TITLE:   LORDS OF MAGIC 9: THE DROW
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 (blan-shee) 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.  And yes, she was
married more than once!  LOL.  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 (PG-13)
ASTARTE PALACE
ELVEN TERRITORY

They were all gone finally, back to their respective 
territories, carrying missives and battle plans for the 
leaders.  It took a full day to clean up the camps, 
deconstruct the food tent and get things back to semi-normal.

We never seemed to get a break, though.  The attack on Scully 
came from a very unlikely source.

We met with Ashante and Anzwen for breakfast as usual on the 
second day following the departure of the summit participants.  
Scully and Ashante planned to meet afterwards, travel far out
into the meadows surrounding the city and have a look at those
books.  Foamrider had stayed on at Ashante's behest and was 
going to help out.

The pretty Dryad that usually served our breakfast didn't enter
that day.  It was a novice enchantress.  I recognized her
immediately and kicked myself.  I'd meant to ask who she was 
the day of the battle at Atmos and forgot all about it.  She 
had long dark brown hair and a sweet face that was marred by 
a smile that was phony and did not reach her eyes.  I went on
high alert, but no one else seemed alarmed.

Ashante looked up at her as she set the tray down on a stand 
and proceeded to dispense the plates of food.  "Liessa, where
is Idrin?"  Idrin was the Dryad.

The Elf smiled.  "Oh, My Lady, she said she felt ill and 
asked me to dispense your plates this morning."

Ashante looked concerned.  "Dryads rarely get sick," she 
pronounced with finality, suspicion rising in her eyes.

The Elf smiled and flushed slightly.  I wondered if I was
imagining it but her skin seemed to darken under the surface.
I tensed and Ashante's eyes darted to me.  The girl said, 
"Confidentially, My Lady, I think she may be with child.  
THAT kind of sick."

Ashante relaxed.  "Oh, I suppose it's possible.  She's older
but not out of child-bearing age."

"No, and I hear tell her mate, Camring, is a randy one," she
said in a confidential whisper.

Ashante smiled and said, "Very well, tell her to meet me in
an hour in my chambers.  I'll check her out." 

"Very well, My Lady," Liessa said.  She bowed and began to exit 
the room.

I looked over at Scully just as she was about to shovel a large 
forkful of eggs into her mouth.  It flashed green in my vision.
Was I losing my mind?  Without thought, my hand shot out and 
knocked the fork from her grasp, sending eggs flying 
everywhere.

"Mulder!" Scully cried out.  "What did you do that for?"

I didn't answer but turned to look at the Elf that had stopped
half-way to the door.  Her grin dropped but I'd seen it flash 
on her face.  When her eyes met mine, it disappeared quickly 
and she looked panicked.  She sprinted for the door.  

I took off after her and wasn't going to quite make it.  I 
leaped and threw myself against the open door, slamming it
shut.  I grabbed the Elf from behind and wrapped an arm around
her body, easily hauling her up against my chest.  She was only
about five feet tall and I effortlessly lifted her off the 
floor, even though she was struggling to get free.
 
Everyone was on their feet now, watching, not sure what to do.
I hollered, "Don't eat it, Scully.  Something's wrong with it!"

She glanced at her plate and then back at me.  Liessa hissed,
"Let go of me you savage!"

I was waiting for Anzwen and Ashante to yell at me but neither 
did.  I dragged the recalcitrant Elf to the table and fisted
myfree hand in her hair.  Scully stepped aside.  I forcefully 
bent her over Scully's plate until her face was about two 
inches away.  "Eat it!" I growled in her ear.

"I've already eaten!" she shouted.

"Eat it!" I roared.

I glanced at the others.  Dorian, Foamrider, Ashante and 
Anzwen simply stood, watching silently, not interfering.

"NO!  What's the matter with you?  I can't eat the Savior's
food!" she said, playing innocent.

"Why not?  What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing!  I simply carried in the plates."

"I ate some of mine, Mulder," Ashante said.

I glanced at her, having a dart of doubt.  "EAT.  IT!" I 
demanded, roaring in her ear.

Her hand shook as she picked up Scully's fork and carefully 
scooped up a piece of bacon and popped it in her mouth.  
Nothing happened.

"The eggs," I growled.

She began to struggle again.  "Are you insane?  What's this
all about?"

"You know exactly what it's about.  Eat the eggs."

She swallowed and stabbed a piece of egg.  Her head turned 
to the side and she smiled triumphantly at me.  She popped
it into her mouth.  I let her stand but still kept my arm 
around her waist.  Nothing happened.  I realized she was 
holding it in her mouth.

I said, "Swallow it."

Now her eyes went wide.  I didn't miss the fleeting look of
doubt and fear.

"SWALLOW IT!" I screamed in her ear.

She flinched and swallowed.  Nothing happened for about 
fifteen seconds.  Just as everyone relaxed and let out the
breaths they had been holding, she gagged.

I let go of her and she staggered backwards, her hands going
to her throat.  I glanced up and saw looks of horror on 
Anzwen and Ashante's faces.  "Liessa!" she shouted.

Anzwen grabbed her arm.  "Let her go."

"I have to try to and save her!" Ashante shouted.

I looked sadly at Ashante, somehow knowing.  "It's too late, 
Ashante."

"NO!" she cried.  "It can't be!"

Liessa's eyes rolled back in her head, her tongue stuck out
and she gagged again, a horrible retching sound.  She looked
panicked and said, "He said ... it wouldn't ... hurt me."

Then she collapsed.  We stood in shock as her brown hair 
faded and turned to stark white, her fine Elven features 
flattened out and became broader, and her skin began to 
darken.

Ashante began sobbing and Anzwen took her in his arms.  I 
reached for Scully but she turned and walked to the girl
instead.  Whatever magic had enchanted her was now fading.
She began to smoke.  Scully grabbed her water mug, tossed it
in the air.  The water volume tripled and then splashed down
on the dead Elf.  She steamed for a moment but did not go up
in smoke.  Scully kneeled down and quickly went through her
pockets, coming out with another black book from inside her
tunic. 

She stepped back, watching the water steam and evaporate.  
She grabbed a cloth napkin and wrapped the book in it.  When
the water was gone, the Elf smoked again and then burst into
flames.

"Oh, Goddess, no!" Ashante cried out, clearly distraught.  
"She was like a daughter to me!"

I looked at Dorian and Foamrider.  "You better find Idrin,"
I said.

They nodded and quickly left the room in search of the missing 
Dryad.  Scully finally stepped into my arms and I held her
quietly.  Ashante got herself under control at last and wiped
her tears on her sleeve.  "I'm sorry," she hiccupped.

"Don't worry about it.  I'm sorry too," I said softly.

"Why didn't I see it?  I should have felt it.  I should have
seen through the illusion.  Why?  Why couldn't I SEE it?" 
she wailed.  "They corrupted her and made her Drow!"

Anzwen gathered her up.  "You weren't meant to, darling.  
Mulder saw it."

We all sat back down.  "I wouldn't eat any of this, just to
be on the safe side.  It was probably only Scully's, maybe 
mine, but you never know."

Scully said, "You saved my life again."

I smiled over at her and Anzwen said, "That is your purpose, I 
believe.  You are so connected that you see things others 
don't.  I believe the Goddess has gifted you with an extra 
sense, Mulder, one that allows you to sense any danger to 
Scully."

They nodded.  Foamrider and Dorian appeared, striding back
into the room with grim expression.  When Ashante looked at
him hopefully, he subtly shook his head.  "I'm sorry," he 
whispered.

She burst into tears again.  Foamrider said, "I'll visit the
kitchen and get someone to clean this up and bring us 
something else."

Anzwen said, "Save the plates and food.  I want them examined."

Foamrider nodded and did his bidding without a word.  Dorian 
looked at Anzwen and said, "I'll take care of Idrin.  I'll 
take her to Camring."

Anzwen nodded.  "Tell him we will have a full ceremony for
her burial."

He nodded and left the room.

'Gee, what a way to start a day,' I thought.

XXXXXXXXXXX

ASTARTE
MEADOW - FAR EAST
ELVEN TERRITORY
TWO HOURS LATER

I looked at Ashante's face.  She was still stricken but 
marching on like a good soldier.  I glanced at Scully and 
then Foamrider.  They both wore looks of concern.

"Scully, maybe we should do this another day," I suggested 
quietly.

Ashante raised her head to look at us.  "No, no day will be
better than today.  We have to just keep going.  We're 
running out of time."

Scully frowned.  "One day won't make a difference.  You've
had an awful shock today.  Why don't you take some time and
rest.  You'll still grieve, but it's really fresh right now."

Ashante was shaking her head.

"Give yourself a break, Ashante," Foamrider said.  "You lost
not only Liessa but Idrin as well."

Her lip quivered slightly.  "No, let's begin.  I need to do 
something."  She paused.  "Those bastards!" she shouted.  
Her eyes pooled with tears.  "Corrupting my Liessa!" 
The four of us waited patiently while she regained her
composure.  

She finally took a deep breath.  Her voice was low and calm,
and all the more menacing for it.  "I want them dead."  She
paused.  "I've never actually said that before, you know 
that?"

Foamrider said, "Ashante, my friend, you need some time."

"No!  We don't have any time.  What I meant was that I never
liked the Drow, but I've always felt more pity towards them
than malice.  Even these latest events I blamed on the hell
spawn.  I blamed it all on Balgoth.  I wanted to believe that
they were helpless victims, pawns for the demons, unable to 
help themselves."

Foamrider said, "That's perfectly natural.  They were your 
kin, Ashante.  You need not feel guilty for feeling 
compassion.  It is one of the things that make you the grand
dame that you are."

Ashante blinked rapidly, touched by the words.  Foamrider
stepped toward her, towering over her and enfolded her in an
embrace.  "What else have they done?  Who else could they 
have corrupted?" Ashante wondered aloud as she leaned on the
Amazon priestess for support. 

Foamrider rocked her gently like a mother would rock a child.  
"They couldn't have gotten to many others.  Many would be seen.  
They only needed one to try and rid the world of the Saviors.
If there are others, we will find them," Foamrider said gently.
"Your adepts are all so angry right now.  They are on the 
warpath, going house to house, casting 'dispel illusion'.  
If there are others hiding amongst us, they will find them."

Ashante sniffled and pulled out of the embrace slowly.  "I'm
sorry.  Truly though, I think this will help me.  I can't 
just sit around.  I need to feel useful right now."

Scully nodded and said, "I understand.  Let's get started 
then."  The bag with the four books lay on the ground.  

We backed away from it.  We had decided to have them cast 
protection spells on both of us.  We would open the books 
together.  As always, I would have her back.  When they 
suggested that the ladies go out to the field alone so as to
reduce the risk of harm to anyone else should something go 
wrong, I had just shook my head firmly.

Anzwen took one look at me and knew that the idea was 
unacceptable to me.  Foamrider didn't even try.  She knew 
what happened the last time she tried to keep us apart.  
I simply said, "Where Scully goes, I go.  End of story."
After what had just happened at breakfast, no one was going
to argue with me.

He'd held my gaze but then nodded once.  "You haven't been 
wrong yet, Mulder.  I'll not question you at this late date."

Ashante had gazed at me, looking like she was about to 
protest.  I saw Foamrider shake her head very slightly.
Ashante had sighed deeply and said, "Nor shall I."

Now, here we stood.  Scully backed up to my chest and I
wrapped my arms firmly around her waist.  I widened my 
stance and cradled her body against mine.  Her hands rested
on my forearms and I rested my chin on the top of her head.
We fit together like two puzzle pieces.
 
They smiled.  Ashante said, "I'll go first."  She stepped up
about four feet in front of us and raised her staff.  
"Watchtower Guardians of the Sun, I call upon thee to seal 
and protect the two that act as one, are male and female, are
not of this world, and belong to none.  Grace them with your
everlasting sunlight that they may block any aspects of death
magic that try to enter them." 

She went on muttering, and a sunbeam came down, filtered 
through her staff and then was directed at us.  We were
enshrouded in blinding light and I closed my eyes, seeing 
the burn of my retinas on the back of my eyelids.

When she was done, Foamrider stepped forward and held up her 
staff.  She cast a Regeneration spell on us.  It was a long,
intricate spell that supposedly would continue to heal us if
we were to take any damage.  If we were wounded in any way,
or touched by death magic, the spell would trigger and begin
repairing the damage immediately.  

