Quest+in+Grieum

The Fox led the Shadow, Talos and Esme to the gate for Grieum. Carved around the sides of the portal were scenes of mountains, clouds and birds. When he got to the gate the Fox smiled and turned to his companions.

“What’s our plan?” he asked, looking at them all.

“Aren’t you the mastermind?” the Shadow quipped. He knew that The Fox was working on a very difficult job, but he couldn't let a comedic opening pass.

The Fox chuckled. “I was hoping someone else could do the thinking for a while, little brother. Anyone?”

The Shadow thought for a moment. “Well, what do we have to accomplish first?”

"Cut off the supply line to Fyriah and hopefully release King Mulach from the mind control that he is under. //Mulach//," the Fox shook his head. "Horrible name. Which should we tackle?” The Shadow noticed that the Fox was rubbing his forehead. The man was looking tired.

"I’m voting for taking care of the king first,” the Shadow replied. He had come to the conclusion that the king would be the most productive of the two options.

The Fox looked puzzled a moment. “Why?” he asked. "If we release the king, the enemy will just come back..." And then he paused. “Oh! I see what you’re saying. We remove the mind control from the king. That forces the hand of the group that enslaved him in the first place. They come back …”

“We take them down,” the Shadow and the Fox both said at the same time, grinning at each other.

“Now,” the Fox said, “Let’s see where this gate brings us,” as he stepped forward and gestured. One of the gems on his bracelet flared briefly and then the portal opened. “After you,” the Fox said, waving his companions through.

"Ladies first," the Shadow said to Esme. Esme bravely stepped through the portal, and vanished from sight.

"Your Majesty," the Fox said, bowing to Talos. Talos, being a man of action, stepped though also.

Just as the Shadow was about to enter the gate, the Fox placed a hand on his shoulder. "Little brother, we're going to be on a mountain that is 40,000 feet high. We need to get down quickly, don't you agree?"

"Certainly, but what did you have in mind?" the Shadow looked at the Fox inquisitively.

The Fox smiled. The Shadow was learning to be wary of what happened after the Fox smiled. "What's the quickest way from one shadow to another?"

The Shadow laughed derisively. "I doubt that our friend Talos would enjoy that."

"Does he have to know?" the Fox queried. "I think it should be a surprise, like...an unexpected party."

"Oh, it shall be a joyous occasion, I'm sure. And what of Esme?" the Shadow asked.

"You take Esme, I'll take Talos." The Fox paused. "Do you trust me?"

"As much as I've trusted anyone before. That hasn't ended too well in my situation," the Shadow replied flippantly.

"No," the Fox stated. His voice was intense and insistent. "//**Do you trust me?**//" All playfulness was gone. The Shadow once again saw the power in the Fox's eyes. He knew that he had to answer honestly.

"Somewhat," he said reluctantly. "As much as I trust myself."

The Fox nodded. "It will be enough. Hold still."

"Hold still for wh..." the Shadow began as the Fox quickly reached out and pressed his thumbs to the Shadow's brow, fingers splayed along the sides of his head. The Fox released a slim stiletto of Shadow magic into the younger man's mind. The Shadow let out a small groan.

I'm sorry, my friend," the Fox said.

"//What// was that?" the Shadow asked, rubbing his aching head.

"The coordinates," the Fox said briefly.

"Of?"

"Of my safe house in Grieum," the Fox replied.

"You have a safe house in Grieum? No, never mind. Of course you do. Do you want me to bring Esme there?" the Shadow asked.

"Yes," the Fox replied. The Shadow shrugged and strode though the gate followed by the Fox.

The party stood on the summit of a huge mountain, but the air was heavy enough for them to breathe. Surrounding them was a lush forest and the bodies of three dead men, each clutching a stone in their hands.

"Shadow," the Fox said casually, "why don't you take one of those stones?"

"I don't loot dead men," the Shadow stated flatly.

The Fox just looked at him.

"Fine." The Shadow walked over and picked up one of the stones. At once, the Shadow heard the Fox's voice in his mind. "//That is a multiplier stone. It might prove helpful.//"

"//Could you really stand more of me//?" the Shadow thought back. The only answer was the Fox's laughter ringing in his mind.

The Fox turned to Talos. "Any suggestions for getting down, Your Majesty?" he asked.

"Old fashioned walking," Talos said shortly and strode forward.

Talos took four steps and then he moved into a shadow. The shadow wrapped around him like a net and then he and The Fox were gone.

"Well, it appears it is just you and I," the Shadow said.

"I suppose so," Esme agreed. "So how are we going to get down?"

"Oh, I think I have a few ideas. Here, take my hand," the Shadow replied.

Esme tentatively touched his hand and with a slight motion from the Shadow the two were engulfed in darkness. When Talos and Esme opened their eyes they were standing at the mouth of a cave which jutted up slightly from the floor of the forest which surrounded it. The Fox was standing in front of the cave, clearly on his guard. The Shadow stood next to Esme.

"What just happened?" Esme exclaimed.

"Whose dark sorcery was this?" Talos demanded.

"That would be mine," the Fox responded mildly.

"How dare you use that type of magic on me?" Talos complained.

"It's not the first time that Shadow magic has been used in your presence, Your Majesty. And, as I recall, the last time you didn't complain about my help."

"I didn't need your help!" Talos argued. The Fox raised an eyebrow. "This time," Talos added.

"We didn't have time to waste, nor did we have time to argue," the Fox stated.

Esme had been looking around curiously and she decided to try to break the tension that was building between the two men. "What's in the cave?" she asked.

"Ah, that is one of my safe houses," the Fox said. "Please, enter!"

Esme looked at the entrance skeptically.

"Trust him, he's not going to kill you," the Shadow said, adding, "yet."

"That's not very helpful, little brother," the Fox warned.

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time either of us did something that wasn't helpful," the Shadow countered.

The Fox just chuckled and shook his head. "Come in, friends," he said, leading the way into the cave. Talos and Esme hesitated and then entered with the Shadow bringing up the rear.

The cave opened into a large room. There were several lamps burning, casting a golden glow in the room. The room had a few comfortable leather chairs gathered in front of a fireplace. With a casual motion, the Fox kindled the fire and it blazed up in the grate. There were other corridors leading off into the interior of the cave. The Fox busied himself making tea and then brought it to where the others were sitting.

"We are about 5 miles from the city, " he stated. "We need a plan to get in to see the king. I thought that Talos here could pay a visit to his fellow monarch. That could get us in. We could create a shadow entourage to accompany him. What do you think?"

"You're the brains, sweetheart," the Shadow said.

The Fox raised an eyebrow. "Sweetheart?" he said, laughing slightly, "Why, thank you, Shadow. I had no idea you thought so fondly of me!" They discussed the plan in depth until the Fox noticed that Esme was nodding off in her chair. "Well, let's get some rest. It's been a busy day for us all and we have even more to do tomorrow." The Fox lead the others to small rooms at the end of the corridors. Each room was furnished the same, with a small but comfortable cot, a wash-basin and a wardrobe. "I bid you all good night. You are perfectly safe here, so sleep well."

The Shadow, not needing much sleep, rose in the night, thinking to explore the Fox's den. As he entered the living room, he saw a lamp still glowing and the Fox in one of the chairs, reading.

"Having trouble sleeping, my compatriot?" the Shadow queried.

"I don't need much sleep, little brother," the Fox replied.

"Nor do I," the Shadow stated.

The Fox nodded. "As I expected," he said.

"So why is it that you have brought us all here? Really," the Shadow asked as he took a seat across from the Fox.

The Fox looked up from his reading. "Here to Greium?"

"No. Together. Why have you brought so many people from so many places together?" the Shadow demanded, leaning forward in his seat.

The Fox carefully marked his page and put his book down. "Let me answer your question with another question," the Fox countered. "What do you know of the Alliance?"

The Shadow looked puzzled. "Only that my forefather, who I am called after today, was a part of the Alliance. It was present on Fyriah and it is no more."

"It is, and yet it is not," the Fox murmured.

"Would you care to delve any further, oh elusive master?" the Shadow quipped.

The Fox gave a short bark of laughter. "That was rather cryptic of me, wasn't it? Forgive me, my friend. It has been so long since I was able to talk freely instead of in riddles, half-truths and outright lies. The Forum was and is the meeting place of the Alliance. I have have formed a...new Alliance, if you will. One that I hope to use to oppose the entity which resides on Fyriah."

"And that entity would be?" the Shadow questioned.

The Fox sighed. "I don't know. And that is...troubling."

"Well, that's a first. Not to be rude..." the Shadow started.

"Why start now?" the Fox smiled.

The Shadow chuckled. "As I was saying, why is it that //we// are the people who should oppose this being?"

"You all were...chosen, I guess is the best way to put it," the Fox explained. "You remember, I am sure, the great golden topaz in the Forum? Well, that has been in my family for generations. Actually, for 9,000 years. The Great Prophecy was made a thousand years after the Cataclysm which broke the Alliance. The gem was made soon after that. One of my ancestors found that gem, another cut and polished it, and then a third made the ultimate sacrifice and imbued it with her life essence. She was a Fox also. From then on, the gem was used to find people with...hmmm...let us say //potential//. The Great Prophecy speaks of heroes rising up from every land. The stone allowed all the members of my line to find and watch those potential heroes. In all the years of watching and waiting, gathering favors and debts, all the conditions for the Prophecy were never met. But now, I believe that the time of the Great Prophecy has come to pass and that you, all of you, are the heroes that are spoken of therein. So the Cry of the Fox gathered you all together. And here we are." He spread his hands wide, the gesture encompassing his den, but also the others out on their various quests as well. He shrugged. "But who knows? I could be wrong. I hope I am not but..." and he trailed off into silence. He took a sip of tea. "I do know this much about the enemy," he said. "It sows the seeds of discord among us and it wants us divided rather than united. This enemy has sent out plagues and illnesses, chaos and strife. It seeks to tear us apart because it fears what we can do together." The Fox paused. "I know also that we cannot let this enemy succeed. The Prophecy warns us of the dire consequences if it does."

