The Dracolich of Serpent Hill

The Dracolich of Serpent Hill

Nightgal 21 1369 DR, Year of the Gauntlet

~~The Feast of the Moon & The Disguised Dragon~~~

Citizens, both young and old were scattering about Silverymoon. Silverymoon, or the Gem of the North, as some people called the beautiful city, was holding its annual Feast of the Moon festival, and everyone was doing their part to finish preparations in time for the festival.

The Feast of the Moon was an annual holiday where those across Fauern celebrate and honor the memory of their ancestors and departed loved ones by telling stories of their great deeds.

Walking through the busy streets of Silverymoon, a tall silverhaired young man, wearing a tan overcoat that covered his blue silk shirt, watched the citizens go about their business as he slowly made his way to the High Palace.

It had been a little over a year since the undead hunter Shadimir Deachron had moved with his mother and to Silverymoon.

Alustriel, once the High Mage of Silverymoon, had asked Shadimir's mother, Aprilana, to be a head priestess at Mystra's temple, as well as a personal assistant to Alustriel,

Aprilana had little ease to convince her son that raising a young daughter, who by the way was growing just about every day, that Silverymoon would be a great place to raise Dalla.

Shadimir had taken well to the Silver Marshes. Being a hunter of the undead, Shadimir would often be asked to cleans a tomb of its walking undead, or to tell stories of his latest adventure. The hunter noticed that he was building quite a reputation with dwarvish clerics, as "Shadimir the Skeleton Slayer".

The hunter also admired Lady Alustriel. Being a Chosen of Mystra, Alustriel would talk with Shadimir about the goddess of magic, who herself appeared before Shadimir one day, that resulted in the silverhaired man almost jumping out of his window.

Walking up the stairs of the High Palace, the hunter saw a tall stone statue of a woman wearing what appeared to be robes.

"That's a beautiful statue," Shadimir commented as he stopped and looked at the statue.

A wide shouldered man with thick grey hair and a thin beard stepped from behind the statue and nodded at the silverhaired young man. "Why thank you. I've been working on this for about a month."

"Is she your wife, or lover?" the hunter asked the scuplter curiously, ruffling his fingers through his hair.

Nay," smiled, the sculpter," Tis is a statue of the goddess Mystra. Though some of the clerics say that's not how she would appear."

It took Shadimir a momment to notice the sculpter was refering to the large size of the statue's chest. "Well, it is a tad bigger than the priests like to think," the hunter began," but if you want my opinion, I think this is how Mystra would appear to the other gods, particually Kelevmor; Lord of the Dead, Oghama; The All Knowing, and Tempus The Pantless One ."

The sculpter laughed and went back around the statue.

After he started to continue up the steps to the High Palace, Shadimir's ears picked up the sound of a chissel going to work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Upon entering through the High Palace's vast wooden doors, Shadimir was greeted by two of the palace guard, and escorted down the hall to Alustriel's conference room, or as some in the palace guard called it; The War Room.

Walking with the two guards, Shadimir glaced at the different pictures and woven tapestries that decorated the palace walls.

The guards stopped at the conference room door, and told Shadimir to wait till Alustriel was there to see him. When the guards left, Shadimir looked at a tall woven picture on the wall oppisite to the door.

In the background was a vast wooden area and in the center was a beautiful woman with long white hair and wearing blue robes. At first, Shadimir wondered if the woman was Alustriel in her younger days, but at the bottom of the picture in golden print were "REST IN PEACE Dear Sylune"

The door next to the hunter opened with a loud crack. Turning around quickly, Shadimir placed his hands on his belt, ready to pull his mace and sword.

"Always the man with his hands on his belt huh Shadimir," laughed a soft meldious voice from inside the conference room.

"Only when someone tries to take me by surprise," commented the hunter as he entered into the conference room and saw Alustriel standing across a round wooden table. Next to Alustriel stood a woman with long blue hair wearing a blue dress.

Standing next to the bookshelf, Shadimir looked at Alustriel, then at the blue haired woman. "I'm guessing this meeting has to do with her," he said softly.

"Somewhat," answered Lady Alustriel," this is Taralona, she comes from Cormanthor."

The hunter looked at Taralona's face for a moment. Her face appeared normal to him, but something in his mind told him otherwise.

"Nice to meet you," Shadimir smiled, extending his hand to Taralona," Taralona is it?"

The blue haired woman smiled. "Just Tara actually," she gripped the hunter's hand hard and shook softly. "Its an honor to meet you. You've built quite a reputation around Cormanthor for your deeds in outdrinking orcs and wrestling bears."

"I'm sorry, you must have me confused with someone else," he laughed, pulling his hand back after Tara released it. She has quite a firm grip, he thought. "I don't really drink all that much."

The undead hunter stopped speaking as he noticed Tara's eyes were gazing at his beautiful silver hair.

The Lady Alustriel walked over to Shadimir. Pulling out a bronze comb, Alustriel began to run it through his hair, trying to part it down the middle. "Honestly Shadimir, if you are going to have beautiful hair, you should learn how to take care of it."

Shadimir jerked away from Alustriel. "The day I become your slave or apprentice Alustriel, is the day I let you touch my hair," he laughed, trying to back away from the man woman holding the comb.

"Besides, Shadimir wouldn't know how to take care of beautiful hair," said a cheerful voice from behind the silver haired hunter," he's a man after all."

Turning his head around, Shadimir smiled, seeing his lover Stephanie Munoz walking behind him and wrapping her arms around him.

Stephanie stood about as tall as Shadimir, and her long black hair gently brushed the back of his neck. The hunter also felt Stephanie's breastplate armor brush against the back of his longcoat.

"I'm sorry lover," Stephanie purred, kissing his neck," I wished I could have stayed over last night.

The hunter basked in the warmth of Stephanie's lips," It's alright darling, the temple needed you to prepare for the festival."

Like Shadimir's mother, Stephanie was a cleric, but she worshipped Kelemvor, though noone really understood why Stephanie, who had a nature for having a short temper, had picked a calm god like Kelevmor. Stephanie had told Shadimir that she had developed a small infatuation with the Lord of the Dead, and if she couldn't be with him in the afterlife, she would serve him until she died.

Tara smiled at the couple, then looked at Alustriel, who was also smiling for a different reason.

"Tell me Stephanie, how did you get that beautiful streak in your hair," Alustriel asked the cleric of Kelevmor.

Stephanie layed her head on her lover's shoulder. Most of her hair was dark black, but an accident with a color spray spell involving her sister Aliyah had given her a few long golden streaks. "Just born with it I guess," she fibbed to Lady Alustriel.

The hunter melted in his lover's embrace, and smiled. "It's allright darling," he said softly

"Well I would have stayed," she began, more sternly," if someone hadn't sent her chicken to get me out of bed."

"Rowlin is not a chicken Stephanie, shes a hawk," stormed in Aliyah, Stephanie's older sister, who's hawk flew in behind her. Unlike Stephanie, who had darker hair, Aliyah had blond hair, but the same hazel eyes. Shadimir knew Aliyah as a ranger, whose idol was the infamous ranger Drizzt DoUrden, and who unlike him and her sister, worshipped Lathandar; god of the sun.

Dressed in light green leather armor and both her scimitars at her side, Aliyah walked over to the embracing couple, glaring at her sister. She gave a quiet hello to Shadimir and glared at her sister. "Corisan's grandfather passed away, and there were no priests of Kelemvor awake. We all know you priests of the Dull Lord of the Dead like to do the last rites and all."

"Not before dawn, and you barely knew Corisan," the priestess shot back at her sister. " And what do you mean Dull Lord of the Dead," she added, offended at her sister's comment," at least he's not a flamboyant pompus ass like Laethandar."

Aliyah drew both scimitars, ready to strike at her sister, until and irritated Alustriel shouted "Silence!" The Lady of Silverymoon had a wand of shocking grasp ready to deal with the bickering sisters. "Now that we're all settled," Alustriel remarked, keeping her eyes on Stephanie and Aliyah," I've gathered you here because Tara is an old friend and she has asked for our help."

Taralona bowed her thanks to Alustriel, then faced the three humans. "As you know, my name is Taralona, and what you see before you is my human form. In truth, I am a dragon from the Moonsea area where my brother Elisondar and I have been living peacefully for hundreds of years. However, about a month ago, my brother dissapeered." Stopping for a moment, Tara bowed her head down, then she continued," It was alittle later when I found drow priests and wizards scavenging around in our cavern, asking if I wanted to become a dracolich like my brother."

Shadimir wondered why drow priestess would be scavnging through a dragon's nest. The spider goddess Lolth had no real use for dragons, as didn't most of the drow patheon. However there was one goddess.

Kiaransalee, a dark elf goddess of undead and revenge. A goddess who would benefit well from a dracolich, a creation from the Cult of the Dragon.