When she was done, she said, "It's the only spell I know that 
directly counters death magic."

Ashante cast another shield spell and Foamrider followed it
with some sort of protection spell I couldn't understand.

Finally, they stepped back.  I looked down at our skin and we
were glowing.  A shimmering veil of yellow and blue wove 
together over the entire surface of our bodies.  

They proceeded to cast protection spells on themselves.  When 
they were finished, I dropped my hands from Scully's waist and 
slid them down her arms and grasped her wrists gently.  We 
stepped toward the sack together.  Carefully, we sat down.
I sat on my ass, with my legs extended to the sides.  Scully
sat cross-legged in the cradle of my body.  She carefully 
opened the sack and drew out one of the books.  It was the
spell book found on the assassin that had attacked us at the 
Symmet graveyard.  She snapped open the leather pouch and 
carefully grasped it, pulling it out.  She removed the 
cloth covering and requested, "Hold the cloth over it, Mulder."

I reached around her and took hold of the edges, shading the
book with the black cloth cover.  I stared at the title.  It
was in a language I could not read or understand, a sort of
hieroglyph.

She ran her fingers over it slowly as a blind person would to
read Braille and I peeked at the side of her face.  Her lips
were moving.  Then she said, "Naricon."

I looked at Ashante and she gasped.  "You know the name?" I 
asked, my voice sounding oddly muffled.  I supposed it must
be the spells on us.

She nodded.  "He was the top death assassin in Skulldown.  
Second only to the head of the assassin's guild.  My God,
you killed Naricon," she said, sounding awed.

"Maybe," I said.  "This doesn't mean it was him necessarily."

Foamrider was shaking her head.  "Yes, it does.  They wouldn't 
carry another's book."

I nodded grimly.  Apparently killing this particular assassin
was a momentous thing.  Having no history really, and not 
having lived with a fear of Drow assassins, I had no frame
of reference.  I shrugged and said, "He was going to kill 
Scully.  He had to die."

Ashante and Foamrider glanced at one another with a knowing 
look.  Foamrider said, "I'll bet that threw them into some 
chaos.  If Balgoth sent his top assassin to kill Scully, that
tells us two things.  One is that they know how important you
are.  Two is that we have not made a mistake in believing in
you.

We returned our attention to the book.  Scully carefully 
opened the book.  Black markings lined the page and she 
began running her fingers over the letters.  "I don't know
why but I know what this says.  I've never seen this language."

Ashante looked nervous but excited.  "If it's written in Drow,
it's a bastardized form of Elvish," she proclaimed.

Scully nodded.  "By order of the Great Master of the Opening 
Abyss, you are ordered to eliminate one Dana Scully, a Human, 
residing with the Elves.  She is small of frame, a bit over 
five feet tall, has flaming red hair and blue eyes, and rides
a female unicorn.  You will know her as she is of a race that
does not reside on Urak.  She is the female of the two that 
act as one, that is not of this world and belongs to none.
She will be in the company of her male half.  He has brown 
hair, green eyes, six feet tall, rides a male unicorn.  
Beware, they may look like Elves, but they are much more
deadly.  I send my most deadly to eliminate their most deadly.
Don't fail me, -- Balgoth"

She turned the page:

"By order of the Great Master of the Opening Abyss, you are 
ordered, if possible and after having eliminated one,Scully,
Human, to eliminate her mate and protector, Fox Mulder, as 
described.  Kill the woman first.  Without her, his purpose 
crumbles and we will be victorious."

I felt my blood boil with rage and I tamped it down, 
reminding myself that I had already killed the motherfucker.
Ashante and Foamrider were silent and solemn as they listened.

She turned the page, her fingers running more rapidly over the 
black ink than before.  "When you have accomplished your 
mission, return to Skulldown.  Do not attempt to eliminate 
anyone else.  I will need you for other jobs."

Her hands moved to the second page and her fingers began their 
dance over the page.  "Carry this book with you at all times.
As long as it is on your person, daylight cannot touch you.
Should you find yourself in an impossible situation, save your
life first.  Utter these power words."

She hesitated and her fingers ran over it again and again.  
Her hand jerked and she said, "Do you have a piece of paper?"

Ashante shook her head.  "No, but what's wrong."

"I won't say the word.  It's almost gibberish, but I can tell
it is still active.  It's all consonants though."

Ashante's eyes widened.  "A power word.  Not something we use 
in Elven magic.  No.  Don't utter it.  I've a feeling I know
what it is."

Scully looked at her questioningly.

"I'd bet it teleports you to Skulldown.  Not only is that the 
assassin's orders, so to speak.  I think the book is spelled
to be a portable teleport stone."

"Meaning if I say this word, I'll be teleported?" she said 
skeptically.

Ashante nodded.  "I think so.  I can't be certain."

"Don't even think about risking it," I said.

She nodded.  "That's the end of that one.  Who is the Great
Master of the Opening Abyss?"

Ashante frowned.  "Golgoth, the God of Death."

Foamrider said.  "Now that we know they use power words, be 
very careful.  Interpret the text in your head first, before
you utter anything.  There could be words embedded in the 
text.  They won't, however, be normal words.  They are 
constructs like the one you have there, difficult to pronounce
and not an everyday word.  That's one thing in your favor.
They should be easy to spot.  You don't, however, want to 
slip up and utter one while trying to sound it out."

"No, that would suck big time," Scully said with 
understatement.

They laughed lightly, but I could tell they were nervous.
"Proceed with caution, Scully," Foamrider warned.

The next was similar.  Apparently, an assassin had been sent 
before Naricon and had failed.  His name had been Quilree.
The Knights had killed him before we ever reached Symmet.
Our battle with the death shades left little doubt that they
had known we were traveling to Symmet.  I wondered how all
these spies from all these races seemed to travel unseen and
know so much.  It was almost like that feeling of assuming 
that the office back home was always bugged.  I swallowed 
hard.  This second one had also ended in a power word 
instruction. 

"I could write them down if you wish," she offered.  

Ashante and Foamrider both shook their heads and said, "No."

She took out the one that was found on Liessa and began to
read, "Phaer."

Ashante said, "It's another name.  Perhaps the one Liessa
took when she became a Drow.  It means 'honored' in Drow."
She looked like she was going to be sick.

This time Scully was going slower, interpreting in her head
before speaking, just as she had been instructed.  I felt 
her tense and whispered, "What is it?"

"Oh my God," she said softly.  

"What?" Ashante asked, sounding close to frantic.

"After the assassination order, this one is different.  
Ashante, I can't utter this.  It's a spell to enchant the 
user to look like someone else."

"Yes, she turned Drow, just like the others, she had to be 
enchanted to look like her old self."

"No," Scully said, shaking her head.  "It doesn't work that
way.  They have to cast the spell in front of the person they
want to look like.  It requires them to immobilize the person
through a binding spell first."  She paused.  "They have to
be alive!  It borrows their life force to create the illusion.
If the person they are 'copying' for lack of a better word, 
dies, the illusion fails!"

"Are you saying she's still alive?  That wasn't my Liessa?"
she exclaimed.  Scully nodded.

"Oh Goddess, I have to tell Anzwen, get the troops out
looking for her!" she babbled.  She stepped forward and back
as though unsure where to start.

Scully said, "Hold on."

Foamrider took Ashante's hand in hers to steady her.  The 
woman was nearly vibrating with anxiety.  I'd never seen her
so rattled.  She was shifting her weight from foot to foot.

After another minute or so, Scully looked up and closed the 
book.  "We'll deal with the Grimoire later," she announced.
She stood up, and quickly repackaged the books, stuffing them
into the sack.

She looked up at the tree line about fifty yards away and
hollered, "Shadar!"

His shriek echoed back to us and then he appeared soaring
toward us.  He was never far away, but was surprisingly good
at being inconspicuous.  He was growing quickly and was 
already twice the size of a large dog.  He landed in front
of her without fanfare; his wings back beating to slow his
descent. 

Ashante asked in a quivering voice, "What did it say?"

Scully spoke aloud so that we would all hear and she wouldn't 
have to repeat herself.  "Shadar.  Go find Anzwen, Dorian, and 
Joachim immediately.  Tell them to make haste to us.  We will 
wait here."

He bobbed his head in acknowledgement.  He took a couple of 
clumsy strides to the side and launched himself into the air.
Scully looked up into all our anxious faces.  "I think I know
where she is," she announced.

"You're sure she's alive?" Ashante asked.

Scully hesitated.  "I can't lie to you, Ashante.  I don't 
know the answer, but I think I know where she is.  She WAS
alive when that spell was cast."

"Where?"

"Somewhere east of Sahanna Village.  It describes a bridge
that leads out to a small island."

Ashante looked at Foamrider.  She shrugged.  "It might be
Tafania Island, but there is no bridge."

"What's out there?" I asked.

"Nothing," Foamrider said.  "Absolutely nothing."



XXXXXXXXXX

PART 2 (NC-17)
TAFANIA ISLAND
AMAZON TERRITORY

Medini had appeared with the men atop her Camelus.  I 
wondered why she was still here but didn't question it.  It 
was decided Anzwen would return to the city.  Dorian would 
stay with us this time. Joachim, Medini, and Dorian would
accompany us to the island.  

On the way, Scully filled us in on the rest of what she had
read in the black book.  "The place was prepared ahead of 
time by necromancers.  There were directions and everything
on where to stash the prisoner."

"There's no bridge out to Tafania Island," Foamrider 
insisted again.

"Should I send Nella for a Corsair to meet us on the shore?" 
Medini asked.

"Not yet," Foamrider said.

I suggested, "Could there be a bridge you don't know about?"

Foamrider almost looked insulted but then said, "Anything is 
possible."

Ashante said, "Could their magic be that powerful that they
could make it invisible to the naked eye?"

Foamrider snapped her head around to look at her.  "I hadn't
even thought of that."

Ashante shrugged.  "They've obviously proven that they are 
masters at illusion magic, something none of us have ever 
practiced."

"Because it's deceitful," Foamrider spat.  "The only ones 
that rival them with illusion magic are the Dwarves."

I said, "I thought the Knights were the best at that."

She shook her head.  "No, they are the best at enchantment.  
There's a difference."

Ashante just raised her eyebrows.  "Let's be cautious.  
Remember who we're dealing with."

Foamrider sighed, "No fear of that."

We reached the eastern shore of Crestfall, east of the village
in a half a day.  It was nearly dusk.  Our eyes scanned the
shoreline, seeing nothing.  Foamrider pointed out over the 
waves.  "You see that brown speck out there?"  We nodded.  
"That's Tafania Island."

"Why is there nothing out there?" Scully asked.

Foamrider said, "It's a tiny island, maybe only ... five 
hundred feet square.  There was never any point to putting
anything out there.  As far as we knew it was simply a 
nesting ground for gullwinds and that's about it.  We figured
we'd leave it to the gullwinds."

Scully dismounted and walked down to the beach.  I slid off 
Jadian's back and followed at a discreet distance.  No one 
questioned me.

Scully studied the shoreline.  Her lips pursed and her eyes 
squinted.  She turned and began to follow the shoreline
southeast.  We weren't far over the border into Crestfall,
and an isolated island would be a good place to stash a 
prisoner.

She stopped and raised her staff.  What appeared to be a heavy
rain cloud appeared over our heads.  As it did, we could see
the shimmering outline of a bridge.  It was clear, as though
looking through a glass.  I heard gasps and realized our 
entire party had followed us down the beach.  "Holy 
Aphrodite!" Foamrider exclaimed.

Scully dropped her staff and the cloud disappeared.  Now you 
could see nothing.  She turned and said, "I wouldn't trust it.
I get a bad feeling about it, like if I step onto it, it's 
going to collapse and dump me in the water or something."

"I'll call for a Corsair," Medini suggested again.

Scully vetoed her.  "No, wait.  We don't have that much time.
I have an idea."  She turned and headed back up the beach to
where we had a better view of the island.  She waved to 
Foamrider.  "I need your help."

Foamrider dismounted her mount and approached her, standing 
beside her.  "What would you have me do?"

"I need you to direct the waves from the bottom of the ocean
floor to converge toward each other from either side of the 
beach instead of rolling towards us."

