Date: 29 Apr 2001 12:04:37 +0100
From: zan@oceanfree.net
Subject: Night of No Tomorrow - 6 (gay/boybands)

Disclaimer:

Hello again! I'm back with the third part of NNT. First of all, (*sigh!*
not again...) as mentioned before, this story is totally fictional and has
no purpose whatsoever to imply that any member of the BSB is gay. Secondly,
also as mentioned before, the setting of this story is 100% based on TRS,
Inc. Novels, the Forgotten Realms. The story is written purely out of fun
and leisure and I have no intention of publishing it anywhere or whatever.
Hmm... what else? Oh yeah, this story also contain homosexual elements, so
if you got a problem with it, boy, that's your problem. However, if you are
looking for some hot sex scenes, sorry dudes, you'll be disappointed. I'm
just not good in writing about that stuff :P But if you like stories that
goes nice and slow and have more to offer than just sex, oh well, you might
like this one (I hope).

Well! Now that is gone out of da way, lets get on with the story. Hope you
enjoy it. If ya got comments, objections, suggestions, tips, death threats,
boos, tomatoes or cabbages to throw or whatever, just write to me at
zan@oceanfree.net

Drew
**************************

In the World of Dreams...

The goddess floated gently within the void. The World of Dreams is somewhat
totally separate from the rest of the planes. It is a world that is
slightly out of phase of time and space. It is a place where logic can be
defied.

The world consists of nothing but a void of darkness. Within the darkness,
countless stars glittered around her, some are dimmed, some flashes
brightly. But they are not stars. They are dream spheres. It is here where
the spirit of mortals in Faerun dwells when they sleep. When they are
awake, the dream sphere dimmed and when they are asleep, their dream sphere
flashes.

Summoning her will, she scanned the void with her mind. None of her fellow
deities, with the exception of one, could do this. But Selune can, for she
is the Goddess of the Moon, the Giver of Dreams. The other deity is Shar,
the Goddess of Darkness and Loss, the Giver of Nightmares, as well as her
immortal sister. The two has been bitter foe ever since the beginning of
time. Where there's night, Selune will parts the darkness with her
light. Where there's a taint of darkness, Selune will purify it. Where
there is loss, Selune will find it. And where there is a mortal lost in the
darkness, Selune will guide them back to light. But bitter foe as they may
be, Shar is more powerful then Selune. Shar is a deity of a Greater Power,
Selune is but of an Intermediate Power, a consequences from her actions
during one of their great battle in the past. She didn't regret her
actions, for it was for the greater good.

After a while, she found what she was looking for in the void. Slowly, she
concentrated her thoughts and will to pull certain dream spheres towards
her. This went on for some time, but in the end, five dreams sphere floated
gently before her. She smiled in relief for she was not sure this would
work. These are mortals from the negative world after all. She was not even
sure at first whether she would even sense their dream sphere.

So far, only two of the dream spheres are glowing brightly. But as she
watched, another one begins to glow with soft white light. She waited for
some time and eventually all of the dream spheres are glowing brightly
before her.

'Perfect. They are all asleep.' She thought silently. 'Now for the hard
part.'

Mustering all of her power, strength and will, she gently willed the sphere
closer and closer. She gritted her teeth as she pushed with all her
might. A soft moan escaped from her lips as she struggled. It was as if she
is pushing both heaven and earth together with her own bare hands. After
what seems like an eternity, the spheres merged, leaving a single sphere,
which is glowing brilliantly. Then, without releasing her power, she
embraces the sphere, willing her essence to enter it. The glow increased as
the sphere tried to repel her back and she moaned with frustration, but she
has to do this. Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash and she was in. The
power of the sphere is still trying to push her back out and she knows she
has precious little time. So, whatever she has to do, she must do it
fast. Shar will feel this too - all the more reason to do this quickly.

**************************

Meanwhile, in the extra dimensional plane of Hades...

Shar stood from her glittering dark throne as she felt something. The night
dragon whom she has been patting beside her hissed in surprise. She
silently focused her mind to the rest of the plane.

"Selune," she hissed in hate and anger. She looked up into the darkness
before her. The shadow thickened and broiled in response to her anger. "Of
course! The dream spheres!"

**************************

Nick's dream...

He was walking in a park back home in his world. It is about four o'clock
in the afternoon but the sun is still shining brightly. Children were
running around him, playing various games. Their parents or babysitters
were sitting at the benches, chatting quietly, enjoying the sun.

