He had spent most of the day in quiet meditation before the alter of his goddess deep within the halls of the ruined temple. The symbol onhis hand glowed brightly even through the gloves her wore as he listened intently to her words. "Yes, I will do as you ask.....*brow arched slightly* I see, and after they are handled? *silent again as he listened* "as you wish Kiaransalee"

He slowly withdrew from his trance like state, the radiance of the diamond slowly fading. He turn from the alter and made his way to the upper levels and the entrance. Blinks at the brightness of the fading sun, "soon it will be night fall and that is when they will make thier move, I will have to warn the justicars"

He spoke a few words to the spirit raven who always stayed at his shoulder "Find Skatha and Ann, tell them what she said about the riders but nothing else, the rest will be saved for later" The spirit disappeared, traveling paths know to it and his necromancer master. "Time is of the essence now justicars, they want what they think she knows"

Mounting the dark steed he sped off to the moongate and the enclave tavern to await the justicars.

Eowyna had returned to the forest of Spirituality in Ilshenar. She knew he wasn't here, but the pool was. When all else failed her, this pool of still water never had--especially when she was seeking Maddux. They had shared its water so often that the pool knew them well. It wouldn't fail her this time... it couldn't.

Dusk was falling, and she had just travelled through the ether, so she felt safe for a little while. But she wasted no time and went straight to the pool south of Twin Oaks Tavern. She knelt at the edge of this pond once more, but instead of peace there was the whistling flutter of many tiny wings, and about her head dozens of pixies flitted excitedly about twittering in their chiming little voices. She tried to ignore them and concentrate upon calling a vision to the surface of the water, but all she saw was the reflection of all these pesky pixies! Eowyna looked up and frowned, waving her hand to gently shoo them away. But her attention, seemed to excite them further. There was a veritable cacaphony of piping voices and they dipped and fluttered toward the surface of the pool. In the distance she heard the mournful sound of a howling wolf... but not in the distance--far, yet at hand. And then it dawned. The pixes knew something, and she looked down again at the surface of the pool.

Yes, pixies reflected, but something else, deeper into the reflecting pond. A single pixie, and a lone wolf, his cry piercing the loneliness of twilight. And an ankh, stained by blood, blood flowing onto the carving of a teardrop--a shrine to sacrifice, surrounded by barren trees and scattered pelvic bones--and, a single pixie. Eowyna offered up a prayer to Fenmarel, relief--she knew where to go. A thank you to the god of outcasts and a vow to the pixies to destroy every pixie swatter she ever came across.

"Vas Rel Por" she stepped through the red gate and emerged in Felucca at the Shrine of Sacrifice. There, the pixie, Arielle hovering over the broken body of Maddux, casting little healing spells. Eowyna sank down beside him. He lived, but he was greivously injured. Probably Arielle and her continual small heals were all that had kept him alive. She began to sing the healing songs of the elves. More magic was needed here than simple healing. The song would take some time and even then it would be many days before he healed completely.

She never thought, her attention never waivered from her task. The song was everything. So she never noticed, never heard their approach. Arielle flittered away, escaping evil, and still Eowyna never looked up. Three riders converged upon the shrine, shrouded in black.

He had returned home to scry through his mirror shortly after speaking with Ann and Skatha on the matters at hand, he warned them the riders would get Eowyna this night. So here he sat in his meditation room the mirror working at his command, searching for her and the Bandit King. The diamond radiated brightly, lighting the darken room with a pale blue glow, "where are they, I now know who that damned pixie was" He paced the length of the room passing the mirror several times. When at last it found what he wanted, catching a glimpse before his full attention was given...."What is this? there they are, Sacrifice in their lands.....no!" And the riders where there closing in on Eowyna "No time to alert the others *shakes his head* Kiaransalee how will I reach them in time?...." He offered a silent prayer to her "what? But that would mean.....I understand, yes I know she will preform the resserection magic on me but if I'm to late?......" he listened intently all the while the symbol glowed brighter" a lich? if that is my only way then it shall be done that way, for atleast I will still be alive to fight them"

He turned from the mirror, the vision still present within its foggy reflection, "Rel Xen Corp Ort" he spoke the words to change to a lich, with an evil laugh he turned to look apon the mirror. His voice that of the ancients " take me along the spirit roads Kiaransalee, take me to the riders and Eowyna so I may finish your task" The mirror expanded to accomodate his form and in he stepped to walk in death's shadow.