Foamrider's eyebrows went up.  "How far out?"

"Let's try about ten feet at first."

Foamrider smiled.  "You got it."  She raised her sapphire 
blue staff made of entirely blue crystal and began chanting
a spell. 

We all watched in awe as the waves reversed direction and 
began crashing into each other instead of rolling toward the
beach.  Scully said.  "Start at the bottom and work up."

Foamrider nodded but kept chanting.  Scully pulled out the 
emerald staff given to her by Duvanab.  Before we knew it, wet 
sand and soil erupted from the center of the crashing waves, 
piling on top of itself and forming a small platform out from
the beach about four feet wide.  Problem was that it was all
spiked up, like she'd thrown stalagmites down along the path.
The wand was a wand of hell spikes, I remembered now.  They 
were meant as a weapon and I could easily see how they would
cripple and disable a foe.

Without a word, Ashante stepped forward and stood on Scully's 
left side.  She began chanting and the spikes smoothed out to
make a flat surface.  My God, they were creating a sandbar 
before our very eyes.  The three women stepped forward 
together, Scully in the center.  We watched in amazement,
as a crash of two waves would collide, a burst of hell 
spikes would erupt from the center of the waves, and was
immediately flattened.  They did this over and over again,
ten new feet of sand bar appearing with each cycle.  

The rest of us mounted quickly.  Brenneka followed Jadian 
dutifully, as did Zalika and Foamrider's warhorse mount.  We 
advanced well behind the women, making sure we would be free 
of flying debris.  It was a laborious task, but within about
a half an hour, the sandbar butted up to the beach of the 
tiny island.  

There was about twenty feet of sandy beach, which ended with a 
ring of trees that circled the island.  We all dismounted and
headed through the trees.  Medini and Foamrider led the 
procession this time.  They had been to the island via Corsair
to check on the nesting of gullwinds, and so knew the layout
of the island.  About twenty feet of trees, dotted overhead 
with gigantic nests of twigs and leaves and mud, ended to show
a level, dirt clearing about ten feet across.  

We saw it immediately.  There was a grate in the middle of the 
clearing, surrounded by a wooden square erected on the dirt.
The wire mesh was fine, and we could see hinges on one side.
It was crudely locked with a metal dowel through interlocking
metal tubes.  Guess they never figured on anyone finding this.
They only worried about someone getting out. 

I slid off Jadian and said, "Medini and I go first."

No one questioned me.  She dismounted and moved to the 
opposite side of the grate.  I pulled out the metal dowel and
we stuck our fingers into the mesh to grasp it.  Joachim and 
Dorian drew their swords as a precaution. "On three," I 
instructed.  "One, two, three!"  

She heaved at the same time I did, muscles in her uncovered
arms rippling with strength and effort.  We both grunted but 
the wire mesh lifted.  We shoved at the same time and it 
flipped open, revealing the metal rungs of a ladder.  Only
one could go down at once.  She drew one of her daggers, as
did I.

We looked at each other.  "I'll go first," I said.  She nodded.
I grasped the dagger between my teeth and moved closer to the
edge of the hole. 

Scully said, "Be careful."

I nodded to her and swung a leg down into the darkness.  It 
was pitch black and I descended a good twenty feet until I
felt a floor under my feet.  I grasped my dagger in my left
hand and looked around.  I could tell by the change in air
flow that I had exited the tube above my head.  I was in a
larger room and it was colder down here.  It was also dark.  

I stuck my arms out straight, trying to feel for a wall and
didn't feel one.  Well, I wasn't in a narrow hallway at least.  

I unsheathed my long sword.  The faint blue glow that 
surrounded it -- the Storm Giants magic -- was bright down
here in the utter darkness and I was glad for it now.  It 
revealed a small room about twenty feet square.  The walls
were dirt but reinforced with wooden struts every couple of
feet.  There was a thick beam above my head supporting the
earth that made up the ceiling.  I called out.  "Come on down."

I heard her boots on the metal rungs moments later and she was 
quickly at the bottom.  Joachim followed, and then the mages 
descended.  "Where is she?" Ashante whispered.  "This is 
obviously a prison cell.

I began circling the wall, holding up my sword to give myself 
light.  "Maybe there's a hidden door or something.  You guys 
check the floor."

They immediately began to look around.  Both Foamrider and 
Ashante produced glowing balls of light, Ashante's yellow, 
Foamrider's blue, and held them out on their palms, shedding
light over the ground.  Ashante said, "God, this is horrible!
How do Dwarves live underground all the time?  No sunlight, 
no warmth.  This is an Elf's biggest nightmare."

A minute later I saw it, about chest height, a small white tube 
sticking out of the wall.  I bent down and put my eye to the
end of the tube.  It was only about a quarter inch in diameter.
I couldn't see anything.  Then I heard a grunt.

I bent quickly and put my cheek up to the tube, I could feel
air blow out onto my cheek.  "I think I found her!" I shouted.

They crowded around me and I looked at the wall.  It was solid 
dirt.  "Oh my God, I think she's buried in the wall."

"Holy Mother Goddess!" Ashante whispered in horror.  I 
sheathed my weapon, Foamrider and Ashante holding up their
globes of light.  Joachim, Medini and I began to scoop dirt
with our bare hands.  Medini was the tallest, so she started 
above.  I took the area around the tube and Joachim knelt 
down and began to dig around my knees.  

About six inches in, I felt something more solid.  I dug 
quickly and could see white.  I dug frantically and exposed
a cheek.  In seconds I had dirt peeled away from her head.
Her face was snow white, her eyes closed, and her lips pursed
around the small white tube, which I could see now was made 
of some kind of bone.  

Ashante cried out, "Liessa!  Can you hear me, darling?"

Scully muscled her way in and felt for a pulse.  I backed off,
giving her room to work while the other two were now digging
as best they could around her body.  Scully ripped the tube 
out of her mouth and plastered herself to the wall, turning
her head and laying her mouth over the girl's without 
hesitation and pinching her nose.  She was breathing into her
lungs.  I knew instantly that the woman was barely breathing.
Her lips were turning blue.  She'd been breathing a minute
ago.  'Had she stopped?' I wondered.

Behind me I could hear Ashante suppressing sobs and chanting, 
"No, no, no, no!"

Then suddenly Scully pulled back and the girl coughed, choked 
and sucked in a gigantic breath.  Ashante almost rushed her,
but Foamrider held her back.  Scully backed up and just said,
"Get her out of there now!"

It took about two more minutes before I could wedge my hands 
behind the tightly packed dirt that was like clay and get any 
leverage.  When I did, I spread my legs and pulled hard.  The
girl popped out of the wall like a ball out of cannon and I
staggered backwards.  Medini and Joachim steadied me and I 
lay the girl gently down onto the ground.

Ashante was about to kneel over her when Scully said, "Let's
get her out of here first.  She's breathing, she has a pulse.
We need her out of this hole!"

Medini bent down and scooped the girl up like she was a rag
doll.  Liessa was even smaller than Scully, barely five feet
tall, and skinny as a rail.  I scurried up the ladder and 
laid down on my belly, hanging my head and arms into the hole.  

Medini was climbing the ladder with the girl slung over one 
shoulder and holding the rungs with the other.  When she 
reached the roof where the tube began, she carefully lifted 
the girl off her shoulder and braced herself with her back 
against the dirt tube, her legs on the ladder.  She handed 
her straight up and I caught her under the arms and hauled 
with all my strength.  She was small but she was also dead
weight.  She couldn't weigh more than ninety pounds though.  

I carried her to the small patch of grass next to the trees
and laid her down on the cloak Dorian spread there.  I 
watched them emerge from the hole one by one. 

Scully, Ashante and Foamrider rushed to her and fell to their 
knees.  Scully began a cursory exam of her for obvious wounds, 
running her hands down her body.  She ripped open the flimsy 
sheet-like shirt she had on that hung to her knees.  Her body
was bone white.  Foamrider was pulling crystals out of a
pouch at her waist and laying them on the girl; one on her
throat, one on her sternum, one on her stomach, one on each 
leg and each arm.

Ashante was drawing warmth and sunlight into a little spotlight 
that flooded the area they were working on.  It was amazing to 
watch them work together.  We'd just witnessed it when they 
created that sandbar we could all cross.  It didn't make this
any less fascinating.  

Scully rammed her staff into the ground, bent it at an angle 
and soon there was a steady stream of air flowing in to the 
girl's mouth from the staff, as she tipped the girl's head
back and opened her jaw.  She was an enchantress now, but 
she was still Dr. Scully.  I smiled in spite of the situation.
God, I loved this woman.  She was checking her pupils.  When 
she was done she began vigorously rubbing her limbs with her
bare hands.  Ashante buried the end of her staff in the
ground as well.  It continued to shine its sunbeam down on
the nearly frozen girl.  She was clearly hypothermic 
although I didn't know if the same laws of physics applied here.

The crystals began to pulse and glow and I watched in 
astonishment as they began to lose their color as it leeched
into the girl.  When Foamrider was done, they were all clear.
She scooped them up and put them in another pouch at her 
waist.  She then began to help Scully rub the girl.

Another five minutes or so and the girl had color in her body.
She was breathing evenly and Foamrider's magic had cleared 
away all the dirt and debris from her body.

She was gaunt and I could count every rib.  I said, "Do we 
have a robe for her or something?"

Ashante leaped up and went to Zalika.  She pulled a woven 
yellow tunic from her saddlebag.  They carefully dressed the
girl and then Medini appeared with a thick robe that fastened
in the front, with fur of some sort on all the edges and a big
fur collar.  They gently rolled her and put her arms through 
the arm holes.  It was enormous on her and she looked like a 
child.  The robe was obviously Medini's.  Ashante looked up at
her with tears in her eyes.  "Thank you, I'll get it back to 
you."

Medini waved her hand negligently.  "Let her keep it for a
blanket.  I can get another one."

Ashante nodded, her gratitude obvious.  She cupped the girl's 
cheeks and bent over, peering into her face.  Scully still sat
on the girl's opposite side and Foamrider still knelt at her 
feet.

Ashante closed her eyes and hummed some sort of tuneless chant.  
The girl jerked slightly and finally her eyes opened.  They 
were the brightest green I'd ever seen.  She screamed and 
tried to sit up.  Ashante grasped her shoulders.  "It's all
right.  It's me, Ashante.  It's all right, child."

Liessa cringed but then looked around in wonder.  She blinked 
several times and turned back to Ashante.  "Oh Goddess!  
Thank you!"

Ashante folded her in an embrace and carefully leaned her back 
down.  "You're safe now, my child.  Rest.  We will take you
back to Astarte."

"But she's there, the Drow!"

Ashante shook her head.  "No, darling.  Mulder killed her, or 
actually made her kill herself."

The girl didn't ask for further explanation but she sunk back
to the ground and began weeping silently.  "You need to sleep
darling.  I'm going to put you under, all right?  Don't be 
afraid.  We'll take good care of you now."

Even after all she'd been through, the girl closed her eyes 
and relaxed in perfect trust of her mistress.  Scully and 
Foamrider stepped away as she cast a short spell and the girl
went to sleep.  

Ashante stood and motioned to Zalika who approached her and 
bobbed her head, nickering softly.  She sprang onto her back
and said, "One of you hand her up to me."

Medini went and picked her up in a baby carry.  For Medini she 
posed as much problem as picking up a fork.  She carefully 
handed her to Ashante, who arranged the girl sideways on the 
front of her saddle and wrapped her arms around her.  She was
limp and rested her head on Ashante's shoulder.  Ashante 
smiled down at her tenderly.  

Medini said, "I think we should spend the night at Sahanna.
I want to get off this island, but it's half a day's ride 
back to Astarte or to Crestfall.  It's already dark and I 
don't think we should risk running into the Drow trying to
get to either one.  It will only take a couple hours to get
to Sahanna."

We all agreed and mounted up, following her and Foamrider off 
the island and back to the village.

XXXXXXXXXX

SAHANNA VILLAGE
AMAZON TERRITORY

This guesthouse was becoming familiar.  It would be the third
time we'd stayed here.  We stabled our mounts and Ashante and  
Foamrider went to stay with the head warrior in the village.  
Medini was in the other room in this house.  

