After a series of magical and natural attacks from the party, the Shadow Man's form changed. His torso elongated with exposed ribs jutting out, two pairs of jagged horns grew out of his skull, and another set of arms wrenched themselves free from the main set. Lastly, a third eye opened on his forehead negating all magic save for the innate abilities of Quake and Captain Lion.

"Let's see how you fight without your magic to protect you!" The Shadow Man sneered.

"I fight rather well thank you very much!" The Swordsman cut loose with another barrage of crossbow bolts from his heavy repeating crossbow.

"Muwhaa! Ha! Ha! Ha!" The Shadow Man let out a guttural laugh as he brushed aside the crossbow bolts with ease.

Quake reverted back to dragon form and cut loose a jet of lava which caught the monster off guard. She was still charged up from the last encounter with the blood mage and blasted him again.

The smell of rotten flesh permeated throughout the area and was starting to attract attention. Lots of 'dead' attention.

Captain Lion's rifle gleamed in the pale light as he cut forth another shot adding to the searing damage from Quake's two breath attacks.

The wailing in the distance grew with intensity for a minute then slowly dissipated but the light was getting closer.

"What is that wailing sound?" Irzen asked no one in particular as he aimed for The Shadow Man's right eye socket before he took another shot, "It reminds me of being at a wake!"

A bright light emanated in the natural darkness of the shadow fell and its inhabitants wailed in anguish.

The Shadow Man raised his gnarled head, all three eyes narrowing to see the light coming closer. For a moment nothing registered until a soft silhouette of a creature of light emerged.

"YOU!!"

"This fight is no longer yours, my friends. Go, find and seal the Black Gate." Came a soft heavenly voice of a beautiful fae/celestial form of Caliaphy.

"Is THAT, Caliaphy?!" Irzen asked no one in particular.

"Caliaphy?!" Prince Birch asked staring at the beautiful form, "Who is Caliaphy? I see a wonder of wonders before my eyes." In explicably the Elven Prince pulled out a scroll and a quill pen, "I feel a poem coming on!"

"Wow! Pretty!" Quake's eyes enlarged at the kurori's true form.

"Right! Madeous, Irzen, Quake. Let's go!" Captain Lion motioned over to them, "We've done all we can!"

"Time to go, your Highness!" Lord Irzen grabbed Prince Birch by the arm and dragged him after himself.

"But--but--"

"Flee now, wax poetic later!" Irzen responded to Birch's protests, "We still have a job to do here!"

As the group headed further away from the ensuing battle between Caliaphy and the Shadow Man. Beams of black and white magic exploded behind them.

"Everyone, get on, Quake." Madeous jumped up onto her back, "Irzen is right, Prince Birch, this is not the time to write a song or story. This is about the survival of you and your people."

Irzen hopped upon Quake's back and Birch followed as well, "Right you are, King Madeous, priorities priorities! My land and my people come first! Later, once we have emerged victorious from this struggle, then AND ONLY THEN, shall I compose a song celebrating our triumph!"

"Be still my beating heart," The Swordsman muttered under his breath as he waited for Quake to move.

Quake moved with ease on the ground within the Shadow Fell, in fact, her movements were silent, eerily silent. The memory of her and Alyson traveling back in time beneath Stormhaven allowed the elemental dragon to navigate the dead earth all the way to their final destination. Coming to a stop overlooking a ridge into a clearing some fifty feet below, was the Black Gate. It was only partially opened but enough to leak through into the mortal world. A mix of green and blood soaked arcane runes circled the pentagram. It pulsed like a heartbeat.

Captain Lion whispered, "There's our target."

Madeous pulled down the visor on his helm, "Indeed."

Quake's entire body shuttered, "This looks a lot likee the one the Lady and I saw underneath Stormhaven."

"They all look alike, Quake," Irzen added as he readied his weapon, "All of them have the same function. All of them have the same source of power."

"It looks like it is alive." Prince Birch gasped in a harsh tone of voice, "As though it is sucking the life out of The Shadow Fell itself--if one could say anything is alive here."

+++++

"Yes, my liege." The Servant turned and ran out of the room.

The princess smiled, "Soon, my friends, you will have the answers to all of your questions."

The Servant returned and with a flourish announced, "My liege, I give you, Sudestren the Sage!"

Both Alyson and Lazheros saw an Elven boy with sandy brown hair and light brown eyes who appeared to be no more than ten years of human age walk into the room dressed in fine robes. Sudestren the Sage kneeled before Princess Cauladra, "Your Royal Highness, as always, it is both a pleasure and an honor to keep your company. What do you wish of me, my liege?"

"Noble Sudestren, my allies here have questions that they wish to ask of you," Princess Cauladra motioned over to both Alyson and Lazheros, "It is they who seek your counsel this eventide not I."

Sudestren rose to his feet and addressed them both, "Elementalist, Grand Cleric, how may I be of assistance?"

