Ghyreian lunged for the dragonorb. Flicking an amused glance in her direction, Cyan knocked over the pedastal with a lash of his tail and sent it rolling away. The dragonorb's colors swirled green, then black in anger. It rolled right back. Ghyreian threw a lightning bolt at the dragon's eyes and lunged again. With a roar of fury, Cyan smashed the orb into the far cavern wall. It hit the stone with a metallic ring, then fell and lay unmoving. Another tail sweep came. Ghyreian hastily dodged out of the way. Thinking the dark elf would no longer pose a threat, Cyan turned to confront the five Edwins.

COME, MY MAGELINGS!

The dragonorb sprang into vivid brilliance. Cyan shrieked and thrashed. Half-blinded by the light, Ghyreian stumbled forward.

_________________

Edwin was able to unsleash his third spell thanks to the blinding light and he shot Cyan with a barrage of small fireballs that grew, but Edwin payed dearly as Cyan hit him with his claw, but luckily Edwin wasn`t seriously hit by the sharp nails.

He was throw backwards to lay on the ground, he coughed hard feeling like his chest had been just hit by a strong man with a giant hammer.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Cyan chanted words of magic. Darkness fell upon everything as he released a deadly barrage of force at Edwin. In the magical darkness Ghyreian's elvensight failed her. Following the dragonorb's gentle summons, she picked up her pace knowing Edwin would not be able to hold out long.

Her hands closed around a pulsing sphere of magic. The dragonorb placed into her hands the most power she had ever known. She reeled with the impact of holding it back. She could rule Ansalon with this, become head of her order....

All in good time, my mageling, the dragonorb promised. But the dragon must die first.

Ghyreian whirled around and released her mental dam. Green, swirling power released from the dragonorb in a rush. The force hit Cyan between the wings. Cyan knew this battle was over. He shot one more jet of chlorine gas at her, then spread his wings and prepared to take flight.

_________________

But all tough Cyan tried to get away with his wings they wre no match to the crystal that now sucked Cyan into itself, Cyan disappeared in a flash and then crystal glowed green. Edwin let his body relax as he sighed, he stumbled up to Ghyreian with the orb and smiled.

"Well here we are now... you have what you wanted... what next?"

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

"We're getting out of here," Ghyreian said. The power of the dragonorb had left her drained, but the force of the magic had left its aftermath on the cavern. The entire cavern began to collapse in on itself.

Clutching the dragonorb close, she darted for the entrance trusting that Edwin would follow.

_________________

Edwin followed her and they exited the cave before it collapse behind them, Edwin looked down into a forest area as they were on the rise of a mountain. Edwin grinned slightly as he drew breath and sighed finally.

"Where do we get a ship to the mainland?"

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Ghyreian drew the dragonorb close.

"Change of plans," she said in an odd voice. "We're not going to the Conclave after all."

_________________

Edwin raise an eyebrown with an suspecting voice, she wasn`t like that before and he bet his other hand for the fact that the crystak had something to do with it. Edwin grabbed her hand stepping closer.

"Then where are we going if not the conclave?"

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Ghyreian hesitated and stepped back with her familiar icy smile. She saw clearly, in her mind's eye, the two white hands beckoning from the depths of swirling green. It had promised her magic. It had promised her power. And what was more important than friendship?

The Art! She felt like screaming it aloud. The Art ruled out all - was lover, friend, and life. And what would she sacrifice for power?

Yes, my mageling. Yes....

In one sudden move she wrenched free of Edwin and shouted a spell. Lightning lanced from her palm.

_________________

Edwin was surprised by this trecherous and was throw on his back in pain, the pain wasn`t truly physical, but mental all tough he thought he could have known this was about to happen and yet he blindly had walked into it.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Ghyreian began to advance towards Edwin. The Art... the power was all that mattered. But Edwin's familiar face, twisted in pain, brought all the memories flooding back.

Their first meeting at the Inn of the Last Home. Edwin nursing her back to health in Palanthas. The initial shock she had felt in Ariakas's fortress when she thought Edwin dead. Edwin gambling for their money, Edwin trusting her to get the dragonorb back....

The Art. Any friendship was not worth what the Art - the dragonorb - could grant her.

"Nuitari..." she breathed, harnessing five azure bolts of energy. She stood over Edwin, her face completely devoid of emotion. "I'm sorry, Edwin," she told the friend she no longer had. "And I do not beg your forgiveness."

The azure bolts danced on her fingertips as she prepared to strike.

_________________

Edwin suddenly jumped up and desperately lunged at Ghyreian with a furious face filled with emotion, the orb was behind this sudden change and that was why it couldn`t be allowed to survive anymore or at least Edwin thought so.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

In her surprise Ghyreian dropped the dragonorb, danced out of Edwin's reach, and harnessed her azure bolts of energy. Then she did the one thing that would prove to be her ultimate failure - or perhaps her ultimate salvation.

She hesitated.

An arrow hissed through the air and thudded into her leg. Dropping down with a cry of pain, her aim went awry. The bolts hit a loose stone in the mountainside, which in turn rolled and buried the dragonorb in a shower of dust and debris. The green light throbbed from under the rocks, then went dark.

Ghyreian raised her eyes in time to see the Kagonesti archers surround them.

_________________

Edwin coughed dust out of his mouth as he got up and looked around with a confused look.

"Well at least I won`t have two problems at once"

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

A second arrow thudded into her other leg. Two Kagonesti warriors came up behind her and seized her arms, then knocked her out over the head. The rest surrounded Edwin with their arrows nocked.

"We didn't save you out of compassion, human," they snarled. "Go back to your human slums or we won't be so merciful next time." To make their point, they prodded his chin with the ends of their arrows.

_________________

"Sure... but what about her?"

Edwin nodded at Ghyreian.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!