"Hey you"

Nick turns around only to find a small boy looking at him curiously. He is
wearing a football jersey and a short. He holds a soccer ball in his hands.

"Wanna play soccer?" he asked in a small voice.

Nick smiled.

"Why not?"

The boy smiled and they went to a small spot at the corner of the
park. They played for some time and for a moment, Nick felt really
happy. Then suddenly, the sky darkens and dark clouds begin to appear. No
one seems to notice it. The children keep playing and the boy continues to
chase the ball.

"It's gonna rain." Said Nick, pointing to the storm clouds.

"Huh?" the boy looked at him, puzzled. "No it's not. The sky is clear."

Nick looked at him in confusion.

"No it's not. Look..."

Suddenly the whole world turns bright and there was a flash of blinding
light. When the light cleared, he was standing on a beach. The sea roiled
before him, sending gentle waves onto the beach every now and then. Nick
looked around in confusion, wondering what happened to the boy and the
park. The beach is empty. In the horizon, the sun is about to set.

Then, there was another flash and when it vanished, a familiar figure stood
before him, looking around in confusion.

"Brian?" Nick asked.

The figure turned around in surprise and Nick finds himself looking at his
best friend. Brian eyes widened in recognition.

"Nick!" he cried out and pulled him into a hug.

"Oh my God, Brian!"

Their hug was interrupted by another flash of light in the distance, and
then another, and then another.

"Kevin! AJ! Howie!" Nick cried out.

"Nick!" Kevin cried out. "Brian!"

For a moment, they embraced each other with joy.

"Oh my God, are you really in my dream? Are you guys real?" asked AJ. Nick
noticed he is wearing dark leather armor bristling with daggers.

"What do you mean I'm in your dream?! You guys are in my dream!" said
Brian.

"No, mine!" said Kevin.

"Mine!" said Howie.

"Actually, all of you are having the same dream." A new strained voice
appeared behind them. The guys turned around in surprise to see a beautiful
woman with ivory-white hair and radiant eyes. Nick noticed that her eyes
and voice is strained and she appeared ghostly as if she is partially
here. At times, she faded away only to reappear before them.

"Who are you?" asked Kevin.

"I am known as Selune, Goddess of the Moon." She said in a strained
voice. "I... I cannot stay long for this is very difficult for me. I have a
message for all of you from Azuth, God of all Wizards and an ally of
Mystra. I ask you to heed it for the sake of your own life. Forces of evil
are out there to destroy you. You must go to Shadowdale. There, you must
seek out the archmage Elminster. He, and the rest of Mystra's allies will
sent you back to your world. Heed this, for the fate of the Realm depends
on it."

With that the woman vanished. There was a bright flash and then the world
vanished.

******************************

In the World of Dreams...

Selune released herself from her power and were thrown back into the
void. The sphere was separated back into five smaller dream spheres. She
took a deep breath or two before gathering her strength. She shook her head
slightly and sighed. That took more strength and effort than she
thought. She was drained from it, but luckily she has thought forward and
stored some of her power elsewhere, in case Shar decided to pay her a
visit. At least, if that happens, she still has enough power to defend
herself.

And it was not a moment too soon, for as soon as she collected her
thoughts, a figure emerged from the shadow. The figure appeared in the form
of a pale, dark hair woman wearing a shadow black gown.

"Shar," Selune hissed.

The woman smiled coldly.

"Dear Selune," she purred. "Did you enjoy your little rendezvous with the
mortals?"

"What do you think?" Selune answered mockingly, gathering every shard of
power she has in readiness. Shar sensed this and gather all her power too.

"I think you little plan is going to fail," she purred again and raise her
hand in a gesture. The five glowing dream spheres raced towards her. "In
fact, I am going to give them a nightmare they will never forget. Even
better, I will give them such a nightmare that they will never wake up
from."

"You... will... NOT!!!" Selune hissed through her gritted teeth and hurled
a lightning bolt towards the Nightgoddess.

Shar recoiled and hissed in pain as the bolt hits her. The spheres stopped
in its track and returns back to Selune. While Shar gather her own power in
retaliation, Selune waved her hand over the spheres, causing the glow
within the spheres to dim immediately. A wave of dark bolt of energy hits
her at that moment, causing her to screams in pure agony.

