Overhead the moonlight reflected off of crimson pupils that rose to look at the darkness, one that faded slowly with the passing of each hour. Even with pushing the mages the entire journey from the western isle to Dipan took a little over two weeks. By reckoning that was a swift pace that no one understood but she enforced it to the letter. The sooner they secured Dipan the sooner she could complete the first cycle of her appointed tasks as well as take time to reflect on her newfound position.

Around her was a mix match of defenders from the middle and high born classes; each and every one of them ready to defend her though she trusted the middle class more than her own. Those from the middle class seemed respectful, almost in awe of her whereas her class were looking for opportunity to bend over backwards to curry favor wherever possible. As she cast her eyes over the hastily made camp she was aware of the prominent stare of one, his eyes never drifted from her.

Alrekr…

Ideally if she had a choice she would have never wanted, never chosen to take her brother-in-law at her side. That had been an arrangement of Hakon's, he could not accompany her himself thus he sent his beloved uncle on his behalf, to safeguard and watch over her. By the time she had learned of it, too little and too late, to rectify the situation without offense. His gaze was no different than that of the other nobles – covetous, and more than that, possessive. The frightening thing to her was the fact he had excuse, had reason to linger close to her and she could not present distance to him without reason because he, he was her family and to a point it was expected for him to look after her in the absence of his brother, Aedan, her spouse.

Sid'ren could never forget him; never forgive him for all he had done. Love had made her able to forgive Aedan but never Alrekr. Even hundreds of years wasn't enough time to forget some evils. Years passed and she had moved on but never did the memory fade of the night. The night Alrekr had slaughtered her entire family and seized her, taking her as some manner of prize. Greed had been his motive from the beginning. The intent had been to take her as a wife, a mortal wife who would pass all her holdings and land to a husband through marriage and die after a short life.

Even then he found time to deny and humiliate her. From the age of seventeen she waited for him to act on his intent but he never touched her. There was so much she didn't understand but fifteen years after her forced adoption amongst his nighttime society his younger brother had taken pity on her, enough to halt the progression of time upon her aging body. The act, the audacity of his brother had left Alrekr furious but it had done nothing to stop his cruelty, only intensified it.

Her turning, it only gave him reason to realize that tying a knot with her in marriage would be an act of finality, tying him down with no ability to profit through marital contracts throughout time. Her immortality meant she was frozen in time and he used that time to go through successive marriages with numerous mortal women. At that time she had been powerless to stop it, none would dare challenge him for her hand nor was she able to go behind his back, to have the freedom to choose when and whom she married. She had been a prize, HIS prize, she had no rights for self-determination and so she had been forced to wait for the day she would be forced to become his wife or so she had thought.

Again, she had no answer for why, but Alrekr's younger brother came to her defense. The younger challenging his brother for the right to have a women the elder brother always possessed but never wanted; a rite that was invoked and won changing her life overnight, and in her eyes, for the better. As a married woman she had never understood her elusive spouse in the short duration of their union but in the aftermath of it, as a widow, she possessed more rights than she ever had before. The gift of such freedom had come at so dear a price but she'd not squander it.

Now she was not nearly so powerless or for that matter foolish enough to give Alrekr the chances he had turned up in the past. If there was any dissatisfaction with his life than it was all of his own making. Regardless she didn't put it past him and thus she was on guard. All those years ago she had been promised to him and she was sure that he was looking for an opening that would allow him to possess her once again. One thing was certain she did not intend to present him the opportunity.

She buried those thoughts but pocketed the resolve to live a fate of her own choosing as her eyes fell upon the camp. Everyone had fed but out this far in the wilds they were not able to apprehend willing hosts therefore their diet, to the distaste of some, consisted of monsters rather than humans. The results were satisfactory enough though and one look told her that they could be made ready to move, "Rise, we are moving on."

Resistance had been expected and it came almost predictably from Alrekr, "My lady, the mages are not yet rested."

"We cannot linger here indefinitely, shelter must be found before daylight and THEN we may take long term rest. Until then we must be going, the mages can ride on the horses and the rest of us, we can walk."