After we were ready for bed, I slipped out into the kitchen to
get a glass of water and nearly ran smack into Joachim, who was 
supposed to be bunking in the small barracks near the village
gates with Dorian.

"Hello," I said softly.

He jumped and whirled around at my voice.  He'd been standing
in the dark near the table in the center of the room.  "Oh 
geez, you scared me."

"An Elven captain caught off his guard?  What could that be
all about?" I teased.

He grunted.  "I just wanted to make sure everyone was all
right."

I snorted.  "You don't have to pretend with me," I said.  "I 
see the way you look at her."

He cleared his throat and then mumbled, "It's entirely your
fault, you know?"

I laughed then.  I couldn't help it.  "Still contemplating?"
I inquired.

His eyes met mine as I lit a candle and its soft glow 
invaded the kitchen.  I waved at a chair and he sat down.
I sat at the opposite end of the table and took a slug of
water from my glass.

"The night of your handfasting," he said.

"What about it?" I asked casually.

"We were guarding the door ... together," he haltingly added.

I smiled.  "Uh oh.  Do I need to be embarrassed?" I joked.

He grinned.  "No, but it was quite an auditory show," he
admitted.

I felt a slight blush go up my neck but said nothing.

"There was a lot of mana flying around the Temple that night,
I'll tell you that," he said.

"Get your systems humming?" I teased.

He coughed behind his hand.  "Uh, yeah, in more ways than
one."

I smiled.  "You've been with her already, haven't you?"

He looked up sheepishly and nodded.  He blushed a lovely shade 
of pink and I chuckled low.  "Good for you."

"She's amazing," he whispered.

"Was that the last time?" I asked.

He shook his head.  "No, we've managed to sneak away a couple
of times.  I have my own house now and she's made excuses to
need to consult with me.  She made an excuse to Foamrider to
stay on in Astarte."

"You were taking this opportunity tonight to sneak in here,"
I said without a hint of scolding.

He nodded.  "Yeah, I was going to."

"Don't stop on my account.  Your secret's safe with us,
Joachim.  Don't let me stop you."

"I don't think I could do anything now that I know you know
I'm here," he said honestly.

I stood and put my mug in the sink.  "Get in there.  I'd 
wager once you see her, it won't be a problem," I teased.

"Stars!" he cursed softly.

I chuckled and began to exit the room.  Over my shoulder
I said, "Have a good time."

I didn't hear if he responded because I was down the hall
and into our room in seconds.

XXXXXXXXXX NC-17 PORTION XXXXXXXXXX

I entered to find Scully laid out nude in the middle of the
bed like a game show contestant's wet dream.  'Show him what
he's won, Johnny!' I thought, amusing the hell out of myself.

I growled and pounced on the bed.  She nearly giggled and I 
reveled in the sound.  She was yanking at my breeches, which
were the only thing I still had on and soon they were tangled
around my ankles.  I bent over and ripped them off, tossing
them dramatically over my shoulder.

I placed my hand on her flat tummy.  There was a small pooch 
there around her navel, but I didn't know if it was bigger
than before or not.  "It's too early for me to show," she said.

I rubbed it languidly anyway and she sighed.  She reached for
my hand and guided it to her center, spreading her legs open.
I hummed and sunk my fingers gently inside her.  She was 
already wet and she moaned as I twirled them around a bit,
getting the feel of the territory, so to speak.

She was pulling at my shoulders and I said, "Slow down."

"No, I want you now," she demanded.

I chuckled and slid between her legs.  My cock was fully 
erect and had no trouble complying with her request.  I 
nudged her opening and said, "Open for me."

She reached down and gently spread her pink lips apart as I 
watched, perched on my elbows and leaning up on one hip.  I 
moaned gently.  She was wide open and defenseless. 

I slid into her quickly and pressed deep.  "Oh yeah!" she
groaned.  

I began to thrust gently and she locked her ankles behind 
my low back and began to pull me into her.  "Faster!" she
grunted.

I braced myself fully on my elbows and began to pound into her 
tight pussy.  Even now that we were having sex regularly, she
was always as snug as our first time.  It was amazing.  "Feels
so good, Scully.  Always feels so good," I mumbled.  

I felt my balls rumble with every thrust and her juices were 
flowing out of her and making my entrance slick and effortless.  
She was like a velvet glove.  My pelvis smacked against her
wide-open groin and I could feel a heat rising in her pelvis
around me.

I enjoyed the little whimpering grunts she was giving me.  
Hearing the slap of my balls on her ass just added to the 
music.  I bent down and slurped her nipple into my mouth, 
suckling hard.  She arched into me, lifting her hips in time
with my thrusts.  I felt her groin grow tighter.  Her 
breathing was shallow and her nipples hard as pebbles.

Her fleshy canal tightened even further and she cried out and 
began to climax.  Her walls sputtered around my engorged shaft.  
"Mulder!  I'm coming!  Mulder!  Oh God!  Mulder!  Oh yeah!" she 
shouted.

I let go of my control and felt myself shower her cervix with
my orgasm.  I jerked uncontrollably and felt my cock twitch as
it emptied deep inside.  We both groaned and collapsed.

XXXXXXXXXX END NC-17 PORTION XXXXXXXXXX

Morning came early and we woke up, having had only about five-
and-a-half hours of sleep.  We bathed and saddled up 
nonetheless, eager to be home.

Once we were home and gave a full accounting to Anzwen of all 
that had happened, we retired to the field where all this 
started.  We had turned Liessa over to the adepts of the 
Temple.  She would need more healing but she would make a 
full recovery.  We were all glad that this time there had 
been a happy ending.

Anzwen had suggested that Foamrider send a Corsair to check 
the island prison and make sure that there weren't other 
prisoners from other races there.  We had been so involved 
with Liessa that the thought had not occurred to us at the
time.

The four of us rode out into the meadow.  Ashante and 
Foamrider cast the protective spells again.  We resumed our
former positions and Scully finally extracted the Grimoire.
This book was three times as thick as the others and larger
in height and width as well.  She read the cover.  "Jhul 
Book of Shadows."

I looked at the Elf and Amazon.  Foamrider had an odd look 
on her face.  Ashante said, "Jhul is a name.  I don't know of
this Drow, but it must be a necromancer.  It means 'Charmed
One'."

"It's a book of spells, quite a few," she commented, as she
thumbed through it and I held the cloth over it.  We knew
they were spelled to withstand sunlight, but figured it 
couldn't hurt.  We didn't want the things disintegrating 
in our hands.

"Don't verbalize them, but can you tell me what they are each 
for?" Ashante asked.

Scully nodded and flipped back to the front.  She read the
first page of each spell and was usually able to determine 
the title of the spell and what it was supposed to accomplish.
This time Ashante had brought some paper, a quill and ink.
Their paper looked much like papyrus but was a very flexible 
like cloth and extremely thin.  I wasn't sure how they made
it or what it was made of.  I didn't bother to ask.

Scully went through the book, "Elf Illusion, Amazon Illusion, 
Dwarf Illusion, Knight Illusion, Storm Giant, Fire Giant and 
Barbarian Illusions are all in here.  I think we should send 
messages to the other races to be careful and check their own 
people.  Drow may have infiltrated their ranks.  That could
be a bloody disaster," she stated.  "I think Anzwen's
suggestion may have been more important than we originally 
thought.

"This one explains the ritual sacrifice and how to create a
death shade.  God, that's disgusting."

Comments like this floated out of her mouth for nearly an hour
as she carefully read the book and dictated the names and 
purposes of the spells to Ashante.  She also added if there 
were any special ingredients needed.  A few of the more 
advanced spells needed ingredients other than mana.  Among
them was kale.  We needed to inform the Barbarians to check
out all their kale harvesters for imposters.  All in all it
was a productive afternoon.  We hadn't learned much that 
would help us defeat the Drow, but we had learned a few 
things that might save lives if we got the word out fast
enough.  

Medini sent her gullwind home to request five others to 
report to her for duty.  About fours later, Nella and her
companions descended the steps of the palace where Medini
was waiting with the rest of us.  Ashante carefully rolled
her messages and put them in the little leather tubes around
their necks.  Medini gave them instructions where to go. 
Nella had seen all the leaders on our trips with the envoy.
Medini gave her a name and face, and Nella would pass it on
to the others who hadn't seen their targets.  They took off
in a flurry of flapping wings and were gone from the horizon
in minutes.

That done, we decided we'd done enough for one day.  Ashante 
went to visit Liessa in the infirmary and find out if she 
could tell us any more about the Drow or what had happened 
to her.  Anzwen had held a funeral for Idrin yesterday, not
wanting to delay.  Ashante was disappointed she had missed 
it but was glad Liessa was alive.  Anzwen had assured her 
that her adept, Elvara, had conducted a marvelously touching
ceremony.

We took a nap.  I was exhausted and so was Scully.  I woke up
to find her gone and I heard a soft moan from the door of 
bathroom.  I leapt out of bed nude and ran to the door.  
"Are you all right?" I asked.

She was reclining in the water.  "Yes, I just felt something
move in my stomach.  It was weird."

I smiled and slid into the warm bubbling water of the tub
with her.  I put my hands on her tummy and felt a flutter.
I laughed and leaned in to kiss her.  She looked at me and
said, "Something's changed, Mulder."

"What?"

"I don't know.  I feel different.  When I felt that movement,
I could swear," she trailed off on the last word.

"Swear what?"

"I don't know."

"Tell me," I demanded gently.

"I need to have Ashante check me out again."

"You're worrying me, Scully," I said bluntly.

She smiled.  "I thought I heard something in my head."

I scrunched my brows in question.  "What do you mean?  From 
the baby?"

"Not exactly, it was like I heard ... two heartbeats," she said 
finally.

"Two?"

She held up a hand.  "Don't freak out yet.  It could be just
my imagination."

"You haven't been wrong about anything else since we got here.  
You knew you were pregnant the moment you conceived, 
practically.  On earth it would have been almost a two month
wait before you were sure."

She stared at me and said, "I'll have her take a look again."

"Let's go now," I said.

"No, let her have some peace, Mulder.  She's had a rough few
days.  We only have a few more before this campaign starts."

I looked at her and must have seemed worried.

She smiled softly.  "Would it be a bad thing?" she asked.

I shook my head.  "No, it would be a great thing."

She smiled wider.  "Especially if this is my one shot."

"I don't believe that."

Her smiled slid off her face.  "I have to consider that after
this, if we make it back to earth, I might be barren again."

I nodded, knowing she was right, but not wanting to accept it.
"It's possible.  It's equally possible you won't be."

She nodded.  "Go with the flow, remember?" she chided.

I nodded and hugged her to me, feeling the water bubble gently 
around us.  "I love you, Scully.  Jesus, you take my breath
away sometimes."

She smiled widely again and leaned in, rubbing her nose against 
mine.  It was a tender gesture that gave me a lump in my 
throat.  "I love you too, Mulder," she whispered.  Then she
kissed me and I didn't know anything else for the next twenty
minutes.

XXXXXXXXXX

THREE DAYS LATER

Scully and I traveled to the Dwarven temple by teleporter.  We 
asked permission to use their temple to go to each territory
and check to be sure the armies were assembled and ready and
to give them a time to strike so that we would all hit the
borders of Skulldown at relatively the same time, one after
the other.

They agreed and we were slightly sick to our stomachs after
each trip for a few minutes, but managed to check on all the
armies in one day.  Tomorrow was the big day.  We left for
Cyneraayt.  The day after that, we were to attack.

XXXXXXXXXX

ASTARTE
ELVEN TERRITORY
LATER THAT NIGHT

That night, Ashante examined Scully again.  I was with her
this time, watching, while Scully squeezed all the blood out
of my hand with her tight grip.  It belied her nervousness 
that was not showing on her face.  

Ashante did a pelvic but also used a clear and yellow crystal
on her tummy and a spell to ascertain what was inside; an
Elven ultrasound if you will.  When she was finished, she 
looked up.  "There are two.  One is about three weeks more 
developed than the other."

"That's impossible!" Scully denied immediately.

Ashante smiled.  "Maybe where you come from."

I smirked.  "Haven't you realized yet, Scully?  This place is
full of extreme possibilities."


