The clang of scabbard against platemail could be
heard in the quiet, wind swept plains.  Bo wasn't accustomed
to the quiet as his companions were.  The silence was
intense, Bo couldn't stand it,
    "Its too quiet...  Didn't anyone bring a lute or
somethin'?"  His companions ignored him as they quietly
walked on.  "You guys need to speak sometimes, its good for
ya." Sotto glanced at him with a sly grin plastered to his
face and began to chuckle.  "What?  What'd I say?"
     "Nothing Bo, nothing..." replied Dehth in his
whispering voice.  He was beginning to wonder if he was going
to enjoy this journey.  But then, did he enjoy anything?
     Sotto paused from his laughter and said in his light
voice, "You do realize who your traveling with, don't you?
We're not exactly the talkative type, thank the gods!"
     "I don't see why not.  I mean, sure, you have to be
quiet while doing your dirty deeds, but come on!  To be
quiet all your life through is a curse!"
     Sotto shrugged, "It grows on ya, being quiet all the
time.  The silence is peacefull."
     "Its getting late, we should set up camp." broke in
Dehth.
     Bo stopped abruptly, was momentarily awed by the silence
of the other two, then focused his attention on the sound
he'd just heard.  He drew his holy sword and peered deeply
into the high grasses.  The rustling came again, this time
closer.  Bo cocked his head in its direction and saw with his
keen eyes, a lion readying to pounce.
     A flash of complete blackness like a dark blanket
enveloped the lion and quickly vanished.  All that remained
was the lions skeleton which began to stand.  Bo glanced at
Dehth who was smiling broadly in his direction.
     Dehth intoned, "Come," and the skeleton sauntered toward
him.
     Bo frowned as he sheathed his longsword.  He was looking
forward to the attack, but as usual, Dehth's necromancy was
quicker.  He then drew a bedroll from his pack and spread it
out.  "You think that thing could build us a fire?"
     Dehth nodded.  "Of course."  And the skeleton began to
dig a small pit where it was to build the fire.
	



                        


     The torchlit room of the tower was empty save for two
robed figures peering into a small pool.
     -You think that thing could build us a fire?
     -F cset
     "F cset?" demanded Lyfe.
     Geofu nodded, "You remember he is protected by the 
elements of chaos themselves."
     "So we can't scry him?"
     "No,"
     Lyfe sighed, he'd never liked Dehth, always standing as
a reminder of the end of living.  For thirty years Lyfe had
studied and mastered the ways of magick and now the sight of
Dehth in his scrying pool is nothing more than a hazy shadow.
Frustraded, Lyfe snuffed the images from the pool with a wave
of his hand.
     "You really shouldn't worry so much.  He IS helping us
you know.  And that in itself is a great accomplishment."
reminded Geofu.
     "But can he be trusted?  What if he causes our downfall?
We need that gem very badly, and he knows we do!  What if he
holds it asking for a ransom?"
     "Why would he do that?  You know him.  You know he
wouldn't do something like that.  Whatever foul path he's
taken to."
     "Yes, I know." replied Lyfe as he turned and walked out
of the scrying chamber.
     Geofu sighed.  It was going to be difficult keeping Lyfe
from stopping the mission.  They REALLY needed that gem.  He
decided to seek Eolh's wisdom and found him at the tavern
down the road playing chess with Sigel.
     Eolh often plays with Sigel because no one else will.
Sigel's swift hands have often been called "cheats" and
"lyers", but Eolh's eyes match in speed with Sigel's "sticky"
fingers and so the game is fair.
     Geofu saw they were deeply entranced and didn't want to
interupt so he sat and watched.
     "Check," said Sigel with a smug look on his face.
     Eolh nodded and, without hesitation, moved his queen two
spaces.
     "Check-mate," Eolh replied without emotion, a trick
he'd learned through living a rough and quiet life.  Sigel
was baffled and peered quizically at the board.
     Eolh turned to Geofu and said, "Yes Master?"
     "I'm in need of your counsel Eolh, shall we?" replied
Geofu as he stood.  Eolh nodded and with that they left Sigel
in the tavern still gaping at the chess board.