Thunder was felt as the tail from the creature at the front of the tower slammed to the ground in an attempt to crash the group battling it, dodging out of the way Artanis tried firing a blade into the hide of the creature, just for it to break upon impact. Elanee stuck close to Dawn whose aggressive powers also seem to be having no effect.

“How do we kill this thing?” shouted Artanis coming to meet the group by flipping over a swinging tail attempt by the monster.

“I don’t know it seems to be immune to everything we hit it with” Dawn says back

“It’s not intelligent that’s for sure it keeps trying the same attack,” adds Elanee

“If only I had more training from Maylor, if he were here he could just banish the beast since it was summoned” and looking to Dawn, Elanee’s face grew with a ray of hope and inspiration,

“Do all you priests carry the spell ability to do this”

“Yes? Why”

“I have an idea, but I need you to keep it busy” and having Artanis huffing as he comes over to the group Elanee tells him to quickly come with her and she bolts the direction he just came from, rolling his eyes in annoyance he follows with Dawn heading it the opposite direction.

Dawn catches the major attention of the beast; narrow escapes by fate keep Dawn to her feet, moving with haste to keep its vision on her. Going from corpse to corpse Elanee touches all the victims of Malice’s hate to see if they match up to her idea,

“What are you looking for Elanee?” Artanis questions

“A high level cleric, from a vision of the first one I touched they have a society similar to ours, they have classes that include mages, fighters and clerics” she says moving from body to body.

“Umm, he looked powerful what was he” Artanis asked

“Look out!” cried Dawn as Artanis turned to see the creature barring a claw down upon them, touching the corpse quickly and then Artanis, Elanee and him disappeared. Smashing the area into nothing the creature lifted his hand in puzzlement, as he did not hit anything.

Flashing to an area further on the left, Dawn breathed a heavy sigh of relief as Elanee and Artanis reappeared in one piece.

“A mage” ended Elanee as she immediately looked for more bodies, and Artanis felt his body to see if he was in one part.

“Dawn’s getting cornered” Artanis points out, seeing her attempt a maneuver to escape the beast, hit from the back by a massive backhanded hook shot Dawn is sent flying helplessly into the air.

“DAWN!” shouted Artanis with Elanee looking up to see her hit the stony hill side hard and sliding down not moving was a blood spotted impact print left in her sliding trail, “Dawn!” shouts Artanis bolting off to her location

“Artanis Wait!” shouted Elanee but cutting the air fast in his sprint Artanis hears nothing Elanee says. Elanee changes her tactics and looks for symbols on the dead to show a sign of priesthood she pops up her head to reassure herself that Artanis is alive as he battles his way through the lunging attacks of the beast to get to Dawn’s side. He races to her not taking his eyes off hers that seem flickering less and less.

Seeing the motion in her eyes drops Artanis`s guard and pelted by a swinging attack from the beast drives him the same way as Dawn, hit to the stone he too slides down the shale hillside.

Dawn opens her eyes fully to see the creature not pursuing her location and peering to her left, she sees Artanis on the ground. Lifting her head she feels her head to feel gashes to the back of her head, “Artanis she whispers for saying anything louder is impossible for her state, she sits helplessly as the beast bears towards Elanee with its massive steps. Finally finding a body with what looks to be a prying symbol of some sort and seeing the body dressed in fine wears Elanee takes a chance, slamming her hand to the head of the dead she hopes that it isn’t been to long past death. Closing her eyes she cycles through the mind and locating what she needed she stares hard to the beast and muttering words not fully understanding the beast with his raised hand for a striking attempt to her proofed away in a cloud of black smoke leaving a large symbol scorched in the ground where he stood signaling a completed transaction.

Elanee runs to Dawns side but midway to her Dawn points shaking to where Artanis now lays, she warps to his location and skidding on her knees cutting them open to his side and feels his neck, finding no beating she checks his chest. Upon touching, she feels broken bones, and franticly pulling up his chain armor, she sees internal bleeding everywhere.