The rebuttal of her argument was enough to quell any other verbal arguments from rising though there was a general amount of embittered muttering. The nobles were the ones who had brought horses for their own convenience and they were loathe to give them to the likes of the mages. Despite the general tension everyone ready themselves to move on. Many of the mages were in a saddle except for a single mage who refused. It took her a moment to realize that the horse he was refusing was her own, "What is going on here?"

"My lady, I can't, it is totally unbefitting that I take your..."

"What nonsense is this? Do not waste time."

"It is not nonsense he is right. You should not be forced to such menial exertions," a noble supplied.

"I am not so weak that I cannot use my own two feet to move on. I don't require the aid of a beast to accomplish anything you men do."

"We never meant-"

"Enough! Mount, we are moving on," with that she grabbed the reins to lead her own horse to the head of the column. None of the others knew the way, neither did she save for Brahms sharing with her that here, in this forest, lay an underground passage that would safely take them to Dipan without having to bother traversing the distance by sea. That was fine by her one last detail she had to overlook however she realized that they would have to be cautious. Brahms had warned her that hundreds of years ago, the last time he had traversed it, it had been damaged and she could only imagine how much more damage had happened in the recurrent years following the fall of the kingdom.

To reduce threat of ambush the remainder of their trip through the forest was completed in utter silence. No one was to set the travel party in danger of ambush with a poorly placed comment or act. Only when they reached the entrance of the passage did she give them leave to cast fire magic to illuminate their path, torches being set ablaze as they entered the dark depths of the cavern. Thankfully in plenty of time for her to see that ahead there was a steep drop off, it took them a great deal of time to help the horses negotiate down a gradual slope that was at the edges of the drop, "Where is my aide?"

"I am here, my lady! What do you need?"

"I would like you to take note of improvements that will take priority as soon as it is practical."

"Very well, what first?"

"We will need to rectify this steep edge, round it off to a slope if we intend to have the race settle inside Dipan."

"Yes, my lady. Any other notes you should like to add?"

Her eyes cast about for anything to add when the others beckoned her, showing her the root of another problem one that was going to be a issue for them and an impossibility for the horses. Above their heads the passage continued but there was no ways to get up there save to climb. Already they would have a snag, a complication, "We shall have to rectify that we need to be able to have clear slopes we shall also have to improvise some manner of ascent. We need to accomplish that if we will have any future of trade happening between Dipan and the mainland without relying on the sea."

"That is going to take time, what are we going to do NOW?"

Alrekr's words got straight to the point and although they were uncalled for she paused, "We will leave an advance guard at our backs now; the horses will stay with them for the time being. The rest of us will climb and move on."

"Listen, my lady, all these ideas are well thought out but are, forgive me for being blunt, idealistic. What makes you think we will have any manner of trade relations with any of the mortal powers reigning over Midgard's lands?"

"Because I have seen to securing supplies and trade relationships while we passed through Villnore and Artolia. The closest mortal power in our vicinity is an enemy, it is crucial that we maintain some manner of strength while we are at a disadvantage so far from home, with so little support or aid. Any other questions?"

"None, my lady," his tone was terse as if ready to cleave into his lip, angered but not willing to sink low enough to act on it or make it obvious. Alrekr had probably not expected such a through or well thought out stratagem as a response to his queries, queries aimed to establish and, if possible, discredit her competence.

"Thank you, now I trust you can devise a way for us to get up so I suggest you get to it."

For all the setbacks they suffered the delay was minimal once she put everyone efforts to bear against the problems they faced which included one bridge that was intact but falling apart, the wood deteriorating overtime and another bridge that was destroyed in entirety, "We will definitely have to oversee restoration and maintenance of this passage. It has fallen into severe disrepair and is barely adequate for the purpose of travel."

"How much longer are we going to have to travel?"

"Not far. Once we get around this obstacle."

"With all due respect why don't we take this time to rest WHILE others scout out a way around this…difficulty? Would that not be agreeable?"