"These consequences, I assume they are the usual? Death, ruination, the end of all positive life, and the destruction of each and every one of those whom you have called together?" The Shadow understood consequences all too well. The Fox nodded his assent. "As far as I follow you, the various people you have mentioned have been called together at this time, because of the Phoenix Sun, and we are all here to fulfill a prophecy passed down from generation to generation. Your family line, led by Sinopa - yes, I know a bit about the original members of the Alliance, though I have no idea what part of her line you followed along, I know, my dear Fox, that you are not indeed the first - has kept the knowledge of the gates and has designed a plan in order to complete this prophecy," he said in a kind and contemplating way. "I really don't know how to say this, my friend, but I don't think you have the right person for this job. I don't doubt my abilities as a mage by any means, but I fear that is why I am not the right person. I have issues with, shall we say...//control.// I am sure you have heard of this, but I don't think you understand that I am not ready for any such mission. I have never been good at playing the hero, nor the villain for that matter. I just survive with a little bit of action to keep a few people from dying. Otherwise my only skills are death and darkness, and that isn't beautiful by any means. I don't know beauty, I never have." The Shadow spoke very quietly and left the room on these words.

"Shadow! Wait!" the Fox cried. " I can..." but it was too late. Like his namesake, the Shadow was gone. The Fox sighed heavily. "I can help," he whispered to the empty room. The Fox debated reaching out to the young man's mind with his magic, but decided against it. That would be an unforgivable invasion of privacy. The Shadow would come back on his own, or he would not, and the Fox would have to deal with the repercussions. The Fox sighed again, and went to make more tea. It was going to be a long night.

The Shadow ventured off to prowl the darkness as he did on many a night. Jumping from tree to tree, glen to glen he stood on the top of the forest in the pale moonlight, slowly waiting for the day to come, knowing. Knowing that something would be let loose soon, like a wolf on a hunt. Nothing would break his way, nor would anything control him, and this made him feel something that he had hardly ever felt before, fear. Pure animalistic fear.

The Fox waited, busying himself with preparations for the next day. He sent out a missive to the Runners, asking for their help. Perhaps they could assist in the deception. It would take less effort to create the illusion of Arcis' livery than to have to fabricate the entire entourage out of shadow-magic. After all, if the Shadow didn't come back, the Fox was going to have to conserve his energy for releasing the king. As dawn broke, he prepared a light breakfast for the group. With hope in his heart, he put out some of the green apples that the Shadow seemed to favor. He shook his head. How foolish he was, thinking to tempt the young man back with something as trivial as a piece of fruit.

As the sun broke through the night, The Shadow found himself in deep thought. He meandered his way back to the cave, remembering that today was going to be a big day, a day that would determine something. Perhaps it would even determine the future of everything. There was a lot of weight on this day, and whether or not he was right for this destiny, he knew his presence was necessary. Fighting the urge to stay in the dawn, he entered the cave. He walked to the small fireplace and sat before it warming his already hot hands. He saw on the table several apples, and picked up the most delicious looking one. It was a deep dark green, the color of summer grass after a thick rain. Its waxy coat reflected the light in the room and took The Shadow's reflection. It shined in the large hollow room. When he bit into the luscious fruit he tasted the familiar overwhelming sourness of it, but there was something else among the taste. When he looked at the wet and white insides of the fruit, he saw a writhing undulating worm. Half of it was in his mouth and he spit it directly into the fire and hurtled the apple at the wall. This time he didn't make it appear back in his hand, instead it crashed against the cave, its remnants splattering and dripping on the floor and natural stone wall. Hearing the bang The Fox entered the room, and saw The Shadow in anger.

The Fox quickly crossed the room, placing a hand on the Shadow's shoulder. "Be at ease, my friend," he soothed, his voice almost a song. "A worm is not worth your ire. Calmly now. Breathe in and out. Let it go." The Fox slowly siphoned the rage away from the Shadow as a healer might draw out an infection. Gradually, the Shadow's anger subsided and the room was quiet again, except for the crackling of the flames in the fireplace.

The young man looked at his elder and realized that he was indeed in several ways superior, but they were more alike than either could understand. "It appears that I've bitten off more than I care to chew, my friend." With that he sat back down and calmly whispered to the shadows to clean the remnants of the worm and apple, and deposit them into the fire.

The Fox shrugged. "Welcome to my world, little brother. I am an expert in taking on more than I can handle. We all have times of anger. Shadow mages, more then most others, seem to have quick tempers. Even my beloved Celia had her moments," he grinned ruefully, "especially with me.” He paused and passed the younger man some tea. “By the way, welcome back. Shadow, I think...I think that I can help you, if you will let me.” The Fox took a seat across from The Shadow, placing his large mug of tea on a nearby table.

“The information I am about to impart to you should not be overheard by others, Shadow, so allow me to ensure our privacy.” The Fox gestured and a globe of shadow appeared around the two men, obscuring them from sight and sound. Then the Fox leaned forward, his gaze serious on the Shadow’s face.

“The moment you were born, Shadow, the stone alerted us to your arrival. I was but 16 at the time when my master, my Uncle Adamo, pointed you out to me. ‘Watch this one well, my Fox kit,’ he told me, and so I did. I would look in on you often. When your parents were killed, I begged my uncle to let me go to you, so that I could take you in and raise you as my own son. I was 18. My master refused, saying that you had a different destiny. I had to obey him but I still watched you from afar.”

The Fox paused, taking a sip of his now cool tea. “I was glad when you found Randon, someone who nurtured you. When you were 15, I saw you again. My Celia had been murdered and I had tracked her killers down. When I got to their hiding place, I was too late. You had taken care of them for me. But you had lost control of your magic and it was about to consume you totally. I was able to convince it not to destroy you, but then, I again left you behind. It was hard for me to leave you there, friendless and alone, but you were clearly well down your own path at that time. I could not interfere. Later, I saw you pursued by the Light mages and finally was able to rescue you and speak briefly with you.”

The Fox sat back in his chair, blowing out a little sigh. “So, I think I know you fairly well, Gerion Sha." The Shadow gave a slight start but quickly realized he wasn't surprised his alias had escaped to this man, "But I realize that you do not know me. To you, I am but a man you met once, and that very briefly, before I called everyone together. I have asked you to put your faith in me and I am honored that you have done so. But now, I know that I must give you something more, something precious, something that no other living soul knows, in order for you to trust me enough to allow me to train you. So take this as a pledge of my good faith. I am Reynaldo Vulponi, son of Lucio, nephew to Adamo and direct descendant of Sinopa Vulponi, the First Fox. You may call me Rey, if you wish.”

"It is nice to meet you. I have honestly never known anyone, aside from Randon. He was my mentor, he was my friend and my //real// father in a non-biological sense. When I feel the pain in your voice when you speak of your uncle, I understand. That may be the only emotion I truly know, pain." The Shadow paused, and closed his eyes. He drew out a foot long gold inlaid dagger. On the hard steel were two symbols. On the left the Comedy Mask, and on the right the Tragedy Mask. "This belonged to Randon it is the only remaining artifact of his that I know of. I realize now that the Smiling Knives not only killed my parents, but Randon as well. If I am thinking of what he would want from me, he would like me to learn from you. If I think of myself, I realize you are the best person for me to learn from. I promise I will not be an easy student. Nor in fact will I truly be a pupil, I have talent, and knowledge, what I lack is control. That is what I would like your help on."

Rey smiled at the Shadow. "My friend, I would never expect you to be an easy student. And I fully realize the, shall we say, //depth// of your talent. But let me try to explain. All magic is...aware. And shadow magic is very sensitive. Though you undoubtedly possess more raw power than I do, I can do more with the magic because it, for lack of a better word, //loves// me. It respects me and therefore it obeys me. It allows me to do all manner of things because it knows that I understand it, and shadow magic desperately wants to be understood. I control it, whereas, in your case, //it// tries to control //you//. It senses, for all your power, that you still do not totally understand it. Like a child, the magic will test you and see what you let it get away with. You’ve been letting the magic have its own way for a very long time now and it has gotten used to the idea that it is in control. You are going to have to convince it otherwise. I can help you with that." Rey stretched a hand out to the Shadow. "But Gerion, I want to do more than that. I want to show you, that despite your loss and grief, there is still beauty in the world. And I want to teach you that there are more emotions than just pain. Shadow magic knows pain, without doubt, but it also knows joy. It knows darkness and despair, but it also knows love. Do not cut yourself off from these emotions, brother, for that only limits your true understanding of the shadows."

The Shadow nodded and sheathed the dagger, pulling out his bastard sword. A devious grin spread across his face. "I also have an idea for this...and it may come in handy some day."

A feral grin crossed the Fox's face, closely matching the Shadow's smile. "Oh, I do so love a good idea, little brother. Now, let us take down this protection and see if we can come up with a plan for today. I have little surprise in mind for Esme that might be useful. Talos, I think, can take care of himself." And with a casual flick of his hand, the shadow bubble burst and the Fox and the Shadow went to greet the others.

When Talos and Esme came out into the living area, they saw a breakfast spread out on the table. There were pastries, fruit, meats and cheeses and tea. The Fox also offered them a strong bitter drink from Belaruda called //keffa//. With enough cream and sugar it was tasty and served to wake them up.

"Now," the Fox said, as he spread out a map. "This is the throne room of King Mulach," he tapped a picture, which showed a large square room. There was a throne placed under what seemed to be a large stained glass window at the far side of the room. A balcony ran around the other three sides. "I have made contact with the Runners and they should be here soon. They will serve as our escort and as Talos' entourage. I will be able to cover them with an illusion which will make it seem like they are wearing Arcis' livery. When we arrive, we will face our first challenge. We must get past the guards. I should be able to facilitate that. Then, Talos, you will be brought before the King. The Shadow and I will accompany you. Esme, as an archer, I'd like you to go to the observation balcony. That way, you can keep an eye on the proceedings and give us cover if necessary. Shadow, you and I must take care of releasing the king."

The Fox looked up from the map. “Does this plan seem acceptable to you?”

“Yes,” Esme agreed, “I love the hunt.”

Talos looked uncomfortable. “I agree to the plan, but I have some concerns as far as the magic goes. I grudgingly consent as long as it is controlled and used for this purpose only.”

The Fox grinned at Talos. “Your majesty, I give you my word that the king will come to no unnecessary harm.”

With this, the Runners arrived and were quickly briefed on the plan and cloaked in the illusion of Arcis’ livery.

“What about Esme’s little surprise?” the Shadow reminded the Fox.

“Ah, yes!” the Fox said, “Esme, my dear, I have a present for you.” He quickly moved into one of the corridors and came back carrying a quiver of arrows. “Here, these will be more helpful to you than to me.”