Shar looked at the dimmed sphere and anger.

"You shall pay for the indignity!" she hissed and hurled another bolt of
dark energy towards the Moonmaiden.

But Selune is prepared for that. She hurled her own bolt of white
energy. The two bolts hit each other, and the resulting magical explosion
threw the two deities backward. Selune got up again and hurled another bolt
towards the Nightgoddess, pouring all her might into it. The Nightgoddess
dodged the assault and hurled her own bolt, which is also dodged by the
Moonmaiden.

The two deities battled for some while, throwing their might towards each
other. After what seems like eternity, Selune came up with a plan. Shar may
be more powerful than she is, but Selune however has always been more
quick-witted and intelligent. She waited while Shar gathered all her power
to throw against the Moonmaiden. Then she snapped an incantation and raised
her hands in a flourish. Shar, thinking it is another bolt of white energy,
dodged aside, but she looked up in surprise when nothing happened. Then
suddenly, the void was filled with brilliantly lit silvery white
light. Being the Goddess of Darkness, Shar hates being exposed to any kind
of light. She gave a shriek of agony as the light burnt her dark essence
right to the core. She wove her magic and waved her hands desperately, and
the void turns black again. When she looked at her foe again, she saw
Selune was just finishing an incantation of a spell and waved her hands
over the spheres. A powerful ward appeared around each of the sphere. Shar
recognize the ward. It is a ward that is designed to keep even other gods
away from whatever it is protecting. Even with all the power of the gods
combined, they will never be able to penetrate the ward.

"Curse you Selune!" she shrieked. First, she struck her, then she wounded
her by getting her into the light, and now this! The effrontery of the
woman!

Selune just smiled.

"Lick your wounds, Nightgoddess. Perhaps we can fight again in the future."

With that, the Moonmaiden vanished from the void, back to the safety of her
domain. Her job is done, and the dream spheres are safe. She has also dealt
a blow on her bitterest foe. Good jobs all done in one day. She smiled in
self-satisfaction as she basked in the glory of the light of the full moon,
singing a song of hope and promise.

*******************************

Meanwhile, in the Sword Coast...

Nick sat up with a startled cry. He is breathing fast and his heart is
racing. He is in bed with Andy. It is in the middle of the night and the
moonlight lit the room with a silvery glow. There is a gale outside, which
is not uncommon considering they are right beside the ocean. But these are
not the things that unnerved him. It was the strange dream he had a moment
ago. It was so... strange. So real...

"Nick? What's wrong?" asked Andy, as he sat up with concern.

"Shadowdale." Nick said softly.

"Huh?" said Andy in confusion.

Nick turned to face his lover.

"We must go to Shadowdale. They will be there, the guys."

"Nick, what are you talking about?" Andy asked worriedly.

Nick told him about the dream he had a while ago excitedly. Andy listened
in silence, frowning in deep thought.

"Selune? The goddess herself? In your dream?" he asked in awe.

"Yes! She was beautiful. Her hair is ivory white. Her eyes are radiant."
Nick said excitedly.

"I don't know, Nick." Said Andy worriedly. "Dream is a strange and
unpredictable thing. It can be tampered easily..."

"Andy, please? Please let us go to Shadowdale. I mean, what do we have to
loose?" said Nick in desperation. "It may be my only hope to meet the rest
of the guys. Please? I missed them very much."

The pleading look in Nick's eyes softened Andy's heart. He cannot refuse
him. He'll do anything to make him happy. And who knows, maybe he will meet
the rest of his friends there. Andy smiled and nodded gently.

"All right."

"Oh thank you, Andy!" Nick cried out happily and gave him a hug and a
kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too." Said Andy. "Let get back to sleep shall we? We'll plan
for the journey in the morning."

"Actually, I need a glass of water. I'll join you later." Said Nick. He
gave Andy a small kiss and walked out of the room.

He walked down the stairs and on into the sitting room.

"What are you doing up?" Muragh piped from the table with a book before
him. He appeared to be reading a book!

"Well hello to you too," said Nick. "What are you reading?"

"Eh? Some old book. It's what I always do when there's no one around."

"Really? Gee, how surprising. Can't you do the same when someone is
around?" said Nick sarcastically.

"Of course not. I'm not as rude to ignore people as some people does." Said
Muragh smugly. "So, what brings you out of the bed? Trouble in paradise?"

