Ghyreian looked up quickly from her food. Par-Salian hesitated, as if reluctant.

"I take it you have been to see Lord Ariakas, Edwin? And you know of his plan to bring Krynn under the heel of Takhisis."

_________________

Edwin shrugged slightly.

"Of course, but I really never truly was after a power or well.... at first yes, but then there was an interferance and I changed my plans. Surely I got power and I still have some to gain from the books that the dragonorb showed me, but in the end I just wanted Ariakas dead all tough that didn`t work. He is probably very pissed at the moment about this... anyway... yes his plans are somewhat revealed to me..."

Edwin took a drink.

"What about them? Ghyreian knows about them as well as I.."

_________________

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!

"And you know that Wayreth exists to keep the balance. We mages know that night and day are interdependent. Without one, there would not be the other. If Ariakas prevails the fate of the three orders may be in jeopardy."

Knowing where this was going, Ghyreian slammed her fork down. "The white robes more than the black, not so?" she said, struggling to keep her voice respectful.

_________________

"Perhaps"

Par Salian answered calmly as Edwin smiled slightly at Ghyreians reaction, Edwin had a slightly pondering face.

"What are you thinking? Another assasination for us like with Verminaad?"

_________________

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!

"And why us?" Ghyreian demanded. "My future lies with Ariakas's favor. You should well know that, lord White Robe."

Par-Salian managed to keep his tone bland. "No, not an assassination. I simply want him stopped. Despite your mixed feelings, you two make a good team."

_________________

Edwin laughed.

"No offense, but she hates my guts at the moment and probably will for what I did! So no thanks she will stab in the back anyway like she dis earlier.."

Edwin shrugged.

_________________

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!

"With all due respect," Ghyreian sneered as she stood, "this dinner seems to be over so if you will excuse me - "

"Sit down, Ghyreian. Edwin, do not assume things you do not understand." Par-Salian rose to his feet, tall and imposing. The candles in the room flickered balefully, highlighting his form in vermilion. Ghyreian, disconcerted at the sudden change, lowered herself back down.

"You must be made to see," Par-Salian intoned. "Remove the blindfold that is your anger and look into the future." He turned and opened the door. "Come with me."

_________________

Edwin sat quietly down and then looked at them both quietly.

"I`ll be waiting here I guess since I have no particular anger in me"

Edwin said as drank some wine.

_________________

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!

Par-Salian stopped at the door. "You too, Edwin," he said quietly.

He led them down the torchlit corridors of Wayreth, past the labyrinth halls and down a dark stairway. Ghyreian followed him with her elvensight. She slipped once on the treacherous stairs and received a glimpse of an endless chasm. She was careful not to misstep again. At the bottom of the stairway was a single obsidian door engraved with runes. Par-Salian placed his palms on the door. The runes flashed once as the door ground open. Ghyreian followed the head of the white robes into darkness.

The chamber was octagonal, with a ceiling so vast the top seemed to vanish into a void. A single pedastal stood at the center of the room. Upon it was a dusty, nondescript gem the size of Ghyreian's fist.

_________________

Edwin looked around the chamber quietly.

"What do we have here that we have to see so urgently?"

_________________

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!

"Look into the gem," Par-Salian commanded, and raised it up for them to see. Ghyreian flicked the Head of the Conclave a highly suspicious glare before complying.

The colors swirling inside such an outwardly nondescript jewel captivated her at once. Hues of red and blue, green and yellow danced inside. Ghyreian felt herself being drawn into its depths....

She stood in a plane of endless light, floating on insubstancial nothingness. An ethereal being of shining splendor approached her. She thought she recognized Par-Salian one moment, then Justarius the next. And then the being transumuted into the malign avatar of Fistandantilus. A moment later the shining light was back, leaving Ghyreian to wonder if her eyes had tricked her.

Shall we? the entity implored with a feathery laugh. The dark elf took its hand. The very essence of Time, unfathomable and enigmatic, enveloped them. Tell me, daughter of Nuitari. What is your name?

"Ghyreian..." Her voice resounded hollowly through the bowels of eternity.

That is not your name, admonished the entity with another clarion laugh. I do not mean your material name. I mean who you are, and what you stand for.

Ghyreian, bemused at the cryptic words, could find nothing to say.

_________________

Edwin felt dizzy and thought he saw the samething all tough wasn`t aware that Ghyreian saw it, his words were almost the same and the answers were too, but then he was asked to wait for a while for some reason.

_________________

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 looked around for Edwin. She glimpsed a hazy outline at the edge of her vision, but whenever she tried to focus it darted away.

You are in your own conscience now, the entity intoned. Come.

And then they were moving, lost within the river of Time.

She stood in a tavern. A black robed woman, her face contorted with fury, stood a few feet away from her. Ephemeral forms flitted in and out of her vision, but never long enough for her to distinguish them. The black robed woman seemed to be in the center of the universe, the only clarity in the surreal plane.

So was the world that you viewed it, breathed the entity.

"May the Abyss take you and your false god!" The outline of the black robe blurred.

Staring, Ghyreian started forward - Some invisible force grabbed hold of her.

What possessed you to put yourself in danger like that, I wonder? ... Keep watching.

Another form, a hazy vermillion, rose from the corner of the tavern. It moved as if through molasses, coming to stand behind the black robe.

How interesting. You accepted his assistance? Why?

"I needed it," Ghyreian retorted, her words partly true. "The draconians would have had me."

The scene blurred again. She looked upon herself walking through the woods, Edwin at her side.

You had plenty of chances to stab him in the back, did you not?

"Par-Salian," Ghyreian snapped. "You're going to have to do better than that."

The entity's laugh resounded once more. This time, she heard the taunt in them. It is not Par-Salian you scorn. Come.

_________________

Why did you go to her in the first place? The voice asked with a curious tone.

"I don`t know, I was lonely and looking for a chat" Edwin shrugged.

Well that is a lie and you know that it is

Edwin sighed "Yes I was trying to see, if I could attain some items or information about the amulet and about necroman..."

And yet you followed her trough all of this? Just for some petty information?

"I don`t know.."

Exactly.. You say you don`t I think that we have to dig deeper in this matter... deeper into your head and memories...

Edwin`s sight blurred and the enviorment changed.

_________________

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!

"What is the point of this?" Ghyreian snapped. "If you're looking to excite my sentiments - "

You have sentiments, whether you acknowledge it or not. Keep watching.

The same black robed woman now stood outside a door. "Edwin, you *beep* son of an imbecile, open the god-forsaken door!"

You could have saved your own skin, the entity observed.

Ghyreian whirled on it. "I might have befriended him once," she hissed. "But those days are no more. He wants to see me dead, as I would have no scruples about seeing him."

Has he ever really tried to kill you, daughter of Nuitari? Or is that your anger speaking?

Ghyreian hesitated. "Are these memories all that you will show me?" she implored quietly.

There are more. But very well. If you are that impatient, I shall show you the most crucial part of this.

_________________

Why didn`t you walk away from the pain, sorrow and death you saw around you?

"I didn`t want to be weak.."

In front of her?

"NO! I care for her true, but I did that for myself and I didn`t want to let myseld down... in the end she was all I had left in my world, my family, home everything gone" Edwin finally sighed.

I see... we will continue..

_________________

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!