Walking around the stone ruins Larissa looks intently around,

“I know you are here so show yourselves” she demands and appearing in sight through both lighting flashes and ground rising flames was two celestial beings being accompanied by two high level demons.

“I was beginning to wonder how many deaths it would take to merit your audience”

“Stop this now Larissa!” bolted a celestial voice

“Ummm…no this is my realm, my turf which allows me to kill who I want when I please…and I do understand your reasons for bothering my fun but why are the demons here”

“You attacked an outpost guarding a gate to a lower level of our realm” crackled the voice of one demon.

“Oh that little shack was an outpost, I thought that they were supposed to give a challenge to keep things away” she sparked to the demons with an ignorant attitude “and speaking of challenges is that what you are all supposed to be,” laughing to them

“Stand down Larissa or be slain where you stand”

“I don’t take well to threats you oversized light bulb” igniting her arms one with lightning and one with hell fire flame moving into a defensive stance. The Celestials summon their swords to their hands and douse the blade in holy flame; the demons do the same but coat the blades with dripping vile venom.

“Attack her” the order came from a Celestial and the battle then begins, the demons aid the side of the angelic beings and the battle grows quick and fierce paced. Fighting with a masterful art and power know only to a few of the realm’s powerful wizards. The warriors of the opposite factions try desperately to dethrone the diabolical evil inducement of the one called Larissa. But as well trained as they were the power and multiple numbers were not enough to gain the upper hand to the great possessed soul. For one by one Larissa had the end come to each one both destructive and equally as cruel, demising the numbers down to one Celestial being she caught the great power in her grip and slammed it’s body hard to the ground dismembering its grip from its sword. She wrapped her hands around its throat and with a single swift tug wrenched the head and spinal cord from its torso. The sparkling royal blue blood dripped to the ground off the back bone, Larissa lifted the remains in her hands above her head and unleashing her tongue ran it along the bones of the great beings spine. She trapped the blood into her mouth, and filling her thirst for the blood lust she craved Larissa swallowed the holy nectar and smiled to the head.

“Nothing is quite like a divine blood boost to start the day” and then she froze in her movements, sensing that an added life presence was around she turned her view to a distance to gaze upon the group coming into focus to her location.

Seeing the sight of Elanee’s actions brought sheer horror to the groups face; Larissa tossed away the skull head and stepped into the celestial blood on her advancement towards them. Alisianna backed up with Lalandra and Dawn guarding her view from Larissa’s path of sight, and measuring up each member of the group carefully Straud then reached for his weapon. Cloud and Artanis did the same. Larissa looked to the group for the first time with worry as the power level they held together was more then she had ever encountered at once.

“Elanee, Elanee can you hear me….It’s Rain” Rain tried to say and hearing the words she stopped her movement, lowering her head to shade her face with her wet jet black hair she raise the black curtain again to have an innocent look to her face and then she replied.

“Rain, oh Rain is that you” she pleaded to Rain

“I’m here Elanee” responded Rain with a hopeful look from hearing the voice that sounded like Elanee’s.

“I’m so scared Rain”

“Fight it Elanee, fight her bind over you”

“Rain I can’t…she’s so strong….help me” Elanee’s voice reacted and reached for Rain’s hand, extending his back Straud spoke up “Rain don’t!”

“It’s ok uncle” Rain assured him as he kept moving toward her and grasping his hand tight she lowered her head.

“I can’t I just can’t” she kept on

“Yes you can Elanee together we can stop this” and with his free hand Rain touched the chin of Elanee and raised it to his own but then saw a sinister smile grown on her face.

“I can’t believe you actually fell for that pity run of words” she laughed as she raised him into the air, “I thought you Drow were smarter than that, don’t you know you shouldn’t talk to strangers” she laughed again “A mistake you can have lots of time to rethink in death” as she charged her hand and unleashed a loud thunder crackle as a surge of energy flooded Rain’s body. “Elanee’s gone you ingrate, her body and mind are mine, and now so are you” she said tossing him away but hitting the dirt hard Rain caught clearing his lungs from the smoke and Larissa snapped her head back toward him, “You can’t be alive” she spouted off and charging her hands again she bombarded Rain’s body with her hellfire flames but still had no effect, “This is impossible” she said and trying to raise him telekinetically to the air made Rain’s headband glow white.

