Tad walked into the World Egg, "Kettle, open it. " The last tube opened, showing a green glowing crystal and a book. Tad picked them both up and placed them in the limited bag of holding on his belt. Jack had come into the World Egg.

"When I leave, please give Jack and Aea all the time they ask for, I have some business to finish at the bridge. "

Tad nodded to Jack and exited the World Egg. Kettle partially closed the door. Tad doubted Aea could hurt Jack, and Kettle would open the artifact if he thought there was trouble and call him. He also doubted his goddess would let anything horrible happen to Jack.

Tad waved to his other friends and started towards the dead god's bridge, with Kizzac and Synethaes following.

Tad felt his goddess in his mind then as Niucrelath spoke in his mind, "Oh, has this always been in the artifact, my champion? "She sounded like a cat purring in his ear, "Did you hide this? What else do you have in there? "

"Nothing worth the trouble, trust me on this. Everything in that artifact has brought me nothing but trouble and almost disaster several times. Breamas wanted me to find it. Do you want that on your shoulders? " asked Tad. He knew his goddess didn't want any part of Breamas's mischievous side. Tad didn't want it either, but he doubted the god would ever really leave him while Zanna was a companion. The god had already stated he watched out for his children and threatened Tad.

"Oh shame, I suppose not. He has been known to cause the gods of every pantheon many troubles in the past. I'd prefer to avoid his temper. Keep your secrets, for now, my champion. Remember you are my thorn now, do not make me regret this decision, " said Niucrelath. Then she was gone from his mind.

The group made its way up the ramps in the dark. Tad had cast his low light vision spell and could see well enough. He looked over at Lamruil, who was wearing a new quiver with a new sheaf of arrows inside. Tad assumed that was from Jared.

They came to the bridge, and there floating and bouncing, was a skull just outside the dome. Quig Ba'Lagta, liked to be called Quiggly. It was a humanoid skull with glowing green sockets for eyes and a gem set in his forehead that gave off a green glow, making it appear as if it had three eyes until Tad was closer to him.

"Ahh, there you are. I see you have some more friends. Who is that delicious creature behind you? Does she have a name? " said the Lich from the other side of the dome.

Tad turned to look at Synethaes, who was eyeing the Lich like he was a slug. Tad turned back to the Lich, "Quiggly, this is Synethaes. We have come to finish the promise I made to you so many months ago. I have guarded your phylactery as promised. Are you here to retrieve it? " asked Tad. He worded this to ensure the Lich didn't try to trick him. The promise was till the Lich came to retrieve the phylactery only.

"Of course I am. Why else would I be here? "asked the Lich in a condescending tone of someone talking to a child. His voice had a slight rattle.

"Good to hear," said Tad, and he felt the magic of the promise unwinding from his soul and body. It was a weight he had forgotten he carried.

Tad took the item in question out of his bag. "What do you plan to do after I give this to you? " asked Tad.

Tad watched as Quiggly's skull transformed into a man with a green gem set between his eyes. The Lich's new body had a light build, a flat grey hat with feathers, and he wore a foppish dandies outfit. Tad was pretty sure it was some illusion. This creature was thousands of years old. Lichs were alive but yet dead. By storing their souls away in the phylactery, they were essentially immortal. He could be destroyed any number of times, and as long as his phylactery survived, he would reform.

What a lich did with that immortality was anyone's guess. Some said a lich studied magic others said they wandered the astral looking for enlightenment. All of them were said to be the most powerful of magic casters and should be avoided if possible.

"I intend to travel. I can not take my tower back from all the demons that now inhabit it. No thanks to you. I will travel and find another reason to exist. Perhaps in time, I will find a way to eject those demons from my tower and fulfill my promise to my king so I may know rest, " said Quiggly.

Tad nodded. He knew the Lich had another magical promise to his long-dead king to defend their kingdom from demons, and he had failed because the demons had found another way into his plane. They inhabited the dead king's fortress where Tad had been captive for several months. It is where he found Zanna and his staff Galadinidú.

Tad had every intention of throwing the phylactery through the magic dome and letting the Lich leave to find other people to bother, it had threatened his life once long ago, and he didn't particularly care for him now. He knew Zanna wanted nothing to do with him either. Tad was surprised she still hadn't burned Synethaes to dust. She had definitely changed, but he doubted she would be happy if there was a lich and vampire hanging around. Tad pulled back to throw it through.

"Wait!" said Niucrelath. "I wish to talk to this creature alone. "

The goddess walked forward and took the Phylactery from Tad's hand. She stood two feet taller than Tad now. She walked through the protective dome. "Quig Ba'Lagta Kings High Magician, please follow me. I wish to discuss some things with you. "

Nico was watching Synethaes. The pupils of his eyes looked like a cat's. Tad could feel his friend was not happy she was there. He really needed to talk to Nico.

"Alright then, we should head back, " said Tad. Tad was unsure if he should be satisfied that he had made Kettle hide the phylactery during the goddess awakening or if he should be angry that his goddess did indeed want to have a pet lich. Well, at least it wasn't the high priest. He didn't think his goddess would try to overthrow his lordship of the valley of statues. The threat of making Zanna's father unhappy would be more than the goddess would like.