XXXXXXXXXX

PART 3 (NC-17)
CYNERAAYT
FIRE GIANT TERRITORY

The city of Cyneraayt rose before us like a giant stone
behemoth.  The walls were a hundred feet high and easily
thirty feet thick.  Their city was surrounded by a moat as 
well, only this one was filled not with water, but bubbling
lava.  "Don't want to fall in there," I commented idly as we
traveled across the lowered drawbridge, remembering our first
trip into this country.

"No, you don't," Scully said in response to my stating the
obvious.

We were met by a group of Giants including Darjon and Loopkar.  
King Raul stood out in front.  He was roughly the size of
Darjon, standing a bit over ten feet tall, but a bit slimmer 
than his head Fire warrior.

He inclined his head.  "We greet you," he said.  "I've been
looking forward to meeting you," he said to Scully and I.

We inclined our heads, mimicking his gesture.  "Join me for 
dinner.  Tomorrow is a big day."

Grooms appeared and led our nervous mounts away.  We talked to 
them soothingly, assuring them they were safe here.  They 
didn't like the heat or the fire or the fact that everything
around here was red.

Scully had to scold Shadar as he breathed on every torch we
passed and turned the flame into icicles.  Fortunately for us,
the Fire Giants had a sense a humor.  He was told to stay 
outside and near Brenneka.  He didn't like it but did as he 
was told.

We entered the stone palace that was as much of a fortress as
the city itself and were led to a gigantic dining hall.  
Everything was of a size for Giants, but they'd erected a
smaller table about our size and lined it with a proportional
bench.  It was placed to the right of the king's table where
he held court at the end.  We'd never had the occasion to meet
or dine in Atmos, other than in the courtyard before the
battle with the Drow, so this Giant to Elf furniture ratio 
thing hadn't come up before.

King Raul said, "I asked Darjon to take measure of your
furniture when he visited so that we could prepare for your
coming to visit.  Then when I got the battle plans, I 
realized we might not get the chance, but you might need to
stay here before the charge, so I had them build some tables,
chairs and beds in your size."

"That was most kind of you," Anzwen commented.  "We 
appreciate it."

"It was the least I could do," he said in his basso voice,
which literally reverberated off my chest.

We had a pleasant dinner and were directed to our quarters.
Each chamber had not only a bed, but also a table with four
chairs.  We all dragged our chairs into Ashante and Anzwen's
room to have a brief meeting before we retired for the
evening.  The morning would be spent traveling and getting 
into position for our attack.  The attack was to begin when
the sun was directly overhead, or their equivalent of high
noon.

We reviewed our plans quickly, finding no glaring flaws.  I 
winked at Joachim as he retreated behind Medini, carrying
his chair.  Although the Amazons were attacking from the
south by water, Medini had insisted on staying with the 
Elves.  Her argument had been that if they needed to send
messages for any reason, her gullwind was the fastest and
best equipped to do that.  Although everyone had their 
marching orders, people still deferred to Anzwen as the 
master of this campaign.

Anzwen caught my wink smiled at me questioningly.  The door 
closed and Scully and I were left alone with Ashante and 
Anzwen.  "What was that all about?"

"You don't know?" I asked, genuinely surprised.

He shook his head.  

Ashante said, "What did you want to talk to us about?" she
asked.

Anzwen interrupted, "Wait a minute.  What do I need to know 
about Joachim?"

I smiled.  "Nothing," I said.

He frowned at me.  "He's one of my captains now, Mulder.  If 
something's going on with him, I want to know."

I licked my lips, torn between my oath of secrecy to Joachim
and my need to be open and honest with Anzwen.  I'd promised
his relationship with Medini would be our secret.  It wasn't
mine to tell.  I'd promised his secret was safe with me.  
"It's nothing bad, Anzwen, I promise.  I promised him to keep
his confidence and I don't want to break it."

He looked towards the door as he contemplated my remarks.  
"Does it have something to do with Medini?  Does he have a 
problem working with her?  I know it's unusual for us to take
an Amazon into the ranks, but he's always been flexible."

I grinned from ear to ear now, unable to stop myself.  "No,
he has NO problems with Medini."

I saw understanding dawn on Ashante's face.  "Holy Goddess!  
You're not saying they are," she bit off the end of her
sentence.

I smiled and shrugged.

Anzwen was frowning.  "I don't believe it," he declared.

I pressed my lips together and looked up at him.  "Why don't
you ask him?" I said finally.

Ashante looked shocked but not disgusted.  I couldn't 
interpret the look on Anzwen's face.  He was clearly stunned,
but I couldn't tell if it bothered him or not as the 
implications sank in.

Ashante asked, "Are you saying he's falling for an Amazon?  
Romantically?"

I cleared my throat.  "Uh, I think he already fell," I said
blandly.  "You didn't hear it from me, okay?"

Ashante said, "No, we guessed.  I was wondering myself.  Do
you know how far it's gone?"

I stared at her a moment.  "I'm not going to answer that," 
I said firmly.

She nodded.  Anzwen was still looking at me with his mouth 
hanging open.  Scully addressed him.  "Is that such a bad
thing?"

He shut his mouth and swallowed.  "I don't know.  I've never
heard of such a thing.  Not in my lifetime.  I'd be willing 
to bet it has never happened.  The races don't mix."

I said, "That may be changing."

He nodded, still considering.  "Should I talk to him?" he
asked.

I shrugged.  "I don't think he needs any help if that's what
you mean," I joked.

Ashante let out a burst of nervous laughter.  Scully was
grinning.  

"I personally think it's great.  I'm not blind to the 
problems it could cause though," Ashante added.

Anzwen looked down.  "The Elves are generally accepting of
the new and strange, but interracial romance, I don't know."

He looked up at me and met my gaze.  I said, "I think they'd
take their cue from YOU," I said gently.

He swallowed and then nodded curtly.  He understood what I 
was saying.  If he accepted it, his people would too.  "Who
knows?" he asked.

"Just me and Scully until now, as far as I know.  I don't
believe they've told anyone."

"What about the Amazons?" Scully asked.

Ashante shrugged.  "I don't know, but something tells me they 
wouldn't be as upset.  They need men.  That's a fact.  If 
they were willing to look outside of their race, they might 
have a better chance of increasing their population.  It 
might be a discussion to have with Imatra and Foamrider later.
I never thought of it, but if they extended the offer, they
might be surprised at who would answer the call."

Anzwen said idly, "It would be interesting to see what the
children would look like."  He was trying to act like he 
wasn't fascinated by the idea, but I could tell the gears 
in his head were turning.

Scully asked.  "Do you have any children?  You've never 
mentioned any."

Anzwen looked at Ashante.  She sighed.  "We decided to 
postpone it.  Ruling a kingdom is grueling.  We were only
crowned leaders two decades ago when Anzwen's father died.
Elves live to be 200 years old.  Time-wise, twenty years 
isn't a lot."

Anzwen said, "We want children.  We want a family, but then
the tensions started to grow, politics took over, and now 
the war with the Drow is upon us.  We did discuss it lately,
and decided we would wait until this war is over.  If the
Drow succeed, I want no child of mine brought into this 
world," he said.

We nodded in understanding.  Ashante said, "It's also made me 
realize just how precious life is to all of us.  It can be
gone in the blink of an eye."

We knew she was thinking of Idrin.

"If we survive this war, I am going to stop taking 
contraceptives," she stated and then looked to Anzwen a 
bit fearfully.

He smiled and nodded.  "I love you Ashante, you know that.
I've always said it should be whenever YOU are ready.  It's
always been your decision."

"I know you want an heir," she said quietly.

"Yes, I do.  You also know I would never push you."

"I'm ready, but I want this war behind us."

"I agree."

Scully said, "I feel like we're intruding now.  Let's go to
bed, Mulder.  It may be the last time we sleep for a long
time."

I nodded and stood up.  I looked at Anzwen.  "If you talk to 
Joachim, go easy on him."

Anzwen's brows shot up.

"He's a man in love," I said.  "Don't forget how that feels
when you talk to him."

Anzwen smiled and nodded.  "I won't.  Again though, it's a
talk for another day, when all this is behind us."

"Good night," I said, and followed Scully out of the room.

XXXXXXXXXX

We stripped and slipped into the bed.  It was scaled down but
still so huge I felt I was swimming in it.  The pillows were
gigantic as well.  We laughed as we rolled around a bit,
finally meeting in the middle.  

"Are you too tired?" I asked.

"You're insatiable.  You do know that, don't you?" she asked
me with a straight face. 

XXXXXXXXXX NC-17 PORTION XXXXXXXXXX

My cock was hard in an instant, just from the 'all-business'
look on her face.  I nodded, suppressing the smile that 
wanted to spread across my face.  "I haven't heard any 
complaints," I managed to get out with a straight face.

She yanked me to her and kissed me.  It was deep and hungry
and desperate.  Our mirth was gone in an instant.  We both 
knew, without saying that we might not live through tomorrow.
We both hoped for the best.  However, if this was our last 
night together, I wasn't going to waste it.

We fondled one another for a few minutes.  Not that I didn't
enjoy foreplay for the sake of it, but it took very little to
get us both ready these days.  We responded to each other's
touch instantly.

I flipped her face down on the bed and she wrapped her arms 
around the pillow that was nearly as big as she was.  I 
straddled the backs of her legs and grasped her hips, lifting 
her ass into the air.  She moaned when she felt the swollen 
head of my cock tease her outer lips.  I rubbed up and down,
teasing her clitoris until she was pushing back trying to 
impale herself on my shaft.

I braced myself and slid deeply inside her.  "God, so tight,"
I moaned.  I could feel the warm dribble of fluids as they 
seeped out of her.  I pulled back and gave a hard thrust,
feeling her open to my invading shaft.  I could never get
enough of that feeling.

She hissed with pleasure.  "So deep this way," she muttered.
I thrust for a few minutes and her moans began filling the 
room.  I sped up, passionately burying myself inside her. 

I bent at the waist and reached around, fingering her clitoris
and circling it with two fingers.  She let out a long howl as 
she orgasmed.  I bellowed and shot my load of hot cum inside
her, emptying everything.  I slowly slid out of her and 
watched as a little of it leaked out of her.  

She sighed and collapsed to the bed.  I went to the bathroom
and returned with a piece of chamois-like material they'd left
on a low stool in there.  We couldn't even begin to reach the
sink easily.

I cleaned us up the best I could and then spooned up behind 
her.  "I love you, Scully," I whispered in her ear.

"I love you too, Mulder.  I'm scared," she admitted.

I buried my nose in the hair at the back of her head.  "Me 
too.  You're my life.  You know that don't you?"

I heard her sniffle lightly before she said, "And you are
mine."

XXXXXXXXXX

SKULLDOWN
DROW TERRITORY
THE NEXT DAY - NOON

Balgoth looked up at the pounding on his door.  "Enter!" he 
bellowed.

An assassin he didn't recognize entered the room, bowing low.  
"Master, we have trouble."

"What is it?" he asked.

"Large party of Dwarves and Knights approaching from the west 
and northwest."

Balgoth smiled.  "How many?"

"It appears to be ... their entire armies, Master."

"That's impossible!"

The assassin bowed again.  "How many?"

"Our spies tell us approximately a thousand mounted Dwarves, 
maybe five hundred axe throwers.  We're not sure about the 
infantry.  They didn't count before they came back to report
but they said at least a couple hundred."

Balgoth's smile was gone now.  "And the Knights?"

"About the same, Master, give or take."

Balgoth scowled at the hapless assassin.  He wondered if those 
numbers could be right.  If they were, it would mean that the 
majority of both armies were approaching. 

"It won't be an easy fight, but we still outnumber them.  Find 
Micar and Talab.  Tell them to assemble a thousand troops 
apiece and head out.  Ride out to meet them before they get 
too far into our territory."

"Yes, Master," the assassin said obediently, bowing again.

"Oh, and tell them each to take a necromancer with them."

"Yes, Master.  Consider it done, Master."  He turned on his
heel and scurried out of the room.

This didn't bode well.  What in all the holy rings of hell
were they thinking?  They couldn't hope to defeat Skulldown 
with a force of that size.  Perhaps they only meant to make 
a punitive blow?  Well, they would pay for their stupidity
with their lives.

XXXXXXXXXX

Balgoth was still confident when he heard of the Amazons
landing on the south shore.  He dispatched Irae and 
another set of troops consisting of 750 death warriors and
250 javelin throwers. 