“That’s the power I was waiting for” said Straud slamming his blade to the ground and a wave of energy emitted from it, Larissa taken off guard by Rain’s immunity was hit by the blast at full force and like a volcano erupting she was launched into the air. She landed hard to the ground and picking herself up she looked to the other and waved her hand about, but doing nothing she looked at it.

“My telekinesis, what have you done to my power” she screamed at him and seeing a toss from her rear view she looked to see Cloud grab something, Cloud caught the necklace from Rain’s throw and as he placed it on he transformed into the angelic being again.

“Oh good more fun” Larissa said rolling her eyes and charging her arms the group engaged Larissa in battle. Lalandra at first didn’t help in the fight as she and Dawn carefully watched over Alisianna but as the battle grew fierce and the group began to get pinned into trenches of old stone ruins hiding from Larissa violent attacks she left to aid them. Dawn left her side only by a few feet as she cast spells to create protection shields from the flames and lightning shots to her love Artanis.

After some battle attacks striking Rain’s body in various places he learned that he was completely immune to all of her energy based attack and drawing his blade Rain lashed out from his place of hiding to bear down a charge to her location. Seeing this attack Larissa used martial moves to separate Rain from his weapon and using his own momentum against him she flung him in the opposite way flying into the air and landing into deep brush, his sword slammed into the dirt far away from him but bringing the ambushed from the attack no one could check on him.

“Is this all your group can muster how pathetic” Larissa said with overconfidence as she continued to pour on the attack quick and powerful. Cloud then sprinted toward her with his natural quickened haste and forced her to draw her own blade and start into close combat. Artanis and Straud joined in as they left their trenches of hiding and Lalandra attempted attack of cold from afar thinking they would distract her concentration. She was successful but unknowing of the thick carapace she now possessed as some attack from the paladin blade even though they connected bounced off her without a scratch, some created minor cuts but most attacks if not backed with full strength proved useless in harming her.

Battering them back a few feet one at a time to create some breathing room for herself Larissa was beginning to tire, but the members just scampered to their feet again and came flying back to engaged her once more, she got a lucky hit on Cloud and sending him flying in the air and impacting solidly into some heightened stone laid ruins. She shot a lightning attack toward to rock pile creating a fissure crack in the base of the structure; the crack crept up and collapsed on top of Cloud burying him under thousands of pounds on rock.

“Cloud…CLOUD!!!” shouted Artanis glancing over to the arm of Cloud not moving under to rubble pile.

“One by one I will kill you all” Larissa belted back as she poured on the melee attack at the remaining members and continued to block the attacks of Lalandra range assault.

Lifting his head and shaking away the dizziness Rain brought into focus Alisianna in a great deal of pain and a clear wet liquid running down her legs.

“Dawn…Dawn! Come here quick Alisianna’s been hit” Running towards the call Dawn lands to her knees and skids to their side she checks Alisianna condition and grows a shocked look to her face as she turns to Rain.

“What…What is it Dawn can you heal her?” panicked Rain

“Those pains she was having before we left to come here wasn’t cramps the were contractions…Rain Alisianna’s in labor”

Watching Dawn move to Alisianna’s head side she lifts her head and places it on top off her thighs using them as a pillow.

“Rain bends her legs up and unbuckles removing her skirt”

“Why?”

“You have to help me deliver the babies”

“Whoa what oh hell no, where’s Cloud” Rain says looking to the battle area but looking to a the pile of stone burying his body Dawn looks to him

“He’s busy right now, Rain I need your help”

“But I have never done this before Dawn”

“Rain please were out of time, if this doesn’t happen now she and the children will surely die”

Rain’s hands tremble as he tries to undo her skirt belt as a sense of moral disloyalty flows through his mind. But soft and gentle does Alisianna’s hands touch his and looking up she smiles to him.

“I trust you Rain” she says to him and growing some comfort Rain nods and continues. Removing the skirt Rain as instructed places his cloak under and around her hips covering her exposed areas and her lower torso.

“Now Alise I need you to breath slow and steady breathes ok” and nodding she tried as she held tightly to Dawns hand.

“Why is this…happening…now…it’s too…early for them to be coming” Alisianna says exhaling her first breath through the contraction.

“It’s the twin factor Alise, with two your birthing time speeds up” Dawn explains to her as she breaths.

“Now Rain you are going to have to get your hands dirty” and she nods for Rain to reach up into her womb and aid the babies release, Rain lifts his cloak and his eyes grow big as he looks back at Dawn,

“Rain grow up for once in your life” she whispers to him as the groaning pain of Alisianna drowns out her voice “can you see anything yet”

“There’s a lot of fluid and tissue here Dawn, wait! Yes there’s a head “

“Ok Alisianna you’re going to have to push for me ok” and following her lead Alisianna does, grunting all she can and through thrusting motions does Rain update that the baby is coming out.