The silverhaired hunter was about to ask Taralona if she knew her brother was still alive, but Stephanie's beautiful blond haired sister cried," A dracolich, you want us to fight a dracolich?"

"Yesss a dracolich," Tara hissed at Aliyah," and you don't have to fight him. I will fight him myself."

"Yes but theres a problem," Shadimir added sternly."

"The dracolich phylactery," Alustriel also added," an item that the dracolich's soul will flee into before going..."

"Into its undead body," Stephanie added, keeping a hand on Azrael's hilt," if we destroy the dracolich's body after its created, it will flee back into the phylactery."

"Waiting for another dead reptile body to come along," Alustriel finished, grabbing a cup from the table and sipping her wine."

Bother Taralona and Aliyah stood there, confused. "How do you know so much about dracolichs?" asked the disguised dragon.

"Jepetto," the three answered. Alustriel quietly sipped her wine while Aliyah stood there frightened of the thought of fighting a dracolich.

"Well you know what this means," Stephanie calmly remarked," to destroy the dracolich, we have to find the phylactery, destroy it, then destroy the dracolich. The problem is, the damn soul item could be halfway across Fauern by now."

Seeing the smile in Stephanie's face, Aliyah scowled at her sister," You seem calm for someone who thinks this is going to be near to impossible."

The cleric of Kelemvor turned to the ranger of Laethandar, and calmly answered," As you said, its what we priests of Kelemvor like to do. Besides I like a good challenge."

Alustriel strode up to the sisters. "Well to put your fears at ease, I can tell you my scouts have heard rumors that an elf assasin calling himself The Avenger has the phylactery on him. Word of caution, he doesn't like humans." The Shining Lady of Silverymoon approached the hunter and smiled. "As for you Shadimir, I want you to go with Taralona to Serpent Hills to find Elisondar, who is rumored to be tunneling through the Underdark. She leaned in and kissed his cheek, then whispered," You might want to send someone with Stephanie and Aliyah. I would rather have them die fighting side by side, then fighting each other."

Aliyah's eyes witnessed Alustriel's kiss, and the smile on Stephanie's face. The cleric of Kelemvor knew Shadimir would always be loyal to her, and that a kiss from someone as powerful and well known as Alustriel was something of an honor.

"I need to grab some things before we go," Shadimir said, turning to Taralona. He then smiled and kissed Stephanie softly," I'm going to send Deidra with you both, if there are no objections."

The ranger stayed silent, while Stephanie shook her head. "No objections at all love." He quickly grabbed Tara's hand and led her out of the room.

As the hunter and the lady ran out of the palace doors, Aliyah leaned close to her sister and asked quietly," Do you really trust him alone with her?"

"I doublt its just him thats going with her," Stephanie answered quietly," even if that were the situation, I trust him."

"Why?" Aliyah asked her sister, staring into her eyes.

"Well Aliyah," the cleric answered with a slight grin," unlike the men you've been with, Shadimir knows in his heart that I'm always with him, and he's always thinks ahead."

Alustriel quickly walked out of the conference room, seeing the ranger's face swell with anger. Aliyah began shouting and raging about how Stephanie wouldn't know a good man, and other nonsense.

Yet, Stephanie wasn't paying attention to anything Aliyah was saying. Her mind was occupied with thoughts and prayers of her lover making back home safely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The gnome Jepetto was examining a master crafted crossbow when Shadimir had walked into his workshop. The hunter watched the gnome for a moment, still thinking how different he was from his kind.

Jepetto was a svirfneblin, a deep gnome from the underdark. Shadimir had met Jepetto when the gnome was being chased by some drow, who were hunting him for sport. After dispatching the drow, the hunter brought the gnome back to his home, where he explained to Shadimir why he had come to the surface.

As a young lad, Jepetto had grown with a curiousity for tinkering with weapons, ammo, and mundane items. Jepetto's parents disapproved of their son's tinkering greatly. Finally one day, Jepetto left his home and ventured to the surface to make it on his own.

Shadimir was about to greet his friend with a hello, but found himself at the other end of a crossbow. "Nice to see you too Jepetto," Shadimir remarked, slowly inching away from his friend.

"I just fixed it this morning," Jepetto began, not even knowing that he had put his friend's life in danger for a few seconds," it will be able to shoot quicker, and you can load the bolts more smoothly."

"Planning to show that off at the festival," Shadimir asked, viewing some of the gnome's past broken devices that lay on the shelf.

"No not really, I've been working on this for a young bard in Shadowdale," Jepetto answered, then slapped Shadimir's hand as the hunter was touching a small stick. "Do best be careful, with that one, I'm still trying to figure what it does."

Shadimir looked around the workshop, taking some crossbow bolts and some holy water. "I trust you know about the dracolich," the hunter said calmly, grabbing a sunrod from the bottom shelf.

"Well I know about dracolichs," Jepetto responded, planting some rubbery adhisive on two ends of a wooden stick and putting them together," but I don't know about the one you're fighting." He quickly placed the wand in Shadimir's hands," A wand of Halting Undead."

"A wand of halting undead," the silverhaired hunter said, unimpressed. "Are you sure this could work on a dracolich?"

Jepetto shrugged," I'm a tinkerer, not a wizard, besides you can just tell me when you return."

"Or you can just get it from me when I'm done using it, because you're comming with me Jepetto," the hunter added, placing the wand in his belt.

The deep gnome's eyes widened in horror, and his body began shaking. "I don't want to fight a dracolich. Why do I have to go? Can't Stephanie or Aliyah go with you?

"You know dracolichs Jepetto. Besides Stephanie and Aliyah are going to find the soul gem and destroy it. Don't worry, we are going with someone."

"Shame really, I'd like to take a look at it after they're done with it," the gnome responded, his curiousity replacing his fear. for the moment. He looked up, seeing Shadimir already leaving. "Shadimir, wait for me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stephanie, Aliyah, and Deidra had already for the Moonwood Forest. The cleric of Kelemvor was excited to have the halfling to come along with her, since her sister still wasn't speaking to her. Apparently Stephanie's comment had offended her sister more than she realized.

Taralona stood on the outside gates of Silverymoon, seeing the silverhaired hunter and someone else apporaching closely. She was surprised to see it was a deep gnome.

"Are you allright?" Shadimir asked Tara, seeing the look of surprise on her face.

She nodded, staring at the gnome, whose eyes were wandering around. "Yes its just I'm not used to seeing a svirfneblin on the surface."

"Well this is Jepetto, our local tinker gnome. Fixer of Some and Breaker of Many they call him." Jepetto smiled and bowed at Tara. "I've been wondering, how are we getting to Serpent Hills. It's pretty far away."

"You know I think I'll look for Tibalt," Jepetto remarked, taking a few steps to the left. The hunter quickly grabbed the gnome before he could get away.

"Who is this Tibalt?" Tara asked Shadimir.

"He's a animal friend. He's a pegasus, and he has enough strength to carry all three of us there, its just you can never find him when you need him."

"Well I could fly us there." Taralona said, grinning wickedly.

Jepetto's body began to shake alittle out of fear. He looked at Shadimir, who shugged and said," I don't think we have much of a choice in the matter."

~~The Small Temple of The Dark Maiden~~

Down in the vast tunnels that been dug into Serpent Hills all the way to the underdark, a small church to the drow goddess Elisitaree had just been erected. Unlike the other drow dieties of the drow pantheon, Elisitaree was worshipped by good natured dark elves, and other races across Fauern. The Dark Maiden promoted good relationships between the people of the underdark and the people of the surface.

A faint blue light eluminated from within the finely crafted temple. The source of this light was a short, but beautiful and powerful drow priestess with long silverish hair.

The drow priestess was currently bobbing her oak wand up and down her wooden table, completely bored with everything else around her. Ture, there was the festival of the Moon, a time where some of the drow venture to the surface and share stories of ancestors who defied the drow goddess Lolth. Depending on the age of the storyteller, some of the tales could date back even a thousand years.

However, the festival was some hours away, and the drow priestess needed something exciting to occupy her mind for the time being. "Maybe I should go see what the acolytes are doing?" she yawned softly, walking to her door.

Just as she was about to open the door, the floor began to shake violently. The shaking stopped, then a few seconds later the floor shook again, this time almost knocking her off of her feet.

"What in the nine hells is going on here?" the priestess shouted, hurling her door open, and running into the hallway. The shaking stopped, and the drow looked up to see Josephine; one of the acolytes running towards her from the other side of the hallway.

"My lady, you have to come see this," Joesphine yelled, taking her lady's hand and running through the temple halls and to the outside.

As soon as the pair were outside, the shaking grew far worse. Patches of stone from the stalagtyes and the stone temple fell, shattering as soon as it hit the cold underground.

Looking up and to their right, the women saw a large dragon skeleton dig through the dirt walls. The dragon's body was completely bone with a slight shade of green.

