"Thank M'Lord. It was very kind of you to help me so." The tall shadow stepped into the light from the campfire and bowed, his blue silk robes glistened from the embers.

"Not a problem Sire, I am returning thee the favor thou father Mor-ryl once preformed for me when mine own life was but lost, I have but one question Sire what man or beast could defeat such a noble group of warriors?"

As the moonless night grew darker, a cold chill ran down Mire-chath's spine as he remembered the events that took the lives of his beast friend and three mages and almost his. "Give me a moment to recover my thought's Tolsys and I will share with thee the events that took place."

Mire-chath reached into his battered pack and pulled out an old bottle, a bottle he had vowed never to open . . . until now. He put the bottle to his lips and drank a very deep drink, the fluid coursed into his body and warmed him up almost immediately. Mire took a deep breath and looked at his friend. "Tolsys what I'm about telling you, you will not believe my friend, tonight our group of fine warriors came across the keeper of the abyss in person!"

Tolsys raised a curious eyebrow, "That is but a legend Sire, he does not exist, your band of warriors had too much of what thee has in that bottle."

Tolsys laughed a hearty laugh and almost fell. Mire's solemn expression did not change. Tolsys realized this was not a fairytale," Mire, I think I will sit and drink with thee, for if this is true, may the Gods help us all."

The day started like any other busy in Trinsic, merchants and town's folks gathered in the town square to trade their goods, everything was shall we say normal as always. "Thief, guards! Thief!" A scream arose, suddenly without warning the large blade of the halberd came down on the scurrying varmint who was running through the crowd," Ka-thunk!", the lifeless body of William the thief fell to the ground. Within minutes, all of his possessions were gone, the local folk left nothing to spoil. "Now there is a weapon Mire-chath!" Isuldur pointed at the guard standing over the now ill demised thief.

Mire-chath stated, "Bah, my Viking sword could have done it faster and cleaner than that, I would never trade this mighty sword for a halberd! Besides, you have no protection, no shield, you are as dead as that thief fellow warrior."

Isuldur gripped his halberd and grinned, "We shall see today mighty warrior, I tell you this escort we provide to these mages is not safe, I don't trust magic, especially from one in red robes!"

Mire laughed and slammed his metal covered plate gloves onto Isuldur's back, "You worry too much, like my father the smith, Mor-ryl, he worries too much, don't go to dungeons, don't go to the forest alone, don't sneak into young maidens windows, . . . he would never understand! I live for adventure. I live for the smell of some orcs blood across my blade. I live for the scream of the liche as it takes its last breath as I draw my sword from its lifeless corpse! That's a warriors life is all about Isuldur!!!!!"

Isuldur stopped and looked at his friend, he remembered the fierce battles him and Mire had been in and he smiled," why do I listen you? "Last time we did this we had to steal some boat from Deciet to get home! Then your friend Grey-Syn pukes all over me! And to top it off the boat sinks in the harbor with all the goods, how long did we swim underwater to retrieve that amulet for that bloody mage? And for what some magical gifts!! Bah . . . I didn't need magical boots anyway!"

Mire puts his arm around Isuldur's shoulder and they walk into The Keg and Anchor to meet their future, a future which would change them forever.

"RUN! YOU DAMN FOOL, RUN!" Mire could see the hellish hounds coming around the corner, red dogs with mouths of fire.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK I'M DOING YOU WALKING SLIME OF THE SWAMPS!" Isuldur yelled and pulled a small vile with a purple liquid, "THIS WILL GIVE US TIME!" Isuldur threw the vile back at the pursuing beasts . . . "BOOM!"

Three of the four fell to the ground dismembered. The fourth opened its gaping mouth and released a ball of fire. Mire jumped on Isuldur. They both hit the ground hard. The ball of fire flew over them and blew up the unsuspecting wall. Mire and Isuldur turned and faced this new menace, the sound of steel upon flesh echoed in the hallways as they struck the beast . . . a hideous howl rose from its mouth. " Where in bloody hell are those mages! They were right behind us. Dam them!" Mire yelled.

Isuldur stepped in and struck the beast in the throat. A vile smell overcame them as they watched a purple ooze pour from the beast's throat. It fell to the ground lifeless and still. " You always get the good hits Isuldur, good job!"

Isuldur adjusted his plate mail and brushed himself off, "You could at least warned me before you knocked me down Mire," he mumbled.

