Ah, Keepers. You have escaped. Do come this way... The disembodied voice drifted down the corridors and whispered in their minds.

Orindil felt his eyes inexorably drawn to a door at the very end of the hall. It stood tauntingly ajar.

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Naidele froze when she heard the voice. Her eyes drifted to the open door at the end of the hall. She looked back to the others. Should they go? She knew that it had to be a trap. Okandar would not have alerted them of his whereabouts if he did not have a plan.

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I'm back!

Khienro's eyes narrowed in thought, they had to think quickly.

"Its a trap.. It has to be... But then again... I don't see any avoiding a trap. And if we spend precious time planning, it will only give Okandar time to refine his own plan. Unless he attacks. That won't be good." He mused his thoughts openly, so that his companions could hear.

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

"We can't just walk into it! I believe it is a trap. I say we find another route!" Aeryn said, looking around.

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Naidele bit her lip in indecision. She agreed that it was some kind of a trap, but her desire to kill Okandar was so strong that she was almost willing to risk it. She took a step towards the open door.

Then she turned and addressed her sisters. "What do you think?" She needed to know their opinions. If they wanted to chance it then she would stand by them. If they wanted to find another route, then she would go with them... if reluctantly. She wanted to confront Okandar and make him pay for all that he had done.

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I'm back!

Nakaida's lips tightened. "He can likely hear every word we're saying," she said tersely. "There's no point debating it."

Glancing up to meet Orindil's eyes, and then Aeryn and Khienro's in turn, Nakaida hesitated. "There's every possibility we - or some of us - won't come out of this alive," she said in a low voice, not looking at any of them now. "If you want to save yourselves now none of us will argue - only wish that we could do the same."

And without waiting for an answer she turned and strode towards the open door, head high. Whether Okandar was there to meet her or not, she would show him that a Keeper was not a toy, to be played with and tossed aside at will.

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Naidele gave a determined nod. Then she too turned to their companions. "I agree with Nakaida," she said, "You have all been great help, and we could not have gotten this far without you, but if you wish to turn back now do so. You may not have the chance later." Her eyes lingered on Khienro a moment. Then she turned and quickly caught up with Nakaida. She tried to copy her sister's look of defiant strength.

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I'm back!

(Ok..as I can't seem to keep up with this one, I'm just going to back out now, before you get any farther.)

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Khierno stepped forward almost the moment she stopped talking. He would have none of this.

"Never. I cannot and will not stand aside so that you can die for the worlds trouble." His eyes bored into Naideles. He was dead serious.

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

(That's alright, Raven. I understand.)

Naidele gazed into Khienro's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Happiness warred with sadness in her mind. She was glad and extremely grateful that he was so determined to help her, but she was saddened by the thought that he could very well lose his life in the fight. If he died and she survived, she didn't think she would be able to bear it.

"Thank you," she said softly. Then she remembered that she couldn't stand there and stare at him forever. They had work to do. She started walking again.

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I'm back!

Khienro followed behind, and turned to Nakaida,

"Where do you want me? Tell me where to go."

((Awww... I'm sorry Raven! We'll miss you. ))

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

Nakaida's eyes flicked to him. "I don't know where to go myself," she responded softly, and pushed the door fully open.

((Waiting for LDM))

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With his bow in hand, Orindil remained in the back of the group, his eyes flickering to rest briefly on all of them, if simply to judge their strengths. Resolve was one of them.

They initially registered darkness before torches everywhere flared to life. A gust of chill wind teased the flames, then banged the door shut behind them. They stood in a circular chamber, fifty feet in diameter, with sheer stone waves engraved with faintly glowing runes. The ring of torches illuminated a circular dais in the center of the chamber.

They were not alone.

A council of thirteen mages, hooded and robed in dark crimson, stood in a circle around the dais, their heads bowed and facing inward, their hands folded in their robes. The eerily flickering torchlight granted them an unearthly aura.

And standing in the very center of the dais...

Robed fully in black hemmed with gold runes, Lord Okandar turned to face them. The unalloyed power of the sorcerer's stare smote Orindil full and nearly sent him staggering backwards. Mantled was he in night incarnate as he stood, a cynosure, in the center of the room. As he seemed to draw all the forces of darkness to him and bring them, roiling and thundering, to his feet.

His penetrating eyes glittered from under the shadows of his hood. "I have long awaited this moment, Keepers."

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Aeryn shook his head. "Add let you guys get all the action? No way! I'd rather die than let you guys go into the jaws of danger! I'm in." He followed the others and gripped his dagger in his hand tightly, still bloody from the short battle after the escape.

As Aeryn entered the room, he looked around and shivered as his blood ran cold. The feeling of dread came upon his heart and when he say the Dark Lord Okandar, hatred as well as fear and pain went all through his body. He just wanted to scream and yell and use every weapon he had on this devil. When Okandar spoke, his voice was like poisen...and make Aeryn's mouth dry and his heart drop. He stood closer to the Keepers and keep his weapon in his hands.

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly

Naidele did her best not to let her terror show, but she was not sure that it worked. Thirteen mages and Okandar! They were horribly outnumbered.

She stiffened her back. She could not him see her weakness. "As have we, Okandar," she said coldly, "Though I must say that it is now well met."

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I'm back!

(maybe in this scene somehow one of us get's caught and orkander uses us to try and weaken the other anf reveals to both of us that we are siblings...just a suggestion, i thought it would be cool if they found out they are sibs soon....)

Aeryn found his voice and said, "You will not harm the Keepers, Orkandar!" He yelled to him.

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Just became a college freshman; be on sparingly