The drow couldn't think of any curses for this abomination, but she knew the common name for this particular beast and the destruction and havoc it could cause.

"Where are the rest of the acolytes?" the drow priestess asked her disciple.

"Everyone else is gone. They fled when the shaking began," answered Joesphine, becomming overwhelmed with fear.

"Then it looks like we're on our own," the drow remarked," let us pray to the gods with all our hearts to keep this sacred place, sacred.

~~~~~~~~~

The wind blasted through Shadimir's long silver hair as he and Jepetto soared through the air at speeds the deep gnome couldn't even calculate. The air nearly blasted both their ear drums. Still, it wasn't the flying on the dragon's back that concerned Jepetto, but the blue colors that the dragon sported that worried the deep gnome.

Throughout the world of Fauern, blue dragons were known to be evil, and Taralona had revealed to the pair her true blue color.

The silverhaired hunter deduced Tara's brother was also blue, and he figured one blue dragon fighting against a dracolich was alot better than two of the abominations.

The large blue dragon continued to move through the sky, doing side rolls that churned the insides of the deep gnome. Despite her showing off to the hunter, Tara kept an eye out for Serpent Hills. She rarely spoke of her brother to the hunter and the gnome, but in her heart, Tara knew what she had to do.

"I think its down there," shouted Shadimir, pointing to a small hill his eyes spotted from the air.

Taralona perked her large blue head down at the land below, recognizing the large rocky hills Alustriel described to her back at the palace conference room. The blue dragon slowly decended to the earth, making sure the gnome wasn't reguritating his breakfast on the ground.

When Taralona was low enough, Shadimir jumped from the dragon's back and drew his mace and his enchanted sword Gabirel. "Shadimir, what do you see?" Jepetto asked, recovering from the flight that had turned his insides upside down.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," the undead hunter called back to the deep gnome," tall trees, small rocks, and four male drow with longswords and ugly faces comming towards us."

The four men with scared faces, long reb robes, and green bladed longswords charged Shadimir.

"Maybe they just want to talk," Jepetto suggessted, pulling out his wand. "I don't think they want to talk Jepetto," Taralona added, shifiting back into her human form and drawing a bastard sword, but she stopped as her eyes witnessed Shadimir moving left to right, slashing Gabirel across the chest of one of the men, and finishing him off with his mace. Using his momentum from his attack, the hunter turned left plunging his sword deep into the chest of the next drow.

The remaining uninjured drow both thrusted their swords at the silverhaired human. Shadimir turned, deflecting both of their blades with Gabriel, but felt a small poke in his back.

Taralona growled and chanted a prayer to the god Helm, slashing her bastard sword through Shadimir's attacker. The drow fell to the ground dead, and the disguied dragon grinned and looked at the other drow with hungry eyes.

Yet Tara nor Shadimir wouldn't reach them, because in the back of the battle, Jepetto drew his wand and fired two small white balls at the drow elves, who fell to the ground paralyzed with fear.

Shadimir looked at both of the drow, who wore angry expressions on their faces. Though they didn't have the freewill to speak or move, the hunter had a feeling the dark elves were cursing him in their foul language.

"Well, should we interrigate them?" the undead hunter asked, looking at Tara, who was cleaning the blood off of her sword.

Taralona shrugged, and looked to see Jepetto staring at her. "You spoke a prayer to Helm, why?" the svirfneblin asked her curiously. She smiled, also seeing Shadimir looking at her.

"Well," began Taralona," as you know, a lot of my kind are known to be evil, and I was quite the devistator when I was a young dragon. However, one night I was lost, hungry, and had nowhere to go. Some dragon slayers found me, and were ready to take me as a trophy, when a man in shining armor came and drove the slayers away. " I am Helm" he said "and you don't have to worry, you're safe." From that day on, I found it upon myself to be in his service. This may sound strange, but I really admire him, and his beliefs."

Spellbound by Tara's story, Jepetto kept silent, but Shadimir chuckled mildly. "What's so funny?" the dragon asked the hunter, slightly offended," does it amuse you I worship human diety."

"Not not at all," Shadimir answered calmly," infact I think its great. Its just you reminded me of someone just now. Someone who also worships a god for similar reasons."

The deep gnome and the blue haired woman were staring at the paralyzed drow elves, who were slowly regaining the movement of their arms and legs. Taralona moved her arms and chanted some words, turned the drow to stone. Jepetto stared at Taralona, then looked forward, seeing a vast cave opening. He was about ready to tell Shadimir, when the undead hunter was already moving towards it.

"Alustriel, if I make it out of this alive, I'll be your apprentice and you're slave," muttered Shadimir absentmindedly, not realizing the consequences that his words would bring.

"What did you say Shadimir?" the svirfneblin asked, trying to catch up to his friend, not really hearing what the hunter had said.

"Oh nothing," the silver haired hunter quickly responded, knowing there was only one person in all the realms who could hear him.

~~~~~~~~

It was dark in the inner regions of the Moonwood Forest. The ground was slowly hardening from the rising cold tempratures and the light layer of frost that was covering it. From the tops of the trees, little flakes of snow were falling to the ground, making it a little diffucult for the frusterated ranger to find recent tracks in the ground.

"You'd think Midwinter was here already," muttered Aliyah, pulling her leaf green cloak alittle tighter over her body," I can barely make out these tracks."

Comming up from behind Aliyah, a dark haired hallfing wearing the same colored cloak as Aliyah, examined the ground, finding three different sets of tracks, all leading infront of them. Deidra wonderd if Aliyah noticed these tracks, yet didn't bother to ask her, fearing it would anger and frusterate her even more.

Stephanie, who wouldn't have cared about angering Aliyah, began concentrating on finding the flow of Kelevmor's grace to help her find any undead in the area. The cleric had heard rumors of The Avenger, an elf who went around the High Forest, killing any humans he came into contact with. Another rumor was this elf worshipped Lolth, goddess of the drow, and knowing her religeons, Lolth probably didn't return affection and the devotion to the elf assassin. Her, Shadimir, even Deidra had more of a chance of being favored by Lolth than The Avenger.

Yet maybe I'm wrong, Stephanie thought to herself, maybe Lolth has a purpose for him, or maybe the elf is just deluding himself. Either way it didn't matter, The Avenger would give her the soul item, or he would meet his ancestors.

"Wow Deidra, you're becomming more of a ranger everyday," Aliyah said cheerfully, distracting Stephanie from her thoughts.

Stephanie looked on, seeing Deidra following the light footprints in the ground. She had met the halfling around the same time she had met Shadimir. The two had come from Chessenta, and while Shadimir was mostly known as a hunter of the undead, Deidra had a nack for jewels. The cleric had a necklace that was broken and gave it to Deidra. After she was done, Deidra had fixed the necklace, making it look brand new.

Aside from being a jeweler, Deidra began training as a ranger. Shadimir took it upon himself to teach Deidra to fight with two weapons, forage food, and find tracks on the ground. Yet, though she had accustomed to her life as a ranger (though she spent most of her time in jewel shops), Deidra was still devoted to her one true love; jewelery.

Aliyah and Deidra led on, continuing to follow the tracks. The ranger noticed her sister looking around the forest. "Come on Stephanie, you're holding us up!" the blond woman yelled back to her sister.

There probably wasn't any undead around here anyways, Stephanie said in her mind, breaking away from Kelemvor's grace and running up to the rangers, with an urge to pound her sister in the shoulder.

"Did you find any undead?" Deidra asked Stephanie, knowing what the cleric had been attempting before interrupting.

The cleric shook her head, and Aliyah smirked at her sister's folly. Stephanie decided not to acknowledge her sister's expression, and looked ahead. "So the tracks lead forward then?"

Deidra was ready to answer, but Aliyah pointed forward," Yeah, couldn't you see us going forward. Maybe if you weren't always trying to talk to your god, we could be going forward."

The cleric's eyes widened and her face flushed red. Stephanie was about ready to make her sister regret saying those words when she felt a strong hand grip her shoulder. She knew it was Kelemvor, telling her not to go through with her harsh actions. At least my god answers me...

Deciding to follow her diety's request, Stephanie slowly calmed down, then looked ahead, spotting a body on the forest ground.

Aliyah and Deidra watched Stephanie race forward, running towards something. The halfling quickly ran forward, and after a few seconds, Aliyah followed.

Stephaie was crouched low, next to the dead body. It was a grey haired dwarf with several holes though his back and a severed arm. "It's still pretty fresh," Stephanie remarked, covering her nose as the foul smell of decay streamed up her nose. As a cleric of the Lord of the Dead, Stephanie was used to seeing many dead bodies, some with their arms missing, some with their heads missing. However, the one thing she could never stand, was the decaying odor a body would have after its been left alone for a while.

