A week later found Nite in the teleporting room in Safe Harbor looking through a gate that led back to New Dunbouri. Anyone looking at her would see immediately the pain of loss shimmering in her eyes, a pain that became even greater when something reminded her of the winged elf who hadn't made it back on their journey. She had two dark-elven long swords now, having taken the one of Darius' mother to remind her of the last trip she and the half-drow had taken together. "Oh Darius..why, why couldn't you have just waited?" she silently breathed as she continued to stare through the gate at her room, letting the tears trickle down her cheeks once more. Almost immediately, Illiantha was at her side, arms hugging her tenderly.

     "You don't have to go home now if you don't want..I'm sure they'll understand what you've been through" the brown haired woman who looked so much like Kia it was almost impossible to accept she was a foster-daughter and not a naturally born child.

     "No, I need to go now. I've been away far too long." Nite responded, her words only getting a nod out of Illiantha.

     Darien wasn't in today, he'd said his goodbyes earlier to Nite, and then left on some urgent business that had suddenly come up. Illiantha had formed the gate, and had also sent word to Kia that Nite would be back in a letter. The letter had also explained what had happened, the details not known, being filled in by Nite. "I..I just can't accept that he's dead. It's not fair.."

     "I know it's not fair." Illiantha responded, still holding the now weeping Nite. She couldn't think of anything else to say, and so she rocked the resbrinn gently, and murmured reassurances. The two women stayed simply watching the gate in silence for a couple more hours, before with a murmured thanks Nite stepped through and into her room.

     Looking around, she smiled to see the room had been kept clean, forcing Darius out of her mind, she had to go back and tell Grace and her friends that she was back. Walking over to the table where she'd hung her cloak. Grabbing it, a bit of movement caught her eye, and she looked back to see two black feathers, plucked two nights before the last time she'd been here from a set of black wings. Nite never made it to the door as she collapsed in tears once again at the loss of a love that was claimed far too late and taken away far too early.

*
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     Mori watched in the globe as the Drider's leader was challenged by the newest addition to their group. "Looks like a dominance battle" She said to the priestess who shared the tent with her at the moment. Together they peered closer to watch the fight…

     …the driders made a ring around the two combatants, both were armed with two hand axes and were currently circling each other. The new drider had already killed several others, and had thus gained the respect of the current leader. This fight would determine who had superiority, and it was a fight to the death.

     Suddenly, the two driders were together, arms moving at blinding speed as they fought to cleave the other with an axe, the hand axes moving in intricate patterns and each time being blocked by one of the other drider's hand axes. Then, just as suddenly as the two joined they were apart. The new one grinned and leapt into the air, forcing a grin from the leader. He was a better throw than he was given credit for, and the exposed under side of the challenger would learn that fact. Taking aim, the lead drider threw his axe. But the new drider had a trick of it's own, it was impossible to see how, but somehow the drider managed to turn completely in midair, circling around the axe and landing on the back of the leader, the two hand axe's of the challenger separated the former leader's head from its body…

*
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*

     The bolt of energy came strait for her, ducking she heard it hit something behind her and send it flying. Turning to look she saw a drider pinned against the wall looking at her. But there was something odd about the drider, it was casting an odd shadow and looking at her funny. Then she realized what it was, the drider didn't look like it wanted to kill her, it's eyes shone with the sadness of one that knew it had just lost everything it wanted, and that it was staring at it as it left. It was then she realized that it wasn't an odd shadow at all.....the drider had wings.

*
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     "Tell Darius I want to see him" Mori told the Priestess in the room with her, "to congratulate him on his win"

     "Alright, but I think you should know. He killed the last five messengers we've sent that called him Darius" The priestess responded as she called for a boy to be sent to the drider pit to get Darius.

     "Really, so, what does he go by now?"

     "The driders seem to call him 'Night fox' whatever that means." The priestess responded.

     The laugh escaping the general got an odd look from the priestess, and grinning Mori explained. "My my, a fitting name, I wish I could say I was surprised. I guess he really does love her, pity that."

     "Yes, pity that" The priestess agreed as she caught on. The laugh from the two drow women filled the tent. "I guess we'll have to re-teach him about love"

     "No, lets let him keep it. it'll be fun to torture him with" Mori suggested, once again the laughter filled the tent, much to the fear of the poor boy messenger who was to be sent to the drider pit…

To be continued….