In the wee hours of December 16th, she had left the Red Dragon Inn in fairly high spirits, all but bare to the night. Where others bundled themselves against the weather (those foolish enough to still be out and about this hour, anyway), this traveler took to the snowy road with her head and hands uncovered, her fur-lined cloak unsecured and prone to billow open in any stiff breeze. It was an oddly liberating feeling, and she certainly drew the eyes of passers-by. How she did not freeze was a marvel in itself.

Asha Ave Enai had waited for nearly a half an hour for a carriage to happen past before she gave up and set out on foot. While she could have taken a more direct route back to the church, the streets were less-traveled, and following the main roads seemed safer. The road led to the marketplace, after which she would turn south and head toward the city gate. The plan seemed sound enough, and the guard was heavier on those streets ever since the marketplace bombings.

Little did she know that she was walking head-first into mayhem.

She cried out as the first explosion rocked the distance. Chaos erupted as the guard rushed onto the scene and citizens were rousted from their homes. A peaceful, if nervous stroll had spiraled into frantic flight as a man tried to grab her. She blindly spun into a back alley and nearly ran into a wall as she fled through the twists and turns. The elf glanced back to see if he pursued, but he hadn't bothered with the trouble of the chase when other prizes might be more easily stolen.

She didn't see the hands that came from behind until it was too late. Index fingers pressed into her temples, and a smooth voice commanded her, "Sleep..." The sensation of pins and needles shot up her body as it was forced to comply, and blackness stole over her sight. Asha fell back into velvet darkness.

Asha had already lost track of the days. She was certain it had not been that long since she had been taken, but she had no way to gauge the time. Though the candles were always lit, the wax did not melt. She had drawn open drapes only to find no windows behind them. Rather, she was met with delicately-painted landscapes that gave the illusion of such. The paintings colored her world eternal night, and she found herself gazing upon them as if they were real. She had nothing but time.

Frequently, she prayed to Barbades, for deliverance, for guidance, for any help, but He was silent to her. Had He forsaken her? Or... were her prayers going unanswered for a reason?

She spent more time asleep than awake, though her rest was often plagued by nightmares. And she found herself wondering if they were not because of him...

Asha had learned much in her inevitable conversations with her captor.

"You may call me Eru," he told her as he set the plate of bread and fruit on the table. She made no move for the food, nor did she give any indication that she had heard him. As he placed a fragile teapot next to the plate, he continued, "You should eat something. It would not suit me to have you starve."

She thought of refusing, but it would have been a foolish and empty victory. She would need her strength if she was to find some way to escape. Fingers absently toyed with the velvet curtain as she stared at the painting before her. This one bore the moon, its light gleaming off a lake depicted far below her. "Why am I here?" she wondered quietly. "Where is here?" Not once did she look at him.

"You are in my home," he answered vaguely. "And you are here because you have been promised to me." She hadn't heard his approach and flinched as he brushed her hair away from her neck. "He said I could have you, if I found it before you."

"The fragment?" she pressed, looking at him out of the corner of her eye, but if she expected an answer, he disappointed her.

"And I found it, and now I have you. This pleases me." His smile was empty. "I have been an admirer of yours for a great many years."

"Let me go?"

He hesitated only a moment, as if he truly considered her request. "No."

* * *

"Why do you still wear that mark? Barbades will not come save you. No one will. You are mine. Remove it." He took his hands from her shoulders, pushing her back a step in the process.

"No." Her answer was simple and resolute. That command held more than mere aesthetic appeal. He wanted her to forsake her faith.

His voice held a tinge of anger, like velvet rubbed the wrong way. "Then I will remove it for you." He had fully intended to do so, but, the moment his hand closed around the symbol, a harsh flash of light erupted between them, and a sizzling crack gave the impression that lightning had just struck. He recoiled, favoring his hand; Asha and the mark were both unscathed. His eyes were venomous, but he said only, "Iiinteresting..."

She had come to a number of conclusions. Firstly, "Eru" was in possession of the fragment of the Rod. That much was obvious, even if he would not admit to it. Secondly, "Eru" was from Tharel. It had taken time for that realization to dawn on her, but it made sense. He claimed he knew of her for years, but she had not yet passed one in Rhy'Din. She had, however, spent half of her life in Tharel and had become rather well-known among its populace. She supposed he could herald from Eahaasae, but that made far less sense... Lastly, "Eru" likely followed Ytrewtsu. The last conclusion was more of a guess, but the pieces fit. The demon god and lord of the Abyss certainly had a grudge against this cleric of the light. She had charged into His domain, radiating holy wrath, destroyed one of His high demons and freed a prize prisoner, Ellis Greatwood. Ellis had died soon after, but his soul was allowed to pass into the light.

That was why she was here. Ytrewtsu wanted revenge, to torment her for her transgressions against Him and try to break her faith. But that was not why she remained.

"I know why You have not answered my prayers, my Lord." Her fingers strayed up to the holy symbol that never left her neck. "I am here for a reason. You allowed me to become captured so that I might wrest the fragment of the Rod from the clutches of Darkness.

"I will not fail You. I promise You that."

She was not cold, but she sat in front of the fireplace, seeming to watch the play and dance of the flames. In truth, her eyes stared through them, past the wall, into a realm denied to secular eyes. Her hands rested in her lap, fingertips touching. Her lips moved, but no sound came forth. Her face was smooth, peaceful, decided. It would all come down to this. She would not fail.

"Eru" was the only other person she had ever seen come to her room. She was certain that was deliberate. Servitude was beneath him. He so dirtied his hands to deny her any external contact. The door was locked, as she had discovered the first time she had been left alone and alert enough to actually explore her surroundings. It was also strong enough to withstand her shoulder bashing into it. The barrage had left her bruised for no good end. The heavy wood was not even scuffed.