Spies were showing up on his door at an hourly rate, 
returning from the borders with disturbing news.  When he
heard of the Barbarians and the Fire Giants, he finally
started to get worried.

He called all his necromancers together and ordered them to
the Sacrifice Altar.  He commanded them to use all their 
prisoners, everyone they had in cells and dungeons.  He 
wanted as many death shades as they could produce in as short
amount of time.  They would worry about replenishing their
stockpile of captives later.

Of course, he knew performing that many sacrifice rituals
would drain many of the necromancers and turn them into 
liches.  He couldn't care about that now.  How had he not 
seen this?  How had his spies not known of this collaboration?
For that was what it was.  It had to be.  For that to happen,
they must have met.  Someone had screwed up big time.  If
they'd known about a meeting of the races, they might have
been able to wipe out the leadership of all the races with
one massive attack.  He growled out loud as the thought of
that lost opportunity came to him.

He'd sent more troops out to the borders to meet the Fire
Giants and Barbarians.  Another knock sounded on the door.
"WHAT?" he bellowed.

The nervous spy entered, bowed and said, "Northeast corner
of Skulldown, Master."

He stared at hapless spy.  "Who's left for Golgoth's sake?"

"The Storm Giants, Master."

He took several deep breaths to calm himself.  His plans were 
coming apart.  He didn't dare summon Golgoth.  He wouldn't
fail.  He would send these troops, they would defeat these
lesser, puny armies and then their territories would be left
vulnerable.  

"Tell Driz to take troops up there to head them off, whatever
we have left.  The necromancers are making sacrifices as we 
speak.  When they are finished, I'm splitting them up to go
reanimate the fallen on the borders."

"Yes, Master."  The spy fled his chambers, relieved to escape
with his life.  

Balgoth stared at the closed doors.  Who was left?  Out loud he 
said, "Where are the fucking Elves?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Xun, the head necromancer knocked twice and entered the 
chamber to find Balgoth standing in front of his large desk 
in deep contemplation.  "Have you done what I said?" Balgoth
asked calmly.

Xun answered, "Yes, Master.  Shades are being sent to the 
lines as they are created."

"How many more to go?"

"About a hundred or so."

"How many have you dispatched?"

"About ten or so to each conflict, maybe sixty or seventy in
all."

Balgoth nodded.  "Are we in trouble, Xun?" he asked.  His 
necromancer's name meant demon.  It was appropriate.  Like him, 
he was a minion of Golgoth and had demon blood flowing in his 
veins.

"We might be.  It's too soon to tell."

One thing he liked about Xun was his constitutional inability
to panic.  His inability to show rage was an asset, but it 
ignited Balgoth's own anger on many occasions.  "Any reports?"

"No, we sent the spies back out to observe the conflicts and
report back.  None have returned yet, but it's too early.  
Give them another couple of hours."

"Where are the Elves?" he asked, his anger bubbling out of 
his lips now.

Xun raised his eyebrows.  "I don't know.  Safely behind the
rest of them, I'd imagine."

"Fucking cowards," he spat out, spittle flying.

Xun flinched and ducked a piece of phlegm but said nothing.
He was unruffled as always.  "Let's not panic yet."

"Who said I was panicking?" Balgoth hissed with heat.

Xun merely raised a snow-white eyebrow.  "I'll report back in
an hour."  With that, he turned on his heel and left.  He heard 
Balgoth's fist slam into his desk and his roar of frustration.
He muttered under his breath, "This is all your fault, you
overblown ego maniac."

He knew something Balgoth did not.  Telling him now would only 
make him act rashly as he was prone to do.  Balgoth didn't 
know it yet, but the Saviors had survived.  He'd seen it in
his visions.

XXXXXXXXXX

SKULLDOWN
NORTHERN BORDER

The Fire Giants and Storm Giants struck at the same time,
clashing with the troops that met them.  Every race was 
encountering the same thing; a wave of mounted death warriors,
a wave of javelin throwers, followed by a wave of footman 
wielding halberds, and then a wave of death shades.

Much to their surprise and delight, they outnumbered their
foe.  This was not to say they weren't taking heavy losses,
but in the end, the few remaining Drow had retreated inland
toward the underground city.  

They regrouped and pressed inland behind them.

XXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, the Elves broke through the lines of warring Giants 
and plunged into Skulldown, galloping straight for the Temple.

The archers and staffmen would catch up to them and be the 
backup troops to assault those that got away, or flank the 
entrenched Elven riders when they caught up.

A fierce battle waged outside the Temple.  Scully and Ashante 
were mostly busy parting the clouds and drawing sun.  Rows of 
riders fanned out with enchantresses in between doing the same 
thing, creating rings of sunlight around the Temple.  It
worked well.  They'd decided not to breach the walls of the
Temple yet.  As the death shades emerged, the sun killed them
instantly.  They hadn't been spelled for protection from 
daylight as they planned to travel under the cover of 
Skulldown's cloud cover.  

What we didn't know was that there were still prisoners inside.  
The screeching of death shades drew a few of the necromancers 
outside.  They withstood the sun better, immediately casting 
defensive spells.  Then the blood started to spill. 

Groups of ten Elven riders, one company under a captain, would 
peel off and go after one mage as he emerged.  This spread out
the troops a bit more than we'd have liked, but just when 
things were looking shaky, the archers and footmen showed up.
The place was showered with arrows.  Often they didn't kill 
the necromancers, but they slowed them down just long enough
for an Elven rider to behead them and cut them down.  Scully 
and I rode close to Joachim's company as Ashante and Anzwen 
rode with Dorian's, leading the charges and barking orders to
the troops.  

Three Drow attacked our flanks, going straight for Scully.  I 
whirled and swung, beheading one almost instantly.  The other
two hesitated.  It was their death warrant.  I spurred Jadian
into a lunge.  I swung at the second Drow and Jadian gored 
the third through the heart.

In a sudden lull, we realized the troops were milling around, 
looking furtively for other foes and finding none.  Ashante
and Scully dropped their staffs, nearly exhausted, and the 
other enchantresses did as well.  Darkness fell and the wind
rose.  We could hear wails from inside the Temple.  I looked
at Joachim, Medini close by his side.  "We have to go in,"
I said.

He nodded.  Anzwen hollered to be heard above the din and the 
wind.  "Regroup, reform your companies.  If you've less than
six riders, join with the company next to you.  Archers and
infantry join with your appointed captains!"

The shuffling began.  We had lost only two riders, but I saw
quite a few dead littering the ground.  I shouted, "Any 
archers or footmen that can ride, grab a riderless mount!"

More scrambling took place.  The archers carried short swords
for hand-to-hand combat, and the footman carried daggers. 
Many of them now dropped their staffs and grabbed a riderless
horse, planning to use their daggers instead.  Several horses
were dead as well.  Anzwen trotted up on Percy.  Percy was
snorting and stomping, obviously unsettled by the atmosphere.
Most of us were.  "Ashante and I will go in with Dorian's 
company."

"How about a signal if you need help?"

"I'll try to send someone out if we need help."

"You shouldn't both go in," I argued.

Ashante and Anzwen looked at each other.  "He's right," Ashante 
said.  "I'll go.  They'll need the magic."

Anzwen frowned.  "Not this time.  If we die, we're going to
die together," he said firmly.  "I left a will leaving Dorian
in charge if both of us perish."

She stared at him for a couple more seconds and then nodded.
I could see tears pooling in her eyes.  Anzwen turned to the 
reassembled crowd.  "If we don't come out within a half hour
or send word, we're gone."  He paused.  "If we're gone, obey
Mulder and Scully as though they were Ashante and me.  Dorian
will take my place."

I was humbled by the nods I saw all around.  Dorian scanned
the crowd.  He was the head of Elven warrior guild.  "If I do
not return," he began.  All his men were riveted on him.  
"Joachim will be the new Elven General."

A few gasps were heard at that.  I glanced at Joachim and he 
looked stricken.  "I'm the newest captain, Dorian!"

Dorian just held his gaze.  "Perhaps so.  You're also the best
Elven rider in the army.  I selfishly kept you in my company
because you were the best.  You should have been promoted a
long time ago."

Nothing else was said.  I watched Medini reach out and grasp
his hand across the space that separated their mounts.  Their
legs were nearly touching.  Nobody seemed to notice.  

They turned and dismounted.  Anzwen, Ashante, Dorian and seven 
of Dorian's remaining riders, along with three of Anzwen's 
remaining bodyguard marched toward the doors of the Altar of 
Sacrifice.  It looked like a volcano, black, ugly, and 
misshapen, rising into the sky hundreds of feet above our
heads.  

They were gone fifteen minutes and it was the longest minutes
of our lives.  We heard screams, some Elf-like, some other-
worldly.  Finally, they began to emerge.  They looked ragged
and tired, but they were alive.  A few had cuts and bruises.
The enchantresses raced to help them.  A couple had serious
wounds, one of which was Anzwen.  Scully slid off Brenneka
immediately.  Ashante was supporting him with his arm slung
over her shoulder.  

I followed and helped her guide him away from the steps of the 
temple.  A soldier appeared and threw a blanket down.  He 
tumbled down onto it.  Ashante was chanting immediately.
Scully was examining.  He had a sucking chest wound that
was turning black.  He was gasping and arching his back in 
pain.  

Scully looked up at the sky and simply said, "Help me."

She returned her attention to Anzwen, ripping open the pouch
at her neck.  She took out a handful of blue crystals and 
began placing them around his wound.  He gurgled and hissed 
in pain but tried to lie still so they wouldn't roll off. 
Ashante was casting every healing spell she knew; I was sure,
and crying at the same time, unashamed.

No one asked questions.  There would be time for that later.
I dismounted and stood behind Scully.  He peered up at me with 
glazed eyes.  "Fight, Anzwen.  Don't give up.  I'm not ready
to lead this crowd."

Ashante said, "A damned lich got him."

Behind me, Dorian said, "He died for it too."  I didn't have
to ask who had killed him.

A cough of understanding was his only response.  "What can
I do?" I asked.  

Scully said, "Pray!"

I began silent prayers to every deity I'd ever known of,
including the ones on this planet.  The soldiers gathered 
behind me and began prayer, chanting out loud, "Goddess hear
our call, save our Beloved!  Goddess hear our call, save our
Beloved."

Their voices were melodious as they rose into the clouds,
giving me a shiver down my spine.  They worked tirelessly 
for about ten minutes.  It seemed like a lot longer.

Shadar appeared, screeching overhead and I backed out of the
way as he landed near Scully.  He lifted a leg.  Attached to
it was a leather scroll tube.  Scully pulled it off his leg 
and ripped it open.  

She read quickly and dropped it, picked up her staff and 
straddled Anzwen's legs standing up.  She began to mutter
under her breath.  A few seconds later, the clouds split wide
open, roiling back, and sun poured down on the area.  She 
aimed her staff at his chest.  Ashante had moved to his head
and was cradling it in her lap, having done all she could do.

The sun hit her staff and instead of being redirected as
everyone expected, water poured out of her staff and splashed
onto his chest.  He heaved in a deep breath.  A couple of 
crystals rolled off.  The water was a bright, brilliant blue,
and it poured into the gaping black wound.  He began to 
convulse but the black was fading and turning pink.  

The charred, curled skin at the edges straightened out and
began to reach across the wound.  When the black disappeared,
skin began to grow like time lapsed photography until the
wound was closed, leaving only a bright pink round scar that
covered most of his ribcage.  He was panting softly.  Scully
stepped away and staggered.  I caught her easily and held her
up.  Joachim reached down near my feet and picked up the 
scroll that Scully had dropped.  His eyes scanned it.  "It's
water language," he said and handed it to Medini.

She scanned it and lifted her head.  "It's a written spell from 
Foamrider.  It simply says, 'Use this for Anzwen.'  Then the
spell is written out.  I don't even know some of these words."

I picked up the leather tube as Medini handed me the scroll.
I carefully rolled it up and put it back in the tube and 
tucked it into one of the pouches at Scully's waist.  She 
straightened.  "I'm okay now."