“Are they safe?” Esme asked skeptically.

“Safe for whom?” the Fox replied. “I assure you that they are perfectly safe for you to use. Their targets, however...well let’s just say //I// wouldn’t want to be standing in the way of one.”

“What’s so special about them?” Esme looked at the arrows curiously. “They look like ordinary arrows.”

“One should never judge something just by how it looks, don’t you agree, Shadow?” the Fox laughed.

The Shadow just rolled his eyes. “You and your riddles,” he said.

The Fox smiled at his friend. “Each of these arrows is special. One for each type of magic. Look here,” the Fox said, pointing out a small marking on the shaft of the arrow. “There are arrows here for Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Light and Shadow. Fire will cause an explosion, for example.”

The Shadow chimed in, continuing the explanation. “The Shadow arrow with the obsidian tip is possibly the most interesting, however. After it hits its mark, it will reappear on the string, nocked in your bow.”

The Fox took back over. “That arrow belongs to you now and it will be with you always. The others may only be used once, so use them wisely.”

“Thank you,” Esme said softly. “I’ll be sure to put these arrows to good use.”

The party gathered outside, mounted the extra horses that the Runners had brought and proceeded without incident to the king’s place. Talos, as a visiting monarch, was granted immediate access to the king’s throne room. As the party approached, a guard snapped to attention. “No weapons in the presence of the king!” he proclaimed.

Talos drew himself up to his full height. “I am the king of Arcis,” he stated, “and I give my weapon to no man.”

The guard looked unimpressed. “I don’t care if you're the bloody Empress of Rajmapoor,” he said. "No weapons before the king!”

In total synchronicity, the Shadow and the Fox said smoothly, “What weapons?”

The guard looked confused for a moment. “I’m sorry, I must have been mistaken. You may enter.”

They entered the throne room which was packed with hundreds of people. The large stained glass window behind the king cast pools of shadow and light behind his throne. Talos proceeded down red carpet to the king while Esme flitted up to the balcony.

“Shadow,” the Fox said softly, “Do you note the darkness behind the throne?”

“Of course, it bright as day, so to speak,” the Shadow replied.

“Now who is speaking in riddles?” the Fox murmured. “We need to get close.”

“What do you propose?” the Shadow asked.

“A distraction,” the Fox said, thinking quickly.

“I have an idea,” the Shadow said. He concentrated a moment and suddenly a thief burst into the throne room, knives in each hand and one held in his teeth.

The Fox closed his eyes for a second, shaking his head. “Subtle, little brother,” he said.

“You asked for a distraction, not a solution,” the Shadow snapped.

The throne room erupted in chaos. Men and women were screaming and running from the thief. Meanwhile, the guards rushed forward to protect the two kings. In the confusion, the Shadow and the Fox moved into the darkness and then appeared behind the throne. “Brother,” the Fox said quickly, “Allow me to do the delicate work, but I may need to access to some of your power.” The Fox placed his hands on the king's head and started muttering softly under his breath. The Shadow placed a hand on the Fox’s shoulder and started to add his magic to the older man’s.

The two men were engrossed in trying to free the king, all of their concentration on their task. The panic in the room seemed to subside, but it was replaced by whispers that grew in volume as all eyes were turned to the men behind the throne. “The Fox, it’s the Fox. The Fox. He is here, Master, he is here.”

Talos placed a hand on his sword, battle trained reflexes at the ready. Esme, on the balcony, drew her bow, normal arrow nocked in the string. Suddenly the illusory thief vanished. As one, hundreds people began began advancing on the throne, some drawing concealed weapons and others calling on their magical abilities. Talos swung his sword from right to left, stabbing and slicing all that was within his reach. With Esme's archery support from atop the balcony, the duo made a quite the deadly combination. There were bodies all over the place. Blood and limbs, scattered all around them. But even their combined power was not enough. They were beginning to get overwhelmed with numbers. Both Talos and Esme were struggling to keep up with the on-coming hordes of enemy forces. Talos, using his brute force and resistance to pain to his advantage, was still giving his all. He was trying his hardest to diminish their numbers as swiftly as possible, so that the Fox could do his work uninterrupted.

Esme stood on the balcony just waiting for all hell to break loose, when she realized that she was right in the midst of it all. She nocked the first arrow in her bow, Fire. This one should be fun, she thought as she carefully drew back the string. While doing so, she noticed that the string was too stiff and uncomfortable. In the back of her mind she knew that the awkwardness of the bow would affect her aiming, but before she could stop to really think, the arrow was gone and down to the raging crowd it went. The explosion was enormous, the whole left corner of the throne room was full of burning bodies and blood curdling screams. She started to take out another arrow but people were beginning to come up the stairs to attack her, so she knew that she and Talos needed help!

She was trying to get attention of the Shadow and the Fox, but the two men were oblivious, completely absorbed in the magic. Esme thought quickly. She could not get their attention by shouting, apparently. She would have to do something else. She carefully nocked an arrow and aimed for the Shadow’s shoulder. The Shadow felt a graze of pain on his shoulder and quickly took in the situation. He came to the realization that his help was needed. Regrettably letting go of the Fox, he quickly unsheathed his dual swords and entered into the fray. The Fox staggered briefly as the Shadow’s support was removed, but he continued his work, chanting more loudly.

A small part of the Fox's mind realized that if the Shadow had pulled away his support, things were going badly. However, he also knew that he had a job to do and that it must be completed in order for the quest to succeed. So he continued on, trusting that his new friends would protect him.

He was deeply enmeshed in the king's mind now, and could not pull out without severely damaging the man. So he forged ahead, but delicately, oh, so delicately. Like an artist, he broke the blockages and then reformed the intricate connections. He wielded the magic like a fragile thread, weaving the king's mind and memories back together again.

It was meticulous work, and it took all of the Fox's great finesse. Finally, he removed the last clot of control and was about to reform the last link when he was assaulted by a searing pain. Forcefully ejected from the king's mind, he looked down to see a bloody dagger protruding from the king's throat. "NO!" he cried in rage, but it was too late. The king was dead.

His head ached with the backlash of being forced from the king's mind, and it took a few seconds for him to realize what was going on. But one of the Fox's greatest strengths was his cunning. There were hundreds of people, over 200, he guessed, fighting against three. Esme, Talos and the Shadow were holding their own, but it was obvious they would not be able to do so for much longer.

Scanning the room quickly, the Fox saw that not everyone was fighting. The court mage, a venerable old woman with silver hair in a bun on top of her head, was trying to get close to 100 non-combatants out the doors. The Runners had entered the room and were helping to evacuate the men, women and children who weren't fighting. The Fox knew that he had to help get the bystanders out of the way but there was only one door. The people were being crushed while attempting to flee. Quickly, the Fox reached for the shadows and then he was at the door. He barked one sharp word. "OPEN!" Suddenly, the door tripled in size, allowing the people to escape.

The Fox caught the mage's arm. "My lady," he said, "you must appoint a regent. The king is dead, but this was not my doing."

The old woman's startling blue eyes met the Fox's amber ones. "I know, Fox. I will see that these people get to safety and then appoint a regent. All will be well. Now go help your friends. They need you, I am sure."

The Fox rushed back into the throne room drawing his rapier and dagger. There was no way, even at the height of his power, that he could release so many from mind control. And he assumed that they must be possessed. There was no other real reason for them to fight. So he did the only thing he could. Regretfully, he entered the fray, dancing lightly from foe to foe.

As the arrow grazed his shoulder, the Shadow came to reality. The throne room was in chaos. A furious battle had begun. Talos had his sword drawn, Esme was in the balcony firing off arrows rapidly, and the Fox was lost in song, trying to cleanse the cursed king. For the hundreds of people approaching the battle, only three opposed them. The Runners had decided to immediately locate and evacuate those who were bewildered and didn’t seem to understand the situation.

The Shadow entered the fray. Drawing his dual swords, he began dancing, making the blades dance with him. They were dangerous partners. Two swords and a dark deity. It became a repetition, parry, dodge, strike, roll. He picked off roughly ten men easily enough. Those who approached first were not battle seasoned, and they could be dispatched by dismemberment or a swift blow to the head. After fighting off a particularly difficult enemy the Shadow ended him by slicing the man’s throat. Blood sprayed into the Shadow’s eyes and he was temporarily blinded. He began fighting with his eyes closed. He used tendrils of shadow magic to locate his prey. Sensing the air around him he felt a heavy sword coming down, inches from him. He rolled under the sword, thrusting it up through the fleshy body that hung over him. As the burly man dropped the Shadow felt him coming down and dove out of the way. In his hurry he was unable to remove the sword from the fallen warrior. He was now blind, and wielding only one sword. He had no defense other than what he could make from his attacks. He quickly stood, observing his surroundings through magic. Realizing he had a spare moment he wiped his eyes and took a defensive stance. He began to back away from redoubled blows. Emptiness filled his head, and it was quickly taken over by a looming darkness.

Fighting off countless men and women, trained and untrained alike, the Shadow poured their souls onto the floor. Deep blood spattered over everywhere the floor, the curtains, and the throne. The group surrounding him receded for a second, and the Shadow thought he was winning. He noticed Talos nearby him, fighting his way with a bulky sword, and a speed that one wouldn’t expect from a man of his stature. Then, suddenly, the Shadow’s back was aflame. He quenched the aching with shadow magic in reflex, and turned to see a tall elegant man, wearing light chain, wielding no weapons. Opening his mouth flame began to drip from his jaws. He breathed and the man spewed a heavy flame that threatened to consume the Shadow. He raised his sword, and the fire parted like wind around a knife’s edge. The Shadow’s blade was red hot, he sent a channel of magic through it, and a deep shadow spewed from it. It encompassed the fire mage, and in a blip of a second the man was gone, transported into the shadow realm, where he would reside until insanity took him over. The Shadow then felt a pang in his chest and put his hand to the sting, only for it to return coated in blood, a thick crimson color. He turned to see a man in pure white robes. He was laughing at the Shadow. Then, the Shadow looked downward and saw a beam of pure white energy glowing in his chest.

The Shadow fell to the ground in the fetal position. He lay there for only a moment but inside his mind it seemed like an eternity.