"Just need a drink of water. Hey, where's the pitcher?" said Nick as he
looks around.

"On that table over there, beside the shelves." Muragh replied.

Nick filled his glass with water and sat beside Muragh.

"I had the most strangest dream tonight" he said.

"Really? Tell me all about it." Said Muragh eagerly, before pausing and
added, "Unless it is some kinky wet dream you guys always dream about - out
of the consideration of my innocent mind".

Nick snorted and proceeded to tell Muragh about the dream.

"So, we're going to Shadowdale then?" asked the skull.

"Yup. Andy said we'll plan all about it in the morning." Said Nick
excitedly.

"I dunno. Shadowdale is quite a journey from here. My estimation is, it'll
take about a month and a half." Said Muragh.

"Is there a map or something around here? I need to see where Shadowdale
is." Said Nick.

"It's in the drawer over there." Muragh replied.

Nick proceeded to take out the map. He whistles as he traced where
Shadowdale is and how far it is from where he is now.

"Now you have the idea of how far the place it?" asked Muragh.

"Yeah." Said Nick. He fell silent for a moment. "But I think it is worth
it. I am sure we will meet there."

"So, you're sure of the dream then?" asked Muragh. Nick nodded grimly.

He looked up when he heard someone walking along the wooden platform at the
front door. Whoever it was stopped before the door.

"Now who could that be?" Muragh said in wonder.

Nick stood but before he could do anything, the door flew inward with a
crash. Nick stumbled back in surprise. When he looked up at the door, he
saw a man wearing a dark robe strode in. His face is hidden in the shadow
of his cowl. A wizard.

"Who in the Nine Hells are you?!" asked Muragh.

The wizard ignored the skull and fixed his cold eyes on Nick who stood
across the room, trembling with fear.

"You must be Nick Carter." He said evilly.

"Who... who are you?" Nick asked shakily.

"Your death." The wizard smiled and started to chant a spell.

Blood drained from Nick's face as he realized his doom. He didn't even have
any spell in his mind to protect himself since he hadn't had the chance to
study his spell book yet. But Muragh has a trick of his own however. The
skull wiggled and hopped to face the wizard and muttered a word. Then it
opened its mandible wide. A magic missile pulsed through the air and struck
the wizard squarely on the chest. It doesn't do much harm on the wizard,
but it does break his concentration and foiled his spell casting.

The wizard snarled in anger and gestured sharply. Muragh was suddenly
lifted into the air and flew backward, hitting the wall behind Nick with a
sickening thud. Nick chooses that moment to pick up a vase beside him and
hurled it towards the wizard. The wizard just laughed as the vase hits an
invisible barrier before him and shattered into small pieces. Then he
pointed towards Nick and snapped a spell sharply. Nick could only watch
helplessly at the five pulsing magic missiles streaking nearer and nearer
towards him.

Suddenly, the magic missiles freeze in it path just a pace before hitting
Nick. Nick trembled as he watched the pulsing magic floated gently before
him. The wizard however, snarled in surprise.

"What trickery is this?" the wizard snarled.

"Who are you?" a soft voice came out from the stairs.

Nick and the wizard looked at the direction of the voice in surprise. Andy
stood calmly at the stairs, garbed in his battle robe. His left hand
outstretched towards Nick while his eyes, filled with fury never left the
wizard. Slowly, he clamped his left hand into a fist. The magic missiles
that were floating before Nick dimmed and vanished. The wizard snarled as
he looks at Andy and backs away to gain some space between them.

"This does not concerns you, *boy*!" the wizard spat at Andy. "Now begone!
Be thankful you are beneath our notice."

Andy slowly made his way downstairs. Nick felt something moving at his feet
and looked down. It was Muragh.

"Get down, Nick. Hurry!" Muragh whispered.

Nick complied and took cover behind the table. He looked at the two wizards
before him. Despite his warning and confidence, the dark robed wizard is
watching Andy warily. Andy however stood erect at the bottom of the stairs,
facing the wizard calmly, though his eyes are blazing with cold fury. Even
from the distance, Nick could feel the huge amount of power radiating from
his lover. He has always suspected that Andy is more powerful in magic than
he has let on. Now his suspicion is confirmed. He may normally looks young,
innocent and cheerful. But now, garbed in his battle robe, he looks every
inch like a real wizard of great power. He stood erect and unconcerned
against the evil wizard who has just broken into his domain.

