Chapter 3

Just as Stephanie was ready to do battle with the Cult wizard Lucia, Shadimir and Jepetto stopped their horses at the border of the Moonwood Forest. The snow tiger, who had ran behind them all the way from Silverymoon, finally caught up to them.

Wearing his dark green cloak and his brown leather shirt and pants over his elven chain armor, Shadimir placed a hand on his belt, making sure his weapons were still there. He then walked into the forest with Elros by his side. Jepetto put on his brown over coat over his clothes and chanted a word in draconic tongue. Both the horses returned their small obsidian figurine forms.

After placing the obsidian horse figurines in his pocket, Jepetto quickly followed Shadimir into the forest. The Moonwood Forest was a dense area, with beautiful green trees whose tops appeared to be touching the sky.

"I remember a story my uncle Fillius once told me about going into the Moonwood," Jepetto commented.

Shadimir looked at his deep gnome companion. "What was the story?"

Jepetto smiled. "Well one day my uncle Fillius ventured into the forest and was shot by elves. Luckily the elves that shot him were horrible archers. They only managed to hit him in the shoulder and arms." The hunter nodded, now keeping a tight grip on the handles of his weapons. He had heard of elves guarding the Moonwood Forest.

Elros looked forward and growled and both Shadimir and Jepetto quickly stopped.

The undead hunter was about to ask his animal companion what he saw, but then his blue eyes noticed the two elves hiding behind the trees. "Hello there, we have no intention of hurting the forest or it's creatures," Shadimir called out. "My friends and I come seeking a rare jewel. Maybe you can help us."

The two elves stepped from behind the trees. They both were male with black hair with large grey cloaks that concealed the rest of their appearance. Bows were hung over their shoulders. "You are not the first to come and seek the King's Tear. A man in black armor followed by skeletons came into the Moonwood seeking the same jewel," said one of the elves. "They attacked some of our archers."

"I never mentioned anything about the King's Tear, but you've saved me some breath," the hunter replied in a calm voice. "Lady Alustriel herself has asked me to bring back the King's Tear to her so that she could protect it from the Cult of the Dragon, and others who with to use the gem for evil."

The elves looked at each other, whispering in their elvish language.

"Do you know what they are saying?" Jepetto asked Shadimir.

Shadimir shook his head. "I would if I could heard them." the snow tiger sighed, keeping his head low.

One of the elves stepped forward. "We have decided to believe you. My name is Brandaris, and I will take you to the graveyard If you are lying, then I will not hesitate to end your lives."

A lightning bolt shot from Lucia's fingertips, hitting Stephanie in the shoulder. Ignoring the pain from the lightning bolt, Stephanie began channeling the divine power of Kelemvor. The doomguide chanted a soft word, then fire shot down from the sky, striking the Cult wizard.

Lucia screamed as the divine fire burned her robes and her body. The wizard quickly chanted a spell and vanished in front of everyone's eyes.

Stephanie kept Azrael at her side. When she felt a brush of air on her left, the doomguide swept her sword in a diagonal motion.

"Stephanie behind you!" Deidra shouted. The cleric turned to see Lucia holding her staff. The wizard swung her staff down hard, but Stephanie quickly deflected the staff with her blade. She then quickly channeled her god's energy releasing her Blade Barrier spell.

A spinning disk of sharp blades materialized in front of Lucia, cutting her hands. The blades expanded, making a circular barrier that protected Stephanie. Lucia stepped back as the blood from her cuts flowing to the ground.

"May you find your resting place," Stephanie whispered as she cast another Flame Strike spell. The holy fire shot down from the sky in a downward spiral, engulfing Lucia in flames.

Just when the Cult mage's body hit the ground, Stephanie turned to Giogi and Cat. "I am sorry you had to see that," she said calmly. The doomguide then turned to Ophila and Deidra. "Get back to the house and make sure the twins and Aliyah are safe."

Deidra and Ophila nodded. The druid shifted into her horse form. The halfling mounted the horse and together they raced back to house, hoping the children were safe.

Brandaris led Shadimir, Jepetto and Elros to the graveyard where many of the Moonwood's archers and protectors were buried.

The elf quickly walked over to the middle of the graveyard where the tombstone of a woman named Celia Maim was sticking out of the ground. Standing next to the tombstone, Brandaris delicately pressed the top of the tombstone and a small hole opened at the left corner. The elf grabbed the King Tear's gem and held it up for Shadimir to see. "I have it right here," he declared.

Shadimir walked over and stared at the gem. It was clear and shaped like a teardrop. The hunter felt the smooth surface of the gem. "That's the one." He turned to inform the deep gnome about finding the gem when he saw three skeletons enter the graveyard from the right.

The hunter quickly drew his weapons. In his right hand he wielded his bastard sword named Gabriel, and in his left hand he held his light mace. After putting the gem in his pocket, Brandaris drew his heavy mace while Jepetto drew his steel club.

Elros ran in front of one of the skeletons, raking his sharp claws across the skeleton's exposed rib cage. The skeleton tried to move forward, but instead, it fell to pieces.

Shadimir batted his mace across one of the skeleton's arms. To finish the skeleton, he made a quick slap with the edge of his bastard sword.

After the hunter finished the skeleton he was attacking, Brandaris bashed his mace across the third skeleton's chest. The elf made another attack with his mace, this time hitting the skeleton with a vertical blow that crushed the skeleton's jaw.

"Nicely done," said a cold voice on their right. A tall man wearing black scale armor with a blood red cloak walked into the graveyard. The color of his uncovered hands was light purple and two red eyes glowed from the small slits in the man's black bull like helmet. A long sword with a hilt as white as bone hung from his belt.

About eight ghouls surrounded them man in armor. "It appears you know who I am," Shadimir said softly. "What is your name?"

"I am Amnaill, a death knight in service to the Vengeful Banshee," the death knight responded. A cold feeling came over Shadimir while Gabriel vibrated softly in his hand.

"Now young elf," Amnaill said coldly. "You will hand me the King's Tear." Brandaris pulled the gem from his pocket and held it in his left hand. The elf quickly put his mace away and drew his own long sword.

"If you want it, come and claim it," the elf spat. Elves revered life, and to Brandaris, Amnaill, was an abomination.

The death knight stepped forward and drew his long sword. He stabbed his sword at the elf's chest. Brandaris quickly parried the attack with his long sword, then stabbed his blade at Amnaill's shoulder.

Amnaill quickly evaded the elf's sword. He made a hard thrust, driving his blade deeply into the elf's stomach. Brandaris stepped back, then fell to his knees as he felt a sickness beginning to eat away his insides. The King's Tear fell from his fingertips. hitting the ground with a soft thud.

The death knight turned to Shadimir and Jepetto as he reached down and plucked the gem from the ground. The deep gnome drew his steel club, but stopped when his eyes saw the rune floating above Amnaill's helmet. .

Jepetto fell to the ground, curling his body into a little ball, trying to hide himself from the rune. Shadimir had heard of death knights who could naturally cast the Symbol of Fear spell, and now he had seen it.

"I guess that just leaves me for the moment," Shadimir remarked. "What do you plan to do? Take the King's Tear while your ghouls finish me and my friends?"

Amnaill's red eyes flared, then dimmed. "My lady demanded me to bring you back alive, but to be honest, I'd rather just kill you."

"I guess it's my decision then," Shadimir said with a smile as he stepped close to Amnaill. "I'm sure you don't want to keep your lady waiting, and my new friend looks likes he needs some healing. So let's try and make this quick."

The death knight's eyes flared up in excitement. "Exactly what I was thinking."