//The Shadow walked down a long tunnel. There was no floor, no ceiling, and no walls, yet he still seemed to be confined in a straight path. The path was complete and total blackness. There was nothing. He was nothing. He placed his hand in front of his eyes, expecting to see nothing, instead though he saw a transparent purple shade that seemed lighter than the darkness surrounding it. It blurred and moved in fast repetitive motion. Panicked by the sight the Shadow began to run down the invisible path, his body turning and swaying by some guiding force. He heard a whimper. Quickly turning he saw a light behind him that spanned the ever looming darkness. It was not present before and he wondered where it had come from. He walked towards the light and the darkness blurred away. Passing into the lightness he saw a large cage made out of pure black energy. It stood at his shoulder, or rather a bend in his shade. He put his hand on the top of it and immediately regretted it. A searing entered into his very being and the pain accumulated into a raging beast inside of him. He quickly let go of the demonic cage. His purple form bent down and looked into the imprisoned area. There lay a heap of rags. How confusing the Shadow thought. Then the heap moved, it wasn’t a pile at all, but rather a being. It turned, a deep set oily face. Its eyes were closed. A man, most certainly. Then looking into the form, the Shadow realized it was himself. With that the mimic opened its eyes and instead of their usual soft brown they were an empty darkness, so dark that one felt its own energy being sucked from oneself, whenever looking upon it.//

The huddled form of the Shadow lay in the center of the hall. Talos was fighting near by, and Esme had been taken captive. The Fox was out of sight helping to evacuate those who were innocent. None of the heroes noticed as tendrils of shadow began to seep out of the Shadow. Nor did any of the cult pay attention to the man they assumed was dead. When he rose like a corpse does from the grave, still no one noticed him. While blood was continually spilt by the lone warrior battling upwards of 200 men the Shadow began to blur. All of the color in both his body and his clothing drained out, and he was pure white. The darkness around him sucked at all of the light in the room. Then someone noticed. The light mage who had struck the Shadow now looked upon this raw form of magic and beheld its power. The man then fell to his knees asking to be spared. The monster didn’t comprehend though, and dark wisps began to touch the man. He thought this to be favor and as he let out a cry of relief he was pierced by a purple plume of dark magic. He fell to the ground, but in moments his entire body disappeared and entered along with the Darkness. His soul spun in circles in the Darkness. Then the Shadow lost all patience and the Darkness covered the entire room. The people who once bore their swords dropped them. Some tried to attack the beastly incarnation of shadow. No one had any hope, mages led powerful attacks but the Shadow just laughed a dark eminent laugh. His eyes opened and next to the papery white flesh of the man a pure blackness spawned where pure irises once were. With that motion a hundred men lay dead. Th rest whimpered, cried and begged for mercy and forgiveness, but none received it. The Shadow hacked their bodies away, piece by agonizing piece. Evil had overcome him and he laughed at the thought of death. He was beyond it, but the bodies weren’t. When everyone was dead, the Shadow absorbed their souls into his being. The power was too much though, and whatever was left of the true Shadow faded and he passed onto the floor and lost all consciousness.

The Fox scanned the room. Talos was shocked and appalled by the magic pouring out of the Shadow. He turned on his heel to flee the throne room. The Fox gestured as Talos ran into a murky area, and then the man was gone, transported safely back to Arcis. The Fox's gaze shot to Esme, as he saw her struck on the back of the head and then carried off. Well, at least she was safely out of the area, he thought.

The Fox ran to where the Shadow had last been. He saw the roiling darkness looming over the fallen form of the young man. The Shadow-magic was angry, throwing out writhing tentacles of black and grey mist. It reared up over him, two dark pits for eyes and a gaping maw. Rey had seen this before. If the Shadow could not exert control over the magic then it would totally consume him. The Shadow, meanwhile, was unconscious. He was clearly in danger.

The Fox never hesitated. He strode directly into the heart of the dark magic. It battered against him, screaming in his ears and mind. Rey knelt next to the younger man, protecting him from the assault and gathering Gerion’s unconscious form into his arms. Then, he began to sing. His rich baritone voice flowed like honey out and into the magic, soothing it as one would calm a tearful child.

"Be at peace," he sang, "calm your ire, This boy has done no wrong.  Let your anger grow no higher,  Listen to my song.

I sing of laughter and of life, I sing of rest and peace, I sing a song that ends all strife, And bids your anger cease.

My child, you must soothe your rage, Submit now to my will, For I am the Shadow-Mage, And I bid you to be still.”

The shadow magic swirling around the two of them slowed as Rey sang to it and then stopped, lightened and was absorbed, seemingly into the bodies of the two men. Rey staggered to his feet, Gerion still cradled in his arms, and, wrapping shadows around the two of them, disappeared.

The Shadow woke to the sound of pages softly turning near his ear. He cracked his eyelids open. His fingers felt cool sheets under his touch. He was in a bed. Huh. So he wasn’t dead then. That was good. He could see the Fox sitting next to him in a chair, feet propped up on a nearby table. He was reading. The Shadow turned his head and groaned. Every muscle was in agony and his head hurt so much that he could hardly put two thoughts together.

The Fox looked down at him, and a multitude of emotions were chasing themselves across his face: pain, exhaustion, worry, fear and anger. But relief was the foremost in his amber eyes. “Good morning, sunshine,” the Fox said. “We need to talk.”

The Shadow groaned again. “Yeah,” he said slowly. “Yeah, I think we do.”

Rey smiled at the younger man. “Here,” he said as he helped the Shadow sit up. “Drink this. It will help with the pain.” Rey held a cup of liquid up to the Shadow’s lips. The Shadow swallowed the cool drink. It was more of the fruit wine that Rey favored, but this was more fruit juice than wine and there was an odd smokey taste on the back of his throat. He took a few more cautious sips and a pleasant lassitude spread throughout his body. In seconds, the pain was assuaged to the point where it was bearable. The Fox slowly lowered him back onto the pillows.

“Feeling better, little brother?” the Fox asked.

“Yes,” the Shadow replied sleepily. “Rey?”

“Yes, my Shadow?” the Fox said softly.

“Did you sing to the magic?” The Shadow was having trouble focusing. He could not remember much from his ordeal, but he remembered Rey’s voice. Somehow, through all the chaos, that had reached him.

“Yes, I did. My master and Celia...” Rey’s voice caught for a moment and he paused, “they taught me how to do that. Here, let me show you,” Rey said. He sang a few notes of song and the shadows rushed from the corner of the room, leaping up into his lap and twining around him like excited puppies. “I don’t need to sing for minor magics, but sometimes I do anyway. The magic...well, it seems to like my voice,” he admitted bashfully.

“Rey? Am //I// going to have to sing to the magic?” the Shadow asked worriedly.

The Fox laughed. “No, little brother. Singing is one way to relate to the magic, but not the only way. Together we will find what works best for you. Go to sleep now. We will talk more when you wake.”

The next time the Shadow’s eyes cracked open, he felt little pain, but he was ravenously hungry. He looked around, but the Fox was not in the room. A few seconds later, the door opened and Rey entered, carrying a well laden breakfast tray. The Shadow saw a tall glass of juice and smelled the delicious aromas of fried potatoes, eggs, bacon and toast. In addition, as Rey set the tray down, he saw a green apple, carefully cut into slices. The Fox grinned at the Shadow. “I checked it. It’s safe.”

“How long was I asleep?” the Shadow asked.

“Four days.”

The Shadow grunted but otherwise showed no surprise. The Fox helped him sit up and placed some pillows behind his back. The Shadow began eating quickly. He looked up at Rey. “Bacon?” he mumbled hopefully, around a mouth full of food.

Rey laughed. “Coming right up, brother,” he said as he exited the room. Rey was very happy to see the young man’s appetite. He soon returned, bearing a heaping platter of bacon and eggs, an extra plate and another huge mug of tea.

He settled down in a chair next to the Shadow’s bed. He took up the plate, put some eggs and bacon on it and then gave the rest to the young man. They ate in companionable silence, Rey getting up occasionally to refill Gerion’s plate or mug.

The Shadow, hunger sated for the moment, looked around. He realized that he was not in the Fox’s den in Greium. He could hear the whispering of the ocean out the window and the room was light, full of pastel hues of sand, pink, blue and green.

“Where are we?” the Shadow asked curiously.

“That’s a good question,” the Fox replied. “We are in Remia in my villa. Like it?”

“It certainly accommodates my needs,” the Shadow said. “What exactly are we doing here?”

The Fox looked seriously at the younger man. “We are resting and then we are training.”

“What do you propose our methods will be?”

The Fox blew out a little sigh. “You have power, clearly, but you lack control, also clearly. You need to find stable ground on which to build your magics. That is what we are going to do here.”

“What exactly happened? I don’t remember,” the Shadow said, wrinkling his brow in thought.

“Good,” the Fox said shortly. “You don’t want to remember.”

The Shadow grunted. “I’ll take your word for it.”

“It was bad,” the Fox remarked softly. “Very bad. Talos is safe.”

“And Esme?” The Shadow was concerned for the young woman.

“Captured, but still safe enough,” the Fox replied.

“What do we plan on doing about that?” the Shadow asked.

“We’re going to rescue her, of course,” the Fox smiled.

“We daring gentlemen,” said the Shadow acidly.

The Fox sketched a short bow. “At your service. But we can do nothing, Shadow, until you have been trained.”

“Very well,” the Shadow said agreeably, “and when do we start?”

“Possibly tomorrow, but certain...parameters...need to be set up before we do so.” The Fox took another long sip of his tea.

“Sounds ideal,” the Shadow said and then he gave a huge yawn. “But for right now I am going to work on my dreamweaving.”

The Fox cleared away the remains of the meal and helped the younger man lie back down on the bed. “If you need me, go out the door and take a left. You will find me soon enough, I imagine.”

And then the Shadow’s eyes closed again and he was soon asleep. When he woke up the next morning he was feeling stronger than he had before despite the short interlude. He was able to sit up easier than the day before and even get up and walk about. He followed the Fox’s directions and quickly found the man himself. The corridor led to a large verandah which overlooked the ocean and whitewashed village below. Reynaldo was reclining on a chaise lounge looking out to sea.

The Shadow tentatively reached towards his center trying to find the ever present magic. Instead, there was little response and the tiny bit of magic he could conjure took great effort.

“Fox? What did you do to me? What was in the wine?” The Shadow was slightly panicked.