It was at the moment she turned around to survey the strength of the others that she felt it herself: a general weakness in her limbs and a hunger clawing through her. Although she had fed recently, frequently at intervals, she had still expended the energy quickly as she pushed them all with a harsh relentless pace. There was no reason for it and for the first time she realized that there was point to halting their demanding drive. With all the dangers present in this passage they needed to go slowly, careful and cautious in their steps so they'd not end up being made to regret it, "Of course, you are right."

A collective hush fell over the group while she had been pausing to make a decision but she did not miss a sigh that came from one individual, one she could not see. Alrekr smiled thinly, turning to others and swiftly instructing them to find a way around the obstacle of the collapsed bridge. How convenient that the ones who weren't tired was those who had ridden up to this point in the long arduous journey – the nobility. The moment she felt his scrutiny, she almost sensed his gradual approach and immediately sought refuge by approaching the others, concerning herself with how they were holding up. None of them faulted her for their fatigue but it was obvious they were thankful for the reprieve wherever it was earned. Unfortunately none of them seemed eager to bother her with their troubles and thus she had no choice but to fall back. She took a seat on a nearby boulder. Her eyes followed Alrekr, his every step as he approached her position and took a seat, "Come here."

His voice came out warm, with a hint of almost compulsive suggestion, even with her being much younger than him she wasn't nearly so weak-minded that she allowed a well aimed comment to summon her to his side in an instant, "I am fine."

"That is to be debated, come here," the layers of his insistence was stronger this time, strong enough to make her fight against it only to get the start of nurturing a headache as the result of her resistance, "You need to feed."

Every syllable was said with such purpose, having enough of an impact to strengthen the minor hold he had on her mind. Like others monster blood had been her diet and it was a poor substitute, one that left her almost malnourished, a weakness that he preyed upon with relish. Her mouth opened to deliver a refute, one that would allow her to reject his invitation, but she found that she could not. The fact her body was reduced to almost nervous tremors and her mind held such a dizzy ache meant she did need blood.

The opportunity had not presented itself, not since the forest. The sudden realization hit her as almost suspicious. Where were the monsters? Surely with over a century of neglect monsters would have aided nature in reclaiming the forsaken path. Alrekr never allowed her mind to continue to quarrel over the mystery. The elder noble scooped her into his arms and despite her resistance drew her into the vicinity of his neckline. Her lips being laid against the soft pale skin, mere inches away she heard the feverish beat of a pulse calling out.

Her own pulse fluttered weakly, blood decorating along her neckline as he pulled back, pulled away, presenting her with his flesh. Her human ears were deaf to their insistent rhythm but she felt some presence stir beneath the skin, the movement radiating the vitality hidden beneath the pale surface. The vitality buried within his blood was the only form of salvation left to her now that she had passed the point of no return. However the thought of living held no appeal and thus when he guided her lips to the vein, his vein, she rejected it.

"Feed! You must!"

The voice called out to her, pleading with her. His grip was harsh and insistent on her cold skin, the warmth quickly fading in the aftermath of his feeding. The pulls on her vein had been ravenous, draining her of her life's blood with ease. After so many years she finally had an out, a way to deny the vampire lord his satisfaction. She only felt remorse for the fact that she used his brother to accomplish the task. His brother, an unwitting accomplice in her suicide, the man now begging for her to embrace eternity – an eternity of suffering no doubt.

"I never meant this! Never meant things to go this way, please feed! You are so young; your life is just at the beginning. Please don't lose faith and throw it away like this. You are better than that. The future belongs to the living and that is all I wanted...for you."

Instantly her lips curled back, her incisors lengthening, sinking into the skin as her conscience railed uselessly, as if over great distance, against her reaction to the lure. At the first pull of the vein she was hit instantly an overwhelming wave of lust, pure unadulterated lust. A lust that was not her own and not shared, not reciprocated. Altogether the emotions straining for purchase, for influence in her mind felt all wrong.

