Chapter 2

He drifted through the oceans of oblivion, carried away by mystical tides and unseen, arcane forces. In the chaos that exists between the planes, he felt many entities present. Some were desperate, some were lost, some were hungry... and some send out psychic tentacles, trying to seize him. This was a place were demons dared not enter and angels feared. In his head, he heard a voice calling to him, a voice older than time and filled with rage.

"Don't resist, me, child..."

Aurion woke up with a cry.

He stood up, uncertain of where he was. He remembered battling the insane individual who had taken hold of the Arcane Sanctuary, and losing. He would have been dead if someone else had not intervened. At that time, he thought it was an angelic figure. But a close examination to his surroundings showed him otherwise.

He was inside a tent, and the heat suggested it was located somewhere in the desert. He was naked from waist up, and his wounds have been taken care of. His backpack was there beside him. Closer examination revealed that nothing was missing, and most important, the Staff of Kings was still there. This was his ticket to Tal Rasha's tomb, and fortunately he had though of putting a glamour to it, to avert theft. Beside his gear, he saw a dirty armour. But the dry mud on it just hid its brilliance. It was obviously a rare artifact, imbued with ancient charms. Next to it laid a crossbow. And the only kind of person that could use such a weapon was an amazon.

It was all clear now in Aurion's mind. Seeing an Amazon in this part of the world was an unexpected encounter. Fortunate or not, well, that was yet uncertain.

He put his shirt on to protect his pale skin from the blazing desert sun and went out.

This was unknown territory for him. Probably this was the fabled Canyon of the Magi, where Tal Rasha's tomb was... among others. A few feet away, his iron golem stood. Aurion was pleased to see it. It was a valuable ally, and would miss it if it were ever lost in combat. And closer to the tent, he saw his saviour clearly for the first time. More clearly that he'd like, actually.

Resting her back on a fallen pillar, with eyes closed, a young woman was enjoying the sun. She was tall, almost as tall as Aurion, and very athletic. And, apart from a tiny loincloth, naked.

Aurion just stood there, uncertain of how to proceed. Sure, he'd seen naked women before, and during his rare visits in town he had found himself the object of many women's sexual fantasies. He even indulged to some invitations occasionally, but every time he was greatly disappointed. But this was different.

The woman opened her eyes and looked at Aurion. She stood up, took her shirt and put it on. Aurion's first impression was correct. She was indeed tall and muscular, yet slim. Her movement had the grace of a wild forest cat, and her hands were elegant and steady. Her skin had the colour of ripe corn where it was not covered by strange, complex tattoo designs. Her hair was light red, almost blond, and cut short, so it would not block her peripheral vision. She stared at Aurion, and her eyes were emerald eyes that could easily be found on a feral feline.

"So, Summoner, you decided to grace me with your presence?" she said, and laughed. Her laughter made Aurion think of a cool April morning. But her face brought him back to reality.

It would have been beautiful once, so beautiful it could make a man's eyes hurt, as well as his loins. Her graceful features were encircled with red-golden locks of hair, her eyes were crested by perfect brows and her lips were full, with the colour of fresh blood. But a scar that started from her left eyebrow, went over her nose and ended near her right ear spoiled perfection.

"Stop staring at me!" she hissed. "I'm sure you've seen plenty of dead bodies and human remains to be disgusted by my face".

"Nothing can disgust me any more, young one", replied Aurion. "Believe it or not, I was just surprised".

"Is that so?" she mocked him. "Well, I must say I'm not impressed by you, so far, Necromancer. I've heard stories about your clan, as well as for you personally. I've heard stories of arcane power and valiant deeds, including the destruction of Andariel herself. Yet, here you are, staring speechless at my scarred face, not to mention the way I found you, almost dead by an insane mage". She laughed. " I should have known better than to trust the tales from drunks and old folk!"

Aurion was now furious, but tried to restrain himself. A duel of egos would get him nowhere.

"I have no time for this! Thank you for taking the time to save my worthless ass, but now I must be going. I'm sure you'll find others to pick on, while I must look for an ancient tomb. Goodbye!" He turned to enter the tent and gather his gear.

"Wait a minute!" she cried behind him. She reached out and touched his shoulder, and as she did, electricity run down his spine. He stopped.

"Look, we may have made a bad start here. My intention was not to offend you. I know you have the Staff of Kings, and that you seek Tal Rasha's tomb. I'm in the same quest myself, and I know the location of the tomb. I'm offering a partnership, and I know that you could use some extra help. The evil ahead is fierce, worse than what your minions can handle. I have information about it that I'm willing to share. So, what will it be?" she asked.

Aurion looked at her and thought for a moment.

"All I've seen from your fighting skills is finishing off an already crippled foe, no matter if you probably saved my life. How do I know you're up to the task?" he replied.

He had hardly finished his phrase when an explosion broke the silence. A band of spear cats attacked them from all sides, supported by huge brutes.

"Well, I guess we'll find out", replied the young woman.