[Moiran]

It only took a few moments to cover an area spanning nearly fifty square miles. There had been no sign of his friends.

Moiran began to panic. He had no idea where Traveler and Mara could have gone. Carriac was fast approaching the Shadowlord's prison and unless someone was there to prevent it, Rianzibul would soon be free. Terror would reign and the land would be awash in bloodshed. Moiran didn't know what a ghost could do to stop the horror from being unleashed, but he would try.

The gnome left off his search and sped back to the cave.

[Carriac]

The shaper watched helplessly as his body approached a dark hole in the floor. Hellonicus had kept tight control as they made their way down the passage and while Carriac continued his assault against that control, he was having little effect besides slowing the shadowlord down.

They reached the pit and Carriac saw the drop was extreme. He could see the bottom and it was a long way down. Perhaps there was hope yet.

The voice from the air sounded near to Carriac's ear.

"The chamber is at the bottom of the pit, oh high one. You have but to descend and you are there."

"I realize that, craven bird!"

"Then why do you pause?"

Carriac knew why. The way was much too steep to climb. That left only two options: using Carriac's powers to shape a way down, or using the shadow powers in some way. Either option left the shadowlord vulnerable to Carriac's persistent attacks on his control.

"Quiet, imbecile! I take a rest. It will be but a moment."

"You have no moment to take, milord. The elf's friends have arrived. The fiery one has succeeded in breaching your barrier. They will be here in a moment."

Hellonicus swore, but Carriac rejoiced. Mara was here! She would save him....

More likely she would kill him. They had not parted under the best of circumstances. How could she possibly know that it was not him who had assaulted her? She would surely see him dead. Not that Carriac could blame her. He was a rapist in body, if not in soul. He would deserve whatever he got. And he would help her to do it in whatever way he could.

His thoughts were interrupted as his body was engulfed in a shadowy shroud. The descent into the pit was rapid in the extreme, but the shadow construct kept them from being smashed into the rock at the bottom.

As his feet touched down, the shadow fell away, obliterated by the intensity of the holy light in the prison room. Carriac felt the mental gasp from his possessor and made his move. The shaper plunged through the shadowlord's weakened defenses. Rock seized him about the ankles, anchoring his body in place as Carriac struggled for supremacy of his body.

[Traveler]

The heat emanating from Mara's body was nearly unbearable. The kitten scampered away from her and jumped into his arms. He quickly left, not wanting to be anywhere near the area when Mara was full flame on in such a confined area. As he stood in the mouth of the cave he could feel the heat emanating from inside. There would be no way he could enter anytime soon. The realization that Mara knew this struck him. She intended to take matters into her own hands and keep him out of harms way. Anger burned within him. He had been in more dangerous positions before. He had faced down the Twin Gods and won, he had fought the mighty, exiled Minotaur lord and defeated him. He had ridden with the Magic Lords of Oerth as they conquered the wilderlands. He would face this enemy, and overcome him, also!

[Mara]

Letting her eyes adjust to the darkness of the cave, she walked on, sensing that Carriac was near, yet there was something blocking her senses. She could not get a full sense of his whereabouts. There was a sense of darkness, of something pure evil that sent her senses reeling. Anger swelled up inside her while she walked on, wondering what was taking Traveler so long.

"Oh for the love..." she muttered before glancing back over her shoulder. The molten rock that she left behind was slowly cooling, causing wisps of steam and smoke to rise up, before dancing over her head. Knowing that the stone would never cool in time for Travel to come to her aid, she turned back. Puling up one hand, palm out, fingers stretched, she all but sucked the heat away from the stone, cooling it quicker than nature ever could.

"Traveler," she called out, hearing her own voice echoing down the long cave, "You may enter and follow at your own leisure. The stone has been cooled so there is no fear of you getting burned."

Unsure if he could hear her, she shrugged her shoulders and turned back, watching the smoke as it floated along the top of the cave before being sucked downward a few hundred feet in front of her. Walking on, she came across the large opening on the floor of the cave, her eyes narrowing as she tried to see into the darkness, only to see a few feet down. Dropping a small stone, she waited to hear it hit, counting the seconds before looking to see if Traveler was coming.

"I found something," she called out once more, knowing her voice may give her presence away.

"Hurry..."

[Carriac/Hellonicus/Bird]

Hellonicus resisted the elf's attempt at mastery, but found it increasingly difficult to remain in control. The intense holy light in the prison chamber made it all but impossible to manipulate shadow. In fact, the light seemed to penetrate through the elf's very pores and the shadowlord felt real physical discomfort, as he had not for many years. The tendrils of his essence begin to loose their grip on the elf's soul....

Carriac poured his will into making his body obey. First one arm and then the other responded to his desire. He forced his knees to bend, bringing his hands into contact with the floor of the chamber. Rock began to flow anew at his touch, oozing up his legs, past his waist and onto his chest. His mission became clear. While he lacked the strength to cause himself voluntary physical harm, he could encase his body in solid stone. When his air supply ran out, the shadowlord would find himself trapped in a dead body, unable to leave for the intensity of the light, unable to escape as Carriac's talents died with the elf....

The physical discomfort of the light ebbed suddenly and Hellonicus realized what the elf was attempting. He screamed in frustration as he tried to exercise supremacy, but he had lost his hold on his host and found himself powerless to stop the encroaching rock....