Against her better judgment she allowed herself to indulge in the hope of a future, a hope he fabricated and offered her. Even though he had taken part in the battle that night, the night she lost her family to his brother's conquest, she never had been able to hate him. Where his brother had been negligent he had been attentive, he had been kind to her where his brother had been cruel. It was too late to regret, to take back the action of her lips feeding on his blood – an act that would forever turn her. She lifted her eyes, their formerly blue depths replaced by pure crimson. A color that fleetingly was visible before she closed them, feeling a strange sensation coming off the blood. There was no way to explain what she felt but there was tender warmth underlying the sorrow of one denied. It was then that she realized that blood held the irrefutable truth of what one felt, it radiated with the sincerity of one's soul. The emotion she was reading, she did not understand what it was trying to tell her but she knew one thing: that as long as he was alive she would never be alone for he would be there…

The lust, it was everywhere but completely and utterly empty, devoid of emotion or attachment of any kind. The solution was simple to cut herself off from the source – Alrekr. However she needed the sustenance and thus she needed to fight it, fight him until the feeding was completed, done. Her eyes squinted as if in pain, drawing deeply on the vein again, trying to cast the overpowering instinct aside but it only intensified as she tried to escape. Blood never lied and no matter how much she wished for it to be something else. The brother could never be her beloved; try as he may Alrekr could never take the place. She did not cling to him any longer than she had to nor did she look to repeat the ordeal ever again. Her claws dug into his arms as she pulled back, his arms were curled around her trying to prevent her but ultimately she prevailed.

She ascended, rising to her feet with as much grace as she possibly could. The use of such an underhanded tactic, she had not expected the like out of him. To force her to relive such an intimate memory through his crude imitations, attempts meant to manipulate and coerce her. Inwardly a shiver curled through her form, traveling along her spine. Never once had she believed she was safe around him but now she had reason to guard herself zealously, with more care than ever before. Looking for any excuse to place distance between him she rejoined the others who gave her a wide berth allowing her to finally slip into blissful sleep.

"Lady Sid'ren? My lady?"

A soft arm was gently laid on her should, shaking her awake , "Hmmm?"

"My lady we found a way around the collapsed crossing. It is not far and the path is relatively straightforward. There is no further difficulties ahead."

"That's good," she turned to look at her magi, "are there any being ahead?"

"No, none that we saw."

"I see…," her eyes fell knowing that the others would not be able to feed until they found a viable source, a source she was hoping would be in Dipan.

"Is there a problem?"

"We must move on to find sustenance however we may slow the pace to conserve what strength we possess. Rouse everyone, let's move."

To be so close yet so far from success…

For a moment she had been susceptible in the throes of her grief but in the end she had grown strong, resistant to his whims. It had been unforeseen that she'd prove to be so loyal to his brother's memory in death that it would safeguard her so well even after his departure from the world of the living. One thing was certain that after a failure of this magnitude he has to be careful, he would have to exercise caution. He had underestimated her and he'd not do it again. Fortunately his overture had been sublime and secretive, brazen only within the contact of their mind but Sid'ren's gaze it had promised the gravest retribution for the transgression

All those years ago, after the death of his brother it had been his intent to wed and claim her, to reverse the fortunes that in the end denied him his inheritance and her. When the vampire lord Brahms had taken her in a Covenant it had been an altogether unexpected and unpleasant surprise one that made him think twice and back off. However the Covenant had been short lived and where opportunity had been denied before it was once again made available to him. Over the last two weeks Sid'ren had cloistered herself closely with the vampire king for long periods of time with explanations for her actions. Though he had tried hard to find out anything he could it had been to no avail until it came to Hakon. The boy was steadfast and loyal to his mother but the boy was not blind and therefore did not always see eye to eye with her.

The Covenant was to be broken and his mother had been leaving. Instantly his darling nephew had offered him the chance he had wanted for, for centuries, on a gilded platter. Hakon had asked him to accompany and safeguard his mother in her excursion. The announcement Brahms had delivered after receiving Hakon's request had made his evening. The stakes attached to Sid'ren had never been higher and he was poised perfectly nearby ready to help himself to her.

Emotionally the years had been unkind to Sid'ren but amongst the undead she had become one of the few who TRULY blossomed into her abilities through the ages. Truly she had changed from the young experienced maiden to an independent and powerful matron. Even as Brahms' rejected consort she didn't understand how opportunity was unfolding out before her. This assignment of hers in Dipan, it practically made her a queen unto herself. They were still, on paper, beholden to Brahms but distance granted autonomy. Everyone saw it for what it was. Sid'ren was the Queen and whoever captured the Queen would obtain the kingdom, their own kingdom.

