As she stood there, the shadows in the opposite corner from her seemed to coalesce and take form. The form of Khellenduras. But not as she remembered. No, it was just like he'd appeared in her dreams.

His gloves were blood stained, and his boots glowed with magical power. In place of his tattered, regal clothing... He now wore a strange suit of armor. The metal plates seemed to radiate a heat of their own, and the etchings of flame seemed to play a trick on her eyes in the light of day. They seemed to dance, like true flames.

In his hand he held a very old war mace. She frowned slightly.

"What do -you- want?" She asked causticly, the frustration of her dreams and everything else just coming together. Then she blinked and took a step back as she realized she was awake this time.

Was that... defiance in your voice... Confidence, Sunveil?

"Hadn't you heard? I'm quite mad." She smiled pleasantly at him.

You aren't mad, Sunveil. You play your little elven lackeys. They may believe you are mad, but I do not.

He baited her, and she rose and moved from the bait, much to his complete frustration. Khellenduras had never been a patient or forgiving ...man... and Myra was doing nothing but trying to push his buttons.

This is where you gain your new confidence, Sunveil... Isn't it? He gives you your confidence... He turned and looked at the small "shrine" she had been looking at when he appeared.

"He gives me nothing."

Yet you would give him everything that you are. Is he your god now, shadow walker? His hand set gently upon the table top, before the statue.

Myra frowned darkly, moving forward to stand just on the other side of the only thing between them - a small stool. "No. He is not my god."

Why is he here?

"To take back what you've stolen from him."

And what is that? He seemed to look at her quite intently on that question.

Myra thought for a moment, then smirked defiantly at the lich lord. "Perhaps his place on the food chain?"

Khellenduras was clearly at the ends of his tolerance for her already. Anger swelled almost visibly around his being, and he knocked the statue to the floor. I saw you, Sunveil. I saw you chase after him. I saw you fall upon your knees before his former home, and I saw you cry. Why...? Why are you obsessed with Mord'sythe?

Myra frowned again. That question caught her offguard and it took a few moments to reply. "Those answers are not yours to know."

No?

Khellenduras turned from her, raising his mace, and swinging it down at the delicate painting of Trenton Sythe. Again and again he swung at it, slashing up the canvas with the spikes on his mace.

"No!!" Myra sprung forward and grabbed Khellenduras' arm. He'd already damaged the painting as he'd intended, and with the slightest jerk of his arm, he sent Myra flying. She crashed back through the barrel and table that had been behind her. She landed with a rough thud. But if he was going to kill her, she decided, she'd be on her feet.

She finally regained her feet and Khellenduras stormed toward her like a building tempest. His large form dwarfed her tiny frame. He grabbed the front of her dress, lifting her with ease from the floor. Sunveil, do not toy with me!!! Why is he here?!?!

Myra stared at him, not knowing (or perhaps even caring) what Khellenduras might do to her in a fit of rage. Simply, she asked, "Would you have stayed in the dark forever?"

Khellenduras released his hold on her and she dropped to the floor, this time, she needed only to catch her balance to regain her footing. He was staring at her, obviously thinking.

"He's come to kill you." Myra smiled coldly at Khellenduras. "He's also come to die..."

Khellenduras stared at her for a long time in silence, then finally spoke. Rest assured, he will die....

"Both of you will. Both of you."

Khellenduras' gaze moved to look Myra over. Hanging from her pocket was an old necklace chain. He grabbed it, pulling the item from its hiding place. It was the pendant of Corellon that Strongbow had given her so long ago it seemed, that Khellenduras had ordered her to be rid of, yet she'd kept it. He held the amulet in his hand. It had no affect on him, as it had before.

He -will- die Myra... I, however, will exist forever.

"No... even if I have to take you to the Abyss with me."

He dropped the amulet on the floor between them and reached forward, gently grabbing Myra's throat. She tilted her head just slightly, regarding him in utter calm. Slowly he increased the pressure around her neck, backing her through the broken furniture and scattered items on her floor. Her foot brushed past the snake-headed whip Crimson had given her. With calm resolution she said softly, "If you kill me, you will only set me free..."