"You broke into my home, attacked my guest who is also my friend and
apprentice and also under my protection, and you are telling me that it is
not my concern?" said Andy. "I ask you a question, *wizard* and I want an
answer, who are you?"

"You would do well to step aside," The wizard growled, though Nick noticed
a hint of uncertainty at the edge of his voice. "The Zhentarim does not
take well on anyone who dares to oppose them."

If the wizard attempted to invoke fear in Andy by uttering that name, he
was greatly mistaken. For the first time in his life, Nick saw the
expression of pure hatred and anger in his lover's eyes. The aura of power
he felt around him intensified. Muragh hissed in his hands.

"A Zhentarim," Andy hissed in a tone that sent shiver into Nick's spine. "A
Zhentarim dares to defiles my home with his presence."

Part of the tone reminds Nick of the time when his mother discovered
someone just dirtied her home with mud. Another part of his tone reminds
Nick of a judge pronouncing a death sentence on someone.

In a flash, Andy was pointing towards the wizard and said coldly, "Die
Zhentarim!"

'Magius Stryke!'

Five magic missiles hit the mage before he could do anything. The mage
staggered back with a pained grunt and straightened himself. He looked up
just in time to see Andy completed another spell. His hands and fingers
alight with dancing sparks of electricity. The mages eyes widened in fear
as he realized Andy's next spell, and threw himself aside. At the same
moment, Andy flings out his hands and a bolt of electricity sliced through
the air, missing the mage by a pace. It hits the window behind him,
punching a hole through the wall.

The mage stood up and snarled out his own spell. There was a flash of green
light and three acid lances flew across the room, towards Andy. Andy
uttered a spell calmly and an invisible barrier appeared before him. The
lances hit the barrier and vanished. Andy raised his hands before him and
intones another spell. Suddenly, there was a roar and a powerful windblast
appeared before him, sending the mage flying out through the hole in the
wall.

The mage now outside, stood up frantically. His agent did warn him about
this young wizard but he didn't expect him to be this powerful. He screamed
in pain as another burst of electricity hits him. He frantically regained
his senses and snapped a mirror image spell. Ten images of himself appeared
around him. He didn't waste any time. Instead, he muttered another spell
hurriedly as another wave of magic missiles hits five of the images,
causing it to vanish. He held out his hands and almost immediately, a cone
of cold appeared before him. The cone engulf the area where the young mage
was standing, freezing everything in its path. When it vanished, he peered
eagerly, expecting to see the young mage standing frozen before him. But
there was no one there. He turned in surprise when he heard a chanting
behind him. Another wave of magic missiles struck another five of his
images, leaving him defenseless again. Somehow, the young mage managed to
teleport himself behind him.

He snarled another spell and pointed towards the young mage. A lightning
bolt burst fourth, snapping and crackling through the air. The young mage
smiled unconcernedly, uttered a word and vanished. He re-appeared some
distance away from him to the right. The mage turned quickly and snarled
another spell and flings his hands before him. Fire appeared from his hands
and fingers and burst towards the young mage. The young mage flings out his
hands and softly uttered his own spell. An ice beam shot out from his hands
and met the stream of fire. There was a loud hissing sound as the two
opposite elements meet at the middle and drops of water appeared as the ice
melts.

Andy chants a spell again and pointed towards the wizard. The wizard
recognizes the spell Andy is casting and hastily cast a spell of flight
onto himself. A fireball shot out from Andy's pointing digit and streaks
through the air towards the mage. As the fireball explodes, Andy saw the
wizard flying away gracefully from the area, his black robe flapping
through the air. Andy smiled grimly as a plan began to form in his mind and
applied himself into another quick spell casting.

The mage, feeling as if he has gained an upper hand from the air, snarled
another spell and hurled his own fireball towards the young mage. The
fireball explodes with a roar around Andy, burning everything within ten
feet radius around him. The mage's eyes widened in fear as he saw Andy
still standing after the fire dissipated, enclosed within a globe of
invulnerability. Andy looked up at him steadily and dropped his hands as he
finished yet another spell casting.

"Think you're safe from me up there, Zhentarim?" he asked softly as he
waited for his spell to take effect. "Big mistake."