“Me?” The Fox raised an eyebrow. “I did nothing. And the wine was infused with a bit of shadow magic to help restore some of your lost energy.”

“Then why do I have none?” The Shadow, used to vast quantities of magic, found it quite distressing to not have those deep reserves at his command.

“Because,” the Fox replied, “the magic has deserted you.”

“What do you mean?” the Shadow gaped. “I cannot be anything without magic!”

The Fox swung his legs over the side of his chair and stood, stretching. “Well, that is obviously untrue, but never fear, the magic will come back, even stronger than before, once you truly understand it.”

Relieved, the Shadow asked, “How do I come to learn this?”

“Through your teacher,” the Fox replied, pointing to himself.

The Shadow grimaced. “Joy. I was never good in school.”

“Don’t worry, this won’t be like the lessons you remember,” the Fox smiled wickedly.

“Your smile is making me nervous,” the Shadow noted.

“As it should,” the Fox replied. “Come, do you feel strong enough for your first lesson now?”

The Shadow shrugged. “I suppose so. And if not, I will only be out for about four days.”

The Fox nodded. “Then come with me.” He led the Shadow to a set of stairs which lead to a wine cellar. There were casks, barrels and bottles of wine crowded into the cellar. The underground room smelled musty, with overtones of the rich smells of oak and fruit. The Fox saw the Shadow looking around at all the wine and smiled broadly. "//In vino veritas//, my friend," he said.

The Shadow, looking around the room, saw a door, glowing with magics on the opposite wall. “What’s with the door?” he questioned.

I’m glad you can still see it,” the Fox replied.

“Why wouldn’t I? My name is the Shadow, after all.”

“And your power is almost gone,” the Fox noted.

There was a small pause. “Point taken,” the Shadow replied.

The Fox crossed the room and pressed his ring into the lintel of the door. It opened with a small click and silently swung back on its hinges.

“After you,” the Fox gestured.

“Age before beauty,” the Shadow retorted.

“As you wish,” Rey sighed.

They entered a small, round, dark room which was totally empty, save for two large cushions facing each other in the center of the room. There were lamps burning in sconces on the walls, casting a golden glow in the space.

“The Fox’s den, I presume,” the Shadow said.

The Fox nodded. “One of many. Have a seat, Shadow.”

Tentatively sitting, the Shadow looked about the room searching for any points of interest, but found none. The Fox took a seat across from him.

“Well, let us began the teaching, Master,” the Shadow said.

Rey grinned at the younger man. “Ah, how refreshing. Proper respect at last!” he murmured.

The Shadow returned the smile. “I respect you but I need to keep you grounded occasionally.”

The Fox’s grin broadened. “Just as my Celia did. Thank you, Shadow. I’m sure she would appreciate that.”

“Who is this Celia that you have been talking about so frequently?” the Shadow questioned. He found himself wanting to know more about this man sitting across from him.

The Fox cocked his head to the side. “Would you like to meet her?” he asked.

The Shadow shook his head. “Given the way you speak of her, I assume that she has moved on and I personally do not enjoy waking the dead. Bad experiences.”

“I understand completely. But I was not planning to call her here,” the Fox assured him.

The Shadow was confused. “Then what did you mean?”

“This,” the Fox said, as he reached out and placed his thumbs on the other man’s brow, fingers splayed around his head. Suddenly, the Shadow found himself in the Fox’s mind and memories, and then, he //was// the Fox. No, he was //Rey//. Images spun past his eyes. A beautiful young woman with honey colored hair and laughing green eyes. Rey and the woman dancing together, joyful and loving. Then they were singing together, her sweet alto perfectly complementing his rich baritone. Watching the sun rise over the ocean. Curled together on the balcony, under a blanket, watching the stars dance in the night sky. And he felt what he had never felt before. Fierce, overpowering love; a love so strong that it would sacrifice anything, pay any price. A love that would last beyond the veil of death. And a grief, so deep and aching that it was tangible pain. And then, suddenly, the Shadow was himself again.

“That...hurt. But not physically.”

“Yes, it does,” the Fox agreed quietly.

“I’m sorry,” the Shadow said.

“As am I,” the Fox replied. The shadows in the room curled over him, as he wiped tears from his eyes.

There was silence in the room for a moment. The Shadow cleared his throat. “I hate to be eager, but shall we begin?”

“Oh, we’ve already begun, little brother,” the Fox stated.

“You and your double meanings,” the Shadow shook his head.

Rey smiled again. “No double meaning this time. You must know love to understand shadow magic.”

“I see. Please continue,” the Shadow said. He was eager to regain his magic, but wary of the lessons.

“As you wish,” the Fox replied, reaching out his hands once again. This time, the Shadow felt something different. He was aware of an unconditional love for...himself. Surprised by the depth of feeling, the Shadow glanced up at the older man.

“//Why//?” he asked.

“Are you unworthy of love?” the Fox queried.

“To an extent. Isn’t everyone?”

“Perhaps. But my dear Shadow, how could I love myself and not love you?” the Fox replied. “Now, on to our next lesson.” The Fox reached out again, touching the Shadow. He was surrounded by blackness, like he was floating in space. He was aware of the Fox’s presence next to him. “//Listen//,” the Fox commanded.

At first, all the Shadow heard was Rey’s voice, singing in the darkness. The Shadow, taking the lessons to heart, opened his heart and mind and slowly felt himself becoming the song. He began to understand. And with the understanding came more voices. He heard a woman’s sweet alto. Celia. And then a man’s tenor, older, but full of wisdom. And then the Shadow added his voice to the song. Though he did not know the words, he sang along with ease. As he did, he felt the music resonating in his blood and his bones, in every cell. He vibrated to the same frequency as the Universe itself, and he heard more voices, those of the stars and the planets and the suns all singing the same song.

And then he became aware of light in the darkness. Sky blue, pure white, fiery reds. Deep forest green mixed with teal. They swirled and billowed, the colors dancing to the song. As the Shadow felt the light encircle him, he suddenly understood. Though they were separate colors, all magic was the same. There was no difference between light and darkness; only how it is used.

The Shadow heard the Fox’s voice, full of power and wisdom, resonating in his skull. “//And now I tell you a secret, brother, perhaps the greatest one in the universe. We are// **all** //one. And only the darkness knows this, because only in the darkness can you see this.//” And then the younger man was released.

The Shadow said nothing, he just bowed his head and closed his eyes.

“Thus endeth the lesson,” the Fox said quietly.

Softly, almost inaudibly, the Shadow said, “Thank you.”

Rey inclined his head. “You are most welcome.”

“Who was the man? The other man I heard singing?” the Shadow asked curiously.

“Ah,” the Fox said, voice full of affection, “that was //my// master, my uncle Adamo. By the way, you have a very nice voice, little brother. You should use it more often." The Fox grinned. "Now, you must be hungry and tired. Let's get some food and rest. Tomorrow we shall learn about joy and beauty."

As they ascended the stairs, the Shadow was surprised to see that it was late afternoon. It had been morning when they had gone into the Fox's den. He also found that he was once again famished.

"Have a seat, little brother," the Fox directed. "I'll get us some food." He padded down another hallway and soon returned to the verandah with a roasted chicken, some bread and cheese, olives and a salad of greens and tomatoes. He placed the food in front of the Shadow and went to get a pitcher of juice. Then he too sat down and joined the younger man. While they ate, Rey pointed out various landmarks of the town below. He had many amusing stories of the town and its inhabitants and also about his family, which he shared during the meal. He kept a light tone to the conversation, never touching on the deep mysteries that he had shared earlier. When they had finished the food, the Shadow became aware that he was drained, emotionally and physically. He yawned and the Fox took that as his cue.

"Come, brother. Time to get you back to bed." The Fox helped the younger man down the hall and then the Shadow sank onto the bed and was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

The Shadow woke in the night, feeling that there was a presence in the room. At first, he thought that perhaps the Fox was in the room with him, but he was wrong. He looked around but could not see the older man. As his eyes adjusted, he realized that there was someone or something in the room with him. A petite form sat on the edge of his bed, a slight purple glow surrounding her. He could see long hair and laughing eyes, and, though he could not make out the color, he thought he knew who it was.

"Hello, Gerion," said a sweet alto voice.

"Is this a dream?" he asked.

"No, I assure you this is quite real," Celia replied.

"Then I assume this is my lesson."

Celia smiled. "Let us call it **//a//** lesson."

Gerion nodded. "Very well. I suppose the Fox can not teach everything on his own."

"He did not ask me to come," Celia stated, "He would not think of troubling my rest, foolish man that he is."

Gerion was puzzled. "I see. Then why //did// you come?"

"I came because because you need to learn this. He would not think to teach it to you, because he does not understand his own importance in the Great Plan," Celia smiled at the younger man.

"Very well, and what should I learn?"

"This," she said as she placed a slim, insubstantial hand on his chest and he felt a dark star explode within him. It was not painful, per se, but it did cause him discomfort. The power of her touch coursed through him, opening up emotions that he had long tried to keep closed off.

"//You think that you are the lone hunter in the night, Shadow, but I am here to tell you that is not true. I have come to show how connected you are to others and to this world. Look, if you have eyes to see."//

The Shadow glanced down and he saw dusky threads stretching out from his body intersecting and connecting with other strands of amber and red, blue and black, green and white.

"My beloved might be the warp, but you are the weft of the Great Loom, my Shadow, and together you could weave a tapestry of great beauty and skill which could heal our world. Do not shut yourself off from friendship, Gerion. You have been alone and lonely far too long. So has he. The burden of his destiny weighs heavily upon him. I dare say he needs you as much as you need him right now."

Suddenly, Gerion was back in his bed, and dawn was breaking though the window. "Goodbye, Gerion," Celia said, giving him an ephemeral kiss on the cheek. "Please tell Rey that I love him, now and evermore. I will wait for him where all colors meld into one." And then she was gone.

Gerion stood, paced out on the the verandah and watched the morning sun break over the sea. He sat there for some time, reflecting on what had been said by Celia, questioning his own existence and everything around him, wondering if we are all the same.

After a few quiet moments, Rey entered the room, carrying a breakfast tray. "Good morning," he called cheerfully, setting the tray down on a nearby table.

"Someone is chipper this morning," Gerion said.

"And why not?" asked Rey. "It's a beautiful day." Rey picked up a roll, spread it with butter and honey and bit into it.