Ashante was still weeping silently, but kissing Anzwen all 
over his face.  She helped him sit up.  His hair was wet
from the splashed water and he looked pale but alive and 
healthy.  He pulled the shredded sides of his tunic together
and then shrugged, seeing it was a total loss.  He smiled up
at Scully.  "Thank you."

"Thank Foamrider," she said, in her inevitable humility.

Ashante looked at her.  "What was that?"

"A very special spell that only a few adepts know," Scully
said.

Ashante scrunched her brow.

"It draws moisture from the clouds but destroys them in the 
process.  It saturates the water with mana.  Basically it 
was a spray of almost pure mana."

"Jesus," I whispered.

Ashante smiled tremulously.  "I owe you big time."

Scully smiled.  "No you don't.  Let's just get out of here."

Ashante stood and helped Anzwen to his feet.  He twisted his
torso and stretched his hands above his head.  He hunched his
shoulders and let them drop.  "I can't believe it, but I feel
fine."

Ashante could have blinded us with her smile.  They crushed
each other in an embrace and cheers went up.  Soldiers filed
by, quickly kissing Scully on the cheek and ruffling her hair
in gratitude.  For once, I wasn't jealous.  She deserved every
bit of gratitude.  She finally looked down at Shadar who was
squatting at her feet, his nose resting on the ground.  He 
looked completely dejected.  "Shadar," she said softly.  

He looked up.  "You went to Foamrider on your own, didn't you?"

He made an odd humming noise interspersed with grunts.  Scully 
said, "He says he could feel my anguish and my certainty that
we were going to lose Anzwen.  He didn't want me to be so
devastated and sad.  He felt my pain.  He knew Foamrider 
could help."

I huffed out a breath of emotion and reached out, rubbing his
head between his horns.  I swear he purred, his eyes rolling 
back in his head in pleasure.  We chuckled.  "I'm surprised he
didn't go to Zephyr."

More grunts and humming.

Scully said, "He says storm sorcerer's great for war magic, 
not so good with healing."

We both smiled now.  Scully threw her arms open in invitation.  
He looked delighted as he stood up on his hind legs and 
spread his wings.  Scully wrapped her arms around his neck.
She had to reach up to do so.  He was taller than me now.
She hugged him ferociously and he purred and did that odd
bobbing thing on his legs, his wings flapping back and forth.
"You were wonderful!" Scully exclaimed.  

He snorted and you could see his frozen breath spray out of
his nostrils.  "Uh, Scully, careful."

She laughed and released him.  No more time to dawdle.  "We 
have to get going," she said. 

Everyone was already mounted, waiting for us.  "What now?" I 
asked as I boarded Jadian's back.  

Anzwen said, "On to the city."

A final unearthly roar was heard and I spun as a body hurtled 
through the crowd at me.  He looked different from the other 
necromancers I'd seen but I didn't know why.  I heard the
panicked cry of one of the Elves.  "LICH!"

Before I knew I was moving I was whirling in a circle, my 
long sword in one hand, my dagger in the other.  My sword 
sliced off the arm at the elbow that reached for me.

He bellowed, although in pain or rage I wasn't sure.  I heard
thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk.  He was being pelted
with arrows from the archers.  

He rushed me again and I dodged.  As he plunged by me, the 
arm he had left glancing off my chain mail, I whirled again
and struck.  I drove my dagger into the wrist of his remaining
arm, effectively holding him in place as he tried to pull back.
I swung my long sword with all my strength as I kicked one leg
up into his chest.

Two things happened at once.  My dagger came loose from his 
wrist and my long sword sizzled, sparked, and cut cleanly
through his neck, relieving his body of its head.

He was smoking before he hit the ground and I leaped back.
The others had already backed away.  He fell forward and
his head rolled a couple feet and came to a stop.  His back
was riddled with arrows.  

We watched in silence as he burst into flames and was ashes
in a matter of seconds.  I was heaving heavy breaths as I 
sheathed my weapons.  There was silence for several moments
and I turned and said, "Are you sure that fucking Temple is
empty now?"

I saw a few sheepish smiles and Dorian assigned ten Elves and 
himself to enter the Temple and make a last sweep.

Scully looked down at the pile of ashes and saw a book there, 
unburned.  She knelt and ran her fingers over it without
picking it up.  She looked up at Ashante.  "Xun Book of
Shadows," she advised.

Ashante said, "Blessed Goddess!"

"What?" I asked.

She smiled at me.  "You just killed the head necromancer of 
Skulldown, Mulder."

"He was a lich," I said dumbly.

She nodded.  "Which means they've made a lot of sacrifices
today if he gave himself to the cause."

"Were we able to save any of the prisoners?" I asked.

She shook her head sadly.  "We were too late."


XXXXXXXXXX

PART 4 (R)
SKULLDOWN CITY
DROW TERRITORY

We reassembled our troops in an orderly fashion.  The lich
attack and the secondary sweep of the Temple had caused us a 
delay.  We were now behind schedule to meet up with the rest
of the races and surround the city of Skulldown.  

Once assembled, I asked them to wait and moved myself into the 
center of the assembled army.  Once there, I pulled out the
book given to me by Troen.  "Crowd close," I told them.  As
many as could gathered close to me until we were packed like
sardines.  I swallowed and held the book out in front of me.
I opened the cover, holding the edges firmly.  A beige flash
rippled out from the book and traveled over the assembled
crowd.  I heard gasps and whinnies from the mounts.  When the
rippling disappeared I said, "Let's ride!"

We headed out at a breakneck gallop for the city of Skulldown.  
The day was not over.  The spell not only made us swift, but
it didn't sap our energy or the energy of our mounts.  
Hundreds of soldiers rode as one unit even at that pace and 
left miles behind them in a matter of minutes.  

A quick count had told me that Dorian had lost three more
riders and was now down to four of his original company of
nine.  One bodyguard was missing as well, leaving Anzwen 
with only two.  They joined with Dorian bringing his company
up to seven.  

On the way to the city, they told us of fighting several death
shades inside.  Ashante and the warriors were able to cut 
down three necromancers but then they came upon a lich.  It
struck out of nowhere and hit Anzwen.  He'd gone done with 
one blow.  The lich had been strong.  He had taken out three
riders and a bodyguard before they'd killed him.

Dorian had killed that one in a rage, but apparently Xun had
been hiding.  Killing Mulder was his last ditch attempt to 
foil our plans.  It showed desperation on the part of the 
Drow and was a good sign.  We didn't take it for granted 
though that victory was ours.  There was still a stronghold
city to conquer and we honestly didn't have any idea how many
Drow troops were left.

"Hope we don't run into too many of them," I said in the 
understatement of the decade.

An hour later we were approaching the city.  There was nothing
to see but a few signposts stuck in the ground, with multi-
colored feathers on them to indicate the way.  We had
descended into a valley.  When we reached the bottom it was 
perfectly flat.  We rode a couple of miles in.  We could see
the entrance to the city, a huge stone building that stood 
over the entrance to the underground.

You could see for a couple of miles in all directions.  When
we looked across the flatlands, we couldn't help but smile.
To the south, the Amazons were seen.  To the southwest, the
Barbarians, to the west, the Dwarves, to the northeast, the
Knights.  I swung around to look north and was not 
disappointed.  The Fire Giants were approaching from the 
northwest and the Storm Giants were coming from directly
north.  It was obviousthey'd all suffered losses, but they
all still had sizeablearmies that became more distinct as 
their shapes grew closer.  

When we ringed the city entrance in a circle easily two miles 
around, we entered the building, mounts and all, Anzwen leading 
the charge.  The building was enormous.  I guessed about thirty 
acres under roof.  I was a giant room ringed with doorways.
We dismounted, leaving our mounts in the building with a 
token force from each army.  Many had to remain outside.
There simply wasn't enough room.  There were six doors and a
gigantic trap door in the middle of the floor.  Each race
took a door bearing a symbol of their race, which led to 
stairs going down into the underground city.  There wasn't
one for the Elves.

Rumors were all they had to go on as to the lay out of the 
underground city.  Lore said that the entrances led to six
separate areas.  The rumor was that centuries ago the Drow's
original plan had been to take over and convert all the races,
bringing them here to live, each with their own area.  That 
had never materialized, but maybe that had been the plan if
they had succeeded in this war.  It didn't bode well that 
they had not planned on having the Elves here.  Those that 
didn't become Drow would have been eliminated.  Genocide at
its finest. 

I was fairly confident we'd wiped out the majority of the Drow.  
Ashante was fairly certain most of the necromancers had been 
killed at the Temple.  They had obviously gathered to 
feverishly produce more troops.  A bad tactical move at best,
putting them all in one place.  If they were wiped out, the 
chances of running into any more animated skeletons, liches or
death shades was slim.

We'd yet to see a vampire, but that didn't mean they weren't
here.  If they were, the most likely place would be 
underground, here in the city.  Quick looks into the doorways
showed that higher ceilings were built into the areas for the
Giants.  Many things had been taken into consideration.  I
shuddered to think of a Drow the size of Giant.

We, of course, followed the Elves down the hatch in the 
center of the floor.  The Dwarves had plunged in with 
enthusiasm.  Underground was one thing they shared with the
Drow and they weren't frightened of it.  The other races 
didn't like it but weren't really frightened.  

The Elves, however, loathed enclosed spaces, especially the 
underground where the sun could not shine.  The trepidation
was nearly palpable in the air as we descended the long, wide
staircase into the bowels of the earth.

We fanned out and did sweeps of every room and hallway we 
encountered.  With surprising ease we cut down most of the 
remaining Drow we ran into.  Anzwen said they were spies.  
They weren't full assassins and weren't trained killers, more
trained in self-defense.  They were trained to be 
inconspicuous, slide in, observe and slide out without being 
seen.  They were easy marks.  The further we went, however, 
the greater the foes. 

Without much surprise, we ran into our first vampires.  They
flew at us with unbelievable speed.  If we could cut them 
down before they could get a hold of us bodily, it was all
right.  We lost a couple of soldiers that weren't quick 
enough and were snared by the creatures before we could cut
them down.  Fortunately, we outnumbered anything we seemed 
to run into.  I was surprised we weren't meeting more
resistance.  

Ashante said, "I don't think they have a resistance.  I think
our strategy worked.  By staggering the attacks slightly, he
foolishly divided his troops and spread them too thin.  We cut
them down at the borders.  There is nothing left."

"Don't let your guard down," I warned.

Anzwen said, "No, don't let your guard down, but I think she's 
right.  He should have pulled everyone back to the city.
Together, we would have had trouble taking them on their home
territory.  He not only spread his troops too thin, but he 
left his Temple unprotected for the most part.  Not very wise 
for a supposedly vicious foe.  Balgoth is known to be one of 
the best war strategists that ever lived.

"Panic," I said simply.  "Or arrogance," I added.

Anzwen nodded.  "I think so.  He heard of an attack on his
borders and sent troops without checking with his other spies.
As the reports came in, he sent troops, never imagining that
we could all coordinate and strike at once."

Scully nodded.  "By the time he realized it, it was too late.
They were engaged and he couldn't call them back."

"Exactly, so he took his chances and sent the rest of his 
people out to the borders, never thinking we could break 
through to the city."

We came to another huge room that was ringed with doors.  
"Shit," I muttered.  "We haven't found him yet, though. 
Should we split up?" I asked as the warriors filed into 
the room behind us.  

"Probably not a good idea," Joachim said.

Medini said, "If we split, I'd only split in half.  We
outnumber them, but that's our strength.  That lich at the 
temple took down four of you and he was horribly outnumbered.
Those vampires have gotten some us too."

Anzwen nodded.  A crash was heard behind one of the doors.  
"That's our cue."

He advanced on the door with his soldiers close behind him.
He threw the door open and leaped out of the way.  

Nothing happened.  He peered inside but it was pitch dark.  
Ashante created a glowing globe and chucked it through the 
doorway.  It lit up the room and then we could see the shadows 
along the wall.  The Elves charged the door, bursting into the 
room.  Their sun enchanted swords sliced through the death
shades that seemed to materialize out of nowhere.  

Scully leaped forward but something told me not to go in there.
I grabbed her shoulder and held her back, feeling the hair on
the back of my neck stand up.  The room looked large and the
Elves grouped in the center, putting their backs to one another
and fighting the shades that came at them from the walls.  It
was impossible to see how big it was in there, but it was 
obviously a good-sized room.  

