Danse Macabre

[Aodhan the Unusual]

Screams echoed into the night as fires roared through the buildings. Oriana ran through the alleys and behind the houses to try and avoid the drow raiders that had so suddenly appeared. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her to her home. Her father, a town guard, and her mother, one of only two priests in the area, were no where to be seen...

Oriana was met by a roar of anger as she drew up on her house. Quietly she opened the door and made her way down the hallway. She stopped when she heard shuffling and muffled voices behind her parents' door. Leaning near the door, she tried to listen. Her father would shout every so often and she swear she could hear the faintest bit of crying from her mother. A third voice, one that she didn't recognize, would say something then cackle only to be followed by the screams of her father.

Oriana backed away from the door. Whatever was going on wasn't good to be sure, but there wasn't much she could do. Paying attention to the door, she didn't notice the thing that shuffled up behind her. With a low moan, Oriana looked up just in time to see a large, undead looking warrior reach for her. For as slow as it looked, Oriana was not able to move fast enough to keep it from grabbing her. She struggled against the thing as it slowly dragged her back towards the door.

When Oriana was pushed through, she gasped at the sight. Her father was being held by two similar undead on the far side of the room, struggling against their hold. Her mother was tied down to the bed, stripped down, and cut in many places. A shuffling by the bed drew Oriana's attention to the third voice she had heard. A strange, gaunt man in dark robes hobbled around, a kind of sick glee on his face as he drew a vile looking dagger over Oriana's mother, making another cut.

"Mother!" Oriana cried, giving a mighty yank and pulling herself free from her captor. She ran over to the strange man and reached for the dagger before being pulled off and away from him by the undead.

"Hm hm hm... Fiesty one..." the man said as he studied the young woman.

"You touch her..." her father growled and the man waved a hand, one of the undead holding him, let go and broke his neck.

"Father! You bastard!" Oriana cried, trying to break from her captor's grasp again.

"No my child... Not yet..." the strange man grinned then muttered under his breath.

A low moan... A bit of movement... a sickening pop... And her father stood up. The mage walked over and handed him a dagger, whispering something to the creature. It walked over to the woman lying on the bed and raised the dagger. "Kelemvor protect us..." she whispered as he brought the dagger down into her chest.

"No!" Oriana screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks. She closed her eyes and turned her head away as her undead father began to eat her mother's corpse.

"Beautiful dance of life, death, and undeath, no?" the mage cackled. He walked over to Oriana and lifted her head up.

Not much more than sixteen, Oriana glared at the man, her chestnut brown hair clinging to her soot covered face and neck. The mage smiled. He could think of several uses for the young woman.

"Bring her! We leave for the tower," the mage said, still grinning to himself.

"Kill me now!" Oriana yelled after him.

"No, my child..." he said turning around. "You still have some use left in you." With that, he muttered something and grinned as her head drooped forward and her body became limp as she fell asleep. "Rest in peace..." he cackled and walked out.

Only one person noticed the figure and his minions as they walked out of town. The drow flicked a coin in the air grinning, then stabbed at a villiager that was trying to run by.

[Aodhan the Unusual]

Oriana huddled in the corner of the small, windowless room shaking. A flash of red and she cried out as another wave of negative energy coursed through her body.

"I told you child, there would be consequences should you not obey..." the mage said, sending another ray of negative energy at her.

"I.. I'm s-sorry Master! I'm sorry!"

"Not sorry enough..." He reached into a component pouch. "Perhaps this will teach you a lesson..."

A flash of red and Oriana gasped in pain. It wasn't physical like the rest of the spells. This one felt like part of her soul was ripped out from her. He cast again. This time she felt her heart skip a beat and her body weaken as if her life was being drained. Her skin became more pale, sweat formed on her brow.

"P-please..." She begged weakly. "Please... Stop..."

"Stop? Oh no... No no... I will continue until I feel I am done... Not at the request of a slave..." he cackled and casted several more spells at her. The strain on her body and soul became too much and Oriana passed out.

"Hmph... Weak child..." he left the room in a swirl of robes, closing and locking the door behind him, leaving her inside.

*****

Many months had passed. Oriana had grown pale, her hair turned white, her body weakened by the man she called Master. She had grown subdued and quiet. If not for her lack of rotting flesh, one would almost think she was just another undead creation.

