party. Despite all our intentions and preparations, we never made it to Cyneraayt, the Fire Giant territory. THE END.