He had hoped he wasn't too late to be of help and find the broken bodies of his friends at the alter of the shrine. He summoned up his vampiric form as the shrine came within sight. "Rel Xen An Sanct, return me to my true form" He spoke the words as he stepped out behind the riders under the cover of the trees.

He was just in time to see Maddox throw his smoke bomb, but strangely him and Eowyna remained. He stood by calling up a small force of undead quietly as the riders struck the two down. "what is this?" whispered softly. "they vanish without a trace" He then realized it was The Bandit King's rogue abilities, he let loose a small chuckle before sending the undead to engage the riders.


He stayed back under the cover of the forest to watch for Maddox and Eowyna, hoping they would use this to make tracks out of the shrine and keep that damn pixie from doing him harm as well as the riders.

The undead creatures soon drove the riders back and he watched as they made a quick exit. As the last creature was destroyed by that damned pixie, he still saw no sign of Maddox nor Eowyna. "My purpose has been served this day, Maddox will hopefully live to combat these riders again" he stepped back through the dark gate the words of the lich spell spoken out loud mocking the damned pixie "Rel Xen Corp Ort" the ancient laugh as he vanished within deaths shadows once more.

That final trip within the realms had nearly drained him. He stumbled through his entrance point, his lungs drawing shallow breaths. Collapsing on the floor of his study without the strength left to change back to his original form. He simply laid there, resting himself hoping to regain his strength. Eowyna's words hit his mind like a speeding arrow in his weakened state. Groaning in pain and unable to breath but in short bursts he sent his own weak message to her in the form of his spirit raven "Ussta dro zhah jhal ulu kla'ath d'anthe jabbress, lil or'shanse Usstan morfeth Usstan xun doeb del quarthas"

Darkness consumed him where he lay. The only voice was that of his goddess calling to him. "Dosst draeval zhah naut phor, Usstan zhal naut sila dos rath dal vel'klar dos orn alu, v'dri rescho goros nind doer"

A small smile crept over that ancient face, his features soon changed into what they once were before his jaunt within the realm of the spirits. His breathing slowed further till its was almost nothing. She placed him in a dead state to await his friends arrival and hopefully thier healing.

Skatha paced....... sat down at the desk and took quill in hand........ nibbling on the end of it and staring out over the waterfront, she realized she had little to go on..........

Ann was keeping an eye on that drow, Miacus, as well as searching for the mistress and the Bandit King. The other were off slaying fandancers, searching for any scrap of paper that might carry word from either them......... they were to return on the morrow,

She did not hear the soft *woosh* of birds coming with messages, nor had any of the three missing been seen.

There had been no reports of black riders for two days. Laying the quill aside, she decided there was nothing that could be done this eve. She rose from the chair, crossed the room and lay across the bed........ so tired, so very tired............

She curled up with her arms around a large, soft pillow, holding it close, resting. As she entered that twilight period between wake and sleep, she began to realize that another seemed to have slipped into the shadows also, it had been a fortnight since word last came from Marz.

Strange dreams; the talons of a hiyru cutting through flesh; blood soaking into the ground, somewhere in the darkness a body lay comatose, very cold, lingering between life and death. Images of dark ravens and tears from the soul of Eowyna merged......... and through it all, the black riders rode their magnificent steeds.

Filled with a terrible sense of lonliness, an overwhelming feeling of dread and fright, she called once again to star and pixel to prepare ......... she would be on the road before the break of day............

He let out a low moan as he slowly regained conciousness. Eye lids fluttered but didnt open. His physical form was slowly healing while his spirit sat idle conversing with his goddess.


He sent his spirit raven with word to Skatha about his current state hoping she might bring a healer to aid his physical form. But no word yet, "it seems I am not well liked among my people, and with Marzan off somewhere my body has no chance to resume holding my spirit" shakes his wraith head "perhaps i should find a new body to house this spirit"


He looked across the ether looking for a suitable physical form to house his spirit.