The bird descended into the pit to warn of the eminent arrival of the elf's friends. It saw the peril facing the shadowlord and acted without thought. With an unholy screech, the minion of the shadowlords landed on Carriac's head and drove its non-corporeal beak into the elf's skull....

The intrusion of a third consciousness - one so utterly alien as to be beyond comprehension - severed Carriac's growing control in an instant. He found himself floating in a great black limbo without reason or point of reference. The shock of the sudden loss of senses threatened to shatter his recently regained sense of self and Carriac reeled in confusion....

Hellonicus seethed at the unexpected appearance of the bird's mind. How dare it infringe on HIS host!

*Patience, great one* The creature's oily thoughts slithered with great ease around the fringes of his being, poking here and prodding there, pressing the expelled tendrils of Hellonicus' control back into the host's mind. *I only seek to aid the cause.*

*You have aided enough, bird! I am in control.* With an effort, Hellonicus activated the shaper's powers. The rock surrounding his body shattered and fell to the floor, leaving him free to advance. He noticed then that the bird remained firmly attached to his host.

*You may leave me now.* It was not a request.

*Forgive me if I do not withdraw until our mission is complete. The time for pleasantries is passed. We must free your brother before the elf witch descends the pit.*

Hellonicus' wrath blazed at the bird's condescending tone, but in truth, the shadowlord recognized the need for the bird's assistance. They could not afford the chance that the host would interfere again. With grudging acceptance of the bird's aid, Hellonicus turned his attention to the prison at the center of the chamber.

[Traveler]

He heard her voice, but could not understand what she said. He stood facing the cave entrance. The heat hitting him in the face as he stood there. There was a sudden roar, and the heat was gone. Then was much cracking and groaning coming from the cave. He would have given his eyeteeth for some light. The kitten chose that moment to claw him and jump from his arms and ran into the cave.

He headed into the cave and realized that the cracking and groaning was the cave floor and walls. The floor was uneven and marred by shallow cracks. He carefully made his way to where the entrance to the tunnel was. Mara had indeed destroyed the barrier. He slowly made his way over the uneven floor. He heard the kitten just ahead meow. He finally made it to where the floor even out when he heard Mara's call.

As he made his way to her, his vision blurred. If you could have been able to tell it in the inky blackness they were in. There seemed to be ghost images at the edges of his sight.

He had all the inky darkness he could stand and slipped into his alternate vision and everything went from inky blackness to blood red. He was right behind Mara at the edge of a pit.

With his enhanced sight he could see the floor and a shape moving.

"Mara, we have to hurry there isn't much time."

[Mara]

Glancing back over her shoulder, Mara spotted Traveler, with the small kitten sitting between his legs, her green eyes glowing in the darkness. " I know! I'm trying to decide the quickest way down. The hole is deep, far too deep to just jump. And the walls are almost smooth. No hand or foot holds as far as I can tell."

She ran her hand along the surface of the hole, in hopes of finding some hold. She could melt the stone, making her own hand and foot holds but blasting into the cave had taken its toll. She was slowly starting to weaken, but the anger within her was fueling her to go on.

"There's only one way down," she whispered before standing. "Traveler! There is only room for one of us to go down at once. I'll go first, then I want you to follow me. Wait for a bit, then jump in after me. I'll be there to catch you."

Without waiting for an answer, Mara turned and jumped. Flames shot straight down from her feet, acting as small rockets that slowed her descent, her hands brushing the sides of the wall to slow her down even more. She tried to stay as silent as possible, in hopes that she would surprise Carriac. Counting the seconds off, she soon found herself in another cavern, that was full of light.

"Come on Traveler," she whispered while straining to hear the man falling. She only hoped that she had enough energy to stop his fall.

[Traveler]

He watched as Mara fell down into the abyss below. He strained to hear something telling him it was time to go. He could hear a faint rustling noise. His enhanced vision couldn't penetrate the inky darkness. He strained for a few seconds, but could no longer hear anything. The object now was silence. He held the tiny kitten close and jumped over the edge. For a moment he lost his bearing. He turned to keep the wind at his back. Hoping he would be turned ok for Mara to catch him. That would be all they needed, a wounded person at the time they needed to battle the Shadowlord. He fell for what seemed an eternity before he saw the light below. It was so bright he couldn't see anything else. Mara had better be there!

[Mara]

The fine hairs on Mara's arm stood straight up as she looked about, all but blinded by the bright light. Until her eyes became accustomed to such brightness she was indeed blind, going on sound alone to hear Traveler falling. Even the faintest noise caused her to turn, her hands held out in hopes of catching the man.

"Come on Traveler," she whispered. "Make a noise!"

The sound and the scent of the kitten caused her to turn suddenly. A great weight fell into her arms almost causing her to double over. But with strength born by her mixed bloodline she was able to stand her ground. Weakened, she let Traveler slip from her grasp before leaning on him, her eyes slowly adjusting to the brightness. What she saw caused her heart to skip a beat, for there stood Carriac, with a strange looking bird on his head.

"Carriac?"

Suddenly her assassin form shifted forward, pushing her other form back into the darkness, her eyes narrowed at the sight of the man standing before her. "YOU! You who deflowered this body. You who brought pain and anger, you who defiled me while this one slept. I should take your head from your body now and shove it straight up your ass..."

A blade of fire quickly formed in her open hand, then a shield, both blazing white hot, each with the image of a Dragon and Phoenix on its surface. "You will bow before me, and kiss my feet and beg for mercy before I take your life!"

(to be continued...)