Darien and Illiantha rounded the last corner of the cave at top speed, a small look of shock crossing both of their faces as they noticed the sudden drop ahead and came to a skidding halt. The room was massive, and yet, for how large it was, the floor was absolutely packed with walking skeletons, and driders. The only two areas that were clear of undead and driders was the altar on the far wall, an altar that was glowing a brilliant blue and seemed to be the source of the woman's scream, and a small circle around a female gargoyle with a sword and what looked to be a crossbow on her arm. The male's scream had suddenly stopped moments before Darien and Illiantha had entered the cave.

     "That must be Nite, we need to help her" Illiantha said, immediately drawing up energy from the ley lines beneath them. Knowing his part, Darien stepped in front of her, and holding the spear in one hand at the middle began to draw lines in the air with the blade. Lines that became visible, glowing a bright silvery sheen in the air as the spell was readied. With a slight yell, Illiantha pushed her hands against Darien's back, sending the energy through him, which went out through the spear into the spell sending a torrent of force bolts and balls of energy into the mob. Then seeing the dark figure rearing up behind the fighting Gargoyle, the last bolt of the spell went straight for her. Behind him Darien could hear Illiantha preparing her next spell.

*
**
*

     With a grunt Nite shoved her sword the rest of the way through the skeleton's head in front of her, her free hand coming around to punch what was left and send it dropping to the floor as she pivoted to slash and the next closest warrior. She was bleeding from cuts all over, none of them very bad, but together it was starting to sap her energy. Not that it mattered, she had an endless supply of rage to draw strength from at the moment. Darius had gotten quiet really fast, too quiet, and she feared the worst for him. She wouldn't be able to check though until she could get them out of the room, and she couldn't do that while thousands of these skeletons wanted to make sure that both of them died.

     Then, help came. Or at least she thought it was help, a smile forming on her lips as she wants numerous bolts of energy fire into the skeletons around her, making huge circles of clear space before they were filled again. The grin wiped off though as soon as she saw the bolt coming straight for her. Ducking, she heard the bolt slam into something behind her, and turned just in time to see an odd looking Drider go flying back and hit the far wall. Driders! She had to move, and she had to move fast. Calling out a thanks for the assist Nite went back into the melee with a vengeance.

     Just as suddenly as the skeletons appeared, they vanished. One vanishing just as Nite's sword was about to cleave into it. The tomb was deathly silent as the Driders stayed still, flanking the altar with the coffin. Silence, the screaming had stopped. It took a few moments for that fact to sink into Nite's brain as she faced the Driders and the coffin, only dimly aware of being joined by two figures.

     All three watched as the lid of the coffin exploded into millions of pieces that then shattered into dust under the force of the energy. A delicate looking ebony hand gripped the edge of the coffin and out came a drow female. She was dressed in a pair of tight fitting pants and shirt, with what looked to be a suit of just as tight chain mail over it. A sword rested on her back, it's hilt poking over her shoulder, and as drow turned to face them, Nite and the two figures let out a soft gasp as they were treated to an image of the most darkly beautiful thing any of them had seen. The beauty wasn't natural, it was the dark beauty said to be possessed by Lloth, and it inspired awe. The woman hopped down off the altar and approached the three figures who watched in stunned silence of the dead risen.

     "You..you..you must be Darius' mother" Nite finally managed to get out as the woman stopped about five yards away from them.

     "That I am, but please, call me Mori" the woman, Mori, responded. A slight chuckle escaping her as she watched Nite turn as if to look for Darius body, "If you're looking for my son, don't. He's back where he belongs. With me."

     "What do you mean?" Nite asked, her eyes locking back on the drow before her. She didn't like Mori she decided, there was something about the air around her.

     "I mean that Darius is mine again Nite" Mori responded.

     "How do you know my name?"

     "I know everything Darius knows about you Nite. I've been watching you two, you're so cute. That really was cruel of you letting him love you, now it'll be harder for him to relearn his place in life. Though, it will make him a better sacrifice to Lloth, she does so love it when they're not willing." Mori again responded, her hand tapping what looked to be the end of a whip that was wrapped around her waist. Again she chuckled as she saw Nite's eyes narrow.