Life at the tower was relatively quiet... Relatively... If one could call the screams of pain and the casting of spells quiet. Oriana did her daily work - clean the equipment in the lab, collect the blood from the recent victims, dispose of bodies her Master did not find suitable to continue experiments on. Before dumping the bodies, Oriana would dig through the remains for anything of value. On one such occasion, she found a small black piece of cloth with a nicely embroider emblem of an upright skeletal arm holding golden scales. She folded it up and tucked it away. With a sigh and a silent prayer, she disposed of the body in the large fire pit at the far end of the room. Yet another follower of the Lord of Death taken by the hands of a necromancer.

[Aodhan the Unusual]

Fall... The time of slow death as winter approaches. Oriana stared out the window of the kitchen and sighed. Just a few more months and she would have been here a year. A year of torture and pain. A year of struggling to stay alive amongst her master's often bouts of anger that would, more often than not, leave her in a quivering mass in the corner of her dark cell. She turned back to the oven, stirring the stew as it simmered.

"Child! Get in here!" came from the dining room and Oriana cringed. The old woman who stood at the counter chopping more vegetables blanched and looked at her. Someone had done something wrong again... And Oriana had to pay.

Head bowed, hands folded in front of her, Oriana walked into the dining room. She stood a step back from her master's chair, staring at the floor in front of her. She heard the swishing of robes as he quickly approached and she steeled herself for his harsh touch or casting of spell that was imminent. Instead, she felt his bony hands push her back. She walked forward until he grabbed her arm and she cringed.

"Ah! See there? She has been trained well, no?" he cackled. Oriana closed her eyes, sighing ever so slightly.

"Mmm... Yes..." a young masculine voice replied.

Oriana opened her eyes, still keeping her head lowered. She could see the bottom part of the man's robes, rich black velvet lined with silver threaded runes. Oriana blinked and averted her eyes when he raised her head.

"She doesn't look all that old yet," he said, walking around as if appraising her.

"Seventeen springs in a few months," Oriana said quietly. There was a murmer from the old man and she doubled over in pain.

"You will show my student the same respect you show me, child!"

Oriana nodded slowly as she stood back up, her head lowered once again. "Y-yes, sir," she whispered.

"How smart is she? Think she'd learn the..." the young man was interrupted by a hard whack with a staff.

"Don't give the wretch any ideas, Markus. She will be your personal servant, to do with as you wish during your time here."

Oriana blinked a couple of times at this then bowed. "Dinner is ready, sir..."

"Then what are you waiting for child? Go get it!" the mage roughly pulled her towards the kitchen and pushing her hard, with an almost unnatural strength for his fragile form.

Oriana ran the rest of the way into the kitchen, telling the old woman the masters were ready to eat. With a nod, the two gathered the food laden trays and took them out. The rest of the night passed uneventfully, Oriana being allowed the luxury to retire early as the two men sat in the study pouring over tomes and scrolls. She lay on her bed of straw awake for most of the night, wondering how this new development would affect her.

The next morning seemed to come all too quickly when she was awaken by a jolt of searing pain in her side. Sitting up, she saw the old mage glaring at her.

"Thought we could sleep late, child? I'll give you a reason to sleep late!" He made as if to cast again when a shadow stepped forward and a hand touched his arm.

"She's of no use to me unconscious or dead, Master Laetra," Markus said. The old mage glared at them both then left the room in a huff, muttering under his breath.

Oriana stared at the man that just saved her hours worth of pain. He looked to be in his mid to late twenties, his short cut brown hair a mess. His warm brown eyes reflected the smile he currently wore as he looked down upon her.

"What is your name? Surely you must be tired of hearing 'child' by now."

Oriana studied him a moment more. She had only been in this position not even a year yet and here he was asking her name? Since when did slaves have names? She tried to find any hint of deception in his face. Like a joke that she was about to walk right in to. The only thing she could see though, was sincerity.

"M-my name is Oriana... Sir," she replied, looking at the floor.

"Well then, Oriana... Get yourself cleaned up and meet me in the study." He smiled at her a moment more the left.

Oriana sat there a moment, confused. There had to be something he was hiding. But what? She blinked a couple of times, breaking her train of thought. She ran to the kitchen, splashing some water on her face and wiping her hands on the cleanest towel she could find. She practically bounced as she made her way to the study to start her work for her new master.