Gerion grunted noncommittally as he began to eat. "I had an interesting visitor last night."

"Oh?" Rey questioned, "who?"

"Well, who is not as easily explained as what transpired," Gerion said.

Rey was curious. He had sent no teachers to Gerion that night. "So what happened then?"

"Well, I awoke in the middle of the the night to find, in a very literal sense, a shadow sitting on my bed. She whispered to me of the connection of everything and related to me that everything is part of one. That you and I require each other to be successful. And she said that she will miss you and wait for you where everything blends into one," Gerion said quietly.

Rey paled and sat back in his chair, saying nothing, his face turned from Gerion.

Gerion broke the silence, "On a lighter note, my dear friend, what shall our lesson today be?"

Rey laughed ruefully. "Today we learn about beauty and joy. And a better teacher I could never have had."

"I assume then that your uncle Adamo will be the teacher today. I don't know if I can withstand two Vulponis," Gerion quipped.

"Oh, we're not so bad once you get used to us," Rey responded.

"That's what the Smiling Knives said," Gerion grunted. "Anyway, let us begin."

Rey held out his hand to the Shadow.

"And where are we going this time?" Gerion queried.

"So many questions!" the Fox exclaimed.

"And so few answers! You speak in riddles like the wind speaks in whispers!"

Rey sighed, "Are you coming or not?"

"Certainly...Master," Gerion murmured.

The Fox merely laughed and held out his hand again. The Shadow took it and darkness surrounded him. Then he found himself floating above the sea.

"What the hell? Where are we? You're not going to drown me are you?" Gerion was slightly panicked. He didn't like water much.

Rey sighed. "Little brother, why would I go through all the trouble of training you just to drown you?"

"For kicks? Either way, I'm ready when you are," Gerion said.

"Do you see that bird?" Rey asked.

"Yes," the Shadow stated.

"Good. Now become the bird," and with a gesture Gerion found himself within the bird, feeling the power in the wingbeats, the salt air over his feathers, the total joy in simply being. He did not attempt to exert any control over the animal, he simply existed within it and //felt//. Eventually, Rey drew him out.

"I assume the lesson is over?" Gerion asked.

"Not at all," the Fox replied. "It's just beginning."

"Oh joy," Gerion said sarcastically.

"Yes, indeed," Rey agreed pleasantly, "that is what you are trying to learn."

Gerion found himself in the body of a young woman, looking down at the face of her newborn child. Then in the body of a man on his wedding day, watching his beloved walk toward him. He was a young boy riding on his pony. He was a grandmother, watching her grandchildren. He was with an entire family as they ate and laughed together. He was a woman swimming in the sea. He was a man practicing his swordplay. And in everything he felt joy, peace and happiness.

And then, he found himself back on the verandah, standing next to Rey.

"I think I know, now," Gerion said quietly.

Rey's amber eyes bored into Gerion. "Knowing is good. Feeling is better. What gives you joy, Gerion?"

"What gives me joy? I have hardly ever felt joy," Grey said with a grimace, "Death, though not in a morbid sense, I draw joy from the exit. From completion. Finality. Death is a beautiful thing and it is the truest form of Shadow magic I know. Not killing and being darkness, but being released from entirety, and finally being a part of it all." He began to understand a bit of joy.

Rey nodded. "Well then, you will find your next lesson particularly apt." Back on the balcony, Rey urged Gerion to eat a bit more from the leftover breakfast tray and then gave the younger man some juice.

“Come,” he said. “We return to the den. Adamo will find it more comfortable there.” They made their way back down to the hidden room in the wine cellar. Once again, there was nothing of any interest in the room, besides the pillows on the floor. The two men seated themselves.

“Master?” Rey called softly. “We are ready to begin.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Gerion caught sight of a purple flicker, shimmering in the darkness. It coalesced into the form of a short man, with twinkling eyes and a grin on his face, framed with a mane of white hair.

“Ah! Good, good. So this is our young Shadow, is it?” Adamo beamed at Gerion.

Rey smiled. “He prefers not to be called young, as I’ve learned to my chagrin.”

“Of course, of course.” Adamo nodded. “Well, in any case, Shadow, I am Adamo Vulponi, master to this scamp here, and former Fox. Reynaldo has told me that you believe that your only skills are death and darkness and that you don't know beauty. I trust that you have seen the glory in the darkness by now?”

The Shadow nodded his head.

“So, in that case, I am here to show you that there can be loveliness in death, also. After all, when we pass from this mortal life, we merge into the Shadow. This passage can be violent or gentle, ugly or beautiful. You, Gerion, have seen the unappealing side far too many times. Let me show you beauty in death.”

And with that, Adamo reached out and placed his hands around Gerion’s head, just the same way that Rey did, thumbs on brow and fingers cradling the back of the head. Suddenly, Gerion found himself in a room, gently lit with candles. The golden wood of the furniture contrasted with the greens and blues of the fabrics. Adamo was reclining in a bed and a young Reynaldo Vulponi was seated in a chair beside it, holding his master’s hand, tears coursing down his cheeks.

“What will I do without you, Master?” the young Rey asked.

“Nonsense, my boy,” Adamo replied. “You will be fine. You are ready, I have trained you well. I will ever be at your service. You will not be alone, I assure you of that. Now, let us begin.”

And then, still grieving, Rey lifted his voice in song.

“This is my song, as Master of the Shadow, A song of peace and change from plane to plane. Lift up your heart, and enter in the darkness, and leave behind your mortal toil and pain. This is my song, as Master of the Shadow A song of peace and change from plane to plane.

Lift up your voice and sing with stars and planets, Become now one, with every living thing. You are released to be part of the Shadow, Your spirit blooms and your soul takes wing. Lift up your voice and sing with stars and planets, Become now one, with every living thing.

(If you would like to hear the tune for the song that Rey sings, the link is here.)

The music was haunting; sad and yet strangely beautiful at the same time. As he listened, Gerion saw the shadows and the light swirling in the room, dancing together to the music. He felt a warmth on his skin and a cool breeze, each welcome in their own way. He smelled the essences of fruits and flowers, the ocean and the forest, fire and snow. Each scent filled the room, mingling pleasantly together. Although the room contained a dying man and his grieving nephew, it was paradoxically filled with joy and beauty. Rey sang, his uncle joined in, and then a chorus of unseen voices took up the song. And, as Gerion watched in wonder and awe, Adamo’s body began to glow, purple flames flickering around his body, forming a corona of fire and then, it flared, blindingly bright. How could he ever have thought that Shadow magic was dark? As the last notes died away, Adamo's corporeal form was gone, but his presence still remained.

“Do you see now, my boy?” Adamo asked. “We have to power to take life violently, yes. But this is also in our purview. We can ease suffering, we can make the transition from life to death a sacred, holy moment full of peace and joy and beauty. You have known the one. It is now time to embrace the other.”

"I do. I understand it, but I feel that I have all along. Death has in a sense been sacred to me. It is my god, in the way that a man worships a blind deity. Though now I can see it as it really is. Death is a two headed beast. One is beautiful and covered in soft down, and sings of love and eternity and finality. The other is a fickle head that kills and is greedy, scaly and cold. That head wants everything, all life. The two share the same body, though I have been worshipping only the snake head. You have let me see that I should sing with the other. Though I will always know that the two are the same being." The Shadow bowed his respect to yet another master.

Adamo smiled approvingly at the Shadow. "I don't know what you've been complaining about," he said to his nephew. "I find the boy to be a very responsive student." The Fox merely rolled his eyes and sighed.

After leaving the den, the Fox turned to the Shadow. “Get some rest. I must be left alone to make preparations for your final test which will take place tonight. Then, ready or not, we must return to the Forum and try our best to rescue Esme. I can only hope that in our short time together you have learned and accepted enough. The rest is up to you, I’m afraid.” With that, the Fox left the Shadow, closing the door quietly on his way out.

At precisely midnight, he returned. “Come, my friend. It is time.” Rey led Gerion out to the large verandah. All of the furnishings had been moved to the side and a large and complicated glyph had been written in chalk on the honey colored stone. Rey motioned for Gerion to stand in the center of the drawing.

“Master?” Rey questioned. “Are you ready?”

“At your service, my boy,” Adamo replied and the Shadow could see the man’s form coalesce into shape.

"And I am here as well," said Celia, as she shimmered into existence next to Adamo.

Rey paled and gave a strangled cry. "No! No, please. I am not strong enough..." He turned his head away.

Celia gave an exasperated sigh. "Reynaldo Vulponi!" she scolded, hands on her hips. "Don't be ridiculous! You are the Fox AND a Vulponi! Of course you are strong enough. Let us hear no more of this."

There was silence on the balcony for a moment. Rey hung his head, looking sheepish. "Yes, ma'am," he said quietly.

"Now, do you want my help or not, you foolish man?" she demanded.

"Yes, please, Celia," Rey replied, like a chastened child.

"That's better. Now, let us proceed."

Rey looked up at Gerion who was trying very hard, albeit unsuccessfully, to suppress a smile. “What are you smiling at?” the Fox snapped.

“Nothing,” the Shadow replied, all innocence. “Nothing at all.”

Rey shot him a dirty look, but after a moment began smiling back and chuckling softly. “Oh gods. What a fool I am,” the Fox said to himself softly. Shaking his head slightly, he gave his attention back to Gerion.

“Now, Shadow, comes the defining moment. You must invite the magic back to you. You must convince it that you have learned enough, that you understand it and accept it for what it is. If it believes you, it will return. If not...well, it //may// return to you but it will most certainly fight you for control. Celia, Adamo and I are ready to help you should you require it, or should the magic decide that it wishes to destroy you. So, proceed.” The Fox gestured to Gerion, and then took up a place on the outside of the glyph. Celia, Adamo and Rey all stretched our their hands, and began chanting, low and subtle, but there all the same. All eyes were trained on the Shadow, waiting to see what he would do.

Gerion was scared at first, then he put aside his fears for the time being and began to think. He closed his eyes realizing that the three were in a state and they would be able to keep this chant up for an eternity. He had all the time in existence, and nowhere to hide. The Shadow crossed his legs and placed his hands on his knees, palms up. He pulled his long cloth hood over his head so that his face could be in darkness. Easing into his mind, he remembered his lessons, though he focused on one thing more than any other, beauty. He slowed his breathing, and with it lost his sense of time. His heartbeat seemed to halt but eventually would draw a slow rhythm. He let go of attachments and became nothing, only an empty vessel.