     "You'll do no such thing, give him back. He fulfilled his oath to you, now let him go." Nite growled, she only knew a little about the oath, but she knew it had been fulfilled. The fact that his mother was in front of her was proof of that. The smile on the woman's face was infuriating.

     Another chuckle, this one breaking into a laugh escaped the dark lips of the drow female as she drew her sword. "If you want your precious little Darius back, you'll have to take him. But all you'll get is a corpse" Mori teased, getting the desired results as Nite screamed in fury and attacked. The attack was impressive, even more so when one took into account all the wounds Nite had suffered along her body. In fact, the attack was fierce and quick enough to break through any parry. Unfortunately for Nite, Mori didn't parry. Pivoting on one foot, Mori's free hand punched down on Nite's wrist that held the sword, freeing the hilt from Nite's grip, and leaving Nite defenseless against the other blade of dark elven make which pierced through Nite's back and came out her stomach.

     The look of shock and pain on Nite's face was priceless to Mori if the grin on her face was any indication. For Nite though, the world was going dark too fast as she dropped to her knees and then fell onto her side. Her face landing on the flat of her sword, which was refreshingly cool and seemed to further invite her to drift off to sleep. The last thing she heard was someone roaring, followed by what sounded like steel parrying some type of stone.

*
**
*

     As Nite fell to the ground, Darien quickly moved in to attack, to keep the drow female from finishing off the friend of his mother. The attack caught the drow completely off guard as she had to leap out of the way of the first attack, and just barely got her sword up in time to block the follow up. "'Lantha, get Nite out of here, go back home. I'll hold her off!" He yelled over his shoulder as he continued to press the attack, keeping the drow female on her heels as she retreated further and further back.

     "What about you?" came Illiantha's voice to him, he could feel her summoning the energy for the gate home, and he needed her to shut it right behind her.

     "Just go! I'll be right behind you, I have my own way home." He yelled back, relief flooding his system as he felt a gate open, and then close with two people having gone through, his distraction of the drow just long enough for her to get her balance and start her own attack. She was good, her sword flicking in and out at every angle, even scoring a light blow on his leg. If it wasn't for the enchantments in his spear he knew he'd be dead already, despite how quick he naturally was with it.

     "I have you beat boy," the drow taunted, though her smile was stolen when Darien grinned right back. "Now, to wipe the grin off your face" she said as she lunged with her sword. Darien's grin grew even wider as the end of his spear slammed down on her blade, putting the point of it into the ground, then twisting the staff he pulled back drawing the edge of his blade along the drow's hand causing her to drop her sword or lose her hand. Smartly the drow chose to drop the sword, leaping back and holding her cut hand close to her as her other hand pointed. "GET HIM!" She screamed.

     The Driders were only too happy to obey, as they were finally granted permission to kill. Three crossbows came out and loosed arrows as the half spider/half drow charged towards him. All three crossbow bolts missed as Darien grabbed the dropped drow sword off the ground. The reason for him taking the sword apparent as he shifted his grip on the spear and threw it at the driders. The spear's blade pierced the throat of the lead drider sending it to the ground, and with the other two almost close in, Darien turned and ran.
The drow female's laugh chased him along with the two driders as he reached into his pocket for the two small orbs he needed. Grabbing them, he threw the first against the wall in front of him, smiling in relief as it broke, opening a gate that showed him the room in Safe Harbor he and Illiantha had set aside for teleporting to and from. Throwing the sword through got a yell of protestation from the female, which grew even louder when his spear reappeared in his hand. "Don't worry, I won't leave you without a gift" He said with a grin as he spun and whipped the second orb back at the two driders.

     Mori, apparently recognized the item as she immediately ran back and dove into the coffin for protection. The orb shattered in mid air, letting loose a huge blast of energy. One that Darien only saw a bit of as the gate winked shut behind him.