“He’s dead! Dawn” she cries to her and shedding some tears Dawn motions her to come to her, Elanee runs to her side and Dawn tells her to drag her over beside him and uses her powers to heal him like she had done before. Agreeing she does but it has no effect, she tries again and again weakening Dawn every time, Dawn kept on trying but finally Elanee stops her “I’m sorry Dawn you’re not strong enough to bring him back” with tears in her eyes Dawn starts to cry, lowering her head in failure Elanee is sparked with another idea.

Leaving Dawn’s side she goes to the dead clerics body and dragging it over tries using her powers to bring him back, she attempts it again and again and looking to Dawn she says that he is too far gone to use the magic,

“What about both of us” questions Dawn “My magic and your power level?” she suggest

“But Dawn the tries I have made from your power already have weakened you to the point of near death, doing this could kill you” “It’s worth the risk, Elanee”

“No Dawn I’m sorry” and gripping her arm not tightly Elanee is drawn to Dawn’s hopeless face from the grip

“Please, He’s all I have left for hope Elanee, you must try” nodding her head Elanee agrees. Closing her eyes and taking both arms of the priestesses Elanee channels the remaining magic and with a bright beaming light, the sound of bones mending and flesh redrawing instantly enables. The light at first is blinding to Elanee’s eyes and checking on Dawn to see that she’s not withering from the rays, she turns back to see Artanis breathing the free air once again.

“It worked…Dawn it worked…Dawn…DAWN!” she yells to her holding her head.

“Whoa, what happened? Dawn!” he cried looking to her in Elanee arms “Elanee is she…”

“No,” smiled Elanee “She doesn’t have a pulse due to being already dead, but she’s just knocked out from exhaustion, and seeing his shirt Artanis asked what happened and where the beast went

“Long story that will have to wait, I have to go help Rain, stay with her,” Elanee asks and agreeing he does. Elanee goes to the field of force guarding the wall and remembering a corpse she found earlier she goes to a mage close by and cast a reversal spell to the field. The force tore from the gateway. In rushes Elanee seeing Malice having his way with Rain. Landing on his back from the sheer force of Malice’s strength behind the blade, Rain blocks the slicing swing and with his other free hand Malice grips Rain’s cloak collar and flings him into the air. Landing upside down in midair against a stonewall Rain slides down landing on his shoulders. Rolling to his feet Rain dodges the near missing energy attacks released from Malice’s hand.

“You’re a shifty little bastard you know that, but your weakening just the same, soon you’ll fall permanently” Malice smiles as his walking pursues Rain’s hasting distance run to draw some distance between them.

“You can run for me sorcerer but you can’t hide. I smell your power like vampire smells fear and blood strength, and your power is quite potent, like sweet nectar it is always leaving someone wanting more” says Malice as he skewers through long narrow corridors in the courtyard for the young mage who knows he is out of his league. Malice continues his verbal barrage to Rain’s ears as he masked his own footsteps in his search, turning a corner Malice spots the Drow curled to a corner that bolts off to a new location. Malice launches a green orb towards his area and turning to block the impending doom ball Rain redirects it to a nearby wall. Stone flies apart as the spell crashes into the wall blasting Rain to his back side from the force of the impact, scampering to his feet quickly he keeps backing up towards the end of the hallway not taking his eyes off the lich. Spell after strenuous spell launched from Malice’s hands each blocked and brings more debris to the narrow walkway between them. As Malice floats over the rubble continuing his attacks, Rain grows weaker with every passing defensive maneuver. Reaching the end of the walkway Rain blocks a final spell tossed his way but loses his balance and topples to one knee after the block, stone flies into his faces causing minor cutting and half blindness, he staggers to his feet and disappears around the corner and then zigzagging around a couple more to buy some time.

He catches his breath leaning up against a wall and wipes the rushing blood from his face cuts, looking back around the corner he came from to see if Malice was near he felt a touch to his other shoulder and spun around with his blade pointed at the foe;

“Elanee!” he whispered with excitement as he gave her a quick hug, lowering the blade with ease from Rain’s exhausted state he looks at her with a worried look. “How did you get in here, the way was shut”

“Got lucky,” she replied

“But the monster” Rain said

“We killed ours, how are you doing,” she asked half knowing the answer

“My power is almost gone Elanee, I’ve been using everything just to stop his spells from killing me, I haven’t even thrown an attack back at him, he is so powerful and fast I …I can’t beat him Elanee” Rain finishes taking in another deep breath.