Mire looked at him and laughed, "Had I not knocked you down, you would be dinner for the rest of the beasts in this dungeon, cooked and well done!!"

Isuldur looked over Mire's shoulder with an uneasy glance "Our friends are here."

Mire turned slowly while putting away his sword, he saw three mages in red robes standing in the middle of the dungeon. "Well-done warriors, well done indeed." The one in the middle stepped forward, Syrus he called himself, " We watched you battle, I must say you are both talented men, I knew we choose the right warriors. Your skills will be tested very soon. We are almost there."

Mire unsheathes his sword and steps forward, "Give me a reason why I shouldn't cut you in half Syrus! You let us walk through a gate alone and tell us it is to the entrance to this ungodly place, instead we are greeted by a gargoyle in a bad a mood who wants us for lunch. Then these hellish hounds come from nowhere!"

Isuldur grabs Mire, " He is not worth it Mire, save it for the demon and his treasures."

"Listen to your friend warrior, as I promised you once we slay this demon you will have all his gold and armor, all we want is his red amulet. Besides we had to make sure you two could handle yourselves."

Mire takes a long deep breath and focuses on the task at hand. "Okay mage we will follow you, you will heal us as we fight and we will cut this so called evil demon in half, agreed?"

"Agreed," Syrus smiles and walks to his brethren. "Follow us warriors, we are very close," Syrus raises his hands and draws into the air, "REL AN!" He yells out, a charge of electricity fills the room and both Mire and Isuldur fell a tingling effect overcome them. "That should add to your protection warriors."

They walk through the dungeon and notice the slain corpses of beasts laying about. They come upon two large doors of steel; they are carved upon showing warriors and mages fighting a large demon, one which Mire has never seen before. The demon is black and his eyes are red, red like the blood of those he feasts upon. "What is this mage," Isuldur asks? " It is the Lord Of the Abyss, the demon we seek, the local townsfolk say he has returned and is taking souls with him."

"We intend to stop him with your help and collect his amulet which holds the lost souls, have you changed your mind?"

Isuldur looks over at Mire and they both grin, "The day we run from any demon is the day I take up sewing at my aunts shop Syrus, enough gibberish lead us on."

Mire feels a twinge of doubt enter his mind. The mage raises his hands and yell out, " EX POR!"

The large steel doors open slowly, filling the dungeon with their refusal to open quietly, CCRRRRREEAAAKKKK! "My God Syrus, that's enough noise to wake the dead!" Mire exclaims.

Syrus smirks, "Don't worry he knows we are coming my friend."

The doors opened up into a small corridor. At the end of the corridor is a stone stairway leading down. The group of five walks towards it and stops. Syrus looks at the warriors, "We must prepare, give us a moment, for once we go down these steps there is no coming back, at least not right away. hahahaha!"

Mire and Isuldur look at each, "His humor is lacking." Mire states with a raised brow.

"Mire, if these mages die we are going to be some Lord Of the Abyss's dinner, are you sure about this?" A now concerned Isuldur asks.

"Isuldur my friend, my brother in swords, are we to fear the unknown? This Lord is only a myth. With our luck it will be some old demon who will beg us to put him to rest, do not fear, Mire is here!" Mire exclaims.

Isuldur bows his head and shakes, he knows they are in trouble now. "IN JUX SANCT!" Those words come from all three mages, Mire and Isuldur watch as they suddenly start to glow. "We are ready warriors follow us," Syrus exclaims.

The three mages disappear down the stairs, Mire and Isuldur follow. The first thing that catches their attention is the stench, a smell of burning human flesh, a smell not too easily forgot, it is accompanied by the smell of ash burning for centuries. There is no light in here, except for the unnatural glow of red, pulsating from the walls. They turn the corner and stop in horror. On the floor are four mangled pieces of flesh and gold armor, bodies, or at least what used to be human bodies. They find the source of some of the smell.

Mire looks in disgust, "I know these warriors Syrus, I have fought along their side in battle against The Elves, I do not understand they are the best of the best."

"They were the best of the best warrior" Syrus states bluntly.

Isuldur grabs Mire by the shoulder and whispers, "Looks like your myth already had dinner, we must be dessert."

Mire shrugs his shoulder, the fire of battle begins to rage from within him, " I will avenge their deaths! Mage take us to him now!"