The mage wavered in his spell casting as he felt himself being tossed back
and forth in the air. The air around him begins to howled and whirled
uncontrollably. The mage begin to look around in alarm, as he begins to
whirl with the wind. It was then he realized that he is caught within a
whirlwind. Flight spell is very useful in calm air, but it is downright
dangerous in conditions like this. The mage screams as he spun and whirled
helplessly in the air. The clouds gathered above him and streaks of
lightning flashes down and struck the helpless mage.

The whirlwind Andy summoned went on for a while even after the mage's
screams were stilled. Andy stood his ground, watching
expressionlessly. Then, something fell before him. Andy looked down to see
the twisted, charred body of the mage. The whirlwind stopped and the sky
cleared again. Andy looked at the charred body one last time before turning
back towards the lighthouse.






"Andy!" Nick cried out and rushed towards him as the young mage walked
wearily back into the house.

"It's okay, Nick. I'm going to be fine. I'm just weary. It has been long
since I went out to battle." Andy said soothingly at Nick.

"Calm down, Nick." Said Muragh. "He'll survive. He has been through worst."

"Who... who was that guy? What does it want with me?" Nick asked in fear.

"He is a Zhentarim mage, Nick." Andy explained. "I don't know what the
Zhents wants with you, but rest assure, more of them will come if they want
you dead so badly."

"So what are we going to do now?" asked Muragh.

Andy looked at Nick and Muragh.

"We pack our things and leave for Shadowdale, now, tonight." Said Andy
calmly. "If that dream you had is any indication, that I should say you and
the rest of your friends are very important in some way. I've a feeling
that everything will be explained once we get to Shadowdale."

He stood up.

"Come on, Nick. Let's get packing quickly. We must be far away from here
before more Zhents arrive."

"Who are these Zhentarim anyway?" asked Nick.

Andy thought for a suitable answer for a moment.

"For the moment, let just say they are a nasty and evil bunch of
people. I'll tell you more later."

******************************

In Caer Corwell, in the Moonshae Isles...

Brian startled out of his sleep with a jolt, wondering dazedly about the
strange dream he just had a moment ago. Sarelle and Galadriel looked up at
him from their soft conversation. Galadriel instinctly placed her hand on
her sword. They were in an inn in Caer Corwell. After arriving into the
city, they immediately took a room at the first inn they could find. They
purposely took one room and stay in together so that they could take turn
to stay up and guard while the others sleep.

"Shadowdale." Brian whispered.

"Brian? Are you all right?" asked Sarelle.

Brian looked at the priestess.

"Shadowdale. We must go to Shadowdale!" said Brian; his voice became
urgent.

"Whoa, Brian. Calm down. What are you saying?" asked Sarelle as he sat
beside him.

"I... I had a strange dream," said Brian and he proceeded to explain the
whole dream to the priestess and the elf. "It was no ordinary dream,
Sarelle. Nick was there, and the others. We must go to Shadowdale. The
others are on their way there now."

Sarelle and Galadriel looked at each other. Galadriel looks hesitant, no
doubt thinking of the prospect of leaving the Moonshae.

"Sounds like a dream vision. We cannot ignore it." Said Sarelle.

"But dreams can be tampered. If my understanding of human gods is correct,
Selune has a number of enemies. One of them could masquerade as her."
Galadriel countered.

"But what if it was Selune?" Brian argued. "My friends would be at
Shadowdale and I am not there!"

"Shadowdale is the home of the Old Sage, Elminster. He is one of the wisest
men in Faerun. Maybe he holds the answer to all of our questions about this
situation." Said Sarelle again.

"It is a very long journey to Shadowdale." Galadriel pointed out. "And the
Zhentarim are more powerful in the mainland. More could be waiting for us
along the way. Are you sure you want to take such risk?"

The three of them frown in thought. Finally Brian stood.

"I am going to Shadowdale, alone if I must. I must find the rest of my
friends. But I will not force you to come with me." He said with
determination.

Sarelle and Galadriel watched him quietly. Then, Sarelle took out a pinch
of grain from one of her pouches and threw it on the floor, muttering a
prayer. She stares the pattern formed by the grain on the floor
expressionlessly before nodded and stood.

"I have cast an augury and asked Chauntea to guide me." She said
softly. "She told me to follow you. I will come with you."

Galadriel smiled sadly.

"Although it is hard for me to leave my home, my honor demands me to follow
you." She stood proudly. "Our ways lies together then. When do you want to
leave?"

"As soon as possible." Brian replied steadily.

