Orindil's only response to Khienro's question was a curt nod. Furious at himself for his lack of foresight, he picked his rapier up off the ground and eyed the ebony lake with waxing apprehension. Don't touch the water. Right, he'd have to keep that in mind. He glanced sharply at Naidele. She was a Keeper - her intuition was sound. But across the lake? They had no rowboat that could safely take them across the glassy expanse, so the only option that remained was to circumvent -

The clutch of inconceivable coldness that grasped his ankle congealed his blood. Starting in fear, he glanced down to see a skeletal hand thrusting out from the charred earth, clutching at his leg. His gasp of pain morphed into a cry of rage as he slashed downwards with his blade, severing the bone. The skeletal fingers dissipated to ashes, and the wrist slid back into the ground with a rattle of defeat.

His eyes widened.

Across the burnt shores more skeletal hands were exploding forth, their ivory fingers clenching and unclenching in insatiable hunger. "Back the way we came!" he shouted, gesturing wildly at the forest a hundred feet behind them. He broke into a dash for the towering conifers.

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Khienro, who had not been too surprised that something happened right as they were starting to depart swiveled quickly around to see bony hands rising up out of the lake.

He froze, eyes wide. Ha! I was right! was all he could think for some reason, as if his celebrating brain did not have time to exacute a proper responce. But it was quickly brought to the present with Orindil loudly suggesting that they run.

And Khienro wasted no time in doing just that.

His mind and body now bent on reaching the lovely forest ahead, Khienro failed to locate the rather large rock that was infront of him (now under his foot) and promptly fell to the ground. Back on his feet shortly, he continued his mad dash for the forest.

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You may (or may not) know me elsewhere as Elfpen

A scream of surprise and fear was torn from Naidele's throat as the skeletal hand grasped Orindil's ankle. Her frightened eyes immediately turned to the ground, fearing that one of the corpse hands would sprout up to grab her next.

She forced her eyes up, telling herself that she had to look up to see what was going on. When she saw the hands popping up out of the burnt land all around them, she gasped in horror. What in the name of the Goddess could this be?

"Back the way we came!" Orindil shouted, and she was all too willing to oblige.

Small sounds of revulsion and fear escaped her mouth as she ran with the others for the trees in the distant. She couldn't stop picturing one of those dead and decayed hands grasping her foot and pulling her down. Stop being so weak she scolded herself mentally You are a Keeper.

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I'm back!

Khienro, after reaching the safety of the wood, dodged behind a large rock face which stood up out of the ground, having been lodged into the ground many years ago. Once all of them were there, and he had caught his breath, his eyes were still wide.

"What were those?" He asked no one in particular. Then, remembering that one of them just might answer him, he added, "Nevermind. I don't want to know."

Looking over at Naidele, who seemed a bit shaken to say the least, he had the sudden and oh so boyish urge to say 'I told you so', but quickly bit his tongue to refrain from doing so. In stead, he looked over, not too sympatheticly, and said:

"Are you ok?" Although he had asked her, and many others that one question innumerable times, he really didn't know what else to say.

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You may (or may not) know me elsewhere as Elfpen

Nakaida gulped for air, stopping to lean gasping against a tree. Her breath came in fast, agonized spurts, and with every one she winced. The griffin's attack was taking its toll.

"No," she said as soon as she had breath for speech. "We must get to Navhieri - we must! There has to be another way!"

The thought of those fleshless fingers reaching scared her as much as any of them, but the Goddess needed their help. Her side felt numb, even her arm and shoulder burning dully. "We have to go back there," she said, searching their faces. "or go around. We have to."

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Naidele was in a half daze as they stood in the shelter of the trees. Her eyes periodically scanned the surface of the ground around them, and all she could picture in her mind were those hideous corpse hands. She jumped when she heard Khienro's voice.

The first reply that sprang to her lips was: No, I'm scared out of my wits. But her pride kept her from saying that. There was no way she was going to admit just how terrified she was... even though it was probably written all over her face. "I'm fine," she said instead. Then she remembered that he very could have heard her first- not to mention true- reply in her mind. She barely kept herself from scowling.

She then looked to Nakaida. It was obvious that she was in the worst condition of all of them. Naidele's heart was torn. She knew that they had to continue on their journey... that they had to go back there. But she was still worried for Nakaida. Knowing that expressing her concern would not help matters, she kept it to herself and instead nodded.

"She's right. We have to find some way to continue. Whether it be by a different route.... Or back through... that." Despite her best efforts, she couldn't hide the shiver of fear that ran through her. She tried to steel herself. She had to be strong.

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I'm back!

I'm scared out of my wits! Naidele's voice echoed in his mind. Assuming that she wished her answer to be just between the two, Khienro was quickly confused as he heard her answer out loud. Realzation made him look down at the grass for a moment. He was invading her privacy. Really, they needed to find a way to control this.