As her nose was beginning to get used to the smell, Stephanie closed her eyes, began chanting some words.

"Sounds like one of those Kelemvor prayers that no one understands," Alyiah remakred sarcastically to the halfling.

This is why I was sent here, to make sure these two sisters don't hack each other's arms off. I'm going to kill you Shadimir, thought Deidra, watching Stephanie.

It wasn't so much of a prayer Stephanie was chanting to her god, but more of a spell. Following though with the flow of Kelemvor's grace that sent her body in a bliss, Stephanie began calling to the spirit of the dwarven body.

As if out of nowhere, a transparent image of the dwarf stood infront of his body. "You're name is Darwyn Delvhammer?"

"Aye it is," spoke the dwarf's ghost," and that is me body on the ground, or well whats left of it anyways," he chuckled pointing to the ground.

Stephanie looked at the body, then at the soul who once inhabited it. "What happened here? Were you killed by the Avenger?"

Darwyn nodded, looking down at his body. "I was once a priest of Illmater, and yesterday, I was walking though these woods to get to Mithral Hall, and this elf apporached me. At first he just nodded his head towards me...but after taking a look at me robes and symbol, he called me a blasphemiser for worhsippin a human god. I wouldn't take that insult, so I fought him, and he killed me with his green glowin sword of his. It was wierd...."

"What was wierd?" Stephanie asked.

"Well, when he was talking...," Darwyn answered, his spirit now hovering over his body," his mouth wasn't moving, but I could hear his voice, clear as glass..."

Not really understanding what the dwarf meant, Stephanie decided to drop the subject. She apologized to Darwyn, who shugged and said," Don't worry, Illmater already said the church is planning to ressurect me."

Darwyn turned to see Aliyah say some words to the halfling. Turning to the cleric he asked," Do you want me to go and frighten some sense into her?"

"No, thats allright, as much as it pains me to say this, I need her," Stephanie answered, then watched as Darwyn's spirit faded away.

During this whole time, Aliyah watched Stephanie talking to herself. She wondered if this was a common thing between cleric of the Lord of the Damned, or if her sister was going insane. When she heard the words "I need her" the ranger sighed and watched her sister walk from the body and up to them.

"Well, we do know The Avenger is around here somewhere," Stephanie said, looking back at the dwarf body with a sorrowful expression. "He told me the elf killed him yesterday."

"Oh tht's terrible," Deidra said sadly, her head looking down. Stephanie smiled, telling the halfling that he would be brought back to life soon.

"That great and all," Aliyah said sarcastiaclly," but that still doesn't help us find this Anvenger. I mean he could be all the way across the Moonwood after all.

"Or he could be closer than you think," hissed a loud voice from behind the cleric and the rangers.

Stephanie drew forth Azrael, the blade of sword bursting with a blue flame, Aliyah drew her scimitars, appily named Harmoni and Tendirhart, and Deidra drew her shortsword and her dagger.

Infront of the women, stood a blue plate armored red haired elf. His face was decorated with small scars and his left eye was looking to the ground. In his hand, he held a blue hilted green bladed longsword with small cresent moons decorated around the hilt.

"Well met ladies, I am known as The Avenger, agent of Lolth, Queen of the Spiders, and now humans," his right eye looked over at Deidra," and halfling, you must die."

Stephanie felt Azrael's hilt burn with desire to strike at the elf as he spoke. The cleric did hear the elf speak, remembering what Darwyn had said. It wasn't the elf who was actually speaking to her and the ranger. It was the sword.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leading in front, Shadimir and Taralona decended down the long tunnel, with Jepetto holding a lamp, and observing the surroundings.

Deep gnomes were known to have darkvision, but to keep the light from the lamp from blinding him, Jepetto wore thick goggles to protect his eyes. Shadimir wondered if the gnome was just looking for an excuse to wear the goggles.

Tara walked beside Shadimir, staring at his long silver hair, that seemed to be giving a faint glow. She remembered Alustriel scolding the hunter about him keeping his hair long and uncombed. Personally, Taralona liked the long hair the way it was.

Shadimir blushed, feeling Tara's eyes on him, or more like his hair. It had been a gift from his grandmother, an astral deva who had fallen inlove with a man. Though he didn't get any special abilites from the celestial blood that flowed in his veins, Shadimir had inherited the same silver hair that his father Alain sported when he was alive.

Ahead of the hunter and the dragon, a large pile of rubble and ruins were scattered across the cavern floor. Jepetto set the lantern in the corner, and ran to join Shadimir and Taralona.

Digging though a small pile of stone, Shadimir found a small medallion with an engraved image of a naked elven woman holding a sword. It appeared the woman was dancing, and Shadimir placed the amulet in his pocket. "This looks like it was once a temple of Elistaree," Shadimir remarked, feeling a warm feeling comming from the amulet. in his pant pocket, causing the hunter to wiggle.

"Everything allright over there," giggled Taralona, who watched the hunter's face turn red slightly. "Do you think Elisondar did this?" she more serious.

Shadimir, as well as Jepetto and Tara covered their noses as the small of rotting pork hit their noses. "I would say so." Shadimir answered," Either that, or we're dealing with a pig zombie."

"He always did have a thing for pork," Tara said with a muffled voice. "I only hope the priestess made it out alive," added Jepetto with a look of concen on his face.

"Well if the owner of this amulet is alive, I'll have to congradulate her on making it out alive," Shadimir said, making a seat for himself from a large stone.

Taralona looked at the hunter for a moment, watching him. All the other undead hunters she had ever encountered (which were few since a lot of people from the Moonsea were more concentrated on killing each other) Shadimir was probably the most interesting.

"All the undead hunters I've met just go and kill undead because they're abominations. Is that the way you see them?" Taralona asked Shadimir.

"Not entirely," Shadimir was quick to answer," I see undead as restless souls, who still roam the realms because something keeps them here, or someone keeps them here. After I'm done destroying them, I see them as they were in life, the people they once were."

"I see," was all Taralona said, looking to see Jepetto gathering stones and rummaging through the piles of stone. "What about you Jepetto, why do you hunt the undead?"

The deep gnome stared at her though his goggles, the site amusing both Shadimir and Taralona. "Oh I don't usually go hunting undead," he said with a bitter tone in his voice," and when I usually do its because this mainiac here always drags me with him."

Shadimir burst into laughter, and Tara smiled softly. The hunter felt bad for laughing at his friend's frustration, and apologized.

Jepetto shrugged and rubbed his goggles as he saw a small brown sack at his feet. "Whats this," he said, picking up the sack.

Six small scrolls dropped from the sack, at Jepetto's feet. The deep gnome picked up one of the scrolls. He had little trouble reading it outloud. "Sehgarg fogesa," a small fireball appeared in the air, landing next to the gnome's foot.

Shadimir and Tara jumped at the sound of the ball of fire hitting the floor. The undead hunter looked at Jepetto, who was holding the scolls. "I'm sorry, I didn't think that would happen," the gnome apologized, carrying the scrolls to Shadimir and Taralona.

"These are arcane and divine spells, powerful ones at that," Taralona said, after readng the writing on the scrolls.

"Do you think you can cast those spells," Shadimir asked, getting an idea in his head.

"Well yeah Im a dragon," she answered, mimicing Aliyah's voice.

"Good, and Jepetto, you brought the wands didn't you?" the hunter asked, looking at the deep gnome

Jepetto nodded, pulling out what appeared to be six different wands. "I'll warn you I still don't even know what they do. For all we know, if we try to use these wands on the dracolich, we might end up regenerating his body back together.

Shadimir shrugged, and took a couple of the wands from Jepetto. "Well, the best way I've figure out the uses of a wand, is to try it anyway," he remarked with a smirk. "We don't have much time to get everything ready."

"You seem pretty cheerful for a person whose facing certain death," a scared Jepetto remarked to Shadimir," You've never faced a dracolich, and the only case I know where a dracolich was destroyed was when Shandril of Highmoon destroyed a dracolich. But she had Elminster, and the Knights of Myth Drannor, and Spellfire, a powerful weapon from Mystra."

"And we have scrolls," Shadimir said, with a bit of frustration in his voice. The hunter slowly calmed down as he looked at Taralona," and we have Taralona diciple of Helm, and a bunch of wands, and a worry wort of a gnome who needs to see the bright side of things."

"You forgot one thing," Taralona said quietly," we have Shadimir, undead hunter..."

That brought a smile to Shadimir's lips. "True, and who knows, maybe Mystra will smile upon us today."

~~The Avenger~~

The Avenger. An elvish weapon from years ago, when the ancient city of Myth Drannor was still young..

Sinji, a very ambitious elf whose thrist of adventure was only surpassed by the devotion to his family and friends, was visiting his best friend Damron. Damron, a powerful human wizard, had just crafted a beautiful longsword for Sinji. The wizard gave his friend the enchanted blade, and watched as the elf walked out of the wizard's labratory and into the world. The last words Damron heard from his friend were," I shall call you Avenger.".