“Not here anyway” said Elanee with Rain looking at her in wonder, “I know where the stones are from a guardian that I touched earlier, but it’s located in a chamber beneath this courtyard, can you teleport us in there?”

“Elanee, my powers work differently here, you know what happened before” Rain signed

“We have no choice we need to beat him there,” she barked back to him

“I’m so weak right now”

“Please Rain try,” she said with a vote on support that brought a nod to his chin

In a flash they were in a chamber and together as well, Elanee felt herself up checking for any missing parts to herself and smiled.

“Thank god, I’m in one piece. Oh sorry Rain, I didn’t mean that harshly” and smirking to her he grew a serious face and griped his side. “Are you ok Rain?”

“Let’s just find the stones and I promise I’ll feel much better” and smiling to the light joke she started the search, “We need to hurry that power I used Malice will quickly trace and join up with us soon”

“There!” said Elanee pointing to a pillar holding twin stone cases that hold two crystal shard looking stones in each,

“That’s them, nice eye” said Rain going up to the cases and picking up the shards placing one at a time in his cloak, gripping the last one he hears a silent scuffle behind him and focusing the reflection in the shard he makes out Malice’s face.

Rain turn’s around to see him holding Elanee high in the air by the neck with just a hand, hers are supporting his to not strangle to death and grasps what air she could to keep breathing.

“Thanks for the help you saved me loads of time” Malice smiled to him “Ok, I’ll makes this easy on you half delusional self, the stones for the girl”

“Don’t do it Rain” says Elanee gasping but hearing the proposal “He’ll kills us anyway after he gets what he wants” and tossing down to the ground the one shard Rain raises his blade in the air.

“Let her go or I break this stone Malice”

“Break it and I break her in half sorcerer”

“Rain just go” Elanee says with struggle to her posture

“No I’m not leaving without you,” Rain said to Elanee

“Awe how touching, THE STONES NOW!!” Malice commanded and turning around to pick up the shard Rain’s blade caught a lightened glimmer of an object among a pile of trinkets, reaching down slowly to pick up the stone he look closer at the shiny ball to confirm it was the sphere Lalandra talked to him about. Following Rain’s wondering eyes Elanee saw the sphere as well and grew an idea in her mind,

“I passed that first Psylock you killed coming here Malice, I saw what you did to that poor creature, I hope you have a timeless torment to think it over”

“It’s a matter of survival my dear, his or mine so I chose” Malice said to her not taking his eyes off Rain. Hearing the words from her lips Rain knew she saw the sphere as well and hoping she was on board with a quick unrehearsed plan Rain acted and summoned a small light level spell flame to his hand.

Malice assess the situation with wonder on what Rain was up to when his focus was broke from a question from Elanee, “Hey Malice” she smiled to him “How much do you weigh?”

“What?!” spouted Malice to her giving her a deep glare when he saw Rain’s hand move tossing the fire flame at the sphere. He spun around stabbing his blade far into the dirt, whatever remaining strength would allow. Hitting the sphere, the ball shattered creating a pocket black hole floating up to the middle of the room. The hole started a vacuum vortex sucking everything not anchored securely into it, Malice lost quick grip of his sword, which flew past Rain and into the black emptiness.

“A riddle all mortals wave to their minds Malice, how do you destroy an indestructible being, you don`t…you exile it”

“A sphere of timeless torment” bolted Malice letting go of Elanee’s throat and teleporting away, the force of the vortex was too strong for Malice to escape. The spell unraveled and reformed Malice to the chamber again. Flying towards him Rain extended his arm to grip Elanee’s hand, catching it she held on for all she had as the title forces pulled Rain and her horizontally levitating in the room toward the blackened space.

