"Hand what over?" Asked Evlyn mockingly Jemx snarling behind her. Semri smirked as Reno curled around her.

(i am happy for my charries to be tourchered and persuaded to join you in your take over the world thing; and not destroy the gods.....i just don't want another fight and flee thing)

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Made by Lembas

Wyvern came arrowing into the little moonlit valley like a shooting star in the black sky, and his head snaked anxiously towards Merrin, who got wearily to her feet. "I'm fine," she murmured, wrapping her arms around his neck, comfortingly solid as it was.

Are you sure? Where's Semri?

Merrin was silent a moment before replying aloud. "She seems to have decided the Meiltha suit her better than us."

Wyvern growled low in his throat, iridescent eyes shifting to Kendath momentarily. Oddly enough I would have been less surprised had you come back without him.

I would have died were it not for him, Wyvern. Merrin clearly did not want to discuss Kendath, a sentiment that somewhat surprised her dragon. Her could sense her emotions were curiously muddled when it came to the Meiltha-turned-Renegade.

What happened - ?

"Let's go," said Merrin abruptly, climbing into the saddle. She put a hand to her head. Sleep in the near future did not look like an option, not if they wanted to have any chance of warning the rest of the Renegade population of impending doom. Wait until they find out it's my fault, thought poor Merrin dolefully. "Climb on," she said in Kendath's general direction, not looking up. "I suppose we should make for home as fast as you can fly, Wyvern."

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Still not exactly comfortable around the silver wyrm - whom he rightly suspected shared the same hostile sentiments - Kendath climbed on Wyvern's back, behind Merrin. He tilted his head to the side as the wind came along, whipping Merrin's hair into his face.

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Wyvern lifted effortlessly into the sky, and as he rose above the unhealthy shroud around the mountains Merrin breathed in the cold, clear air with relief.

As they flew she told him telepathically what had happened, and despite her desire to forget the whole episode Merrin knew she would be telling this story several times over. Especially once they reached Vryngard, the Renegade city carved cunningly out of a mountain and once inhabited by dwarves, long dead or gone.

Merrin was not entirely unhappy to be going home. It seemed ages since that night she'd climbed aboard Wyvern to pursue the Meiltha thief of their document, Secrets of the Star Crystal. With another pang she realized that had she succeeded in preventing the Meiltha from obtaining it, they would know nothing of the Cloud Crystal. But instead you got yourself taken captive, like an idiot, she thought in disgust, expression grim. You've made a royal mess of this, Merrin. And you can't even justify yourself by bringing back an ally...because you lost one, too.

No relentlessly optimistic voice interjected now. There was not much to be optimistic about in any case.

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Though weariness pervaded every limb, Kendath found himself unable to so much as close his eyes. He was keenly aware that he could be headed towards what may very well be his death sentence; if he were the Renegade warlord, he wouldn't let himself in either. Assassinations... theft... espionage... Renegade blood stained his hands, and he couldn't begin to count the number of times he'd snuck into the very stronghold they were now headed towards with less than noble purposes.

Gazing at the equally jaded Merrin in front of him, he couldn't help but wonder - if she'd known, would she have had it in her heart to kill him on the spot that night he'd come crawling to the Renegade campfire?

By habitual rote he blanked his mind. Leaping before he looked was not the least of his sins, but certainly one of his more irritating ones. For now, he could only wait and see.

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As the night wore on, Merrin found herself periodically waking with a start, having unknowingly dozed a-dragonback. By the time the sky was no longer black but tinged with grey and, near the horizon, gold, she was fast asleep.

When Wyvern gave his exhausted rider a gentle telepathic nudge, she regretfully told him to land, thinking dimly that if it weren't for the nitwit who'd created and empowered the Star Crystal -

Star Crystal. And suddenly Merrin was wide awake. Her head spun - Kendath hadn't brought the Star Crystal with him. Semri and Evlyn had gone north, not back to their mountainous lair. And Kendath surely knew how to get it. He was a Meiltha since just a few days ago, by all the gods, thought Merrin.

She turned to regard him with astonished gravity over her shoulder as Wyvern neared the ground. "Kendath - isn't the Star Crystal still back where you left it?"

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"Ah..."