Strangely that thought kept coming up in his mind. Did Breamas God of Mischief plan this too? The god was said to be as powerful as the foci gods and existed in many planes at the same time if he wished it.

Tad's goddess was still angry at him for forcing her to take Zanna as the high priestess, pretty much guaranteeing that Breamas would come here someday to check up on her. He could probably be here right now, and Tad wouldn't know. Tad shrugged, then started back towards the ramp and a cot that was calling his name. He still had a problem and stopped.

"Synethaes, it will be dawn in a few hours. Would you care to go back into the World Egg or underground somewhere? Chok'seh is down there, and she isn't going to want to share the big cavern. There are some side chambers if you want to try that, although most don't have a door yet, " said Tad. He didn't offer to take her to the workshop because she didn't sound too happy about Leana holding her there.

"I will inspect the lower catacombs away from the life mana in the temple. I did find that chamber in that artifact to be very peaceful and quiet, but I do not fancy standing up while I rest, " said Synethaes. She transformed into a large undead creature that looked more like a gargoyle than anything else and started flapping to fly off the edge of the cliff.

"Beware of the valley's shield. You do not have permission to pass through it, " said Tad loudly. Synethaes sped off across the valley as Tad lost sight of her in the gloom of night.

Zanna walked up behind Tad and placed her hand on his shoulder. "What did you promise her, Tad? "

"Not much. I need her to cure Aea, which will help Jack, "said Tad.

"What is not much? You do know she is older than I am, perhaps older than this whole valley. I can feel undead, yet she is able to block that. This isn't just any vampire, Tad, " said Zanna as she looked at Nico, who was giving off feelings of anger.

"Tad, you can never trust vampires. That imp should have taught you the limits of promises. If the person isn't willing in their promise or free to make their own choice, it just isn't safe. "said Nico with anger coming through his voice.

Tad nodded, "I know. I think she wanted me to do it. I could feel something in her when she was trying to take over my mind. There was something there, I could feel how powerful she was, but she was holding back with the mental attack on my soulspace. She was baiting me or waiting for an opening."

Zanna spoke softly, " Synethaes would have known she was trapped, even if she thought she could take you. With Jack there, no matter how strong she was, she had little chance of escape. "

Tad shook his head negative, then took his staff from his shoulder loop. "No, I think she was afraid of Galadinidú. When it asked if I wanted to smite her, Synethaes's whole demeanor changed, and where she had felt slippery or was up to trickery, she stopped and swore the oath bond. " Tad looked at the staff, he had cast identify on it several times since learning the spell, and the spell had said this was a staff. It didn't recognize any enchantments on it. He still didn't fully understand what he held. Maximilianus had implied that he had barely used the item several days ago. How much did he really know? It might be time to ask the Librarians for help.

"I don't trust her, "said Nico. "You know vampires are my people's natural enemies? She knows what I am. She will try to kill me or die trying. " The beastkin was radiating anger as he spoke about the vampire.

Tad took a deep breath, "I don't know if she can do that, given the nature of her oath. Please do not attack her in anger. If what she said was true, then we will need her help to find the cure for Aea. Keep on guard around her. We will find a way to make this work. It will be more complicated than I'd like, but we will make this work. " Tad put his staff back in its strap over his shoulder, " Let's check on Jack. "

They wandered through the ruined city on their way back to the cathedral. Tad could see a small tent camp set up in the central plaza around the large broken water fountain. This was the fountain Tad had used to dodge the construct when they had first arrived. There was a fire smoldering in a cooking pit, and three of the giant constructs stood along the road at points around the camp. Tad had ordered them to continue guarding the city. Perhaps they were smarter than he thought, or perhaps there were more instructions he hadn't removed? He really needed a way to see what orders they were following. Did they consider this the city now?

"Kettle, how is Jack doing with Aea? "projected Tad to his friend.

"I don't know. He is just standing there, and Aea hasn't moved. They must be communicating because they are staring at each other. " Kettle projected an image of what he saw in the World Egg. Jack was standing there in front of an open tube while Aea was still standing in the tube with her fists clenched. Her knuckles were whiter than the rest of her pale form in a quiet vision of desperation. Tad wondered if the absolute mismatch of magic orders was causing that? Jack was a being of life, while Aea was half undead or about to be.

Tad closed his eyes and prayed to his goddess for guidance on this, asking if there was anything she could do.

"Your friend will be fine if you hurry and find a cure. Your pet vampire might not be soon. She tried to enter the cave the queen bee has claimed for her hive across the lake, "said Niucrelath with a chuckle in her voice.

"She isn't a pet, and I can barely keep the urge to destroy her out of my mind when she is near, "said Tad. He stopped short of blaming the goddess for the vampire issue.

The echo of Niucrelath's lightly laughing faded away as her presence left him.

Tad looked around again and continued with his friend to the cathedral. He was tired and wanted to get some sleep.

"Kettle, please make sure to close Aea away before the sun comes up, "said Tad.

***