He didn't reply, and tried his best to somehow block his thoughts from Naidele as he tried to come up with a plan.

We can't go across it.... We can't go around it, well, at least not very safely... We can't skip it all together... And we have to get to Navhieri. But how? He sighed none to quietly. How on earth were they supposed to- A thought then came to him. With a thoughtful furrow knitting itself into his brow, he continued his planning, oblivious that his attempt to harbor his thoughts from the keeper next to him were in vain.

We can't pass through it, around it, or go past it... What if there was some way that we could go over it?

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You may (or may not) know me elsewhere as Elfpen

Naidele heard Khienro's whole thought process in her mind, but she tried to block it out. This little ability they had developed was quite unnerving at times.... No, correction, it was always unnerving. Then she heard the last part of his developing plan.

"Over it!" she breathed. Then she shot an apologetic look at Khienro. Her spirits, which had briefly lifted, fell again. "But how?" She looked up at everyone else. "Over it would seem to be the best way... but why even consider it. It's impossible." Despite her words, her eyes were hopeful, desperately wishing someone would tell her that it was not impossible after all.

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I'm back!

Khienro glanced at Naidele, a slightly frustrated look on his face.

"We really have to find someway to control this, you know. It is more than a little disturbing." He said, setting his lips into a fine line.

"Well, not to pick on you, Nakaida," Khienro said, looking at the air keeper across from him, "But mabye, since you're the keeper of air, if we made a light weight raft, you could propel us into the air and..." He stopped, and looked around. "Or, I'm just making a fool of myself. But... Is it possible?"

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You may (or may not) know me elsewhere as Elfpen

Nakaida looked hardly able to stand up unassisted, let alone conjure anything requiring significant force of will. But she nevertheless straightened in preparation.

The first gust of wind she summoned sent the nighttime forest swimming and Nakaida caught herself against a tree before collapsing. She waited for it to stop whirling alarmingly before gasping, "I - I don't think I can."

Tears sprang to her eyes at her own weakness, which deepened her disgust with herself.

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Orindil swiftly moved to her side. Remembering her reaction the last time he'd pulled her against him, he satisfied his conscience only with retaining a firm grip about her waist and shoulder. "Perhaps we were not meant to circumvent the lake," he mused. With a shrug he glanced at the others.

"And perhaps you are correct."

The voice was suave and mellifluous, tranquil and wistful. Hand shooting for his ash bow, he spun around. His sharp intake of breath was both involuntary and utterly reverent.

From the snow-blanketed forest behind them stepped two pegasi, their feathered wings folded sedately to their alabaster flanks. The magnificent creatures pawed the snow with their cloven hooves and tossed their heads, their silken manes rippling like spun moonlight. The first pegasus dipped his noble head in tacit apology. "My name is Mythaniel, and this is my brother Arel. We are - were - the Guardians of the Isle."

Orindil overcame his initial aphasia. Heart hammering with trepidation, he ventured, "The Isle?"

Arel sorrowfully nodded towards the ebony lake. "Yes, the Isle. The stairway stands in the center of the lake, but Okandar's corruption has pervaded all. He rises again. He has opened a rift between the planes, through which he saps your very souls, revered Keepers. He subtly consumes your power as we speak."

"The Goddess is held captive in her own realm," Mythaniel added, sapphire eyes flaring for the first time. "And we are powerless to save her."

It was then that Orindil noticed their heaving flanks, their smooth hides stretched taut over their bones. Patches of their silken coats were missing, and shadows rimmed their eyes.

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Nakaida's distress was evident in her sharp intake of breath. "Will he hesitate to stoop to nothing?" she grated through clenched teeth, clinging to Orindil's reassuring grasp about her waist rather tighter than she perhaps needed to. She pressed down some memory of his arms about her, knowing that if she succumbed to that, no amount of iron will could keep her from denying that she desperately wanted those arms about her again. "I swear on the hand of the Goddess, next we meet he will not see another sunset!"

Tentatively she moved forward, steps faltering, to lay a hand on the smooth ivory muzzle nearest - Mythaniel's. "Oh, friends, my heart aches for you - tell us of the Goddess, I beg you. She lives still, at least?"

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Naidele's eyes widened with every word that the pegasi spoke. Cold fear chilled her very soul, and its icy fingers clutched at the pit of her stomach, making her feel as if she would sick up.

'He subtly consumes your power as we speak.'

Arel's words rang through her mind with horrible finality. Was there nothing they could do? Even with the Goddess they would not be able to fight Okandar if he was drawing on their power. How long did she and Nakaida have before they were helpless? Totally without their elements? She couldn't even ponder that thought. For as long as she could remember being alive, she had felt the presence of the fire within her. The source of her power was coiled deep in the core of her being, ready to be let loose at her summons.