[Aodhan the Unusual]

Winter's grip on the land was harsh. The frost went deep, the snow thick, and the moth eaten piece of cloth that was Oriana's blanket, did nothing to stave the cold off. Nor did the extra pieces of clothing or two she snagged while cleaning help much. She woke every morning to find her joints practically frozen from the night. Her skin was dry and cracked often, making tasks more difficult. The cook, kind soul that she was, gave Oriana a hot cup of watered down coffee whenever she could. It wasn't a lot, but it was all she could do.

Oriana did her best to hold herself together while in her masters' presence. She would try to stand as close to the fireplaces as she could while the two weren't looking, trying to get just the littlest bit of warmth to her aching joints. During one such occasion, as she waited patiently for Markus to finish his studies, she didn't notice that he had started watching her.

Days passed and Oriana did her usual routine when she wasn't needed. Markus watched her from the shadows, smiling as he noticed the level of care she put into the upkeep and cleaning of the lab equipment. He watched as she dug through the remains of the unfortunate lab victims then noticed as she would take articles of clothing and tie them to her legs under her skirt, checking herself very carefully for obvious signs of what she did as she pulled her skirt back down. He noticed she would steal away to her little closet of a room, tucking the clothing under the straw, careful to cover it up so no one would see it unless they knew what they were looking for.

One day while she was cleaning the equipment, Oriana stopped and stared at a book that had been left opened. There were strange runes and pictures that covered the open pages. She stepped forward, trying to get a better look when she heard footsteps behind her.

"It's not enough that you steal clothes? You're on to stealing books now?" Markus asked, a bit of amusement in his voice.

Oriana took a step back and looked to the floor. "I-it was left open, sir... I was merely curious... It won't happen again.."

Markus walked over and looked at the book, a smirk playing on his face. "You can read then?"

"Yes, sir," Oriana said, taking another step back and closing her eyes. She would be tortured greatly tonight, she just knew it.

"You know... I've been watching you lately... I must say, you almost seem to enjoy your work..."

Oriana just stood there quietly.

"Well? Do you?" Markus took a step forward.

"You.. Could say that, sir..."

"Why don't you look at me?" Markus stepped in front of her.

"The master is... Not to be looked upon... It would be seen as trying to be equal... I am not equal... I am allowed to live so that I may serve the master however he sees fit... That is all."

Markus studied her a moment. He noticed her hands were wrapped in shredded pieces of blood stained cloth, her feet wrapped the same. Patches on the clothes she wore were every where. He gently lifted her chin and frowned a bit as she looked away.

"Look at me..." he said, gently, but firmly.

"I'm sorry, sir..."

"I gave you an order. Look at me."

Oriana swallowed hard and looked at him. He smiled at her, making Oriana wonder once again what he was hiding.

"That's not so bad, is it?"

"N-no, sir..."

"Good. Well when you are through here, I want you to gather your belongings and move them into my room."

"Sir?" Oriana said then cringed as she realized how shocked she must have sounded.

"You heard me. You'll not be sleeping in that cell of yours any more. You will be staying with me. After seeing how you take care of this equipment, I'd like to see the same attention to detail in keeping up my room. And for doing that, you will have a place to stay that is warm and at least a little bit more comfortable."

Oriana furrowed her brow and just looked at him. There was definitely something wrong. None of the other servants were allowed to sleep in the bed chambers, and only a couple were even allowed in to keep them up. She nodded slowly and he turned to leave.

"I'll expect you to be moved in and have my room prepared this night."

She watched him leave then turned back to look at the book. She lifted the cover to read the title. Dominance Through the Arcane sparkled in silver on the spine. Oriana looked back towards the door, her eyes narrowed a bit. It was bad enough she was in the position she was in, but to be controlled through magic? It was time to stop playing the helpless slave girl and start planning for revenge.

[Aodhan the Unusual]

"Another day, another lesson, eh?" Markus asked as he climbed out of bed.

Oriana looked at the ground and nodded slightly. The rough mat on the floor beside the hearth wasn't all that more comfortable than the straw she had been sleeping on, but at least it was warm. Her new daily routine set her off by an hour or two at the most, but for the warmth, it was well worth it. She glanced up briefly, blushing as she caught a glimpse of his naked form as he changed into his robes. She furrowed her brow a moment and sighed, realizing she was distracting herself.

"Something wrong?" Markus asked as he turned around, adjusting his belt.

"Oh, no sir," Oriana said quickly, glancing to the fireplace.

He looked at it then to her and shrugged. "Very well. Master Laetra and I will be in the lab most of the day today, so you will be free to do whatever else it is you do."

