It was pitch black within the tunnels. Neither Vale or Tiamet could summon light within the anti-magic zone so the young cleric had no choice but to ride on Tiamet's back, her hands clutching at his crest for comfort. Luckily, Tiamet possessed the ability to see in total darkness, the blindsense that all dragons possessed.

The Dragon Lord paused when they came to a fork. The wide corridor that he'd been following split into two separate, smaller tunnels, both completely identical.

He snorted in annoyance, causing the elf on his back to gasp slightly at the unexpected noise. Usually he could just cast a divination spell for Chelevva or sense his Divine Agent with his own godly powers. This time, however, he was restricted to more primitive measures.

Lowering two of his heads he swept them along the floor, trying to find any sort of scent. His tongue flickered out to delicately taste the air.

"Tiamet, what-"

Tiamet hushed his cleric, calming her fears with a few words, his mind concentrating on ignoring the smell of the stone and the earth and looking...

He caught the scent of something, something which brought great joy and fear.

The scent of dried blood came from the right hand tunnel. Tiamet wouldn't been able to see it, his blindsense and darkvision only showed him images in black-and-white for colours could not exist without light.

He was elated that he'd caught the scent but if he were bleeding and hurt...

The deity pushed all those thoughts out of his mind and picked up the pace.

Cabl was again surprised by the male dragon's reaction. Bitter, sardonic laughter escaped the godchild's mouth,

"And how would you have achieved this?" he looked upwards to what he thought as the middle of Cabl's presence, "You, with no more substance than a shadow. I owe my life to one being, and one being only, and you are not he."

You refer to your father. He found you bleeding there, but how could you have lived? Tiamat was a deity of destruction and death, did you ever stop to think how she could have missed her mark?

The dragon, in his winged elf form, stood stock-still, his eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. Yet Cabl could see the first thoughts of doubt behind his eyes.

It was me. I kept the spark of your life from entering the Beyond. I gave you this chance to repent for your past sins. But if you insist on refusing my gift...

Chel's senses were just a moment too slow, but it only took that moment to damn him. The magic crashed against his slight form, pain igniting every particle of his body. The protection that his elven body offered was slight and the male immortal slid into unconsciousness.

Sesha crossed the floor towards him, her body still aching from the side-effects that using the Wyrm's Death spell caused her. She picked up her brother easily, carrying him over one shoulder.

Chel stirred, automatically trying to cradle his head, to try and somehow lessen the pain. However, his hands refused to move.

He lifting his aching head from the pillow of his arm. Through bleary eyes he saw that his hands were bound together with ropes of magical energy. Though his wings were in the way he could tell that his feet were bound in a similar fashion.

Voices were above him, though they seemed unreal and so very far away. He strained to hear but he felt so weak.

Sesha took the dagger in one hand and tore Chel's robes open with one motion, exposing the scar on his back.

You know what to do, my servant.

"Yes Master."

A smile crossed the female dragon's gaunt face. Carefully she slid the dagger into the scar tissue. As she drew the blade down, opening up the old wound she felt the tingle of her master's powers working on the wound, preventing it from healing. Once the wound was fully open she stepped back,

"Master, he is ready," she could feel the excitement building up within her.

Cabl reached out along the pathways again. This time he felt his presence ebb slowly down them, towards the warmth. A laugh escaped him as he began to leave the Beyond.

Unnoticed by Cabl, the first presence, fighting the urge to sleep with ever increasing effort, watched on. Sorrow filled it as it saw all that it had worked to stop come to pass.

Tiamet halted, his body tensing, his crest rising. Vale huddled closer, suddenly very cold, and touched the warm scales of her deity, trying to stave off this mysterious fear.

Chel screamed, arching his back, as acute pain flared into being across his scar. His eyes rolled up into his head as he strained against his bindings. His head met stone with a loud crack as he trashed on the ground.

Sesha smiled at this, then turned to watch the scar, her anticipation growing. Something stirred beneath the male's skin, making its way to the open wound on his back.

Slowly, feeling the air on their skin for the first time in eons, clawed fingers rose from the bloody gash and gripped the edge of the cut. An identical set grabbed the other side then pushed.

The dragon's screaming reached new crescendos as the injury was widened, skin and muscle tearing wetly, white gleams of bone visible among the red. A great horned head arose, then broad shoulders.

Finally Cabl stepped onto solid ground.

Steam arose from his skin which was coated with Chel's hot blood. This new form he had chosen was about sixteen feet in hight and covered in a thick layer of muscle. Two long, black horns grew out from his head as well as a thick mane of coarse hair. A jagged crest ran along the line of his spine and his tail. The curves of his long dragon-like face and the graceful shapes of his claws were in a mocking imitation of Chel's.

"Master!" Sesha flung herself on the ground, kissing his taloned feet in adoration. She lifted herself into a kneeling position, her arms reaching out for him, "Master, can we now bring them back?" she gestured towards the supine form of her brother, "I just know that my brothers and sisters will serve you just as I have done."

Cabl smirked,

"Ah, yes. The reward I promised you."

"Master, I need your power to bring them back. I can't do it alone an-" she was cut off as Cabl brushed her aside as easily as a fly. She flew against the wall with a sickening thud and slid to the floor. She was still conscious, though just barely.

"But Master... why? I served you faithfully..."

"You did," the smirk widened, "but I have no use for you now," he gestured and Sesha's body jerked in pain. The female howled before falling on her side, her eyes closed and black blood oozing from her mouth.

Cabl walked on without a second glance.