Lynde looked out of her eyes, but could do nothing as Artsanna flew above the treetops. Artsanna did as she was told, as much a captive as Lynde. They were prisoners in their own bodies, completely aware of what went on and able to think, but the Shades controlled their bodies.

It was all she could do to keep her own mind intact. She walled her mind off from them, trying to hold on to the last shred of herself. For some reason the Shades had not even tried to break her, which she was entirely thankful for, but she wondered why they hadn't.

Artsanna descended into the forest, where Vras and Tyra were waiting outside of a stone structure of some sort. It looked like a tomb. She had only seen one tomb in her life, and that looked very different to this one.

"You may be wondering whose tomb this is," a familiar voice said as they landed. The voice came from just outside of her field of vision, and sounded like Raud. "I can tell you that we don't know either."

Vras sighed painfully. "Raud, what have I told you about when you reform?"

"Get to a base fast and stealthy."

Suddenly, Lynde's head turned to the opposite direction from where Raud's voice was coming from. Every movement felt wrong, and she tried fighting, but she couldn't stop it. Vras's voice said, "You don't need to see this."

Next was Tyra. "Get some trousers on, Raud, or I'll spell them onto you." That explained something she no longer wanted to know.

"Please, not again," Raud pleaded.

"Into the tomb, Raud," Vras said. "There is a set of your preferred garb in the corner, and a sword next to that. And remind me to research a solution to the whole 'showing up naked after reforming' thing. It can be very inconvenient, especially since you do it so often."

Raud scoffed. "And nobody is going to comment on how close I reformed?"

"No," Tyra said.

After Raud got into the tomb, Lynde suddenly felt control restored to her limbs. Her first reaction was to run, but Tyra stepped in front of her just as she started. Artsanna also regained control of her body, but something stopped her from using her wings. "You can move around now only on my good graces," Vras said. "I will not allow you to escape, and if you attack us, we will be forced to restrain you."

Lynde reluctantly complied. Artsanna was more willful though. We cannot allow these bullies to command us like this, no matter how strong they are to us, Artsanna said.

Lynde pleaded with her. Don't try it. I know you want to, but if you do, you could get hurt.

We cannot let them do this! They are the enemy, Lynde. They're evil, and all their kind is.

But it'd be useless. I don't like it any more than you, but you need to calm down and stop this.

Artsanna was reluctant, and angry at Lynde, but she complied. Fine. But the moment they let their guard down, I will kill as many of them as I can.

Please don't.

When Vras spoke to her, it shook her. His deep voice was frightening, as was his strange accent. The accent was like the Elven accent, but more like a funeral dirge than the normal sing-song nature of it. "I do not want you to hate us, child, without understanding what we are trying to do," he said. "We are hoping to end any and all suffering in the world, which is a noble gesture. It is just the means that might be objectionable."

Lynde stared at him. "I thought all Shades were evil. Why are you trying to end it?"

Vras shook his head. "I was created to fight my peoples' enemies. No one forced me to become a Shade. I chose this. I have certain… dark tendencies, but for the most part, I have never stopped trying to protect people from dangers, including from myself."

He's lying, Artsanna warned. I can almost smell it.

I know, but do you want to tell him that? She looked him over. "What do you want from us?"

"It's simple, child," Vras said. "I want you to become like me. I want you to become a Shade and rid the world of suffering."

"And after I become a Shade, what then?" Lynde asked. She wasn't going to entertain the notion of her becoming one of them in her own mind, but at the very least she was going to make them think she was. "Do I cast a spell? Do I teach everyone acceptance by my example?"

Vras shook his head. "It requires the sacrifice of one's own morals to understand. Until then, I cannot tell you."

Lynde, we need to stop this, Artsanna said. If you keep doing this you might end up falling for their promises.

Lynde agreed with her. "I don't think so, Vras. I won't wait until after I'm not myself to learn your master plan. I refuse."

Vras sighed. "Then I'm sorry, but I was giving you the illusion of choice." He looked past her and said, "Tyra." Tyra grabbed her from behind, and while she tried to shake the Shade off, her attempts were for nothing.

Artsanna tried to attack their captors, slashing at them, but it didn't work. The Shades put spells over her, preventing her from moving. However, they failed to close her mouth in time, and she let loose a torrent of almost silver fire at Vras. He spoke a single word, which she had come to hate over the past few months, "Blöthr." The fire stopped and accumulated in front of him, and eventually, went out. After shutting her mouth with another spell, Lynde couldn't take it.

Lynde spoke a spell she'd never used before, even though Rose had taught it to her. It was only to be used in dire circumstances, and these qualified. "Deyja sundavar!" she said, hoping they had no wards against it. When they were unaffected, she was shocked.

Raud, coming out of the tomb with his usual clothes and armor on, sighed. "Do you think every time someone said 'die, shadows', we'd keel over? We know better than that."

In a rage, she tried to speak another spell, but Vras spoke one first that kept her from opening her mouth. It just made her angrier, but there wasn't much she could do about that. "The next words you say will be as a Shade, Little Lynde," Raud said mockingly.

"Take what you can get, child," Tyra said. "He once called me 'Tyrannical Tyra', and he's kept calling me that since, even after I ripped his throat out."

"I'm still trying to figure out one for Vras," Raud noted. "Well, one that he doesn't hate so much that he makes me swear not to use again. I still like… I can't say it."

Vras sighed. "You two are pathetically immature and unfocused. Get her into the tomb already."

As Tyra and Raud dragged Lynde into the tomb, she saw the enormity of it. The entrance led into an antechamber sloping downwards for several dozen yards. After that was a huge open area with columns, buttresses, and a coffin in the center. "I said it once and I'll say it again, whoever this is, he had class," Raud said.

They forced Lynde to lie on top of the coffin, and restrained her with powerful spells. They then began to chant a terrible spell. This was it; they were going to turn her.

Fear gripped her heart. She didn't want this to happen; she didn't want to be evil. She had to do something, but she couldn't think of anything.

When the Spirits came, they were balls of light that changed colors sometimes, and they swarmed over her. She tried to fight them, but she did not know how. There were dozens, maybe hundreds of Spirits, and only one of her. There was nothing she could do.

Then they stopped. They didn't possess her, but stopped an inch from her. The Shades were confused. "What's happening?" Ruad said.

"She has a spell of some kind over her," Tyra noted. "It must be keeping them away."

"Destroy it," Vras said. "I will keep them here."

In an instant, she had an idea. She tried contacting the Spirits with her mind, and she found them. Who are you? the Spirits' many voices said.

I am Lynde, she replied. I did not call you here.

We know this. Why are we here?

Good, she had their attention. Now for the next step of her plan. The Shades want me to be one of them, and are using you to get it.

Spirits must not be captive.

We can help each other, and the Spirits in them.

The Spirits paused. How?

Lend me your strength, and I will free them and you.

After a moment, the Spirits said, You shall have it.