Sinji was gone for many years with Avenger. Thousands of orcs, beasts, and constructs had fallen to the elf's blade. There seemed to be no creature that could survive the elf's blade.

One day while searching for food, Sinji was attacked by a powerful demon. The elf had managed to slay his attacker, Avenger bathing in the demon's blood. The blade began to glow green, and without thinking about it, Sinji started to hear his sword talk to him. "Go and show Damron how powerful you've become," Avenger suggested to him.

Sinji followed the sword's suggestion and went back to Myth Drannor with Avenger in its sheath. As he entered the city, he founds orcs were attacking his city. An uncontrollable rage filled inside the elf, and he killed any orc that he came across.

Like so many times before, Avenger found itself slashing through hundreds of orcs. Sinji was able to make it to his best friend's house. As he opened the door, he found five more orcs standing in the living room, eathing his friend's food.

Without even thinking about it, Sinji and Avenger ravaged though the five orcs mercislisly. Within moments of killing the orcs, Sinji's eyes focused on the horrible scene, and they filled with salty tears when he realized what he had don

What he thought were five orcs were actually his best friend Damron, his wife Arial, and three small children. "What have I done..." Sinji gasped in horror, and though he couldn't hear it, Avenger seemed to be laughing.

Sinji wanted to end his life there, and he was ready, until the hilt of his sword pressed itself inside his body. The elf began to feel his soul seep from his body and into the sword. The demon's essense that was so long inside Avenger was joining itself with Sinji's soul. All of a sudden, Sinji found deep within himself the racical tensions he had when he first met Damron...as well as a thirst for blood and devestation.

After it was done, Avenger set itself back in the elf's hands. The body of Sinji stood up, but had no free will of its own. Deep from within the sword, Sinji commanded his body to find a lantern and burn his best friend's house to the ground.