As they moved on no one noticed the nameless soldier he had ambushed in the dark, draining him dry for the opportunity to provide and sustain Sid'ren's needs, her feeding.\

The group moved on and the final progression allowed them to bypass the obstacle in only an hour's time. Finally the long journey came to a conclusion, filtering them into a massive chamber. This had to be it, Brahms had prepared her for this, this had to be the chamber of the Guardian – the Guardian Beast of Dipan but where was it? Instantly she drew the blade holding it with a ready grip as she surveyed the darkness around them.

"My lady?"Her actions had made the group nervous and the others were likewise readying themselves for something although they didn't know what.

"Bring me a torch. Now!"

One of the soldiers stepped forward, proffering the flickering light held in their hand. Instantly she ripped it out of their grip and took the lead aware of everyone's eyes on her as she stepped forward into the darkness. Slowly the chamber was illuminated and she found stairs leading up to a massive pedestal. A gasp tore from her lips as she saw the massive remains of armor and bone, the remains of the beast.
Once she recovered she faced the advance guard who had reported their success to her, "Did any of you do this?"

"No, my lady. We did not cover this ground or proceed into this chamber."

"What is the matter?" Alrekr supplied, "It is the remains of a beast, one less for us to take down."

Eyes closed as she thought about how this entire passage had been deserted where it should have been rife with complications, with hostile life forms. She was loathe to cause panic where none was however she would not let them have their guards down, not even Alrekr, "This passage has been traversed recently, someone has been here before us. Let's find them! "

Many put their weapons away but many kept them out as they passed behind her, moving onward.

"Lady Sid'ren?"Alrekr's prompt was enough to make her move on too; she wanted to study the remains of the guardian beast for clues about those who had preceded them but not at the expense with remaining behind with him.

Day had waned and night had fallen in the time they rested and gone through the underground passage. The subtle glow of moonlight was settled comfortably over the ruins. After Ragnarok she had expected the gods to do little when it came to restoring Dipan – the kingdom of the fallen. It was more completed than she had expected but that meant NOTHING to her if the research was gone, deteriorated, destroyed on the whims of the gods. That was her greatest fear that the entire journey would be for naught because the gods would have gotten to it before them.

Before anyone could aim any questions she led them to the palace. The first room consisted of ornate iron wrought gates that curved inward allowing them to walk into a courtyard consisting of a fountain, "Split up, I want the palace secured before we rest. I will take the lower levels."

"With all due respect, my lady, I will take the lower levels. As I am sure you are aware the labs of those three mages are in the lower levels and while it is rumored that they have fallen to the Lady Valkyrie the lower levels are sure to be rife with traps and beasts of all kinds. It would be unbearable to lose you in such an accident therefore…"

"That is an unnecessary offer," she cut off Alrekr, barely biting by the temptation to glower at his insubordination.

"I insist, for your well being," he smiled softly at her, "unless there is reason for your insistence that you would like to share. In such a case I would be more than willing to provide an escort, my lady."

There was NOTHING that would make her confide anything between her and Brahms to Alrekr, who knew what would happen if he commanded that kind of information and could impart it to anyone especially her son Hakon. Hakon who had hoped that this would signify an END to her involvement with her vampire king would surely disapprove if she was acting in his interests on his behalf, so far out of his reach. To make a dispute out of this would surely mean an utter loss of secrecy.

"My lady, is it really necessary to argue the issue? The argument Lord Alrekr made holds logic, is there such a support to your decision? Your life holds a great deal of importance to all of us in this venture. You must first and foremost consider your wellbeing. It is the very reason we were made to accompany you."

She did but she had no reason she was willing to confide in them, in ANY of them, "Very well, Lord Alrekr, you shall take the magi with you to secure the laboratories in the lower levels however…you will not touch anything down there. We know not what unpleasant surprises those maniacs left around their hollow. Secure the ground and later we'll unwind the traps and see just what we are dealing with."