Khellenduras did not reply with words, but slowly lifted his war mace into the air. Myra did not even close her eyes. She would welcome the oblivion of rest, and perhaps her spirit one day would regain the privilege of going to the Forests of the Seladrine... The war mace came whistling down through the air, with all of the power of its undead bearer put into the descent. But it did not strike her. Instead, it slammed into the stone of her wall, sending dust and debris everywhere. Myra flinched only slightly as the two connected. Then she looked at Khellenduras, almost disappointed. "Why?"

He released his grip, stepping away from her. I came here to end your life. Yet dying would set you free. I want you to suffer, shadow walker.

Myra smirked slightly at him again. "Then perhaps you'll get something of what you want. Or, perhaps you won't..." Thoughts entered her mind of doing something to force Khellenduras to kill her, to end this.

He nodded once. I will. You will watch Trenton Sythe, Mord'Sythe, die. You will watch him choke on his own blood as I slowly drain the life from him.

"Good. And then you. ...and then I can finally die." She smiled coldly, but her eyes betrayed her. First glancing to the ruined painting on the wall, and then to a rune bearing the mark of Tel'Ruid, the old mark of Glorfindle's shop.

He stared at her for a moment, then turned to depart. He never said a word. On his way back across the room, he put his foot on the fallen statue, breaking it beneath his boot.

"I will watch you rot again." Myra said coldly.

Khellenduras never turned around, but smiled where she could not see. We shall see. He whispered words of power and gathered ether about him to travel from her home.

As he faded from her sight, Myra hoped he heard her last threat, "You'll wish you had killed me..." She swore to make that threat a promise.

Myra spent some time gathering the pieces of the statue, placing them upon the table below the now ruined painting, and cleaning up the rest of the mess. It was well into the wee hours of the morning before she finished. Being sure everything was set in order, she filled out and sent an order for a new painting and statue to be delivered. Then she loaded her pack with the essentials for a longer trip. She would be studying Khellenduras' own books. And perhaps she would find something there to make her next move.

She moved through the shadows for her entire trip, never once revealing herself to other travellers. Soon enough she came upon the 'abandoned' tower. Slowly she slipped inside, and set about reading.

"...Telesar responded. He has the Lantern, yet he is, thus far, unwilling to give it up. He knows exactly what it is, but can he possibly know why I want it...? No, I doubt that. The elves have probably derived my ultimate goal (little else, however) yet I highly doubt they would convers with something as "wretched" to them as a lich. No, Telesar does not know why I want it. I will send him another raven, another message, and I will meet with him personally to convince him to give me the Lantern..."

"...Telesar has finally agreed to meet with me, on the condition that I travel to HIS lair... Just as I do not trust him, he does not trust me. An intelligent move. He has always been clever. I leave in a day's time to meet with thim and discuss negotiations for the Lantern. He is a slow thinker. He knows he has an eternity ahead of him, compared to living beings. This being so, I do not expect to return in less than a weeks time...."

Myra frowned in thought, carefully sticking to the shadows of the room, in case Khellenduras was about. Who was this Telesar, and what was this Lantern Khellenduras wanted? She wondered if he already had it. Moving to the countertop, she saw a box. Opening it slowly, she saw a book within...

"..."The Lantern of the Wraith" The Lantern demanded both respect and fear from those who beheld it. Seemingly forged from common iron, it appeared as nothing more than a normal lantern... ...in the hands of the Night Walker, the Lantern of the Wraith was devastating... ...The Lantern, simply put, seems able to drain energy, nay, to drain life itself from one being and transfer this "life-force" to the Lantern's "owner"...."

Myra took down notes on each of the texts, quoting some of them. Seting the books back in their places, she moved quietly from the tower. With whispered words, she found herself home again. Taking the notes, she went up to her desk. She'd have to find this Telesar and find out if Khellenduras already had this lantern....

Grabbing her still equipped pack, she left the notes on her desk and set off on what she guess would be a long journey...