Sinji's body eventually was destroyed, but his spirit inside Avenger lived on, looking for a new body to possess when it needed to, like a parasite.

~~~~~~~~~~

Surrounded by seven cloaked figures, The Avenger, self proclaimed champion of Lolth, stood before the three women, examining them closely.

Typical humans, thought the assasin as his good eye passed over the blond haired female. He stopped at the dark haired human female wearing a holy symbol with a skeletal hand holding scales. Besides her wearing a symbol of a human god, there was something about her that was dangerous. She'll have to die first, before she can call on her pathetic god.

Then his eye landed on the halfling. He laughed, thinking this halfling had no chance of surviving.

The Avenger motioned his robed men to remove their hoods, revealing their grey hairless mangled faces. Aliyah and Deidra looked horrifed as they turned to Stephanie, who reamined calm in their present situation.

"What are those things?" the ranger asked her sister.

It took Stephanie a moment to think of the speficic name of these particular undead. Then she remembered her training. "These are bodaks," the cleric of Kelemvor responded," corpses touched by pure evil."

Aliyah and Deidra exchanged looks, then watched as Stephanie pulled out her silver holy symbol. The cleric concentrated as her energy channeled though her body and into her symbol, hoping to banish these abominations.

As soon as The Avenger yelled his minions to attack, a bright yellow light burst from the cleric's symbol, blasting at the bodaks.

Three of the bodaks were destroyed, but the other three drew longswords and charged at the three ladies.

Deidra was the first to be reached by the three bodaks. The halfling dodged the attacks made by the first two, but the third bodak had manage to pierce her in the shoulder.

Jumping infront of her halfling comerade, Aliyah prepared to face the three bodaks. With her right hand, Aliyah slashed Harmoni across a bodak's shoulder, then snapped her left hand forward, Tendirhart stabbing the corpse's chest.

As the ranger withdrew her weapon from the bodak's chest, the bodak wrapped its decayed grey arms around his attacker's neck, causing her to drop both scimitars to the ground.

Aliyah could feel the bodak's cool rotten fingers tighten around her throat, choking the life from her. Air was escaping from her body, and she had to think quick. She looked up into its emotionless eyes. The ranger was ready to apolgize to Kelemvor for the remarks she made about him, but a thin smile crossed her lips as a long blue flame had torn though the other bodaks, and destroy this one.

Azrael plunged deeply through the back of the remaining bodak, a faint blue light glow from inside the bodak's body.

The bodak released his hold on Aliyah and dropped to the ground. The ranger coughed as she picked up her weapons, then looked up seeing a big smirk on her sister's lips, then it was replaced with a look that said, Nows not the time for bickering and smart comments.

Aliyah and Stephanie turned their heads, seeing Deidra stepping towards the elf assasin. "So its the halfling who wants to fight me," yelled Avenger, as the body he controlled drove the blade towards the halfling.

Deidra sidestepped the attack, then brought both daggers on the body's midsection. Blood slowly dripped from the wound, but the body gave no sound. Avenger began to glow a bright green and four zombies emerged from the trees, surrounding the halfling.

Fearing for her friend, Stephanie once again concentrated on finding the grace of Kelemvor. The cleric breathed softly, feeling the flow of her god's power inside her. She pointed her finger at one of the zombies, and a thin silver light, shot from it, running through one of the zombies.

The first zombie toppled over, and Deidra spun to her left, slashing both daggers across the it's chest. She was ready to attack, but saw no need to as Aliyah finished the zombie with a horizontal slash from Harmoni.

Still flowing with the grace of Kelemvor, Stephanie released a protection spell on her and the others, while manuevering around both zombie's attacks.

Standing a few feet away, The Avenger watched with amusement as the three living females were fighting for their lives agaisnt his minions. "I should never have sent corpses to do a man's job," he said softly, his green glow becomming dimmer. "Its time I take matters in my own hands."

The assasin looked at the humans, then the halfling. Unable to decide which he would attack, he prayed quietly to his goddess.

"Lady Lolth, see that this attack finds its target." The Avenger commanded his vessel to raise his hand and like the cleric point his finger in the middle of where the three females were fighting.

"DIE!!!" cried the sword Avenger as the spell fired away, choosing its target.

From within his steel prision, The Avenger smiled as he watched the dark haired female cleric fall dead to the ground.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elisondar slowly moved though his mighty tunnel he himself had created in the regions of the underdark. On his talon, the dracolich was carrying a small leather sack containing gifts he had recieved from frightened dwarves he encountered a few moments ago.

He was on his way back to his new lair, where the small temple of Elisitaree once stood, before he brought the eyesore crumbling to the ground. "I do hope that drow priestess survived," Elisondar mused quietly, remembering the dark elf priestess was preparing a spell to destroy him, yet she never saw the large broken pieces of stone comming down ontop of her." I should like to have faced her again."

As he emerged from the tunnel, Elisondar's bones creeked and cracked as he walked to the rubble, yet his eyes saw something he did not expect.

In the middle of the rubble, stood a tall a young man wearing a long cloak and a brown wide brimmed hat.

The dracolich was amused this human would have enough fortitude to wait for Elisondar the Mighty in his lair. Elisondar let out a mighty roar, attempting to scare the human away.

Elisondar's bone jaw widened in a smile, as he saw the man was still there. Perhaps he hit his head on the way down here, he thought, It will be fun to destroy him.

"Are you Elisondar?" the young man asked, looking up at the dracolich.

Had he still had an eyebrow, Elisondar would have raised it. The dracolich stood, confused as he wondered how this human knew his name. Maybe he ran into those dwarves. "Yes, I am Elisondar the Mighty.," the dracolich bellowed in a deep voice," Have you come bringing gifts?"

"Actually," the young man responded," I come with a proposistion. I was sent here by some people who know of you and your activites. You have two choices, you can leave the Silver Marches, and go far away, or you can be destroyed."

Elisondar started to laugh, which seemed to catch Shadimir off guard. "I know who you are."

"You do?" asked the young man, who now was confused himself.

"Yes, it took me a while to think of it, but I know exactly who you are," the dracolich moved his head closer to the young man. "You are Danilo Thann of Waterdeep, come here to slay me."

"Um, no, he's actually all the way back in Waterdeep," the undead hunter responded.

"All right, you are..." Elisdonar thought hard about this," You are Tessaril Winter," The dracolich held his head high in the air, proud of himself for what he believed was a right guess.

"She's a woman, and the lord of Eveningstar in Cormyr," snapped the hunter, getting frusterated with the dracolich.

"One more guess," Elisondar said, holding a large bony talon in the air. He took one last look at the young man infront of him. The man wore a sword and a mace at his belt, and he saw thin strands of hair under his hat. "Lets see, two weapons, slender build, and light hair. I know exatly who you are. You are Drizzt DoUrden."

"Hes a drow," the undead hunter answered, shaking his head. Shadimir looked up at the dracolich and placed his hands to his sides"Looks like we'll have to do this the hard way."

The undead hunter drew his mace and Gabriel, stepping forward to attack the dracolich, but the back of the beast's hands, swatted Shadimir, knocking the hunter to the ground.

Elisondar was ready to finish off the young man, when a large blue dragon flew infront of him. He immediatly recognized this dragon, and grinned wickedly. "If it isn't my sister. So tell me, how is Helm these days? No matter, he'll have to sit back and watch as we fight to the bitter end. You are here to destroy me aren't you?"

The large blue dragon had a look of anguish on her face. "I didn't want it to have to come to this Elisondar, but I have no choice."

"Good," the dracolich remarked with a cruel laugh," because I was afraid I'd have to settle with Durnan of the Yawning Portal for my kill."

~~Balls of Fire~~

Stephanie hadn't seen the assasin cast his finger of death spell.

Before she knew it, the cleric had tripped over one of the zombie's broken limbs, falling on her face. She could hear Avenger laughing in triumph from a few feet away, but her eyes looked up, seeing the zombie infront of her fall to pieces. The priestess decided it would be smart if she kept still while the battle for the moment.

"Perhaps those priestess of that pathetic goddess Kiaransalee will bring her back as a skeleton to wash their linens," laughed the demonic blade, as he slowly walked towards the battle.

Filled with rage at the apparent death of her younger sister, Aliyah cried in anger, her scimitars ripping through the zombies that flanked her. The ranger then set her signts on the Avenger.

Aliyah ran up to the assasin, whipping her scimitars in a fury, but Avenger was quick, parrying both the ranger's blades. "Dirty human," the sword spat, slapping its cold steel against the ranger's jaw, then made a cut along her shoulder.

She didn't know what was worse, the sting of the wound in her shoulder, or the soreness in her jaw. Aliyah was ready to attack again, but she stopped, watching as Deidra jumped onto the assasin's back.

The elf's mouth let out a frusterating scream as Deidra wrapped her legs around the front of his waist, then grabbing her daggers and repeatedly stabbing him in the shoulders. The ranger used this oppurtunity to bring both scimitars in an X formation, then thrust the edge of their blades into the elf's chest.

The cleric slowly stood up, watching as Deidra stayed clinged on the elf's back, and Aliyah attacking the front. We need to attack the sword she thought as she pulled Azrael up, and the blue flame wrapped around the blade. She looked up, seeing three zombies starting to walk towards her sister, the halfling and the assasin. Stephanie sighed, as she looked up at the walking corpses. She almost felt sorry for them.

The Avenger continued to command the elf body to twist and turn itself, in hopes of throwing the nusiance of a halfling from its back, but Deidra wouldn't let up. The halfling ceased her stabbing for a moment, then reached into the left pant pocket of the elf. She felt something what she guessed was a rock, and pulled it from the pocket. In her hand, Deidra held a bright blue sapphire.

The sword let out a blood curdling scream, paralyzing Aliyah. Noticing the halfling loosen her legs alittle, Avenger commanded the elf's body to back up hard agaisnt a tree. The impact caused Deidra to fall from the elf's back, but she smiled as the sapphire was still in her grasp, but her smile quickly disapeered as she saw the elf facing her, ready to attack.

"Now you die!" cried Avenger as it came down within inches of the halfling's neck. He was often curious what the blood of the halfling tasted like, and it seemed his curiousity would be fulfilled.

The sword impacted with something hard. Instead of striking the halfling's smooth slender neck, Avenger found the edge of his blade on solid stone.

Realizing what he had done, the enchanted sword let out a horrible screech that caused Aliyah to drop her weapons and Deidra to drop the cracked sapphire."Elisondar will destroy me for this," cried Avenger," Lolth will forsake me and leave me on this cold earth."

"I would stop worrying about what Lolth and Elisondar would do, and what I'm doing to do to you for trying to kill me," Stephanie said coldly, as she inched closer to the assasin.

"But...I..." the elf's body slowly lowered the sword. Avenger was baffled how the cleric could survive a powerful spell like the finger of death.

"Looks like all elves don't have good aim," laughed the cleric as she held Azrael, the sword's flame raging as it pointed at Avenger. The sword said something that Stephanie, nor Aliyah or Deidra could understand, but the glow of Azrael's flame seemed to burn brighter, as if he knew the demonic sword.

Whether or not Azrael or The Avenger knew one another in a different time was unimportant at the moment. Stephanie ran forward, slashing the flaming Azrael at the assasin's midsection.

The elf's body sidestepped the attack, then brought Avenger down, on Stephanie's chest, almost hitting her left breast.

"This was my favorite breasplate," cried Stephanie as she quickly turned and thrusted her sword in the elf's chest cavity. The cleric could hear the sound of ribs breaking, but the elf gave no notion of pain.

The lifeless elf pulled away from Stephanie. The body's mouth made a growl once the cleric's sword was out of his chest. It quickly raised The Avenger with both hands, and jumped in the air, bringing the demonic blade's wrath down upon Stephanie.

Reckless and foolish, thought Stephanie as the elf jumped in the air. In one quick swing with Azrael, Stephanie brought her blade across Avenger, breaking the demonic sword in half.

The Avenger gave one last blood curdling scream as both pieces landed on the ground, and the body of the elf fell right next to it.

Stephanie watched the broken sword, then looked at Azrael as its glowing blue flame dwindled until it was just a normal blade once more. The cleric looked to her left, seeing Aliyah and Deidra gather their weapons. The halfling seemed to be fine, but Aliyah began to look around her, as if she was looking for something. "Where are the zombies?" she asked, looking at her sister.

"I destroyed them before I took care of the Avenger," the cleric answered calmly, sheathing Azrael. "Do you think he has the phylactery on him?" she asked.

"I think its right here," Deidra answered, walking towards the sisters. In her hands, the halfling held the big blue sapphire. The large crack that had been made by the once powerful sword Avenger, continued to spread all over the gem, until it broke apart in Deidra's hands.

"Its a shame, I wondered what it was worth?" Aliyah asked, looking at the small pieces the sapphire had now become.

"I would hate to see Jepetto's expression when we tell him we turned the phylactery to dust," Deidra remarked. "Oh heavens, I would so like to examine it," the halfling said, mimiking the deep gnome's voice and mannerisms.

"Well he's probably getting an up close and personal look at the dracolich with Shadimir," added Aliyah," If makes it out of there alive, we'll never hear the end of it."

The cleric's eyes widened and a small gasp escaped her lips. She had completely forgotten about Shadimir, Taralona, and Jepetto, who were probably engaged in a horrific battle agaisnt the dracolich.

What if hes dead, she thought. No I would know if Shadimir was dead.

Aliyah looked over, watching as Stephanie's lips shut and her eyes looking in the distance. The temprature began to drop slowly, but Stephanie made no move to cover herself.

"Stephanie, are you allright?" asked the ranger, huddling herself in her leaf green cloak.

The cleric didn't answer her sister. She was saying a silent prayer, that Aliyah wouldn't be able to understand.

~~~~~~~~~

The first thing Elisondar did before his sister attacked him was call forth a small group of skeletons from the ground. "This should keep Durnan busy while you and I settle our score sister," the dracolich bellowed as his small group of skeletons advanced towards Shadimir and his svirfneblin companion. Elisondar jumped in the air, lunging at his sister.

"Well Durnan, what do you suggest we do about the skeletons?" asked a frightened Jepetto, who kept his head low as the two dragons battled above them.

"I don't know Mirt," snapped the silver haired hunter," Why don't you throw your coins at the skeletons, while Asper fights the dracolich and Florin Falconhand comes running down the tunnel." The hunter ran forward, and Jepetto watched in awe as Shadimir easily dispatced of the skeletons. Well he is an undead hunter, the gnome thought to himself, it only fitting his weapons destroy undead with ease. His daughter could probably kill skeletons.

Barely above the heads of the deep gnome and the undead hunter, Elisondar and Taralona's battle had turned from a simple sibling quarrel to a fight to the death,

Taralona's thick talons raked hard across Elisondar's ribcage. Pretending that his sister's claws had no affect on him, he grinned wickedly as he shot a line of lightning from his mouth towards his sister.

The large blue dragon took the breath in the face. The small sparks blinded her for the moment, but she charged forward, her thick head bashing in her brother's side.

Taralona's horn scratched Elisondar's bony jaw, but her force knocked the dracolich to the ground. Elisondar shook his head, and looked up at his sister. He had been underestimated her in this fight of theirs.

As Shadimir continued to dispatch of the skeletons, Jepetto fumbled around his wands, finding a scroll. He looked up at Elisondar, who was preoccupied with his large sister at the moment. "Moonlight Moonbright," the gnome read from the scroll, not really understanding what it meant, but then watched as a large cone of white fire leapt from the scoll and shot at the dracolich.