Oriana nodded and waited for the sound of the door closing. Counting to twenty, she looked up and around at the room. She started with straightening the bed sheets and went from there cleaning the room. When she was done, she went to the door and listened. She heard the brief shuffling of one of the undead servants go by, but otherwise nothing. Smiling, she went over to the hearth and pulled up a loose stone slab, revealing a book hidden inside. Looking around once more, she pulled out the dusty book and sat against the wall and read.

A lucky find for her, some of her master's earliest notes on the arcane, she studied it every chance she got. From basic principles to even the most simple of cantrips, Oriana poured over each and every bit. As time passed, she began practicing the simple cantrips, stealing what she needed while she worked around the tower. Today she was going to try another spell. She had pretty much mastered creating magical light. She flipped through the book and studied what was needed to for a spell labeled as 'Acid Splash.' She worked her hands in the way it described and sounded out the verbal as best as she could. When she felt ready, she moved to face the fireplace and attempted to cast.

Fizzle, pop! Sizzle... One right after another, she tried, but just couldn't get it right. She studied the notes and tried again. There was a small green spark, but other than that, nothing. She growled at her hands in frustration. If she can make magical light, she could do this. She put her full concentration into it, weaving her hands, letting the words of magic roll off her tongue. A small green globe appeared in her hands. She concentrated on it, making it grow a little bit more. She smiled as she held it in place, this tiny globe of acid. She could hear the sizzling of the wood floor as bits dripped off, but ignored it. She had done it.

Her joy was short lived as the door swung open, breaking her concentration. The orb dropped onto her hands and she cried out as the acid burnt her flesh. Markus ran over, putting an arm around her shoulder.

"What happened?" he asked, looking around.

Her hands were burned, she was discovered, and there was only one way she would get out of this. The thought of being a lab experiment was too much and she began to cry.

Markus looked around a bit more when he noticed the book lying on the ground. He shook his head and pulled Oriana closer.

"Shh... It's all right... Failures happen..."

There it was again... That tone of kindness. Of warmth... Oriana couldn't handle it, letting herself go. Markus held her for a long while attempting to calm her. Finally, tears done, Oriana sat sniffling, staring at her hands.

"I...I am ready..." she said.

"Ready? For what?" Markus lifted her head.

"For my punishment..."

He laughed. It was a light hearted laugh like one would at a joke. Oriana tilted her head and stared at him clearly confused. She had just been caught not only reading, but practicing magic. Her punishment should be severe.

"You, my dear, are not getting punished."

"What do you mean?"

Markus smiled. "You have at least some aptitude for magic. To punish such would be a waste."

Oriana sat in quiet contemplation for a few minutes before looking up at him. "Why did you decide to... To become a..."

"A necromancer?"

Oriana looked down and nodded slowly.

"There is potential in the undead. They are almost the perfect soldiers and servants. They don't need to eat, sleep, nor do they get sick. However, they lack the mental capacity to think properly, which gets in the way of some things. Besides, between you and me," he leaned closer and whispered, "I find that studying how they are created, one learns how better to destroy them."

Oriana pulled back and studied him. He just sat there and nodded.

"You... Will not punish me?" she asked finally.

"Seems you have punished yourself enough," he motioned to her hands. "I will not punish you, no. But... If you would allow me... I would like to, perhaps... Teach you."

"But what about..."

"Master Laetra? What he doesn't know won't kill either of us, eh?" he stood up, holding a hand down to her. "Come. Let's get those burns cleaned up, shall we?"

Oriana tenderly took his hand as he helped her up, her mind running with a thousand different thoughts. Most about how this was sounding too much like childhood fairy tales... And how badly they generally ended...

[Aodhan the Unusual]

Time seemed to pass quickly for Oriana. She was kept so busy between her studies and her work, on occasion she would pass out from exhaustion. Between this and the punishments that usually followed, Oriana found herself falling further behind in her studies. Markus began to hold back on his teachings as he began to notice not only her exhaustion, but her lack of eating as well. She had become so obsessed with wanting to learn, but at a cost she had stopped paying attention to. Markus even showed Oriana how to control some of the lesser undead to help with some of her tasks to give her some time to rest, but she never seemed to stop.

