The man, armored in the platemail of a dragonarmy general, paced in his maproom.

You threw in with him. Why?

Ghyreian forced a laugh that sounded more like a choke. "Who else could I throw in with? The dragonarmies promised power and domination. What better way to gain it than to serve Queen Takhisis?"

He means to betray you. He means to use you, then kill you. You know that.

"It was a risk I was willing to take."

Who is your allegiance to?

Ghyreian didn't hesitate. "Nuitari. The Art."

The entity's omniscient eyes bore into her. Then what corrupted you to betray Wayreth? You knew full well that to use the dragonorb would have condemned the balance.

The black robed elf stood alone upon the mountainside, her hands grasping eagerly the dragonorb. The look in her own face frightened her.

You ruined Edwin. You nearly ruined your own future. And you came very close to condemning Wayreth forever.

Aghast, Ghyreian averted her gaze.

Look.

Before her was a wasteland, a bleak desert of ash and despair. A lone dark elf walked across it, a shining green light in her hand. In the distance loomed the black remains of what might have once been a tower.

Silvanesti, the entity elucidated. This is what you want, not so?

Appalled, Ghyreian shook her head.

Rulership of Silvanesti, pressed the entity relentlessly. Ariakas spoke in jest, yet part of you hungered for it. You would have had your rulership of Silvanesti, daughter of temptation. And this is where it would have gotten you.

The scene blurred once more. They floated in a vast hall. On a high chair at the end sat the same black robe.

The Hall of Mages. Congratulations, you would have become Master of the Conclave.

As they neared, the black robe raised her head. Ghyreian's eyes widened in shock. The black robe was no one she had ever known, bore no face she would ever recognize as her own. Her cheeks were gaunt, her eyes sunk in their sockets. Anguished lines of suffering etched across her once smooth complexion. Even as she watched, the black robe raised a trembling hand to caress the small orb of green light that lay at her side.

Master of what Conclave? the mocking voice came. For the Conclave would have dissipated, fallen under your obsession.

_________________

Edwin saw a bloodied figure standing alone on a hill top and then collapsing, Edwin saw himself dying there and then finally taking his last breath.

That is where she would have lead you to your grave, if you hadn`t been lucky and if you don`t both see eye to eye in the future that can very well be either of you.

"You lie! She wouldn`t kill me!"

But she did try? Did she not? She believes that you are trying to kill her...

"Perhaps..."

_________________

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 slumped. "Show me no more."

The entity paused, reflecting. I truly believe that you have been shown humility. But there is still one more.

She stood on a vast plain. Above her, a dark army poured down. Two figures stood in the path of the army. One raised his or her hand. A shining light arced from his or her palm and struck the army full. The light filled her vision. She felt herself falling....

This is where you must be when Ariakas's army marches.

_________________

Edwin saw the same and quietly stood still, then it all flashed back and he was standing in the room with the gem in there.

_________________

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 felt the cold of the stone floor beneath her. She remained there for a while, catching her breath and working to organize her jumbled emotions.

"You have seen," Par-Salian's voice floated down at them.

"What must we do?" she implored.

_________________

"You must do as you were instructed by what you saw..."

Edwn coughed.

"Yes, but how!? We can`t do anything to an army that wast.."

_________________

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!

"That is why you have the dragonorb," Par-Salian said, his eyes flaring. "But do not use it! Its power and corruption is great... take it out at the precise moment the army is nearly upon you." He straightened. "You must go now. You haven't much time. Find out when Ariakas plans to march and where. There is a secret stash of Huma's dragonlances in Icewall. Find them, and give them to the Golden General. I will do what I can to aid you, but the journey is up to you."

_________________

"Golden general?" Edwin slightly wondered and looked at Ghyreian "Is she whom I think she is?"

_________________

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!

Though Ghyreian didn't like the implications, she forcibly didn't meet Edwin's eyes. "You realize I'm not about to turn White Robe overnight."

Par-Salian's expression didn't change. "It is treachery, not so? I thought Queen Takhisis awarded treachery."

"Not against herself, she doesn't," Ghyreian retorted. She sighed. "When do we leave?"

_________________

"Right now.."

Edwin said taking out the dragonorb and largening it into his hand.

_________________

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 stared at the dragonorb, captivated as always by its glowing promise of power. Grimacing, she averted her gaze.

"I said don't use it!" Par-Salian hissed. "Its power could corrupt you!"

Stuttering old man, Ghyreian thought in disgust.

_________________

"Well I turned out fine and besides we have a cause to fulfill..."

Edwin said seriously, but watched Ghyreian with caution and nodded her to come closer.

"Shall we?"

_________________

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 was all too happy to defy the man who had ruined her entire quest for power in the dragonarmies. She offered Par-Salian a sneer and stood beside Edwin.

_________________

Edwn concentrated and the orb began to glow in his hands, the light turned and then they teleported far away all the way to the Icewall. Edwin put the orb back in his small belt bag looking around, they were in a cave with ice walls and sharp sticks of ice coming out of the ground.

_________________

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 stood and pulled her cloak tighter around her. "Warn me the next time you plan to drop us on ice," she said, shivering with cold.

The cavern was circular in shape, with scores of facets glittering down at them in flaring reflections. Stalagmites jutted from the ground in erratic intervals. A single tunnel hewn from ice marked the only passage out. Ghyreian neared the tunnel. She could fit in, if she bent her head.

"What troubles me is what made this cavern," she pointed out.

_________________

"A dragon"

Edwin said calmly as he walked forwards.

_________________

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!