Elisondar roared in pain as the white fire burned the outside of his bones. As the flames ceased, his large skull looked down, seeing the small grey skinned gnome wearing goggles and holding a scroll. "Your spectacles will make a fine addition to my hoard, as will your skull," the dracolich lunged at Jepetto, who was suddenly overcome with fear. Taralona and Shadimir both ran at the dracolich to save their friend.

Making it there a few seconds before the undead hunter, Taralona dug both her sharp talons into her brother's bone body, ripping the marrow and breaking a few joints.

Shadimir rolled to the dracolich's side, jumping up and driving his mace into Elisondar's back leg, then followed it with his right hand bringing Gabriel on the same spot, but before he could finish the attack, the silver haired hunter was knocked to the ground by the dracolich's tail.

Taralona shifted back to her human form, running to Jepetto. "Jepetto, snap out of it," she pleaded, trying to bring the gnome to his senses.

"Whats wrong sister. Your little friend seems to be a bit shaken," laughed Elisondar just before he took a deep breath.

Taralona knew Elisondar's breath would be very hurtful, and though she knew she could take all the damage from the blast, she didn't think Jepetto could withstand it.

"Shadimir would understand," she said quietly, then she chanted a spell of her own.

Elisondar unleashed his lightning in fury, engulfing his sister and the gnome. The dracolich bellowed in triunph, as the lightning cleared and his victums were gone. "Now I can rest," he said softly, but stopped as a bright red flame was comming towards him. Turning his head, Elisondar saw a fireball the size of his skull comming at him with incredible speed.

The fireball impacted with Elisondar's face, the flames wrapping around his body. The dracolich shook off the flames, his anger rising as he saw his bones go from a clear white to a crisp brown color. "My beautiful skeletal frame, I'm..," the dracolich's cry was ceased as another fireball, larger than the last, impacted with his face.

Shaking off the flames, Elisondar looked down where the fireball had come from, seeing the young man holding a wand. The man waved the wand again, but no fire came out. "Looks like you're out of charges Durnan, and now I'm going to send you back to Waterdeep in a tinderbox.

Shadimir saw the dracolich running at him. Like so many times, the undead hunter was ready to embrace death. With both weapons drawn, Shadimir was going to die fighting.

As Elisondar came closer, the undead hunter heard the ground break from beneath him. Shadimir's green eyes peeked down, seeing a pair of dark slender hands burst from the ground, and grasp his ankles tightly.

A warm feeling began to flow in Shadimir's body, from his ankles, to his stomach, all the way to his hands. Shadimir had no control over his body as he watched his hands build up a mass amount of burning energy.

After what seemed like an eternity, the silver haired hunter felt the hot burning energy leave his hands, and silver fire sprouted from his fingers and shot at the dracolich, instantly covering Elisondar in its silver flames. The silver fire stopped Elisondar in its tracks, and the dracolich howled as the flames blinded his eyes.

Strike him down, strike him hard said a cool calm voice in the hunter's mind.

Without thinking, Shadimir ran forward, slashing both his enchanted weapons at the dracolich, not once, not twice, but three times. Elisondar wanted to strike back at the man, to rip open the chest of the mighty Durnan, but his eyesight was blinded by the flames.

Shadimir gave one final slash with his sword Gabriel, finally bringing Elisondar's skeletal form to the ground. "You've beat me Durnan," Elisondar spat," My soul gem is destroyed, and my soul can rest. I really don't know why I did this. I gave up everything..."

Elisondar stopped speaking, his head resting on the ground, he was dead.

"Why are dragons from the Moonsea always so talkative," said a voice that sounded like the one speaking to him a few moments ago.

"They live near Zhentil Keep," answered Shadimir," and you know how chatty they can be." The silver haired hunter turned to see standing before him, a beautiful drow elf. She had long white hair, and wore dark robes to the goddess Eilistaree. "You were the one, who spoke to me, and channeled her energy through me."

The drow elf nodded," Yes, but I didnt' think silver fire would spout from your hands, I was intending it to be moon Fire, which reminds me, your gnome friend owes me a wand."

"I'm sure he'll be able to fix it," the hunter smiled," I'm Shadimir," he said with a bow.

"You mean you're not Durnan," giggled the drow priestess," I'm joking, I know who you are. My sister Alustriel talks of you."

Shadimir laughed and thought of The Shining Lady of Silverymoon. "Well if she speaks of someone who takes poorly hair of his hair, then that would be me."

The drow laughed, then retrieved Shadimir's brimmed hat from a few feet away. "Personally, I like the hat," she said with a big grin. "Oh, I am Quile Veladorn, by the way. I didn't know if you had figured it from the robes of Eilistaree and the way I spoke of Alustriel being my sister."

Shadimir had heard of Quile Veladorn, the youngest of the Seven Sisters. Like Alustriel, Quile was a chosen of Mystra and had the power to wield silver fire. "Was this your temple Elisondar destroyed," asked Shadimir, looking at the pile of rubble a few feet from him and Quile.

"It was a new temple for both Eilistaree and Selune," sighed Quile," I am saddened that the priests and priestess will have to rebuild, but they did make it out safe."

"Were you going to run the temple?" Shadimir asked curiously. "For while," the priestess answered," until an old friend of mine from Waterdeep comes to run it. You've may of heard of him, Delbert Riffle of Selune."

Shadimir shook his head, unfamilar of the name. "My mother and my lady Stephanie are really the only two priestess I know actually. I'm not much of a religious man."

"But you do serve Kelemvor, and Mystra," smiled Quile.

"Aye I do," answered Shadimir," but I do find myself praying to Tymora from time to time."

Both drow and human laughed for a moment. "I can see why my sister thinks highly of you. But now we must celebrate your victory."

"Well, we are having a celebration for the Feast of the Moon Festival," Shadimir stopped as Quile held her hand and was shaking her head.

"Actually, I was thinking more of dancing," Quile answered, starting to take off her robes. Embarrassed, Shadimir quickly turned away as Quile appeared to be changing.

He then remembered how priestess of Eilistaree liked to dance naked in the moonlight. Turning his head he saw Quile in all her glory, her arms crossed. "I'm not going to wait all night Shadimir," she giggled once more.

Shadimir sighed as he began to remove his coat and armor. 'I'm certainly going to pay for this." He began to wonder what Stephanie and the others would think if they knew he was going to dance naked with a dark elf of magnificant beauty such as Quile Veladorn.

~~The Feast of the Moon~~

"YOU DID WHAT!!!" screamed the Lady Munoz as she stared at Shadimir.

"I danced naked with Quile Veladorn, I don't see why you have to get so mad about it!" snapped Shadimir," Its not like its any of your business Aliyah."

"What the man who my sister wants to spend the rest of her life with does in the presense of drow females is my business," Aliyah yelled louder as the three were stood in the middle of Shadimir's living room. The blond haired ranger held her scimitars at her sides. "Stephanie, did you hear about this?" she asked, looking at ther sister.

"Stephanie looked at Shadimir for a moment. At first she had not believed what she had heard, but she knew Shadimir would have no reason to lie to her. "Did you destroy Elisondar?"

"Of course, I wouldn't be here if I wasn't," answered Shadimir calmly. Stephanie sighed and looked away from Shadimir, itching the spot where the asassin's blade had struck her.

"Stephanie, didn't you hear what your man just said," yelled Aliyah," He was dancing naked with this trollop named Quile."

Stephanie's eyes widened as she looked at Shadimir. The cleric stepped forward and looked into the hunter's eyes. "I have only this to ask," she said calmly, not seeing the evil stare her sister was giving the hunter. "How was it?" she asked, her face breaking in a big grin.

"It was interesting," answered the hunter. Shadimir began to go into details of his dancing with Quile, which seemed to last for a couple of hours until the hunter cut the bottom of his foot on a broken wand. Then the drow priestess had teleported the undead hunter back to his home in Silverymoon, after he had placed his armor on of course.

"Next time wear shoes when you dance naked with dark elves and invite me," was all Stephanie said.

Aliyah sighed and shook her head. "Well, I'm going to go the festival, and I'll leave you two to dance here alone," she said, walking outside.

Shadimir and Stephanie couldn't see the small smirk on her face or heard the giggle that escaped her lips as she left the living room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About an hour later, Shadimir and Stephanie left their house. A light snowfall was over the city of Silverymoonm, and the ground became a little slippery. In her wool robes, Stephanie told Shadimir that the head of her clergy wanted to see her about an important matter, and she would meet up with him at the festival a little later. After a quick kiss on the lips, Stephanie walked towards the small temple of Kelemvor.

This left Shadimir to try and find his friends who had disapeered in the cavern.

Trying his best to keep his balance, Shadimir ran, sometime sliding along the streets of Silverymoon. The snow began to build on the trees, the bushes, andthe posts.