"Of course," he smoothly made a bow to her but she still couldn't help but be suspicious of him as she turned to the rest of them, "The rest of you, you will follow me to the upper levels."

"Take care, Lady Sid'ren," Alrekr's voice purred at her as her back was turned to him, instantly she felt her hackles rise but she managed a civil response.

"Good fortune, Lord Alrekr. Get moving," her tone was rigid and unyielding allowing him no recovery because she moved on. The sooner she got the upper levels secured the sooner she could see what he was up to in the lower levels.

For a long time he has held suspicions that there was more to her assignment than what showed at face value. This was the first time the secretive Sid'ren had yielded any sign of ulterior motives, that she would defend her rights to the lab. Sid'ren, she was no mage and a woman, surely such a dangerous ground would be unfitting for one of her status to brave…without reason. If she was to secure the growth of a coven than the labs would have nothing to do with that objective which meant she was here for something, something other than what she charged with.

In the higher society having any kind of information was powerful, giving you influence over others. No one was sure of how the Lady Sid'ren felt and therefore understood little about her current standing with the Lord of the Undead. Many would idealistically like to believe that the two of them were on foul terms, barely able to stand each other and thus giving the reason for her abrupt departure. However, that was a flawed pattern of thinking for it left too much unanswered for his liking. Over the last week they had been together and quite often only to part so suddenly? For him, it almost begged questioning, so he could gain revelation for the reasoning behind everything.

Thanks to Sid'ren and Almedha the two of them had guarded their Lord so zealously throughout the years since his miraculous ascension that it made Brahms an almost altogether enigmatic figure even to his own populace. Nevertheless the lady had been involved with Brahms and despite it having come to an "end" it was his belief that something could be learned from studying Brahms' leftovers. Namely, to have dirt on Sid'ren would also give him the ability to possibly predict and work around the most powerful figure amongst the undead – Lord Brahms. Truthfully he could easily live with such an opportunity if it were given to him at any time and place.

He couldn't quite place his finger on it but as he descended down he was starting to believe that Sid'ren, for all her flaws, was correct. As a sorcerer he felt the tell-tale aura of magical energy, excess amounts, more than anything those three undead fools ever emitted. Fortune favored the living and he didn't intend to confront a threat while lost within the fabric of his own thoughts. What manner of being was this strong? Strong enough to dwarf those three fools overseeing the stronghold of Dipan?

He strode forward feeling pinpricks of magical energy released as the magi with him embraced what strength they had left to disperse wards over themselves. A scowl curved at his lips as power flared at his fingertips, wary before finding out the source was at his own back. Fools! Holes and tatters in the ceiling allowed moonlight to be cast in silver strands upon the room and its contents. Many coffins lay with moss blanketing their exteriors. His steps barely made a sound as he stepped over the puddles at their feet, a single hand pushing open the door to what appeared to be a library his power loosely resting just barely out of his reach, ready to be called forth in a moment's notice.

At first appearance the library was deserted save for the subtle glow of candlelight in the corner with an open tome lying open beside it. He gave a few subtle gestures to dispense his orders in silence: disperse, discover, and deal with ANY hostility. Barely had anyone moved when he felt a surge of power coming so fast, so swiftly that there was scarcely time, even prepared, to throw his arm out to guard, "REFLECT SORCERY!"

The volume of his words belied his desperation, instantly feeling the offensive spell coming against his hastily erected ward at the last moment, mere inches from his face sending it ricocheting against shelves. The wards of the others never stood a chance, hitting like a battering ram, leaving the weak mages within an inch of their undead lives. A sinister hiss came from his lips as he pulled them back into a feral snarl, his eyes instantly using looking for the source of life amongst the dark. Contempt filled him as he recognized the being for what it was – A HUMAN?

How could a mortal be capable of such power?