As spring changed to summer, the heat only made matters worse. Markus stopped his lessons completely in the hopes that Oriana would take some time to rest, get back her strength. This only seemed to fuel her fire and she worked harder than ever to learn all she could. Markus tried in vain to talk sense into her, but she would only pay attention long enough to tell it wasn't a lesson, and continue with what she was doing.

As Oriana began wasting away, even Master Laetra started noticing the change. His punishments grew more harsh as she began to fall farther and farther behind with her daily chores, but Oriana no longer seemed to care. During one of her punishments, she even began to laugh, infuriating the mage to the point he nearly drained her of all her life. Her only saving grace was a young man's voice reminding his master that she was of no use to him dead.

Waiting for his master to leave, Markus took the unconscious Oriana to his room, strapping her to the bed. He sat by her side, watching her as she slept, noticing she was more thin than he had thought. Dark circles surrounded her eyes, making them appear almost sunken in. She whimpered every so often, and he soothed her with gentle words and a soft touch, only leaving her side when it was time for his studies.

Several days passed before Oriana awoke. She struggled weakly against her ties and spat curses at Markus as he tried to get her to eat. Realizing force was not going to help him, he decided a different approach. He would teach her, but only if she agreed to do as he said. Whatever burned inside Oriana seemed to rage against this, though she eventually agreed.

While weak and bedridden, Markus decided to teach her languages he knew. Elven and draconic, the beautiful and the arcane. Oriana seemed to pick these up easily enough, eventually having full conversations with Markus as he took care of her. He then began teaching her a darker language. As time passed, he began summoning creatures, testing out Oriana's ability to speak the languages he taught.

When Oriana began eating on her own, Markus untied her, giving her freedom to move about the room, but not outside it. Every day when Markus left, she would scour the room for reading material, spell components, anything to continue her studies. As her searches ended with nothing, she would clean the room, talking to herself in one of the new languages she had learn. Markus came in to eat with her and watched with worry as she would pace the room, speaking to herself, switching through the languages in response.

"Oriana... You have got to stop this!" Markus said one night, grabbing her by the arms.

"Leave me! I have work to do!" she spat in draconic.

Markus let her go and watched as she began pacing and talking to herself again. "You're not going to get anywhere if you don't stop this insanity!"

Oriana stopped and looked up at him. He noticed that the dimness in her eyes, the blank looks she had been giving him, seemed to fade away as if something finally clicked. He almost smiled then noticed she wasn't looking at him, but past him. Turning, he looked out the window.

"And thus the time we knew is past... The time that will be has finally come... An end to all not far behind..." was all Oriana said before she sat down and quietly ate her dinner.

Markus watched her, a chill running down his spine. He looked out the window again, watching a leaf as it fell from a nearby tree. Summer was just starting to come to an end... And it seemed winter was already here...

[Aodhan the Unusual]

The days grew shorter and Oriana prepared. She had become more careful in her work, making sure even dear Markus wouldn't know... She smirked a bit. Dear Markus... The man who's weakness for her gave her the opening she needed.

She worked hard every day, watching and waiting. It wouldn't be long before Master Laetra became consumed in his preparations for his mid-winter sacrifice. What would it be this time? Oriana wondered idly as she cleaned. Would it be a beautiful virgin? A couple? Some poor Lathanderite that didn't get away? What if...? She grinned as everything started falling in place. Yes... This would be her chance...

It wasn't long before the night of the sacrifice came. Oriana smiled inwardly at how easy it was convincing Markus to let her come and watch. This would be it... She would either succeed or die trying. Either way, there was no turning back, no second guessing. She would do this tonight.

Oriana waited in the room of sacrifice as the victim for this year's festivities was brought in. A young woman, no older than Oriana, wearing a white dress and a blindfold, was carried in by two undead warriors. Oriana's insides tightened as the girl's arms and legs were shackled to the altar and she began to stir from the drug induced sleep. Oriana wanted to comfort her, to tell her things would be all right. That her soul would not be lost and she would be free, but knew it would be a wasted effort as the girl started struggling against her restraints and two men in black robes walked in.

Oriana waited while Master Laetra and Markus began their chant as they made runes on the floor using a black powder. Her timing had to be perfect. She couldn't leave any room for errors. Her palms started sweating as the moment grew closer, the kris shaking a bit in her hands as she focused on her anger to give her the needed strength to drive the knife into the man's heart.