Passing a couple of kids who were regretting sticking their tongues to one of the metal poles, Shadimir had reached the temple of Helm. Two guards in shining armor escorted Shadimir to where Tara and Jepetto were resting. When he came into the room, Taralona was reading a small leatherbound book, while the grey skinned gnome was examining a small grey cube in his hands.

"I see you both made it out safely," Shadimir remarked, after watching the pair in silence for a few moments.

"Shadimir," the gnome began, but a bright light shined from the cube, causing Jepetto to cover his eyes. "I've been blinded."

"Its rude to just walk in," Tara said, placing her book on the bed next to her. "What if Jepetto and I were without clothes."

Shadimir laughed," I think we're in the wrong temple for that sort of activity." The hunter relayed his tale of the drow priestess channeled her energy though him, creating the silver fire to blind Elisondar, and finishing him off. He decided to omit the details of dancing with Quile, as well as the reactions of both Aliyah and Stephanie.

"It sounds like you've got the love of Mystra," Taralona said softly, looking at the hunter's beautiful silver hair.

He shrugged, and thought about it for a moment. "Nah, I think she just likes me alittle."

"Well I can tell you Shadimir," Jepetto said," is that without the help of silver fire, or Lady Veladorn, you might have perished a horrible death," the gnome stopped, hearing Shadimir and Taralona laughing," Whats so funny?" he asked.

The two looked at the gnome, then at each other, still laughing. Jepetto couldn't see it, but he was talking to the wall.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The snowing stopped, and Shadimir had left the temple of Helm alittle early. He deicded to let Tara and Jepetto rest while the Feast of the Moon commenced.

As he entered the Moonbridge, Shadimir smiled widely as a beautiful little girl wearing a green dress, with brown hair and elvish ears ran up to him. She jumped into his arms, and hugged him tightly. Setting her down, Shadimir looked at her and talked while signing with his hands," Hello Dalla, I missed you."

The little girl, whose eyes matched those of her father, looked up with a big smile. 'I missed you too papa. Lady Alustriel and grandmother are waiting over here' she signed with her fingers back and took a hold of his hand.

Of all the festivals in Silverymoon, none seemed to excite little Dalla more than the Feast of the Moon. Stories of paladins, wizards, and old dragons who once ruled the forests of Cormanthor fasincated the little girl.

Shadimir and his daughter caught up with his mother; the priestess Aprilana dressed in her blue clerical robes, and Lady Alustriel dressed in a silk red firey dress, who were chatting away with some dwarves about weapons. Aprilana, who had dark red hair and was a few inches shorter than her son, smiled and greeted him with a warm hug. She then bent down and kissed her granddaughter on her cheek. "I trust you'll behave yourself," she said softly.

"I'll make sure she behaves mother," Shadimir responded, looking down at little Dalla.

"I was talking to you mister," Aprilana teased her son, then walked away. Lady Alustriel walked forward, and suddenly Shadimir's stomach began to turn.

"Well well," Alustriel began," your mother and I were just talking about your duties as my apprentice Shadimir." Apprentice, Shadimir asked himself, then suddenly he remembered his words back at Serpent Hills. "The first thing to do, is to deal with that hair of yours," Alustriel tried to remove the hunter's hat, but Shadimir was too quick. "Training starts in a week. Be prepared," Lady Alustriel giggled then walked away.

Shadimir continued to walk though the crowd, holding on to his daughter's hand. Dalla looked at the people all around her, not ever seeing any of them in Silverymoon, until Dalla spotted a person in the crowd who sparked her interest.

He was a dark elf , who wore a dark green cloak and carried a scimitar on each belt.

Taking a break from looking in the distance to try and find Stephanie, Shadimir glanced down at his daughter and noticed she was staring at the drow stranger. He tapped his daughter's shoulder, and when she looked up, he spoke and signed," Dalla, you know its not polite to stare," then looking up, seeing the dark elf looking at him," I'm sorry, it looks my daughter seems fasinated with you."

The drow smiled politely, then looked to see the little girl signing words with her finger. The silver haired young man looked at him," I know Dalla, he looks like him."

"Shadimir Deachron," the drow said softly, looking at the young man's silver hair.

"Actually, thats my name," smiled Shadimir," My daughter wants to know if your name would be Drizzt DoUrden?"

"That it would be," Drizzt said softly to the little girl, who looked at him blankly. Shadimir quickly signed some words to his daughter, and her eyes widened as if she had met Masked Lords of Waterdeep. "Her name, its short for Yondalla, isn't it?"

"Aye, but how would you know who I was, and my daughter's name?" Shadimir asked softly.

Drizzt DoUrden, drow ranger and hero of Mithral Hall, smiled once again. "Your exploits of hunting the walking undead have reached our ears in Mithral Hall. Infact, one of the reasons I came here, was to invite you to have a drink with Breunor Battlehammer."

Shadimir nodded," Sure we can leave after the festival, it might be good that I have some rest before me torture begins." Both Drizzt and Dalla gave Shadimir confused looks, and the hunter quickly added," Long story."

The drow ranger and the undead hunter laughed for a moment, then looked around, as people began to stare at the middle of the bridge. There stood Stephanie, standing before two white robes clerics. One was a man with short dark hair, wearing the symbol of Selune and other was a dwarven woman with brown hair. They presented Stephanie with with brightly shining silver chain armor, and new silk grey robes. "I Emilia Ghoulslayer," the dwarf shouted," proclaim Stephanie Munoz an offical doomguide of Lord Kelemvor."

Everyone in the crowd cheered. This must have been the important issue, Shadimir thought as tears streamed down Aliyah and Deidra's cheeks. Dalla smiled and waved bye to her father and Drizzt, then ran forward into Stephanie's arms.

Stephanie caught Dalla in her arms, then set her robes and chain armor down as she smiled at everyone. "Citizens of Silverymoon," Stephanie shouted," A doomguide, is a special priest of Kelemvor, who does more than just fight undead. We comfort those in times of grievences, and show that death is not just the end of life, but the beginning of a new adventure. Tonight, as we honor those who have come and gone, I want to share a special story about a man who has changed my life. His name is Kelemvor Lyonsbane, though it may take awhile, I'll tell you it is a story to remember.

Shadimir watched as many of the children, and some adults gathered around Stephanie, listeneing as she began her story. The doomguide not only spoke her story, but signed it with her fingers for Dalla and others who were deaf, so that they could enjoy as well.

The hunter stayed silent as he looked to see Jepetto running up towards him. Drizzt was fascinated with the deep gnome, remembering seeing a few of them as he ventured in the underdark, but never seeing one in the surface. The drow ranger became alittle irritated when Jepetto tried to examine the onyx panther figurine that Drizzt was holding in his fingers.

Jepetto told Shadimir how Taralona had told him that she would see them again someday. The hunter nodded, then looked a few feet away cathing a glimpse of Alustriel. She grinned wickedly at him, already thinking of ways to torture her new apprentice.

My hair would be the first Shadimir thought as he put on his brown brimmed hat, then looked at Drizzt. "Do you know of any good barbers in Mithral Hall."

"Some," Drizzt answered," they mostly trim beards, why do you ask?"

"Well, when we get to Mithral Hall," answered Shadimir," I think the first thing I will do is get a haircut."

Authors Note:

I actually have more to say about this story. First and foremost, I did the cameo with Drizzt DoUrden because it the first time anyone has really commented on the undead hunter's deeds. All day, Shadimir was being mistaken for more famous heroes by Tara and Elisondar (and I'll probably get killed for this), while someone famous like Drizzt says he's a fan of Shadimir's work. Another thing, is I really want to team these two together for a story, but my biggest fear is I'll end up writing Drizzt the wrong way...The appearance by Alustriel is much different. Alustriel will become a big part of Shadimir's life, and this was to show kind of the beginning of their friendship (despite him living there for a year) and the things to come...

I actually had met Bob Salvatore at a book signing at Hastings when the Lone Drow came out. He was a pretty cool guy, and he signed my Cleric Quintet. I really didn't get a chance of asking him any questions (there was a long line behind me) but it still something to remember...

Another thing is there are more characters in this story. I brought Deidra back, but what I really needed was to give Shadimir a girlfriend...The characters Stephanie & Aliyah are based off two sisters I know with the same names. I wrote these characters as oppisites of one another. On one side you have Stephanie, a calm dark haired cleric who worships one god, and loves only one man, but she lets him dance naked with elves. On the other end, you have Aliyah, a loud blond haired ranger, who worships different gods, has loved alot of men, but believes that the man she is with, should be dedicated to her and only her...and is not aloud to dance naked with elves.

I didn't want Aliyah to come off as a brat, and argue with her sister alot, but as I wrote Stephanie's lines, I could just hear Aliyah's voice, nagging and whining about how her sister's prayers dont make sense.