“Ok , I got it…I mean uh her” said Rain and needing something to wrap her in Rain conjures up a mink skin blanket to bundle the newborn in tight and secure, he places her beside him gently as he uses a dagger given to him by Dawn to cut the umbilical then goes for the second one.

“Ok Alise now for the second one” and following Dawn’s voice Alisianna proceeds.

“Uh oh” says Rain

“What…what’s wrong?!” asked Dawn

“The baby it’s coming out backwards…like feet first Dawn, what do I do” he asks her.

Alisianna pushes again but loses her breath “I can’t”

“Yes you can Alisianna you must”

“Ahhh!” Alisianna groans “Come out of me you stubborn little thing!” and in the intense moment a blast of lightning from Larissa impacts the ground near the group.

“Was that a blast, was it close” asked Alisianna and looking about ten feet away from where it hit Dawn turns back to her, “No it was far off, not even close, keep pushing Alise you’re doing well girl”

“It hurts so much” Alisianna complains to her and she grits her teeth again to push.

“Dawn?” Rain asks with a voice of concern

“What’s wrong Rain?”

“I think the baby is stuck”

“STUCK?” cried Alisianna and laying her head down for a moment Dawn comes around to check her.

“Its neck is around the umbilical cord” and looking at Rain she whispers to him “I need to cut an insertion to finish removing the baby but I can’t do it here” said Dawn “If we don’t get it out soon the baby will drown in its own fluids, it’s too far out to move her anywhere now” and hearing the dilemma Rain thinks for a second and rising his head again he looks to Dawn

“I have an idea, Dawn” he replies as Dawn moves back to Alisianna’s head side.

“Like what…RAIN LOOK OUT!!!” cries Dawn seeing a bolt of flame heading towards him from the battle field and gripping the young child wrapped in the bundle Rain disappears just as the bolts passes by him, Dawn covers Alisianna’s face with her body to shield them from the impact of the bolt as it hits a group of trees splintering them into flaming debris.

Continuing the assault and flinging Straud off to the side the group attacking Larissa pincers her between them. Larissa looks to all of them and knows that she could be defeated right here, for she used up too much power in the previous battle. And making a motion to attack her Artanis swings at her and in her defense Larissa flees in a flash of bluish light.

“Cloud, are you alright” says Artanis yelling to him as he and Straud run to uncover him from the rocks. They unbury Cloud to find that he is still in the angelic form whose protective power saved his life most assuredly, he was only knocked out but wasn’t crushed and coming to a few moments with breathing the clean air again his form reverted to his own once more.

“Huh what…What Happened?”

“You tripped and fell” said Artanis and smiling as he and Straud brought him to his feet Cloud shook off the feeling and looked around “Is she dead, where did she go”

“She escaped” replied Straud

“But we beat her good” Added Artanis

“Dawn!...Alisianna! sparked Lalandra running to their location to see Alisianna laying on the ground her hair all sweated up and draped against her face, she was followed but the guys who saw her and immediately Cloud leaned to her side, Dawn explained to all of them what had happened and getting to when Rain left she stopped.

“Where’s Rain” questioned Dawn growing worried

“Where’s my babies” bolted Alisianna “Did he make it away from the blast are they alive” she grow quick paced with her words. And looking to the mangled trees Dawn and Alisianna saw no ruminates of bodies.

“I’m right here” Said Rain’s voice “And I’m fine along with two very brave new born children” Said Rain carrying both babies one in each arm both wrapped in mink bundles crying up a storm. Dawn ran to him the see the children, and looking over the faces and bodies she placed her hand to each of them and lifted it off with a smile,

“They are in excellent health” Dawn announced and taking them to Alisianna’s arms Rain passed them to her, she smiled as she watched them crying their first breathes to the world.

“How did you get him out Rain?” asked Dawn and Rain explained that simply teleporting the baby out would have been the easiest way in the beginning.

“But not as satisfying” said Alisianna, “I would not have given up that pain for the world, they are so beautiful”

“Yes they are” said Cloud over shadowing her watching them squirm and smiling at his wife’s sweated glowing look.