Master Laetra stood behind the altar, muttering a prayer as he prepared the dagger for its plunge. Oriana gripped her kris tighter and tensed. As he brought his dagger down, Oriana lunged at him, stopping suddenly as something black moved between her and Laetra. A gasp was the only sound that could be heard in the second of silence before Laetra collapsed, Markus following just moments later.

Oriana fell to her knees as she noticed the dagger in Markus' back. It was her dagger. She shook her head then noticed Markus' outstretched hand and followed it up. A dagger stuck out of Laetra's chest, quivering as he gasped for breath. Oriana and Laetra's eyes met, both filled with a moment of shock at what had just happened, then realization hit them both.

"Kill her!" Laetra croaked as he grabbed his chest, and pulled himself to a sitting position. The undead guards took a moment but began shuffling quickly towards Oriana as she stood.

"No!" Oriana pulled her knife from Marku's still body and quickly moved over to Laetra. "You will die this night. You will pay for... Gyah!"

Laetra laughed as Oriana was suddenly blinded by a flash of light. The guards closed in and Oriana struggled in their grasp. "You have proved yourself, child... We... Need not be enemies..." He laughed hoarsely, ending in a gurgling cough.

Oriana blinked several times, her vision returning. Laetra grinned up at her, a bit of red showing at the corner of his lips. "We could be... Powerful, child... You and I..."

"Are done..." Oriana laughed and muttered under her breath a moment, smiling as the guards let her go and took a step back. She looked to the guards a moment and nodded, stepping back as they advanced on her stricken master.

Oriana pulled a small vial from her pocket and drank it then knelt down beside Markus and carefully lifted him. She walked slowly out of the room as screams and the sickening sounds of bone crushing and flesh being ripped began to echo throughout the tower. She walked outside the tower, not feeling the ice on her bare feet or the cold wind as it blew around her. The screams faded in the distance as she continued walking towards the village, Markus' limp body in her arms, and the one thing she had been waiting years to finally gain... Revenge.

[Aodhan the Unusual]

Wind whipped around the shadowy figure as it made its way through the woods, their steps purposeful and determined. Finally finding the clearing and an old tower, now dark, moss and ivy covered, the figure looked around. It had been three years now and still the sight of the tower sparked a bit of anger in Oriana as she made note of how time had changed things.

She stared up at the windows, counting each one and recalling what window belonged to what room. She listened for sounds of life as she stepped to the door, but nothing other than the trees in the wind, moved. Looking back into the woods a moment, she took a deep breath and went inside.

Casting a spell of light, she made her way into the dark hallway. Dust lay thick upon the floor though Oriana noticed that there were foot prints that were at least a few months old. She chalked it up to some hunter or lost wanderer coming in from the weather and continued to look around.

The rooms were ransacked, many remains charred and left in the middle of rooms were the sight on the second and third floors. Oriana poked at the remains with her walking stick, and nodded as the forms of the undead servants, or what was left of them, were revealed. "At least I do not have to worry about that..." she muttered quietly as she looked through the desks and bookshelves, pocketing an item here, a book there as she went.

Oriana continued on, eventually making her way to the one room she had wanted to see for months now. She gently pushed the door open with her walking stick and listened. Satisfied she walked in and looked around.

On the altar lay the skeletal remains of what once was a young woman, still garbed in white and chained. On the floor leaning against the corner was another skeleton. Shredded remains of a robe were all that hung on its shoulders, a kris, still stained a dark red, clutched in one hand. Oriana muttered a spell and looked around, nodding in satisfaction at the lack of magical auras found within. She walked over to the altar, gently touching the remains of the woman and muttering a quiet prayer. As she finished the prayer, Oriana's light spell ended and she sighed. She let her eyes adjust to the dimness a moment then felt around the corner of the altar until she made out the shape of the kris, taking and tucking it into a pouch.

Making her way back to the door and down the hall, Oriana listened and noticed that the whistling of the wind had died down but the patter of rain could be heard. She fumbled in her components pouch as she continued to head out. She stopped for only a moment and looked up only to find a spectre floating right in front of her. She screamed and backed up quickly from it as it moaned and reached for her. She stumbled on something and fell, hitting her head on the stone floor. The last thing she saw was the maddening grin of the spectre as Laetra reached for her, his laugh echoing eerily in her ears...


Oriana screamed and bolted upright in bed, drenched with sweat. It took several moments for her surroundings to register and she tensed as footsteps hurried towards the door of the room she was in. As the door opened she spoke something arcane and a ball of acid splashed against the door, startling the person on the other side.