The air stirred behind her, and she rose to meet him. He was tall, much taller than she, but she stood firm as she looked up at him.

"Good evening, Asha Ave Enai," he bade her with an empty smile.

"It will be," came her soft reply.

His expression mingled curiosity and hesitant triumph. His eyes wondered if he was beginning to turn her, and he reached to touch her hair. "Yes, I think that it-"

"Eru" was cut off as she thrust her palm against his chest. "N'tess gothamin," she chanted swiftly, and he froze before her. His eyes flashed with anger, but he could do nothing. The hand of her God had stayed him, and she quickly extracted her hair from her fingers. Like a thief, she checked the pockets of his robes, tossing out spell components as she rifled through them, but it was around his neck that she found the key. Perhaps he had thought it safe there. With a sharp tug, she broke the delicate chain and stole her salvation, but she hesitated. Looking up into his eyes, she furrowed her brow. "I am sorry," the cleric told him regrefully, "but you leave me no choice."

She left him standing there like a statue as she raced for the door. Asha needed to act quickly, as she did not know how long the enchantment would last. Her heart fluttered as the lock clicked and the door swung open. Freedom was within her grasp... but she had been brought here for a reason, one she could not overlook. She quelled her desire to flee and shut the door behind her. Clutching the symbol of Barbades, she whispered, "Amin quella." He quickly bestowed His blessing as she faded from sight.

The cleric crept through the halls, carefully exploring the maze of stone. A window revealed nothing but darkness at first, but she soon recognized the night-washed landscape beneath her. The paintings in her room had been very telling. She was in a tower... somewhere... and "Eru" would be pretentious enough to claim the very peak as his own.

She moved through his lair with caution, even though she passed not a living soul. Each time she happened upon a staircase, she ascended. The slow pace did not match the frantic racing of her heart, and her legs urged her to run, but she fought the impulses. Her quickened breath came quietly as she slid forward with all the ghostly silence of death. Beneath a winding staircase, the barred window of a door caught her eye, and she rose on tiptoe to peer inside.

Asha gasped at the women inside. They had been cast aside like forgotten playthings in the presence of "Eru"'s recent fascination. Hopefully, she tried the key in the lock, but it would not turn.

"Who is there?" called a voice, and the pretty face of a young woman peeked through the bars.

How could Asha leave them there? "Please, stand back!" The disembodied voice frightened the girl, and she was only too eager to comply. Unseen hands pressed flat against the door. "Tya'ra harwer," came her chant, and the door cracked beneath her touch... but it still stood! "Bragol thalion erva!" Divine strength sparkled in her blood, and she threw herself into the door. It shuddered, but did not give way. A second blow sent her staggering back. By the third, she crashed through.

Aggression had caused her to forsake her mask of invisibility.

None of them had met, but they recognized her for what she was. Each of them had experienced similar treatment from their host. Asha handed one of them the key. "I do not know if this will open the door outside, but if not, I pray it may be unlatched from within."

"You have come to save us?" The collection of blue and gray eyes were hopeful.

"I... will do what I can, but I have to go on. You must do this alone."

"We will surely be caught!" one of them cried in dismay, but she was quieted as Asha lay her hand on the woman's shoulder.

"No... no, you will not. You must not panic. Trust in me when I tell you this. Barbades will watch over you and guide you to freedom. Join hands." Hesitantly, the women did so. The clerics words were gentle and comforting. "I will bestow upon you a blessing that will hide you from our captor's sight, but it will also hide you from each other. Do not let go, lest one of you be lost. After you are unseen, move quickly but quietly to the base of the tower. If you cannot leave through the door, break open a window. Once you are out, run."

"But... why do you not flee with us, mistress?" wondered the young woman who had peered through the bars.

"Because... there is something I must do. He has something that does not belong to him. I have come to take it. Now, are you all ready?" Bobbing heads assented. "Good. Remember, you must be as quiet as possible. Do not cry out if you see him, for he will not see you... Lle quella..." The softly accented words washed over them, and suddenly, each one of them faded from sight, Asha included. She stepped back from the door. "Go, now. Do not let go." A rustling of fabric rushed past her. "Quieter!" she bade them, and soon she could not hear their cautious footsteps.

One elf rested easy for the first time in nearly a week.

But another was enraged. And anger made him revert to a baser existence. In rage, he destroyed. Perhaps he would have lashed out at his concubines, but they had escaped in the chaos that Asha Ave Enai had wrought on his ordered darkness. He had found the door broken and the chamber empty. The women had fled into the night and would be hard to recapture.

That only enraged him further. Meticulous displays were shattered, totems and artifacts ruined, pages torn out of books, other volumes burned. Every carefully lavish touch to his chambers was shredded beyond recognition. He broke his alchemical tools on the floor as he splintered his workbench. "I did not fail!" he growled at the debris. His blood-red eyes turned to the side, though they seemed to gaze upon nothing in particular. He spent a moment of hesitation listening to silence. "The price of failure does not matter!" he shouted. "I did not fail! Yes, yes, she will be wary, but she is weak. I have but to simply find her again and take the fragment back!" He began to pace, shaking his head, but he bit his tongue as if to keep from speaking out of turn.

"She is weak. She will not have the power to destroy the fragment. There is still time for me to exact my plan." But his eyes grew wide, and his face lost its angered assurance.

"I did not fail," he whispered. "No... my Lord, please... You cannot do this!"

Lightning struck a tall tower south of Rhy'Din city. The powerful blast shot through the entire building in a destructive wave, sending the structure collapsing in on itself.

((Click to read Part Two))