He did not bother to remember his order, made NO pretense at sparing the surrounding area as he aimed a spell in furious retaliation at the individual. With a flourish of his cloak the spell was absorbed and through the darkness he saw a maniacal smirk as the assailant released threw some manner of improvised weapon before releasing a brilliant spell upon him…

Their status was a lot better than it had been before. For in the upper levels they had found no shortage of beasts to confront for blood including hostile lesser undead known as Blood Stealers – a monster who, after attacking many victims that came across them, provided a viable well of enough blood to feed several of her entourage from a single corpse. She wiped off her blade before sheathing it, immensely gratified to see that even a century or two off the battlefield hadn't dulled her skill with the blade too severely, "Pile those corpses over there for the others, the rest of you follow me."

Alrekr hadn't returned nor had any of the magi that had accompanied him to the lower levels and she tired of waiting for his return, for his report. Swiftly she ascended down the stairs with the others barely keeping up at they trailed on her heels. From the beginning she had not wanted to trust him with the likes of-.

A suddenly surge of magical essence spiked to where even her meager awareness caught onto the energy piling as a result of the confrontation she heard in the distance. As she entered the room her eyes scarcely could keep up with Alrekr and his unseen assailant though even her vision as an undead allowed him to see the signature of his mortal vitality. Soundlessly she drew her blade in rage, a rage that stemmed from everything this pointless confrontation risked destroying in the midst of their reckless crossfire. The magi at her back and the soldiers didn't interrupt her as she focused, channeling her energy in a great burst of energy that would chasm between the two sides and temporarily cease their conflict giving chance for the situation to salvaged.

"All which is yours shalt be torn asunder…," she arched the blade down sharply upon her distant target where the two spells met, "GRAVE REND!"

The air was sharply stirred with such strength that it formed a wall between the two spells – Prismatic Missile and Fire Lance, absorbing the magic and dispersing it with a shockwave the shook the two parties nearly throwing both contestants off their feet.

Before either could recover, turning to release a new string of spellcraft she spoke out, "Alrekr! Halt! What is going on here?"

Truly such a degree of interference had been wholly unexpected and from the likes of a woman no less. For the blow had been undoubtedly been delivered by the same who presented his rival with reproach. He recovered swiftly enough that he could've taken them to task, bringing oblivion down upon them all but curiosity had gotten the better of him. Over the first few minutes the mere act of observation instantly taught him a string of interesting things about the newcomers. The way in which this 'Alrekr' stood down and everyone deferred to the judgment of the woman had to mean that she, not he, was in charge. And where he had presented threat to him he hadn't the slightest idea if she was one. It was enough to make him stay his hand for now while ascertaining his position, trying to see how much of the buffoon's spells had penetrated the wards protecting all the priceless research laid to rest around him. Thankfully the room was hardly worse for wear based on his forced defense within the laboratory's library.

Intently he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he surveyed the female. On her heels was an entourage of soldiers and magi that look much stronger and less famished than the magi he had dealt with, leaving them replete and unconscious by the first wave of his assault. All of them held a crimson hue to their eyes, a trait he had only ever seen in one other – Brahms, Lord of the Undead, which meant these ones had to be vampires – the highest echelon of the undead. Vampires were not the strongest undead but, like the mortals they mirrored; they were amongst the most cunning and resourceful which allowed them to flourish despite overwhelming odds working against them.

The female turned to him, she had a shapely figure with well honed muscles flexing beneath the skin with each purposeful movement as she strode to join him. Her blade was not returned to the sheath nor did she brandish it towards him, she held it at the ready, balanced within her grip . Finally she stopped keeping a safe distance between though with Alrekr glowering and her magi readying her with the protection of invisible wards over her personage.

"Who are you, mortal?"

The tone she greeted him was firm, abrupt, wasting no time in getting straight to the point of the issue – the heart of everything belying the conflict she'd just witnessed and torn apart, "Rather impolite that you demand an introduction without first offering one yourself."

"One might say that you were impolite to attack without reason," so in that brief time she had managed to collect an overview for what had happened in her absence, "However, my intermediary was hasty and for that I beg your pardon, we had not expected to find anyone here but we are not here to fight, not unless necessary."

