The three of them made their way down to the last stretch of the Undercroft beneath Northaven. A bridge of magic appeared spanning the endless gap to the central area held aloft. There in the center was the palantir that Princess Liliandra spoke of, however, there was someone else there. A long female figure muttered aloud to herself trying to destroy the artifact. The distance was too great for Serna and Caliaphy to see clearly.

Stepping out from behind them, the one and only gnome in red robes appeared again, "Remember, Shield Maiden, it is all about the Charms you wield."

Serna looked down at the Gnome and whispered, "Dungeon Master? What are you doing here? And what do you mean its about the Charms I wield?"

A slight breeze picked up and on the wind, Serna heard, "Charms show all, the reflections of life and truth, young one."

The kurori looked around, "Oh man! He's gone again! How does he do that?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Caliaphy," Serna shook her head in disbelief.

*****

On the center dias lay the palantir. The ancient magical glass orb crafted by the founders of Northaven remained untouched by the intruder hell bent on destroying it. No magic or weapon could break it. It only reflected the image of Eilionwy staring back at it in disgust. "How dare my parents betroth me to a weakling and the youngest prince of a kingdom. I will be QUEEN and all shall LOVE me and DESPAIR!"

*****

Arlhenwe, Caliaphy and Serna could now hear the rantings of an elf maiden gone insane with power on the far side of the Undercroft now.

"I was hoping that we would not encounter her here. Caliaphy and Serna, I will distract Eilionwy long enough for you two to awaken the palantir. The others are depending on us all." The loremaster prepared herself for a confrontation by summoning one her many animal companions, a great white bear.

"Who is she?" Serna whispered to The Loremaster. The Shield Maiden was more curious than she was frightened, "Just be careful, Arlhenwe, if she made it down here too; that means she either has friends or there is more to her than meets the eye."

"Eilionwy was betrothed to Prince Willow, Serna." The loremaster said in a low voice. "There is no reasoning with her and she views any non-elf with contempt, as in she hates the other races. So focus on the palantir and let me deal with her."

"Okay," Serna agreed, "Just be careful."

The white bear took point with Arlhenwe right behind.

Caliaphy tapped the shield maiden on the shoulder, "We need to stay in the loremaster's shadow all the way until we get to the other side, Serna. No talking, okay."

"Mums the word!" Serna stood silent as she waited for the Loremaster to lead both her and Caliaphy across the magical bridge.

The kurori turned back into the fairy and whispered to Serna, "I'm gonna make us invisible now. We'll be fine I hope."

Arlhenwe moved steadily closer and looked over her shoulder to see the magical bridge beginning to disappear. Glancing downward to Caliaphy and Serna, "There's no going back the way we came, only forward."

Serna nodded in agreement but said not a word.

Once the three of them stepped onto the central dias, the bridge vanished. The loremaster's animal companion huffed and growled in a defensive stance towards the figure.

The figure turned around stepping into the light revealing a lithe fair skinned elven female with red hair and green eyes. She held her head up high and regarded the loremaster with little interest, "Arlhenwe? Are you lost?"

"I am right where I need to be at this very moment, Eilionwy. Still craving power that was denied to you, I see. You shall find none here or anywhere else in Northaven when the Sunrider hears of your treachery! You will have no place to call home!" The loremaster gripped her staff in one hand and drew out a sword in the other.

Serna wordlessly prepared her shield. She did not know what Eilionwy would do next but the Shield Maiden was ready for anything.