"Ma'am, are you all right?" a female voice asked from the other side of the door.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Oriana asked, ready to throw another blob of acid.

"I am Denise, a healer. You are safe here."

Oriana was about to say something when the adrenaline rush ended and she passed out once again, the shuffling of skirts and a worried voice faded in her ears.

Days passed before Oriana was considered healthy enough to leave on her own, the healer and her husband reluctant to let her go, but understanding. Oriana gave them a bit of coin in thanks for what they had done and left after the midday meal, their blessings of luck and good health bringing a slight smile to Oriana's lips as she headed down the road.

Weeks passed as she took her time heading southwest, eventually coming to the lands of Cormyr. She headed to the small town of Isinhold, and after some searching, found the small family graveyard just outside the gates. Gently touching the stone engraved with the name "Markus," Oriana smiled saddly and pulled out the kris, digging a small hole to the side of the grave and burying it. "I told you I wanted revenge... And you made it possible... Thank you, my friend..." A tear fell onto the stone as Oriana stood and turned towards the town. "New beginnings... Let us see where this road leads us..."

[Aodhan the Unusual]

Oriana wandered about the city, lost to her thoughts. So much had happened since she had arrived. Friends, enemies, new skills, more knowledge, new insights into the world. It was life. It was full, it was fresh, it was... falling apart...

She rubbed her arm as she walked and muttered softly to herself. Passersby didn't seem to notice the black robed woman as she did this. Each intent on completing their own quests for food, items, and daily routine. Oriana stopped a moment and watched, listening.

A mother with two children wandered by threatening to beat the life out of them should they disobey. A man walked past humming softly and looking clean, no doubt for his mistress. Couples passed looking longingly into each others' eyes.

Oriana sighed and continued on. They all are living... They have families and friends... Not completely oblivious to the struggles of the world... and yet, not troubled by them either... she thought.

You... wish to... be like them... To be... satisfied just to... live day to day... ignorant of the world... Locked in your... own fantasies of... happiness...

Oriana furrowed her brow and glanced to her right. The creature was there, fading in and out as it always did, but keeping just in sight.

Admit it... You wish... you had never... picked up the book... Never... attempted to read... the notes... Never took... that step that lead... to where you are... today...

Oriana frowned and continued walking through the crowd. A fish merchant was barking his wares as the street walkers quietly suggested theirs. So much life...

You... want to... see it all end... don't you? To... wave your hand... and watch life... be snuffed out... like a candle...

Oriana turned on the creature, her teeth gritted in anger as she muttered softly, "What do you... know of what... I want?"

The creature snickered and disappeared, leaving Oriana alone as she muttered to herself again. Nearby people gave her room and whispered to each other about her possible sanity, but she did not hear them, lost to her thoughts again.

She made it back to her room and tossed her cloak onto the bed. I am at a crossroads once again... What I have come to call my family I endanger and am hated by... My new friends want to help, but keep their distance... The Scribe is only out for his own gain... And yet, if I walk alone...

Death... comes for you... no matter... where you are... who you know... or what you do...

She turned and there by the wall the creature stood. "Death... will not come... if I continue... the path I'm on..." she said hoarsely, watching the thing as it moved about the room.

You have... felt its embrace... three times now... This dance... will end... and you... will fail... it snickered.

"You... know not... of what... you speak..."

Perhaps... Perhaps... your attempts... at kindness... to... balance your soul... are not... enough to... redeem you... You know.. He will not... take you...

Oriana grabbed a book from the small bookcase in the room and threw it at the creature. The book hit the wall with a thud and landed on the bed as the shadow reappeared beside her.

You... cannot hurt... what is not there...

"Go... away... leave me... in peace..."

We are... at peace... Embrace me... as you would... a lover... and peace... shall be... all you know...

"Why... do you... haunt me?"

I am... the darkness... you try to kill... But as you... can see... there is... no escape... We can... play these... games of yours... until the end...

Oriana growled in frustration and tore the room apart, collapsing into an uneasy sleep as exhaustion finally took over. A quiet snickering echoing softly in the background as she dreamed.

[Aodhan the Unusual]

She walked the streets of the town, cloaked and hooded. It had been many years since she had returned to the place she had grown up. In her absence the town had rebuilt and prospered. That which was once a nightmare to remember now just seemed an ancient shadow.