“What! NO!” shouted Malice realizing where he was, gripping the ground with his hands to stop from being sucked in. His hands moved again with the ground piling between them, slipping as the forces pulling him outweigh his own free-lanced strength. Malice reached the lip of the night full vortex and looked to Rain firmly anchored to his blade stuck in the ground,

“This won’t kill me Rain! You hear me! This is not my end but the start of yours Drow! This…ISN”T…OVERRRR!!” Malice blasts, pulled to the crushing black oblivion.

Starting to lose her grip Elanee shouts, “Rain I’m slipping”

“Just hold on, it must be ending soon” Rain battered his voice over the howling vortex. They held on for all they were worth and seconds later the suction came to an end, dropping the two hard to the ground they clustered close together with their hands air locked together and slowly opening their eyes they looked around. All that was left in the room was them and a pile of black tarred muck on the ground which they could only figure was the remainder of the sphere. They looked at each other and seeing Elanee smiling she took some seconds to stay in Rain’s protected arms.

“Do you still have the stones Rain” and looking to his cloak he confirms all accounted for. “We did it” she replied

“Yes we did, now that that’s over and you knew how to find this place, I’ll be blunt; I’m out of power so do you know a manual way to the courtyard from here”

“Follow Me,” she stated to him getting to her feet and leading him to the surface.

Still over watching Dawn, Artanis sees her arm come up, speech then comes from her mouth.

“Dawn, oh thank god you`re alive” her hand again rest to her side and she says no more, “Dreaming eh…I wish this was a dream girl…you would be wearing something much different I can assure you”

Artanis combs his hand to his face, at least she`s alive he thought, slow but steady recovery. His eyes squint a bit dim as light shines through his fingers that cover his face, moving his hand he sees a halo aura of light crowning over an area of dirt only a dozen yards away. He looks back at Dawn, a warning system do you have in you girl, thinks Artanis readying his blade again.

He takes no chance for an encounter, he holds up his blade for a quick first strike driving it deep into the ground; it suddenly stops as if he had struck something. Artanis pulls up the blade, no blood as he thought would be there…but instead there was a chip in his swords metal.

Artanis looks back to Dawn; she remained, comfortable with his cape rolled under her head like a pillow. Artanis puzzled by the incident begins to dig. Shoveling for a time, he had gone down into the ground almost his entire height, when finally his hands scrapped to something. Small it was, a chest bound in leather but by a sniff of his nose, he knew it was humanoid skin wrappings. Artanis move it to more light, then he saw it, gasping it`s trueness he thought he’d never see it in his time. His mind recalled the design as if it happened yesterday, hands placing it inside the chest then closing it was the combination on its front created. Artanis reversed the sequence and tripping up the lid bared to him a treasure he wished for all for so long, plucked from the black skinned chest Artanis put to his palms a weapon very blank and plan in design… the dagger to end Logan’s immortality. A dagger of a Kris design, the blade has a wavy form to it and the hilt has a slight curve leaning to the right holding a balled ruby at its end. The hilt and blade formed from pure gold giving off the symbolism of everlasting high rising endless life, staring at the dagger Artanis then hears a voice in the air and turns to see Dawn calling for him. Grabbing the blade, he tucks it away, goes to her awakening side.

Struggling to get to her feet Artanis stops her attempts, “Hey, don’t get up yet, you were hurt pretty bad” he says putting his hand on her back, gently ease her back to a laying down position.

“You’re alive” Dawn replied softly stretching out again and smiling

“You bet how you feel…everything working alright?” he asked

“I’m ok, just really sore and a little tired, but on the regenerating mend though” Dawn sees the chest open and empty, “It`s what I sensed earlier, I felt it even as I slept…what was it Artanis”

“You used magic to light the path to it, it`s a weapon and one that will turn the tide in our fight to come” she smiles to him, still weak but with her hand she strokes his cheek

“Guess the powers I have still need to be trained, are you alright…last I saw you weren’t doing so well”

“I’m right as rain” he smiled then caught a glimpse of Elanee supporting Rain’s left side as he used his mother’s blade to support his right on his approach to the other’s, “Ok maybe not, Elanee what the hell happened. Wait, where’s Malice?”