Then it happened. He was nothing, floating in nothing, surrounded by nothing, but somehow confined to a hallway. He knew where he was, though he had only been here once albeit a short time ago. Paranoid and worried of losing his soul in this spectral realm of his own mind, Gerion calmed himself. He held himself together, and instead of walking down the long and empty path he turned around. A familiar flash of blinding white hot light brought him into another infinite room. Before him was a cave made out of pure darkness, shadow confined to a physical form. Absolute dark energy. Instead of touching it this time, Gerion knelt before it. He bowed his head and looked at his hands. They were yet again not hands but a blur of purple movement. After a short moment, the Shadow raised his head and looked at the dark cage. He uttered, "Shadows run with foxes, but I am neither ... I am Gerion." The cage shuddered and began to spasm until it came together into a sphere and entered into him. He was no longer a haze, but now a shadow. There was one more thing he must do to become a man.

The beast lay on the floor crying out and thrashing in the light. Gerion touched it gently and it stopped thrashing. It faced him, eyes closed. He looked at his reflection and felt everything in his life all at once. Pain, loss, joy, beauty, redemption, and a new feeling altogether: love. When the beast opened its eyes, they were pure blackness. This time, though, it didn't attack Gerion, instead it began to weep and Gerion comforted it. He held himself and cried. When the beast looked back at him its eyes were no longer black but had a purple iris. Then it breathed into Gerion and he was, for the first time ever, //himself//.

He opened his eyes, and was back in the chamber with the three shadow masters. "It is done my friends, thank you."

"What happened to your eyes, little brother?" Rey said, worried.

"Well Rey, let us say I am now who I was meant to be. It is due to the three of you." He stood up and made a large sweeping bow, that was for once not sarcastic. "I shall never be able to repay you." Gerion then left the room in search of the moon and stars, wanting to talk with his old friend, the night. Everything held a new meaning now.

When Gerion returned, the dawn was just breaking. Rey stood on the balcony, close to Celia's ghostly form deep in conversation. They seemed oblivious to his return. Out of long habit, his ears picked up their conversation, not meaning any harm, simply trying to pick up information.

"It will not be long, now," Celia said softly.

"I know," Rey replied sadly. "Promise you will wait for me, my love?"

"Always," Celia replied, so close to Rey that they could have touched, were she substantial. "But my dearest love, keep in your mind and heart the lessons that you teach to the Shadow. Do not forget that this world is full of joy and beauty and love, and that you are connected to it. **//Be//** in this world now. I will be with you always." And then, she was gone, leaving Rey in silence. After a few moments, Rey became aware that Gerion was on the balcony with him...or perhaps he had been aware all along. Gerion could not tell.

“Come, little brother.” Rey said, motioning to Gerion. “We need to return to the Forum now that you are ready.”

The Fox led the Shadow out into a lovely formal garden. In the exact center of the space was a gate made of gold-veined marble and forming an archway that was as tall as two men. It looked like a simple piece of ornamental stonework that one would find in a garden anywhere, but this was the not case. The writing above the arch indicated that it was something more. The marble was also set with chunks of golden topaz which winked in the sunlight.

As they approached, a spectral woman appeared inside the archway. Gerion could see auburn hair and amber eyes, and a face that, though feminine, closely matched Rey’s. “Ah!” she cried. “How very interesting! Two Vulponis!”

Rey’s brow wrinkled as he looked quizzically at the Shadow and then turned to the ghostly woman. “No. No, this is the Shadow. He’s from Pretium.”

The spirit shrugged. “I am sure that what you say is true. However, it is equally true that he is a Vulponi.”

The two men stared at each other in shock. Then, the corners of Rey’s mouth quirked up a fraction of a second before the Shadow smiled in reply. They began snickering, then chuckling, then belly laughing as they looked at each other. They laughed so hard that tears began streaming down their cheeks and their sides hurt.

The spectral woman gazed at them with one eyebrow raised. “So, do you wish to enter?”

The Shadow and the Fox merely nodded, still laughing so hard that they were unable to catch their breath. Rey drew out a small knife and slashed quickly across his palm, placed his hand on the gate and the two men stumbled through, their gales of laughter ringing in the light of the Forum.

Once Rey was back in the Forum and had caught his breath, the Fox dispatched a missive to Talos, asking him to return to the Forum in order to help rescue Esme. While waiting, he was taking turns busily studying maps and then intently staring at the huge topaz. He looked up at Gerion who was across the room from him.

“Shadow,” he said, “would you come here for a moment?”

“Why?” the Shadow replied.

Rey sighed in frustration. “Are you going to ask questions every time I ask you to do something? No, never mind. Of course you are.”

“It’s my job!” the Shadow retorted. “If I don’t who will?”

The Fox just shook his head. He was getting too old for this. “I would like you to look at the maps and the crystal and then tell me what you see.”

The Shadow gazed into the topaz and then back at the map. He could see the real world counterpart of the map in the topaz, almost as if he was flying above Grieum and looking down on the landscape. At the northern edge of Grieum, he saw a bright blotch of nothingness, like a portion of the country was hidden from view. Lines of light wove back and forth between Grieum and Fyriah.

“How interesting,” the Shadow said nonchalantly.

“Doesn’t that bother you?” the Fox asked.

“Well, yeah, of course it bothers me, but what can I do about it?” the Shadow asked.

“That’s where we are going,” the Fox smiled.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” the Shadow sighed.

The Fox shook his head. “I hope not,” he said sadly.

“Perhaps we should wait for Talos before we go any further,” the Shadow said.

“Very well,” the Fox agreed. He busied himself with his books, papers and maps, splitting his attention between those and the topaz while the Shadow shut down and placed himself in a meditative state.

After the passage of some time, the gate from Arcis illuminated and Talos stepped through. The Fox gave a sigh of relief.

“Welcome, Talos,” the Fox said, “Thank you for coming.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Talos replied.

The Fox grasped his hand. “I actually was unsure whether you would want to come back.”

“It was a tough decision considering what happened last time.” Talos looked around the mostly empty Forum, noting the Shadow sitting in a chair in a dark alcove.

“I hope that it will not happen again,” the Fox said softly.

Talos nodded. “Me too.”

“It won’t,” the Shadow interjected.

//“Next time I might not be there to save you,”// the Fox spoke directly in the Shadow’s mind.

//“You won’t need to,”// the Shadow replied.

//“I hope so, brother. I truly hope so.”// Again the Shadow noted the melancholy in the Fox’s words.

“Talos, if you please, would you examine this map? Do you see that bright spot?” the Fox’s speaking tone was brisk and businesslike.

“Well, of course,” the king replied.

“I certainly hope he does,” the Shadow quipped.

The Fox smiled tightly. “I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news: Esme is safe. The bad news: See that bright spot? ...That’s where she is.”

The two other men nodded. “Let’s go,” the Shadow said.

“Time is wasting,” the Fox said, leading them to the gate to Greium. “Talos, in order to get there quickly we will be traveling though the Shadows.”

Talos sighed. “I’m getting used to it,” he said.

They exited the gate and the Fox gathered the Shadows around them. When the Shadows parted, they were just outside a solid looking wall made out of light.

“How do you propose we get through this...actually no, wait, let me do it,” the Shadow said.

Again, the Fox’s voice spoke in the Shadow’s mind. “//Try to make it more subtle than the thief with the knives.//”

“//Shut up,//” the Shadow snapped as the Fox’s laughter rang in his head.

The Shadow gestured in a swift, easy motion and the wall slowly parted into a walkway wide enough for three men to walk through. The movement seemed to draw no opposition.

“Very nice,” the Fox murmured.

The Shadow just shrugged.

The three men walked into the passageway. After a few yards, in front of them appeared Esme, with three or four archers, a mage and several people dressed in battle gear.

“Oh, this is not good,” the Fox said.

“Hello, Esme,” the Shadow said. “Please don’t //try// to kill us." It was clearly more of a warning than a plea.

Esme said nothing but drew back her bow. The other archers followed suit.

“So much for negotiations," the Shadow said.

“I’ll take care of Esme if you and Talos can handle the rest,” the Fox said quickly.

The Shadow shook his head. “I’m tired of fighting for now, I’ll take care of Esme.”

The Fox pursed his lips. “I don’t know...” he began.

“Trust me,” the Shadow said, meeting the Fox’s amber eyes.

The Fox nodded slowly. “Very well,” he agreed.

“Talos, I guess it’s just you and me,” the Fox said. With a casual flick of his hand, Shadows rolled toward the archers and they disappeared before they could even scream. He turned back to Talos. “I’ll take the mage if you can handle the others.”

The Shadow rushed over to Esme and looked into her eyes. Then she released her bow at point blank range. The Shadow braced for impact, but realized that the arrow that was shot was, in fact, the one laced with shadow magic. Just before it hit him, he turned into a shadow for a quick second and the arrow found a new mark. Resuming a solid form the Shadow did a somersault towards the girl as she loosed several arrows, everyone finding a soft place in the ground next to the Shadow. She was quick, but with the mind control and the Shadow’s agility the two could keep this up for hours before either tired.

The Shadow had to get close, however, and he attempted to do so several times before he had an idea that would succeed. He dove to the ground, diving away from an arrow and turned it into a roll. Landing on one knee, the Shadow clapped his hands and a bolt of black light cracked in front of Esme, it did not hit her, only startled her. She stumbled back, and then the Shadow made a half globe of shadow magic that covered the two in pure darkness. She loosed one more arrow and this one grazed the seam of the Shadow’s cloak, tearing it slightly. The Shadow clamped his hands around the girl’s head and the two dropped to their knees.

The Shadow rifled through Esme’s mind roughly at first, trying to overcome the mind control. Once he was beyond the first layer of defense in her mind, he slowed down and was easy on her head, for he didn’t want to hurt her. Slowly he connected torn memories and completed broken thoughts. He found a deep, dark bubble in the girl’s mind. Uttering short phrases the Shadow slowly, patiently, released her from her bonds. When he was done he let go of the girl’s head and she fell to the ground. Then he left her in a protective bubble and went to fight the battle.

Rey squared off against the Light mage. There were plenty of shadows around for him to work with, thank the gods. But the Light mage also had plenty of light to work with, what with the nearby wall. If she could draw from that...well, that would be the very definition of bad. On the other hand, he thought suddenly, remembering the lesson that he had taught the Shadow, perhaps Rey could use it to his advantage as well. All magic is one magic, he mused.