Alyson blinked a couple of times to make sure she wasn't the sage, "Wow. Uh, you're really young for a sage unless you are much more than you appear to be."

"I am wise beyond my years, my lady," Sudestren replied with a raised eyebrow of annoyance, "And while I am no Chronicler of Validor I do know quite a bit about my people and the history of the kingdom within which I dwell."

"The Fey Wild and the history of East Port. How old is the connection between the two here? As in the founding of the city itself?" Lazheros inquired.

Sudestren cleared his throat, "The connection between the two is a strong one, my lord. East Port was founded by the ancient Melnibonean Empire as a trading city. Its denizens are the ancestors to every Elf who was born here. The connection to the Fey Wild is one born of slavery. At the zenith of their power, the Melniboneans enslaved denizens of the Fey Wild and used them to power their dark magicks and for even darker experiments. When the Melnibonean Empire fell, some of their kin fled East Port for other lands. Those who remained ruled this area and devolved into us Elves, however, they also gave the Fey who were enslaved here their freedom. Our ancestors simply sought to make a break with the old ways and build something new."

"Ah. I see," Lazheros rubbed his chin, "And how far does your ancestry go back? Centuries?"

"My personal ancestry can be traced back to the Melinbonean Scholar Numar-Nandie Sudestren who lived, studied and used to walk the very streets of East Port over a millenia ago." The Sage scratched his head, "Unless, of course, you mean't something else by your question, my lord?"

"And do you know of the Black Gate that resides beneath your home, Sudestren? Probably not. Some things are or were have been here long before your people settled. They are of an age long forgotten." Alyson's voice merged with both Perthonexio and Deargerax taking on a mixed draconic image.

"Fascinating!" Sudestren turned towards Alyson, "Do you know you have two dragons residing within you? But in answer to your question, yes, I am well aware of The Black Gate beneath East Port. But there is nothing to fear, the Gate is not only closed but the Black Gate itself is sealed deep in a cave with a heavy obstruction covering the entrance." With supreme confidence in his voice, Sudestren added, "Nothing short of a Cave Troll can move it!"

Lazheros pinched the brow of his nose, "And when was the last time anyone ventured down there?"

"Ninety-seven years ago," Sudestren replied without hesitation, "Once every hundred years, a small detachment of Clerics, Champions and Palladins of Labelas Enoreth venture down there to make certain the obstruction covering the entrance is in place. It is due to be visited three years from now. Why do you ask?"

"Vampires are exceptionally strong, Sage. Even by themselves they can take on several mortals but if they worked together, their combined strength could easily move aside any boulder of that size." The three voices of the elementalist spoke again. "Yes and we have yet to acquire more dragon spirits."

"Why would you want to acquire more dragon spirits?" Sudestren began to take more interest in Alyson, "And how do you keep control? How do you maintain order? With so many dragon spirits inhabiting your body, one would think that there would be a conflict. But I sense no struggle or conflict within you, how is that possible?"

******

Maxim and Spencer just blinked. "Eladrin."

Sir Gonagle turned around and came over, "Well, that was sudden and unexpected. Never would of figured that pest to be a Star Elf."

"Eladrin? A Star Elf? What's that?" Serna asked no one in particular.

"Eladrin or star elf in the common tongue are very, very rare in the Realm, miss." Maxim leaned against the railing, "Still doesn't help knowing that the pest of Asylum is one."

"So, Eladrin are Elves from the stars?" Serna asked no one in particular, "Wow! I wonder which star does she come from?"

"It's a metaphor. It means that your friend is half celestial and seelie. Some kind of powerful union happens sometimes and well you get an Eladrin. Wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that one. The light emanating off of them can burn through anything even some of the legendary weapons and items." Spencer told Serna as he jotted down notes in his journal.

"No kidding!" Serna gasped, "I didn't know Caliaphy was THAT powerful! WOW!"

Maxim, Spencer, and Sir Gonagle let out a long winded sigh.

"Oh well," Serna shrugged her shoulders, "So what are we supposed to do now?"

"Wait." Maxim shrugged.

"Gee, can you be anymore cryptic, slayer." Spencer pointed a finger at him.

"How about we play another game?" Serna suggested to no one in particular.

"A sound idea." Spencer ushered Serna back into the captain's quarters.

Maxim and Sir Gonagle followed suit. Round two of UNO was about to begin.

"NEAT!" Serna smiled to everyone, "I'm looking forward to a rematch!"

Spencer sat down next to Serna and began to shuffle the cards again and deal them out.

Maxim took his seat and gave the girl a smile, "So, young miss, do you think you can best me?"

Sir Gonagle chuckled.

"I KNOW I CAN!" Serna declared boldly, "I used to play card games back in Deeping Dale all the time. This one is no different than any other--at least, once you learn the rules. Have any of you ever been to Deeping Dale?"