"I saw a ship preparing for a journey when we passed the docks. I think it
will leave tonight." Said Galadriel.

"Let's take it then." Said Sarelle. "We have enough gold for the passage
and we have nothing holding us back now."

Brian and Galadriel nodded and proceed to pack up their things.

*************************

In the middle of the Lake of Dragons...

"I don't know AJ. Going all the way to Shadowdale because of some
dreams... I... I just don't feel comfortable about it." Said Beth. The ship
they were in rocked gently under the gentle push of the wind.

"But Beth, I told you, this is not an ordinary dream." AJ said
exasperatedly.

"How can you tell?" Beth argued. "You are no expert in dreams. For all we
know, one of the Zhentarim wizards might have tampered with it. For all we
know we might be walking straight into a trap. I've told you all about the
Zhents already, AJ. You should know it by now that they are... not nice
people."

"I may not be a dream expert, but I just know it!" AJ countered. "I just
know that it is not an ordinary dream. I have this strange feeling that I
will meet the rest of the guys at Shadowdale. Call me crazy, but I know
that I have to go there!"

Beth sighed and leaned against the railing. They are on the deck in a ship
bound for the city of Suzail. They have been sailing for more than two days
now and while the sea has been almost calm during their whole journey so
far, Beth has never felt comfortable when traveling in a ship.

"Are you really sure about this AJ?" Beth asked softly while looking into
his eyes.

"Yes, Beth. I don't know how, but I'm dead sure." AJ replied seriously. "It
is also my first and only lead to re-unite with my friends."

Beth remains quiet for a moment or two before nodding.

"Well, I suppose we can swing by to Shadowdale for a while." She
relented. "Anyway, considering that the Zhents are after you, we could find
some allies there. Folks in Shadowdale hate the Zhents more than anyone
else in the Realms."

"Why?" asked AJ.

"Shadowdale lies south of Zhentil Keep, the main base of the Zhentarim. The
Zhents has been trying to invade Shadowdale for years, but never
succeeded." Beth replied. "There are many powerful people living there, you
see. There's a very powerful archmage known all across the Realm as
Elminster, the Old Mage of Shadowdale. There's also the Bard of Shadowdale,
known as Storm Silverhand who is also the leader of a powerful and goodly
aligned organization known as the Harpers. There's also the noble Knights
of Myth Drannor living there. Yeah, you would be safe there."

"So why are you so reluctant to go there?" asked AJ.

Beth blushed and turned away.

"Umm... long story. And personal." She replied.

AJ caught the blush and grinned.

"Old flame huh?"

"Very old and very personal, and so very none of your business. So watch
where you step, boy." Beth smiled in return.

************************

In Eveningstar Castle...

"Why can't you just teleport us there, Tess?"

Howie stood before Tessaril clad in his full plate armor. It has been two
days since he had the strange dream. As soon as he told Tessaril about it,
the Lady of Eveningstar rushed to her scrying mirror to consult with
Vangerdahast and Azoun. Soon, they were making preparations to travel to
Shadowdale. Tessaril herself will accompany Howie there, along with five
other Cormyrian soldiers, Purple Dragon, Tessaril called them, and one
war-wizard.

They are walking towards the castle's entrance. The rest of the escorts
were already there. Tessaril were dressed in a light armor, specially made
and enchanted for her. Normally, a mage cannot wear any sort of armor since
it would hamper their spell casting. But the enchantment placed on the
armor enabled her to cast spells while wearing it.

"Because apparently one of the characteristics of a being from the negative
plane is they are unaffected by teleportation spells." Tessaril replied.

"Which means we have to travel the old ways." Howie grumbled.

Tessaril grinned and slaps his back.

"Cheer up. At least you will meet your friends again. Anyway, traveling in
the countryside is not that bad. I thought you are used to traveling back
in your world."

"Yeah, but we travel in cars and planes back there, not horses." Howie
replied. "Anyway, how long are we gonna be on the road?"

"In about three weeks, more or less. Relax, it's going to be fun."

They were greeted by Tessaril's aged herald, Tzin Tzummer, at the front of
the castle.

"Everything is in readiness, Lady." He spokes softly.

"Good. Take good care of Eveningstar while I'm gone, Tzin." Tessaril
replied.

"I will, milady. Safe journey, milady. You too Howie." Said the herald.