“Somewhere where he won’t bother anyone for a long time” Rain replied still holding his stomach to talk,

“Rain and I sent him through the sphere of timeless torment but almost lost ourselves in the process” explained Elanee gently setting Rain to a seated position, looking to his right he saw his sister in just as much pain,

“Man you look how I feel” Rain said looking to her

“Nice to see you too Rain” Dawn punched out with a half-smile easing the pain of her talk,

“Did you find the stones?” Artanis asked and opening his cloak Rain showed Artanis the four shards, he took two out and handed them to Artanis who took them with hesitation.

“They shouldn’t be together for long, others might be looking for them as well,” Rain stated and nodding Artanis slipped his set to his belt revealing the dagger,

“What is that?” asked Elanee fixated of the golden blade

“It’s Logan’s lifeline to immortality, I realized sitting here with Dawn that this was where he stashed it so I poked around and found it” he said pulling it out and handing it to Rain who gestured his hand in wanting to see it up close, moving it around to examine it a bit Rain gave it back smiling,

“This fight will be one to remember” Rain said hurting and proud and nodding his head Artanis agreed.

Not wasting too much time in their slum, the group pushed forth back to the doorway, and half way there, Rain soul dropped to his legs,

“Oh No! The vial…I didn’t get the vial” and approaching him softly Elanee smiled to him,

“You mean this vial” Elanee said reaching into her bust and pulling from between her breasts the vial filled with soapy water substance, looking at it Rain nodded his head but looked to her as if to ask how. She then explained that held by Malice in the air she saw it tucked deep in his pocket but could not reach it, and then when he turned to watch you attack the sphere she was able to move enough without him knowing and grip it away from him.

“You are just full of surprises aren’t you,” Artanis said looking upon her with a grin, she smiles back “You have no idea”

“Well actually I…”

“Shut up Artanis don’t ruin the moment, right now I still like you” she said with a half smirked grin walking past him and following her movements he smiled as she went past him, following her was Rain who moved close to Artanis’s face and whispered to him.

“When we rest before we leave wake me up there is something you need to know” Artanis looked to Rain’s serious intended face and nodding slowly he then kept back up with Dawn who could now move on her own.

Through the abandoned dessert winds of the astral plain they walked, and though the wind was soft and warm it held a dust blowing disturbance that made the travel profusely long. They went for miles crossing the same area as before but not as far as across the death loathing canyon that nearly took Elanee’s life the first time. The group rested before Rain attempted it again. Giving him some hours of sleep Artanis woke up the Sorcerer softly and reminded him of the words he wanted to say, Rain looked to the girls who Artanis assured him were sleeping, after a most hard filled day and moving to the side Rain explained.

He told Artanis of what Lalandra told him about the potency of the stones power and how they needed to clear of its effects especially Artanis. Rain told him how far they needed to be and what land marks the stones need placing to make it work, due to the revealing fact that Artanis and Rain would be planting the device. Nodding with compliance in doing the task Rain turned away to get more sleep when Artanis stopped him with a question.

“Wait Rain What if we get back and the battle has begun” he whispered not to wake the girls, and Rain saying nothing but a focused look gave Artanis the understanding that this needed to be done whether they had an army to fight through or not. “Whatever is takes Rain, we’ll do this” nodded Artanis with confidence and Rain nodded back

“Whatever it takes my old friend” Rain replied and went to rest with Elanee, Rain felt her arm move around his torso for a comforting notion that he was there when he heard her speak in his ear,

“I don’t know what you said to Artanis there Rain, just promise me that you won’t leave me”

“I promise Elanee, I’ll always protect you” he kissed her forehead and smiling she went to sleep. “I love you,” he whispered to her for a final thought before she passed to dreamland.

Gaining some more hours of rejuvenation Rain felt ready to try the teleport spell again, it went off with a hitch this time and happy in that notion they made it over and all in one piece they made haste to reach the portal gate quickly.