"I confess your appearance here did alarm me, after all I had made an abode, a home for myself amongst these ruins. It was most unsettling to find trespassers," always he had been a being who valued privacy to such an extreme that he filled his inhabited domains with every manner of beast to discourage guests, welcomed or not. The only flaw within his new settlement had been just that, a lack of any great guardians to dissuade challenge.

"It is unfitting that you accuse us of the crime you are guilty of," her tone was pointed, possessing an edge, no doubt her tone had cut others to the quick in many an argument but she had never crossed blades, exchanged words with him, "the ruins of the fallen kingdom, abandoned by the gods, have long belonged to the undead!"

"True….until lately. You see, it could be argued that you revoked that right when you were cast out, when those who oversaw this remnant fell to the very beings who reclaimed this abandoned ground," he knew that Lenneth had been responsible for such though she had thankfully not been through enough to dispose of the time machine nor of the research lying around.

"Those three," the female's face became contorted, contempt readily visible upon her visage, "they were self-serving, weak and incompetent, an insult to the repute of the Undead. We are here to reclaim our lost bastion by force if necessary. If you prevent us I will use whatever means I must however I would prefer to find a solution that can be resolved without resorting to a call to arms. We find you down here, is this what you came for?"

"It is. I admit my interest is solely for the knowledge bared before me down here," it would have been an easy ordeal for him to reap these grounds, seizing the written knowledge that laid within the safeguard of ink and paper but some aspects, unique to Dipan, were not so easily uprooted. The time machine, given enough time he could study, remove, and replicate it within his own tower but he had not had time enough to accomplish that, not before the arrival of the undead. The research was the only object of any importance to him therefore he could care less about surrounding area. No doubt that it was the same for them; they claimed this ground because of what secrets it held and guarded. Whether they could figure out a peaceful solution truly depended on the lady's ability to negotiate a solution that was beneficial to him, "I have no reason to fight your proprietary claim since I have no use for the rest of this crumbling kingdom."

"And I take it that since you have not disposed of what you have found here that you are no ally of the gods…"

"Very astute, no I am not."

"Then surely we can come up with a course of action which is mutually beneficially to the both of us. If you have been down here for any length of time than I am sure that you are aware that the remnants of Dipan houses heresies, the existence of such is an affront to the divines and barely abided by the gods. Throughout time the undead have inhabited these hallways acting as guardians so that such information would never be lost according to their fickle whims. I have been appointed as the successor of that legacy. If you have no love for the gods than I think it would hardly be conducive to make an enemy of those who could be allies to you," a pause, followed by words of caution, "I should warn you that we are much stronger than any of the lesser undead beings you have confronted here up to this point in time. You were here first; I acknowledge that. I saw evidence of your pilgrimage here in the underground passage. Therefore I am inclined to respect your right to remain here devoid of upheaval or disruption on our part. I request the right to practice my duty, to safeguard the contents entrusted into my keeping, which were laid to rest upon this hallowed yet unholy ground."

"You are very gracious, my lady."

"Such generosity does not come without price," her voiced snapped back sharply, cracking across his consciousness like a whip.

Frankly he had expected the like of this, this female had diffused the situation for now but no doubt these Undead would push for as much benefit as they possibly could out of the negotiations, "Nothing in this world does. I have to admit I expected a string attached, it sounded too good to be true."

"In exchange for such allowance, such protection, the research down here, other must be granted the same right of access as those I grant to you. If we are going to protect it should we not have a same right to it as you?"

If he wanted it he could disagree, denying them any rights to that which they truly sought of the ruins but this gave him an opportunity. An opportunity to possibly study their motives further before acting against them and in the interim they could act in the same manner his beasts did, protecting his interests, "You drive a hard bargain, Lady….? If I may ask your name at this time?"

"You may NOT," the seething male sorcerer interjected only to get a gesture from the woman cutting his words short as they came to an end.

"Sid'ren."

"Lezard Valeth."

"Are the terms laid out acceptable to you?"

Where the terms acceptable? Well he certainly couldn't find any reason to argue against the terms as long as the Lady Sid'ren lived up to her word. The woman was a fool to think he really care about a course of action that was mutually beneficial. However he would play her game for now and when she ceased to be of benefit than she might prove interesting to examine in her annihilation.