Garthag suddenly said with an confident voice as he had come prepared for this and he clapped his hands twice, he shook his head and gazed at the Meiltha.

"You think just because there are 4 of you then you are superior? True you might have more chances, but if you mistake to battle me on my homeground then I have far more than one ace up my sleeve. Hand over the crystal please and I can put it to some use..."

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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!

Kendath jerked to full vigilance and stared right back at her. "Gods condemn me," he breathed, mentally punching himself. In all his despondence over their failure to procure the Cloud Crystal, he'd completely forgotten about its counterpart.

He rapidly glanced up at the stars and took note of their positions. "Due southeast, on the face of the Eastern Spine. If we hurry we could be there by daybreak."

--------

He makes a fine merit, Demon was forced to silently concede. He found himself edging over to Garthag and Kalma, his red eyes following the Meiltha's every move to judge their reactions.

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(no its not...i'v got it haven't i????)

"There's only two small preoblems with that plan Garthag." smiled Evlyn, "A, you can't do anything without its counterpart, and B, we're not willing to give you eithier."

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Made by Lembas

Garthag chuckled quietly and snapped his fingers as, if to cut the laughter as his face turned into a dead serious one. His eyes had a cold look about them, but under the icy surface raged a fire that was willing to scorch the two sisters alive.

"Any powerful item with or without it`s counterpart can be used, I can use it yet you fools need the counterpart to destroy the gods and to be frank as I have revealed to you already destroying the gods has never been my intention..."

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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!

"Oh and what would you're intention be Garthag, to enslave us all, minions to you're everywill, world power?" Evlyn laughed, yet Semri looked up at the mention of power, a hungry look in her eyes.

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Made by Lembas

((no, you have the Cloud Crystal, as opposed to the Star Crystal, which is still back in the Meiltha-lair-place))

Wyvern banked sharply and turned to angle southeast, half into the faintly brightening horizon, as Merrin hurriedly relayed this abrupt change of direction to him. "We'll need a plan to get in," she remarked to Kendath, half-shouting into the wind. Her mind was already working furiously. "There'll surely be other Meiltha there, and they're not likely to let you walk out with their most prized possession, are they?"

Chewing her lip fiercely, Merrin tried to recall what she could of the cavernous hideout, this new hope of stopping or at least delaying the Meiltha completely eclipsing her desire for sleep.

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What is power but the illusion of what you lack? Demon reflected these words with a slight grimace, yet he could not deny that he found world domination quite tempting.

-----------

Kendath shook his head and flashed a diabolical smirk. "What they don't know won't hurt them."

By the time the sun was cresting the mountaintops, he indicated a sheer cliff face in a mountain spur ahead.

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Merrin experienced a queer sense of déjà vu as Wyvern, beating his great silver wings, alighted before the blank cliff wall. Circumstances were decidedly different now that from the last time she'd been here - though if they were any better was hard to say.

As she swung to the ground, Wyvern unexpectedly snaked his lithe neck down to face her, green eyes reproachful. Must you always leave me behind? The last time you entered here was not for good.

Merrin smiled, running a hand gently over his ivory horns. You can't come in this time - but after this, Wyvern, I'll stay with you.

Promise?

A pause. Yes. I promise.

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"Not here," Kendath hissed. He gestured at a more occult copse of trees behind a small bluff.

Once Wyvern had moved into place, the trees obscured his silver body from prying eyes. Kendath dismounted and spoke to Merrin, "Better if I return alone." Without waiting her assent, he departed openly for the clandestine door in the mountain face.

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Merrin gazed after him, slightly perplexed. She'd automatically assumed that this Crystal was like the other, and had some irritating enchantment upon it inhibiting those not possessing a pure heart - somehow Merrin detested that phrase - from handling it. Even after his turnabout to join the Renegade cause, she very much doubted the persnickety enchantment would judge Kendath's heart extremely pure. But perhaps it had no such enchantment. If so how then would they have obtained it in the first place, Merrin wondered uneasily, as before Kendath she had never known a Meiltha with anything even vaguely resembling a pure heart.

Wyvern hunched down in order to make himself as small a target as possible, should anyone (or anything) emerge from the blank cliff face, and Merrin restlessly paced around him, alternately watching the sky and glancing about her.

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