The Light mage curtsied to him. “Come, sir. The niceties must be observed.”

The Fox returned the bow. “As you wish, madam,” he replied. After the bow, he gestured lazily and a half globe of Shadow appeared behind him. The Light mage echoed his motion and a half-sphere of Light met his Shadow, sparking where the two opposing powers met.

Rey waited warily, watching the woman for any movement. The Light mage thrust her hands out in front of her and a bolt of Light sped towards Rey. He sidestepped it and it impacted against his Shadow globe. Instead of lightening, the Shadow magic grew darker. Rey gave the Light mage a feral grin. The woman's eyes widened and she paled slightly.

“Thank you so much for strengthening my magic,” the Fox laughed. He spat out two short, sharp words and a whip of Shadow magic lashed out at the woman. It struck her in the torso, and the semi-circle of light behind her darkened. She staggered slightly.

“I am sorry to tell you this, but you are no match for me,” the Fox said seriously. “You can give up now, if you like, and I will let you live.”

The Light mage stared at him. “Never!” she spat.

“As you wish,” the Fox said regretfully. He clapped his hands together and a dark star flared to life in front of him. Another flick of his hand and it began floating toward the woman. She tried to stop it with Light magic, but it advanced inexorably toward her, increasing in both size and strength every time it absorbed the Light magic she threw at it. Rey watched silently as the Light mage began groveling.

“Mercy! Mercy, Master, please,” she begged.

“Too late,” the Fox murmured. The dark star touched the Light mage’s body. There was a flare of purple light and then she was gone.

//Well//, thought Rey as he dusted his hands off and rejoined the others. //Well, well, well. How very **interesting**.//

“Hi Esme,” the Shadow said gently as Esme looked around in confusion. “Welcome back.” Esme was still confused and shaking her head.

“Should we bring her up to speed?” the Shadow asked.

“Please,” the Fox replied.

The Shadow placed his hands around Esme’s brow and then released a stream of images into her mind, reviewing all that had happened since she was captured.

“What just happened?” Esme asked in confusion.

“A bit of magic, little sister,” the Shadow replied.

The Fox’s merry laughter rang in the clearing. “//I must be rubbing off on you, little brother//,” he said in the younger man’s mind. Shadow merely shook his head.

“That was easier than I thought,” the Fox said. “Let’s go back to the Forum.”

“No wait,” Esme cried. “The cult’s up to something!”

The Fox sighed. “It can never be easy,” he murmured to himself. “Why can it never be easy?”

“But then it wouldn’t be fun,” the Shadow grinned. He turned to Esme. “What exactly are they up to?”

“Well,” she said, “the most important thing that we need to focus on is that they are creating something called the Patchwork People.”

“The what now?” the Fox asked.

“They are taking pieces of the people we destroyed and putting them back together to create monsters called Patchwork People.”

The Shadow sighed.

“What’s wrong?” the Fox asked.

The Shadow just looked at him. “Think about it. I killed the majority of them. They’re going to want to destroy me.”

Talos shrugged. “So you exploded and killed hundreds of people. We all make enemies in life.”

“What else it there?” the Fox asked.

Esme wrinkled her brow in thought. “Well, besides the Patchwork People there are skeletons, ghouls and revenants.”

The Fox made a dismissive gesture. “Pfft. We don’t have to worry about them. They will be easy for us to deal with.”

The Fox asked Esme to lead the way to where the cult was raising the dead. He was concerned, because generally necromancy was in the purview of Shadow magic. Were any of the cult's wizards Shadow mages? However, he had no doubts that he would be able to send the skeletons, ghouls and revenants back to their rest. As for the Patchwork People...they were something different...a new breed of undead. They would be a challenge. He looked at the people around him. He had complete faith in the Shadow’s abilities. There was no doubt that the young man could handle himself in almost any situation, magical or martial. Talos was a fighting machine, as long as he did not get overwhelmed by the magic. Esme...well, he was worried. She was an unknown factor and had proven susceptible to mind control. He would have to keep an eye on her.

Esme led them through the woods. Eventually they could see the trees opening up to a large clearing close to a hundred yards away. Esme stopped them. “The cult uses that clearing to make the Patchwork People and raise the dead. They work at night though. We’ll have to wait.”

“Why?” the Fox questioned. “Let’s go in now and hit them when they are weak.”

Esme began to object, but the others overruled her and rushed forward to the clearing...where there was nothing. “That’s what I was trying to tell you,” Esme exclaimed. They won’t be here until night.” The rest of the group sighed, and then faded back to the trees to wait for evening.

As the darkness grew, the last remaining members of the cult showed up; four wizards, a few guards. They were all that was left. They built a fire in the clearing and then began chanting, summoning the dead. Skeletons clawed their way out of the ground, ghouls shuffled in, revenants materialized. And then the Patchwork People came. Twenty of them, horrific, pieced together like a crazy quilt of human flesh and limbs.

The Fox stepped into the clearing, a flickering purple archway flaring to life behind him. "Come, my children," he said, addressing the skeletons, commanding yet comforting. "What are the matters of this realm to you now? You are beyond this. You need not fight, you may rest now. Your long work is done. Put down your weapons and your anger. Enter here to your well deserved respite. Tranquility, peace and joy await you. Why delay claiming them? Your life is done, a new one awaits. Come to me and pass from this place, knowing that you are redeemed."

As the Fox spoke, the undead slowly stopped what they were doing. They looked around, confused. The skeletons made the first move, turning from the battle and walking toward the Fox, the ghouls closely behind them. The Fox continued speaking. "My children, there is a time for all things and yours has passed from this world. Just as the seed waits to grow and then is harvested, so too have you been reaped. Be serene, find repose. Come to me, come //through// me to your reward. This life is over. Sleep, now. Rest in the arms of your loved ones who have long awaited you."

The skeletons passed through the gate, dissolving into dust as they did so, a sigh of relief coming from them. As the ghouls began passing, the others could hear a murmuring arise from their lips. "Thank you, Master. Thank you."

The cult was outraged, but though they shouted and commanded, nothing they could do reached the undead. The Fox was offering something greater than fear, greater than hate. He offered sleep and dreams, rest and respite. So they ignored their old overlords and gave allegiance to the new master of their aching, battered souls.

The revenants howled in rage and Rey turned his attention to them now. “NO!” they cried. "He destroyed us, Master. He ripped the life from us. Revenge! We want revenge!”

Rey smiled sadly at them. “And so he did, my children. But what of it? That is the past. What is done cannot be undone. Would your revenge change anything? Would killing him bring you back to life, give you comfort? The answer is no. The better option is to forgive, to forget, to sleep, to dream. Revenge is for fools. Come to me, leave those emotions behind, rest now. Be at peace.” His words flowed as a chant, a song, a lullabye to the dead. And they followed his voice out of the war and into the darkness, tranquility and beauty of death.

And then, the clearing was quiet, still aglow with the fire the cult had kindled. The two sides faced off against each other. On one side: two Shadow masters, an archer and a warrior-king. On the other: four mages, several shaking guards and twenty slow and ungainly abominations.

There was silence for a minute, both sides waiting for the other to make the first move. And then all hell broke loose. The Shadow was a blur of pure fury, as he drew his bastard sword and charged into the fray.

“Esme!” the Fox barked. “Light arrow, now!” Esme nocked the arrow and aimed it at the Patchwork People.

“No!” Talos commanded. “The mages!” In one swift motion, Esme pivoted and loosed the arrow at the mages. She targeted the third mage’s heart. The arrow impacted and exploded in a incandescent burst of light and the mage dropped to the ground. Five of the Patchwork People dropped also.

Talos stalked toward the guards raising his sword. The guard met Talos’s swing and then parried, slashing his upper arm. Talos feinted at the guard. The guard tried to parry and and Talos’s sword moved swiftly, bisecting him. The rest quickly met the same fate.

The Shadow had moved in front to the Patchwork People, fifteen of them slowly moving towards him. He summoned two balls of Shadow in his hands and hurled them at the nearest mages who promptly turned and started to attack him. He sheathed his sword and started weaving and dodging all the attacks, with the intent of getting the mages to hit the approaching Patchwork People. Balls of light exploded among the Patchwork People and three more went down.

Meanwhile, Esme nocked her Earth arrow and fired it at the Patchwork People. Vines and roots burst up from the ground and swiftly wrapped around the first five Patchwork People, dragging them under the earth.

“Back to back,” the Shadow yelled and the Fox crossed to him, the two Shadow masters protecting each other. Suddenly, the Fox uttered a blistering curse. “Idiot! Multiplier stones!” and suddenly seven copies of the Fox appeared.

The Shadow grinned. “I can barely stand one of you,” he laughed.

“The more the merrier, little brother,” came from eight mouths.

At that moment, Shadow magic erupted in a dark cloud all over the battlefield. When it subsided, there were only four people left in the clearing.

“Well, that was quick,” the Shadow said. “I don’t think I will be needing to use my stone, do you?"

“No, little brother,” the Fox replied. “Save it for later.”

There was a hissing and popping sound from behind them and the group turned around, staring at the fire. Rising from the center of the blaze was a huge cloaked figure with glowing eyes. The figure radiated evil; not darkness, but pure malevolence.

"So, Fox," the voice sneered, full of malice. "We meet at last. You have been a thorn in my side for quite some time now, always setting right what I attempt to put wrong. You have proven an enemy worthy of my enmity. So, I issue you this challenge. Come to me in Fyriah, you and your pathetic rag-tag band of so-called heroes. I promise you that you will know the meaning of despair before I utterly destroy you." And then the image vanished. Esme stood there, wide-eyed and speechless.

“Subtle,” Talos grunted.

"This is our foe. Come friends," the Fox said, his voice husky with exhaustion. “Let us return to the Forum. It seems we have much to discuss and much to prepare for."

“Can we just leave, please?” the Shadow complained.

Esme looked at the Shadow in surprise. “Aren’t you worried?”

“I’ve come to terms with my fate,” the Shadow shrugged.

“That must be nice,” she said quietly.

“Shadow, if you please,” the Fox said, indicating that the younger man should handle the Shadow travel back to the gate. The Shadow nodded and soon they were entering the archway, welcomed by the golden light of the Forum.