Syrus smiles, perfect they are ready, he says to himself.

The sound of a Viking sword clearing a metal sheath echoes the walls. Mire runs it across his palm to check its effectiveness. A line of blood streams from his hand. Isuldur removes the sheath covering his halberd. It gleams in the glow of the red walls. They all walk up a small embankment, passing the still smoldering corpses. They enter into a room with four large pillars, on top of those pillars are cauldrons burning an eerie fire. In the middle of the floor is a large pentagram, drawn out in what appears to be fresh blood.

Syrus motions to Isuldur and Mire to take up positions on opposite side of the room, the mages walk into the middle of the pentagram. Silence. Mire looks across the room sword in hand and looks at his friend Isuldur. Isuldur looks back with a worried grin upon on his face, Mire has never seen him like this. He begins to realize they should not be here and that sewing is just as dangerous, you can bleed right?

Syrus steps forward and yells," Come out the holder of innocent souls and face thy day of reckoning!"

Nothing. Silence. Suddenly a flow of hot air fills the room as if the gates of hell were opened, Mire's plate mail is now uncomfortable. Two large red oval eyes now appear at the edge of the light. A low rumbling sound begins to fill the room. It is coming from the owner of the eyes. Suddenly a large ball of fire emerges from the darkness, it crosses the room and strikes the third mage. A headless mage stands, immobile, as a river of blood flows from his neck. It falls lifeless to the ground. Syrus motions to the warriors to attack.

Mire and Isuldur step from the sides of the room just in time to see the beast, a tall black demon with eyes of fire steps into the light, it roars, "IN ORT REL!!" The room is filled with electricity as if the demon was drawing from it, suddenly horrid shreaks fill the room. "AAAHHHHHHHH . . . HE HAS DRAINED US!!!!!," Syrus screams.

Mire watches frozen in horror as the beast roars again, "IN FLAM NOX GRAV!!" A wall of fire and green electricity surrounds the two mages, they are on fire. Mire snaps out of it just long enough to see his friend, Isuldur rush the beast, he attacks as well. Isuldur's first hit strikes the beast in the belly, bringing forth a sulfurous smell into the room, Mire strikes it in the right arm. The beast now visibly upset raises its arm and slashes at Isuldur with its black sword. CLANKKKKK!! Mire had heard of people being cut in half but had never seen it until now, his good friend's amour forms a crack at the head and splits in two, the halberd still in Isuldur's hand.

The beast now turns to Mire and roars, "DES MANI !!" Mire feels his body weaken, he drops his sword, it has suddenly become too heavy. Mire looks up and sees the beast open its gaping mouth, a ball of fire bellows from it and strikes him in the chest . . . he never realized how pretty a fireball was until he saw one this close. FOOOOSSSHHHHH!! He feels his life essence being drawn away he can see his legs are burnt beyond walking, he will die.

The voice of his father fills his head. "Never give up Mire. Here is a stone my friend Tolsys gave me, when you are in need just hold onto to it and say " Kal Ort Por" and you shall be transported."

Mire realizes he still had the stone hanging from his neck, he grabs it and yells out "Kal Ort Por!!!" As he began to feel himself being pulled away from the dungeon, he sees the demon dragging the corpses towards the pentagram and spilling their blood on to the floor.

When he came to, he arose screaming . . . "Isuldur!!!!!."

Tolsys grabs Mire and lay him back down. "Rest my friend, your friend is gone, I am here." Mire looks up and sees his fathers friend the mage Tolsys standing next to him. " You are in a healers home Mire, you are fine now, you have been asleep for four nights." Tolsys calmly explains.

"How did I get here?" Mire asked.

Tolsys smiled, "You can imagine my surprise young man when I was sitting in my study inscribing a scroll when suddenly, you come crashing down onto my desk!! I did not recognize you at first. You were burnt and battered. I brought you here, what happened?"

Mire looked up at him, "You will not believe me my friend, wait till I am better, we will sit near a campfire and drink my father's ale and I will tell thee. It a story that thou will not believe."

Tolsys smiled, "Rest for now, you are okay we will talk later, and by the way here is your sewing kit, I brought it, during your four nights of sleep you kept yelling out " I want to sew!!" I dare not ask what that means."

Mire looked up at Tolsys and smiled, " Trust me you wouldn't understand."