They climbed their horses and set of through the gates. As the passed
through the town, a man looked up from where he has been standing hidden in
one of the alleys. He watched at Howie and the whole escort as they passed
him before getting onto his horse and rushed off into the woods.

**********************

In the woods, just outside Eveningstar...

Deina looked up when one of her bodyguard entered the tent. With a grace
that matches her beauty, the priestess of Talos stood up and stares at the
man coldly.

"I thought I have expressed my wish that I would like to be alone," she
said just as coldly. She raised her hands to unleash a spell that would
incinerate the man where he stood.

The man raised his hands fearfully.

"I... I have a good reason, mistress. Tahern has returned. He brought
news." The man said hastily.

Deina stopped her casting immediately. Tahern is the man she has sent to
Eveningstar to spy on one of the young men she and the others are
seeking. It was out of pure coincidence that one of her spies managed to
spot the young man, Howard she thinks his name is, in Eveningstar
castle. Deina is not a patient woman. Normally, she would have used
everything in her power to strike out at the young man and carry out the
order of her god, Talos. But in this situation, things are a bit
difficult. Eveningstar castle is well guarded and the soldiers of Cormyr
have little tolerance with priests of Talos or any other evil priests for
that matter. The war-wizards in the castle would blast her to nothingness
before she could do anything. And worst of all is the young man's mentor,
Tessaril Winter!

Deina has battled with Tessaril in the past. Deina knew from the battle
that her power matches Tessaril's magic in almost every aspect. But
Tessaril, although a mage, is also a deadly fighter. She is also very
intelligent especially in the ways of combining her magic with steel. Deina
barely survived the last battle she had with Tessaril. She was serving
another wizard at the time. Tessaril and her Harpers allies defeated and
slew the wizard and came close to kill her too.

So, when she discovered that Tessaril has taken the young man under her
wings, she uttered a curse so vile that all her other comrades looked at
her strangely.

Deina roughly pushed the man out of the way and strode out of her tent. A
tall, middle age man wearing a dark blue robe immediately greeted her.

"Greetings, Deina. I was just looking for you." He said softly. Deina
glared at the man with disdain. She has always hated wizards, be it good or
evil. She doesn't care whether the man is a Zhentarim mage or not, she just
hate all wizards in general. She held to her opinion that the Realm would
be a better place to live without the presence of wizards. It was bad
enough that she has to tolerate the disgusting look of pure lust from the
priest of Bane, who is her third companion, without having to hide her
irritation against the wizard. She cursed Manshoon and her superior who
charged these two men to accompany her.

"Greetings, Damien." She replied flatly. "If you come to tell me about the
return of my spy, I've already been informed. I'm on my way there now."

She walked pass the slightly amused wizard and on towards the small
clearing in the middle of the camp. She has brought ten Zhentarim soldiers
with her. She would have brought more, but being in Cormyr, that would
attract unwanted attention. The mighty Royal Wizard of Cormyr, Vangerdahast
is another person she wouldn't want to toy around with.

Her spy stood at the middle of the clearing. Laelar, the priest of Bane who
accompanied her stood beside him. As soon as she came into the priest of
view, the priest smiled lustfully at her. Deina fought off the urge to
blast him with her lightning bolt.

"What news did you bring, Tahern?" she asked coldly.

The spy looked at her warily.

"The boy has left the city, traveling hard to the north. He is accompanied
with ten Purple Dragon soldiers and a war-wizard. The Lady Tessaril is with
him too."

Deina gave a wintry smile. This is the first piece of good news she has
ever received in months.

"We have them now." She said to the priest of Bane. She would rather deal
with the lustful priest than the wizard who stood beside her. "We cannot
act while they are in the castle, but now they are outside, we can."

"Lay an ambush?" asked the priest.

"Yes." Deina replied.

"What about the witch Tessaril?" asked the wizard, Damien.

This time, Deina looked at the wizard with a cold smile.

"Well then, I'm sure a *powerful* wizard like you could deal with her while
we deal with the rest."

Damien raised his eyebrow speculatively at her. Of course, if the witch
Tessaril by any chance manages to slay him, she would be doing Deina a
favor, and the priestess' hands would not be tainted by his blood.

"Of course. I'll give the orders to start packing now." He said lazily
before moving off. He stopped for a moment to ask the spy. "By the way,
Tahern, do you know where they are heading?"

"Shadowdale, milord wizard." The spy replied.

**************************