Cloud went to Rain and gave him back his amulet thanking him for it as well as giving him a hug for what he had done for his future family, Rain smiled back happy to see the gratifying look from his brother’s face and feeling for a moment that life might not all be bad. The group crowded around the newborn and during that time Rain went to retrieve his blade, he found it stabbed into the dirt and reaching his hands still with the embryonic fluid still covered on his hands, slipping with one hand he griped it with both and pulled it out swiftly, but turning around to return did he see Straud behind him.

“We’ll cross her path again son”

“I know we well Uncle but I saw it in her eyes. She is gone, consumed by the evil that now resides in her; I only hope I have the courage to do what is needed on the next encounter”

Leaving the area with their new bundles of joy they escape to plan out the next move, And wanting to spend some time alone with their newborns. Cloud and Alisianna escape to the wilderness for some quality time. Rain goes back to the temple with Dawn to attempt to contact the evil though he did believe that the mind that reached out to him was in fact Elanee herself. Dawn healed any wounds to the group after the battle and helped Rain with his distance connection. Artanis set up a guard posting with Straud’s help to keep him busy and the area secure.

While taking care of his little beauty Kityana Rain starts to get regular sleep but they soon turn into nightmares when recent developments cause him to have dreams of only Larissa, always saying the same thing, she is doomed and he has failed her. Ending with a touch from her to his head in an attempt to lift the headband from his head he always resists the motion but it grows harder and harder each time for him. He wakes up in a sweated state every time and feeling his head realizes that his headband is coming off further and further each time. Until one night he decides to try something and during the nightmare, he doesn’t resist the act and lets her removes the headband to see an astonishing thing happen, Larissa changes to Elanee.

She explains that she was only able to connect to Rain in this manner after the first encounter and every time Larissa sleeps, she gains control of the mind, learning over time her telekinetic power she said she used it to trans-lay the message over a distance for the attempt to reach Rain’s mind. She says that Larissa is moving through tomes of research libraries to figure out why Rain was immune to her powers and how to reverse it. But the conversation was interrupted when Larissa awoke and terminated the connection and when he awoke Rain noticed that his headband was on his lap. For the next day Rain keeps the new information to himself and tries to find a way to help from his end.

In the meantime the newly born twin got a daily walk out to a sheltered area in a wonderful designed basinet made by Straud as a gift. It was made from thick hardwood and was covered in maple thistle to ease the beating hearts of the children as they slept. Alisianna went out as she always did to lounge in the grass for her daily sunny time and on this day while out with her armed guard of four Drow soldiers she noticed something she never did before. A flower lay on the ground where she normally sat and from its pedals looked very fresh, it was jet black in color but held a beauty that was rarely found in a rose. Alisianna picked it up and looked at it while setting down her children’s basket she plunged to a kneeling position and took a sniff of it’s sent, it was sweet and coarse but held a rich overlay of honey and on it was thick dew only noticed from a close sight. Flowers this late in the day doesn’t have dew on them Alisianna thought, and placing the flower again to the ground she began to grow tired and a little dizzy. She stretched to a laid motion she grew heavy in trying to up hold her eyelids and not feeling so well suddenly collapsed to a dead slumber.

The day grows into the evening and knowing that sometimes Alisianna loses track of time while with the kids Cloud gives her some leeway on coming back but as it grows cold he begins to worry about her. Cloud sends out Artanis and six men to find her and only an hour goes by when the group returns requesting healing aid from Dawn. Three out of the four guards were killed and the one left badly beaten to a bloody mess. Dawn quickly get to him; heals his wounds and hears as the guard explain to them about a cloaked figure who ambushed the group. He goes on to say that his men guarded her sporadically so not to be taken off guard but it was as if someone had been watching their every move for a while to have coordinated the attack so well. Straud comes to Cloud’s side reassuring that they will regain her back and the children unharmed for whoever has done this must have had a good but sadistic reason. Cloud goes to Rain’s chamber and Straud goes to his to gather his arms. He reaches his personal equipment to find the same black rose lay upon his sword and seeing this draws a heavy thought to his mind. Artanis follows Straud in his own shadow to ask him something but when he sees the rose all of his questions are answered.

“It’s him isn’t it Lord Straud”

“Yes Artanis” Straud replies as if he knew he was there “Do me a favor young man, you need to take Cloud to the forever spring and grab a vial of the water for it is the cure to the poison Alisianna inhaled”

“And what are you going to do Milord?”

“Please Artanis don’t call me that, to you it is just Straud”

“Don’t forget your armor Straud” says Artanis seeing him leave with only his weapon, and stopping in his tracks he turns to Artanis.