Scully was looking at me strangely.  I said, "We should watch
their backs."

She frowned.  "Mulder, they need our help!" she exclaimed.

The last of the Elves had entered the room.  I don't even
think they realized we weren't with them.  I felt a breeze
brush my back and whirled, swinging with the sword I had held
at my side.  It contacted with flesh before I saw it.  

A bellow split the air and the most enormous Drow I'd ever 
seen was suddenly in view.  He jumped back and crouched in 
a fighting stance.  The door to the other room slammed shut,
cutting off our aid from there.  I realized he'd done it 
with his mind.  Holy shit.

He was enormous.  His skin was jet black and he stood nearly 
seven feet tall.  His bulk was overwhelming, his arms and 
legs like tree trunks.  I shivered when I looked into his
eyes.  They were flaming red.  He was shaven bald with tattoos
on his face.  His body was easily twice as wide as mine.  I 
held my sword up, ready to swing and drew my dagger from my
right hip with my left hand.

I knew Scully was behind me, but I couldn't spare her a glance.  
Something told me this was what all this had been leading up
to.  He lunged and I swung, missing completely.

His baritone laughter rang and echoed off the walls.  His 
voice was low and a sibilant hiss.  "We finally meet; the
infamous Saviors.  You've caused me a lot of trouble."

"That's our job," I said, proud that my voice hadn't 
trembled like my insides were. 

He actually laughed.  "Ah, and it has a sense of humor too.
I think I'll kill you first, then I can have fun with your
little Elfling bride there."

"Over my dead body," I growled, feeling the anger rise up in
me and wash away the fear.  I was suddenly calm and loose.
It must have showed on my face because he tilted his head to
peer at me.

"Oh, it will be," he said.  

He swung a broadsword and I easily danced out of the way.  We 
circled around one another and he began to swing and lunge.
I parried, blocked, spun, and side-stepped out of the way.
My sword sparked and sizzled every time it met with his.  He
looked surprised at first but then got used to it. 

He started casting spells.  Streaks of fire and electricity 
shot at me.  Scully countered them all with some sort of spell
that threw them back at him.  He was hurt and grunted when his
own magic hit him but it was far from putting him down.

I was starting to get tired when Scully yelled, "The disks!"

She launched a bolt of energy from her staff that hit him 
directly in the chest.  He staggered backwards, giving me just
enough time to open the pouch and pull out the Chaos disk.  I
pressed the button and tossed it in between us.  The blades
rose up and began whirling around me.  

I lunged just as he regained his balance.  My blade connected
with his forearm.  It sparked with lightening and threw a
flash of sunlight, and sizzled with the heat my gauntlets were
pouring into my blade.  He bellowed, yanking his arms back as
the blades of the Chaos disk shredded the skin around the cut
from my blade.  

I could hear pounding on the doors, bodies being thrown 
against them.  People were trying to get in.  We had no idea
if they were friends or foes.  God, I hoped they weren't foes.
This one was all we could handle right now.

He muttered a spell and the room was pitched into utter 
blackness.  All I could see was the glow of his red eyes and
I had no doubt that he could see me.  I backed up to the wall
and heard his sword whistling through the air.  I dove to the
side and did a somersault.

Next thing I knew, the chamber was lit with an eerie red glow.  
Scully was holding the fire rock in her left hand, her staff
gripped firmly in her right.  The rock was putting off enough
light for me to see by, thank God.

His reach was longer than mine.  I put my dagger in my belt, 
pulling the other disk out and put it in my teeth.  I redrew
my dagger and we danced again.  He'd nearly cornered me
against the wall and my dodge was short.  His blade glanced
off my chest, ringing on the mithral.

I grunted as it nearly knocked the wind out of me.  I threw
myself to the side as he swung again.  I realized he was 
driving me toward Scully, hoping my blades would injure her.
He bellowed as the earth under his feet spiked up, stabbing
him through his boots and into his thigh muscles.  She had 
used the hell spikes wand.  I glanced at her to see her
holding her staff between her legs and wielding the staff of
hell spikes.

It gave me time to gain my feet.  I saw the blades slowing
down and bit the button, spitting it out just in time.  It
fell, hit the ground and bounced up, a new set of blades
whirling around me.  I drew him away from Scully as she 
circled aroundbehind him.  She needed to stay away from me.  

He lunged once at me and then turned abruptly, lunging for 
Scully.  In a move I'd never seen her use before, she 
crouched and leaped into the air, rising a good four feet off
the floor.  He'd aimed low and his blade sliced through the 
air beneath her feet.  I roared and charged his back.  I 
heard her staff clatter to the ground.  He spun to counter 
me and that's when Scully dropped the staff of hell spikes
and pulled the Gnosis wand from her belt and aimed it him.  
I could tell she wasn't absolutely sure, but she shouted, 
"BALGOTH!"

A stream of brown color waved out of the wand and collided
with his head.  He roared, flailing for a moment or two, and
then dropped his weapon, paralyzed.  "KILL HIM!" she screamed.

I leaped at him, the blades shredding his back as I pulled
back and drove my sword straight into his back next to his
spine.  I hoped demons were organized like most other bipedal
creatures.  I was right and my heated blade sank into his
skin and straight through his heart.  Flashes of sunlight,
sparks of lightening and sizzling skin burst out of him.  
He couldn't move, but he could scream.  

He did.  So loud it nearly broke my eardrums.  I dropped
my sword and went down to my knees, covering my ears as 
blood spurted like a fountain, hitting the ceiling and 
spraying everywhere, dripping down the walls.  Scully went
to her knees too as he fell.  She covered one ear, pressing
the other to the wall, but stoically held onto the Gnosis
wand.

I felt the ground shake under me as he landed.  It felt like
an earthquake.  I hoped the whole place didn't come down on 
our heads.  He gave one last death roar, convulsed and went
limp in a pool of blood.

Finally, the magic that had kept the doors shut opened all at
once.  His death had killed the magic.  Dwarves, Elves, 
Knights, Giants, Barbarians and Amazons poured into the room 
and looked around in a daze.

He gave one last gurgle and blood poured out his mouth as he
lay on his stomach, his head turned at an awkward angle.  All
was silent.

Ashante approached him, not getting too close.  She scanned the 
assembled crowd.  "Balgoth is dead!"

Cheers went up all around.  I regained my feet and my eyes 
immediately sought out Scully.  She was crumpled against the
wall in a heap. 

I screamed, "Scccuuulllyyy!"

I staggered to her, feeling the bruising on my ribs from 
Balgoth's glancing blow.  My ears were ringing and I felt
dizzy.  I fell to my knees next to her and pulled her head 
into my lap.  I cupped her face.  "Scully, please!"

Ashante and Foamrider were there immediately.  They didn't
even try to take her head from my lap.  They just knelt on
either side of her and went to work.  

I belatedly realized tears were running down my face.  I 
could hear comments all around us.

"She killed him."

"I don't believe it."

"That sword sticking out of his back didn't come from her."

"He killed him."

Anzwen's voice broke in above the din.  "They BOTH killed him.  
Now quiet!"

Silence fell while the two most powerful mages worked. 
Slowly Duvanab, Katelanna, Siobhan, Zephyr, and Loopkar all
came forward.  They each cast their spells and then moved
away.  

Foamrider pulled out her crystals again and held her blue
crystal wand to Scully's forehead.  "What's happening?" I
cried out.

Ashante laid a comforting hand on my forearm.  I was still
cupping her face.  "The backlash of the magic hurt her 
internally."

"No!" I sobbed.

She squeezed my forearm.  "Look at me!" she commanded.

I raised my eyes to hers.  "She can't die," I said, sounding
pitiful even to myself.  I didn't care if I looked like a
pussy.  I heard a few sniffles in the crowd as well.

"She's not going to die!" she said firmly.  Although, I 
wasn't sure if it was she or me she was trying to convince.  

Finally, Foamrider sat back, removing her wand.  "I've done
what I can," she said.

"What does that mean?" I asked angrily.  "What about that
spell you gave her for Anzwen?"

"That only works outside," she said.

"Please Scully, come back to me!" I sobbed, leaning down and 
kissing her forehead.  

Katelanna stepped forward again and knelt down.  She reached
up and pried the Gnosis wand from Scully's hand.  She closed
her eyes and hummed for a few seconds.  Then she opened them 
and touched the wand to her chest.  She began to chant.  It 
sounded like gibberish to me, even with the translator.

A full minute went by and then she jerked suddenly.  A wave
of brown streaks left Scully's body and shot up, hitting the
wand and knocking Katelanna backwards.  She jerked again and
dropped the wand.  She was dazed and moaned as though in 
incredible pain, grasping her head.  Kellerite helped her to
sit up again.  

Scully coughed and I sucked in a deep breath.  "Yes!  Scully,
I'm here!  Come back to me!  PLLEEAASSSEEE!" I wailed.

She choked and sputtered.  Ashante and Foamrider rolled her
onto her side.  A brown substance coughed out of her mouth in
a spray and soaked into the dirt next to her head.  Foamrider
pulled a flask from her belt and used the blue liquid inside
to rinse the brown puke from her face.  

Scully flopped over onto her back again, her head once again 
landing in my lap.  She opened her eyes and they locked with 
mine.  "Mulder," she croaked.

I was crying a steady stream now.  "I'm here, Scully.  I 
thought you left me," I said.

"I can't leave you alone, Mulder," she whispered.  "You
need a keeper," she croaked.

Chuckles and laughter were heard all around.  Foamrider
said, "Can you sit up enough to rinse your mouth with this?"

Scully didn't answer but began struggling to sit up.  "I've 
got you," I said, and easily lifted her up slowly.  Foamrider 
cupped her chin as she poured the liquid into her mouth.  
"Gargle and spit it out."

Scully did as told.  "Mulder, are you hurt?" she asked.

The woman had just come back from the dead and she was asking 
if I was hurt!  "I'm fine, Scully.  A few bruises," I amended
when she turned her head and gave me a dirty look.

She didn't like the phrase, 'I'm fine,' any better than I did.

She swallowed and looked at Katelanna.  "Thank you."

Katelanna nodded wearily.  She tried to get to her feet and 
staggered.  Kellerite steadied her.  

Foamrider stood up and walked to her slowly.  Katelanna's eyes 
were suspicious, despite all we'd been through.  Foamrider said, 
"Your magic saved her."

Katelanna blinked slowly and said, "It almost killed her, too."

Foamrider nodded.  She asked, "You took the backlash out of her 
and into you, didn't you?"

Katelanna nodded and nearly fell over.  Kellerite steadied her 
again.  "I reversed the spell in the wand and used it draw the 
magic back into it instead of out."

Foamrider swished the liquid in her canteen and held it out to 
Katelanna.  "Drink this."

"What is it?" she asked.  There was no suspicion in her voice
now, just curiosity.

Foamrider smiled.  "Pure blue crystal healing water."

Katelanna actually looked choked up as she reached out slowly
for the flask.  "You offer this to ME?" she asked quietly.

Foamrider nodded.  "You saved the Savior.  I think we've had 
enough suffering for one day.  If you don't get healing, how
long will you be sick and dizzy?" she inquired.

"Days probably," she whispered.

"Could it kill you?"

"It might," she croaked.

"Drink," Foamrider instructed again.

She clasped the flask like it was pure gold and tipped it up
to her lips.  She gulped it greedily until there was nothing
left and then wiped her mouth on the back of her hand.  She
handed the flask back to Foamrider and said, "We aren't used
to having to say thank you," she began.

Foamrider just smiled.  "I think some things need to change
around here, for all of us."

Katelanna nodded.  "Thank you.  I feel better already."

I helped Scully to her feet and asked, "What happened with
the rest of you?"

Anzwen said, "It seems all those sections led back to here.
That room we were in is some kind of headquarters.  His desk
and personal belongings are in there.  He wasn't though.  
Seems he drew us in there to get you two alone and then 
locked us all in.  We tried to break in when we heard him out
here but we couldn't break the doors down."

"Are they all dead now?" I asked.

"We think so," he answered.

I swallowed.  "Damn it!  Where is it?  We NEED to find that 
portal."  I smashed my clenched fist against my leg.  

Anzwen smiled, but it was touched with sadness.  "Mulder."

"Yeah."

"We found it," he said quietly.

THE END.