But her element was more than a power to her. Maybe she had before taken it for granted, but now the reality really hit her. And it hit her hard. It was a part of her. She realized that without the fire within her, without feeling the warm reassurance of her element, she would not be complete. It would be as if someone cut off her arm or leg.

What am I to do? she pleaded silently What is it that you would have me do to fix this, Mother? She tried to will herself back into contact with the Goddess, but no vision came. She heard no soothing, familiar voice. Nothing. Emptiness. She felt even more sick than she had before.

Her eyes really took in the two pegasi for the first time, seeing her ragged and worn they looked. It was obvious that they had been through much. Okandar's evil reached everyone, it seemed. And it would spread far wider before the end, she feared. She found herself thinking back to the conversation that she and Khienro had had before the griffin attack. He had mentioned his mother, about how he wanted to take Naidele back to meet her. Would Okandar's hand stretch that far? And farther? She thought about all the innocent families, the young lovers, and small children who would lose their lives because of that evil man's treachery.

They couldn't let that happen.

She fought the overwhelming despair surfacing in her. She wanted so badly to give up, to just lay down and let whatever happened to her happen. But she knew she couldn't do that. She had to try something. If not for herself, then for all those lives that were being threatened.

"What can we do?" she asked quietly, her eyes shifting from Arel to Mythaniel's and back again. Maybe they would know something, have some suggestion.... She hoped.

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I'm back!

Khienro's face turned white as he took in the pegasi's words. Consuming their power? With no physical contact? Khienro thought, utterly baffled. He knew Okandar was powerful, but this?... It was more than he had ever imagined.

Khienro looked at the once smooth coats of the creatures before them, now tattered and torn with burns and cuts, dried blood decorating their flanks. He wondered how much evil one man must poor out onto the world until he had none left in him, or if it was even possible to have an ending evil. As far as he could see, Okandar was a powerhungry tyrant that would stop at nothing to get everything.

Khienro's head shot up. Thats it. he wanted everthing. He wanted all of the power vested in the keepers, and the goddess, and mabye, just mabye, those guarding the keepers. And he'll get it. Khienro thought, He'll get it, and he'll get hard. Too hard... A small, evil smirk of triumph and mischief blended into a hint of pure terror. An odd expresion, to say the least, he looked rather like a mentally ill patient who had finally went completely over the edge.

"Well, if he wants all the power, then I say we give it to him." Khienro paused, just dying to see the stares he would recieve, then continued, "Just, all at once."

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You may (or may not) know me elsewhere as Elfpen

Orindil glowered at Khienro as though he'd gone mad, but both pegasi seemed contemplative. "You would surrender your powers willingly to Okandar?" Mythaniel asked incredulously. He appeared to be enjoying Nakaida's cleansing touch, to which tranquility mingled strangely with apprehension on his handsome profile. "It is a dangerous gamble you propose, warrior."

"But it has potential, does it not?" Arel intervened excitedly, his sapphire eyes flaring with vitality at this trickle of hope. "It would be the last thing Okandar's expecting."

Beginning to see where Khienro was going, Orindil nodded his agreement. "The Keepers asked adequat questions," he commented.

"The Goddess lives in incarceration," Mythaniel said quietly. "We have been commanded to take you to her Isle." And though he did not express it, he silently added, The last journey my brother and I will ever make in this world. We will transport these warriors across the celestial rift with our last strength, so Goddess help us. He met Arel's gaze in stolid empathy.

They both stepped forth and presented their backs to be mounted.

--------

Tormenting the Goddess was an entertainment he could never grow weary of. But inflicting such anguish was admittedly a waste of his time, during which he could be preparing for his guests.

Oh, yes. Guests of honor. And he'd even prepared quaint surprises for their arrival.

Lord Okandar sat upon his sepulchral throne in what had formerly been the Goddess's favorite garden. Now the burnt lilacs wilted, and the reluctantly trickling fountains ran red with the blood he spilt each day. He leaned forward and surveyed the wraiths kneeling before him.

They were liches, in a sense. Vampiric clones, perhaps. They flowed back to their feet, scarlet hair billowing on one and white-blond on the other.

"Who do you serve?" Okandar whispered.

Simultaneously they threw back their heads, eyes flaming with diabolical light. "Okandar... Okandar... Okandar!"

Their master worked hard to suppress his exultant grin. He continued intently, "And whom will you become?"

Both wraith entities threw their arms up in triumph. "Your Keepers!"

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How far they had all fallen. Nakaida helplessly looked from one to the other, the knowledge that in doing this these noble creatures were offering their very lives for their Goddess wrenching at her heart. She uttered a silent prayer. "May your souls ever walk in the light," she murmured, and mounted as best she could.

Nakaida refused to acknowledge to herself that the thought of warring with Okandar now filled her with stark terror. Even conjuring a breeze had practically made her faint, how could they even hope to give the sorcerer a battle he would remember? Goddess, give me strength... she pleaded mutely.

But she was met with only silence.

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