“This is a call Artanis, a challenge held by the Asmairian’s to another fighter for a trial of fates”

“What fate is yours issued by Logan Straud” he inquired

“Betrayal Artanis…Betrayal” he and Artanis went to the front of the house of Straud and there they met up with Dawn and Cloud he tells Cloud of who is behind this and what is needed to be done Cloud goes with Artanis to find the cure and Dawn is told to stay here and relay the message to Rain when he is found for Cloud couldn’t locate him. Straud hugs Cloud and tells him that he has been the best son he could have ever been blessed with and the same to Dawn but with an added gesture. Straud slips blue toned crystal in her pocket during the embrace and tells her that he loves her.

“You sound like you’re not coming back uncle, you are coming back right” and as Straud smiles he turns to go when Dawn grabs his hand and turns him to her again “Right?” she says again and smiling to her he nods saying “of course Dawn, of course”

As they all scamper off only Lalandra remains to his sights.

“You will take care of them for me won’t you old friend”

“Of course I will Straud, but this isn’t the end for you old Captain of the Drow, of the realm and of my heart” and turning to leave her she pulls him back for a kiss to her lips and he returns the embrace with a cling to her body. They kiss for a moment and then separating Lalandra watches him go with a tear to her eye.

Rain who found a private spot to cast his sleep spell over and over again until he got a mental connection with Elanee again, he reaches her and she explains to her that he has a plan to lure Larissa out. Rain says that he wants to imprison her again but needs her where abuts to do it, they pick a stop to spark the plan and Elanee gives Rain some reassurance that her power of suggestion to Larissa’s subconscious holds some weight. They agree on the location and then they break off. Rain returns to see his uncle getting ready to leave and when he called out to him Straud turned to him with a smile.

“You are the finest Sorcerer I have ever seen Rain, such passion and power in you, I trust you will be a great man and held in high regard by your fellow people” Straud says to him

“Uncle” Rain asked concerned at him “Why do you say such things, what’s going on”

“I have come to realize that it doesn’t come much as I had hoped it would from my lips and for that I’m sorry to you and you siblings, I love you all like my own and I hope you know that” Straud said to him

“I know that uncle, we all do…I love you too” said Rain and getting a hug from him Rain held him tightly not letting go at first,

“Uncle, you sure everything is alright”

“We’ll find her Rain I promise you that” Straud says to him and mounting his horse Straud sheaths his sword and rides off into the forest.

Rain watches him go then returns to his chamber to gather his sword; he turns after mounting it to his belt to see his sister standing in the doorway.

“Rain, I’ve been looking all over for you Alisianna’s missing and…why are you armed?” she asks

“I’m going to help with the search” and walking to the doorway Dawn doesn’t move

“For who Alisianna...you’re going to find Elanee aren’t you, and then what you’re going to kill her Rain” Dawn said raising her voice

“I will do what I must” Rain responded and trying to go past her she moves in his path

“Put your weapon away”

“Dawn get out of my way”

“No! Your weapon first”

“DAWN!”

“This is what you have come up with…just kill her; let her die”

“I have tried all I can Dawn but…”

“Try harder, and keep trying till you find some way to bring her home” Dawn protested

“And how many more people Dawn, how many more should we sacrifice just to please our own way of life, these acts of death are stripping away what is left of her from humanity” Rain grew heated and louder.

“One more look Rain that’s all I ask” Dawn pleaded

“You don’t think I have been all over Lalandra’s books, Silverspire’s, hell the whole realms Dawn; there is nothing Dawn nothing on Larissa remotely close to revealing a cure, it’s like she doesn’t exist” and almost shouting Dawn puts her hands up to calm him down.

“I’m sorry Rain” she says calmly “I know that you have tried all you could”

“But it wasn’t enough was it, all those times I needed her and she was there, to save me…to save us all, and yet the one time she needs us her destruction is our only solution I failed her Dawn. The only woman I have ever truly loved, I failed”

“I’ll come with you Rain”

“No Dawn you must stay away from this, the headband Elanee made for me I figured out that it’s the only thing stopping her powers from harming me, I am the only one in this realm that can bring her to an end” and backing away from his path she lets him go.

“I know it doesn’t help” she perks up as he goes through the doorway “But you’re doing the right thing, I just wasn’t ready to admit it”

“Then why does it feel so wrong” Rain says looking one final time to his sister before he disappears in a flash.