There were many old faces that she recognized and hesitated for, wanting to stop and talk with them, but fearing their reaction. Instead she pulled her hood lower and merely nodded if they acknowledged her presence. She made her way slowly through the streets as if remembering with each step. Playing with the neighboring children... Helping some of the farmers pick the corn or apples or whatever happened to be in season... Laying in the grass up on the hill and watching the clouds with her father...

Oriana stopped and looked to the east. The rise was still there as it had always been. A little more eroded away but still the highest point in the town. A nice little place to watch the sunrise or to look at the clouds. A small smile crept into Oriana's features as she remembered. There was something different though... Something that seemed almost out of place.

"Kelemvor's Watch," a voice at her elbow said. Looking down, an unfamiliar old lady stood, hunched over a gnarled wooden cane.

"Why is it called that?" Oriana asked as she looked back up.

"Come, child. Help me to the point and I will show thee," the woman said as she held out her free arm for Oriana's guidance.

Walking in silence the two made their way through the town and up to the cliff top. There, about six feet from the edge, was a stone marker, the symbol of Kelemvor carved into the top. Oriana read the words underneath as the old woman seemed to say them from memory.

"Kelemvor, watch those of this town and protect them. Keep them from being lost into the darkness; Guide them on the path of light. Bring back those who seem to have strayed and let them not be lost in the night."

"But... Why..." Oriana asked and the old lady pointed to the bottom of the marker.

Many names were listed at the base. Reading through them a chill suddenly crept up Oriana's spine. She stopped half way and stood straight. Lilliana Gant... Jonathan Gant... Oriana Gant... Not believing it, she stepped closer, running her gloved hand over the carved names.

"Such a nice family too. Did you know them?"

"Only in passing... What happened?" Oriana's voice grew a bit heavy as she attempted to hold back her emotions.

"These all died the night of the raid. Terrible business that. The drow came from the forest just after nightfall..."

"No... What happened to the family? The Gants. What happened to them?"

"Well... If memory serves right, when things died down, a group went to their house to get help. Lilliana was a priestess, you know. They found Johnathan chewing on an arm of Lillian - terrible sight I was told. However the daughter, Oriana, was never found. It was thought that Johnathan had already devoured the poor girl before going on to his wife." The old lady shook her head and sighed. "Such a nice family. Such a horrible way to go out."

Oriana closed her eyes, finding her mouth suddenly dry and having trouble swallow as the memories returned. She stood in silence for several minutes before she heard the old lady shuffle a bit behind her.

"Oh! The grandchildren will be arriving shortly. I'll just make my way back down. Take care of yourself deary."

Oriana didn't seem to hear as she just stared at the names listed on the stone. Her name, listed there with her parent's. She looked down at the town.

I am dead to them... she thought, watching people as they went about their business.

She stayed up there until the sun set, a darkness settling within her. I am dead... she repeated to herself as night came to the land.

In almost a daze, she walked the now silent streets, stopping to look at a random house. Family... Innocence... she thought, then reached into her components pouch a moment. She muttered softly under her breath and smirked slightly as the house exploded from a well aimed fireball. Death...

She quickly made her way from the town as shouts rose in fear and anger at the attack. She ran for as long as she could before finding and ducking into a cave to lose those that may have been pursuing her. Listening, she heard voices stop right outside, but couldn't hear what was said. Eventually they left and she sighed a bit in a relief. Taking a moment for her eyes to adjust, she decided to have a look in the cave.

There was nothing extraordinary about the small cave. However, it did give her a place to hide and rest for the night. Making sure no one was coming, she pulled out an old cloak to use as a pillow and wrapped up in her heavy cloak, fell asleep.


'She is lost to us...'

'There is the chance...'

'No. She's turned her back on all our teachings. This is the path she's chosen.'

'Surely there is some way...

'We lost our daughter the night of the fire. May her soul rest in peace...'

Oriana awoke with a start, looking around. The early rays of the morning were starting to creep into the cave and she groaned as she sat up, rubbing her back. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and noticed that the fingers of her gloves were wet. Taking one off, she felt her cheek, her brow furrowed as she felt the trail of tears. Shaking her head, she made ready and left while the shadows were still long and the roosters were making their way to announce the new day.



In the town graveyard, fresh flowers were laid on family graves of the Gants and at the site of the explosion. The flowers at the charred remains of the house had a scroll tied around them. No one knew who left it, but when the scroll was open, only two words were written on it in a flowing script.

I'm sorry.