Galahad struggled to his feet, snarled and charged at the quickly fading form of the lich, too late. With a curse, he turned to see the others gathering around Myra. Mike kneeled down next to her, nudging her lightly. At least she was still breathing.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Myra's head was pounding, and she felt someone nudging her lightly. Slowly she opened her eyes with a soft groan. She saw Ainuyr, Mike, Galahad, and Maligor standing around her. Ainuyr visibly relaxed when he saw her coming around again.

"Myra," Ainuyr asked, as everyone stood and stepped back to give her some room, "What did he just do....?"

Myra sat up slowly, using her hands to steady herself against the earth. "The lantern." A flurry of motion from the nearby forest caught her attention. A darkly dressed, and very dirty figure charged from the treeline to stand where Khellenduras has been.

"You!" cried Q'wellen, the black sword 'Wrath' in his hands.

"Q..q'wellen?" Myra tried to struggle to her feet quickly. He was a danger to everyone here. Maligor leaned down to help steady her.

"WHERE IS HE!!!" Q'wellen's eye were wild with fury. Myra knew who it was that he sought.

The groups resounded with comments confirming that the lich was gone. Vanished.

"I FELT HIM!!"

Myra finally made it to her feet. Crimson had moved closer to Q'wellen to get a better look at the sword he held. "Crimson... away..." Myra had to struggle to catch her breath again. There was little time to explain about the sword, if it had truly taken Q'wellen over.

"Coward!!" Q'wellen screamed into the evening air.

Crimson regarded Q'wellen. "Let me see your sword."

The sword began to glow black in Q'wellen's hands, red streaks running up the sides of the blade.

Myra stumbled forward. "Crimson!" She didn't want to have to confront the blade physically. She felt so... drained. (No pun intended)

Q'wellen seemed not to notice at first. "I will HAVE HIS HEAD!!"

Crimson looked to Myra, as Myra stumbled between her and Q'wellen. "What is wrong, Myra?"

Myra could only manage short sentences, as she was having a hard time keeping a grasp on a clear train of thought, her mind still fuzzy. "The sword. Wrath."

"ARGH!" Q'wellen cried out. His clothing was torn and dirty... He'd obviously been unwell during his time missing. "Where is the lich." he demanded.

Mike spoke up, "He is gone Q'wellen."

Myra fixed her eyes on Q'wellen. "I'll make a deal with you."

"Noooooooo!" Myra was uncertain if this outcry was to her offer, or the fact that the lich was gone.

Myra didn't care. She continued. "I can take you to the lich..."

The sword quavered in his hands.

"If you want the lich, all you have to do... is give me the sword. The hilt end, preferrably, not the blade."

"He is 'ours'. Nice try witch! Q'wellen is mine"

Myra frowned, and weaved a little unsteadily on her feet, she let the wave of dizziness pass. "I doubt that." Now was hardly the time to show any weakness.

"...never... 'We' will defeat the lich, and prove 'we' belong together!" It was Q'wellen's voice, but the sword's words.

Myra took a step closer to Q'wellen. She was within arm's reach. "You cannot."

"....d..o... n..o.....t..." Q'wellen almost whimpered.

The blade rose in his hands before Myra in a battle ready position. She regarded the blade indifferently. "The worst you can do is kill me. Where will that leave you? He will be angry with you. You will never work in harmony then."

"You truly wish to challenge my control, Shadowwalker?"

"Not your control."

She heard Maligor moving slowly forward somewhere behind her. She put a hand out in his direction, hoping he'd take it as a sign to stay where he was.

Q'wellen still voiced the words of the sword, "I will rip out our guts and force 'him' to watch."

"Stronger have tried, Wrath." Myra was careful to keep her voice strong, steady.

Crimson spoke quietly beside her, "Myra, he will not listen. He is possessed by the sword."

"Uma, I know." Myra replied quietly, watching a sweat break out on Q'wellen's forehead. The strain of his mental battles with the sword was showing.

"...I... fight... on... ghost..." Q'wellen's voice came low, then louder, "NO!!" He dropped to his knees in pain, clutching his arm.

Myra took a step back to give him some space, and to keep her legs from being cut open. "You fail blade."

"I will not fail."

"You will."

"He cannot care that much!!" Ethereal electricity coursed through Q'wellen's battle, and outward show of his inner conflict. "ARGH!!!"

Myra narrowed her eyes, watching Q'wellen. The waves of pain stopped and Q'wellen...no, Wrath, regarded her with a sinister glint in his eyes. "A new strategy. I will make you watch me kill him. And delight in both your agony."

Myra regarded him coldly. "Do you think it would trouble one such as I, blade?"

"I have lived for centuries, do you think I cannot defeat him eventually?"

"He would be free of you, and you would fail." Myra paused to listen as Crimson leaned over to whisper to her. "I can paralyze him, ye take the blade from his grasp." Myra continued, "And I would take you myself."

"His spirit will be mine to torment, little elfling."

"And what would you do in my hands, blade?"

"I will break him and force his precious guild to watch."

"Q'wellen." Myra's voice was softer, coaxing, repeating his name. "Q'wellen..."

"...I am here!..." He stumbled, regaining control of himself.

Crimson urged him to give her the sword.

"Do not touch me Crimson, I fight by the second for control. Your attacks provoke Wrath's strength."

"Throw it... destroy it..." Crimson urged him.

"I can't. ...."

Myra stepped closer, her voice quiet. "I would take it, for you. Far from you." Myra really didn't know what she'd do with it, but she knew she had to get it away from Q'wellen.

"I try..." Q'wellen began to cry. "The... pain."

Myra held out her hand toward him.

Crimson whispered softly to Q'wellen, "Give it to her Q'wellen."

"I... fight... for.... You cannot Q'wellen ...I... fight... for... MYRA!" Q'wellen flung the sword from him, and it landed near the wall of the Silver Arrow.

With a short burst of energy, she weaved her way between people, and quickly grabbed the sword from the ground, while the others stared in near-disbelief. She didn't have time to blush at his outburst. She muttered to herself, "Gonna regret this come morning..."

Crimson was speaking to her, but she could barely hear, for the wave of energy that passed through her at holding the sword. Quickly she wrapped the sword in her spare cloak and put it into her magical bag.

Suggestions came at her from all directions, but she didn't hear them. She watched as Q'wellen collapsed to the ground in tears. Pushing even the faint whispering protests of the blade aside in her mind, she spoke quietly, "Q'wellen..."

"Give me the sword! I must have it! It wants me! We will stop Khellenduras, WE!!" Q'wellen sprung to his feet as Myra circled him.

"I cannot do that Q'wellen." She regarded him quietly.

He stepped forward, grabbing her violently. "Give it to me!"

"Do you want the lich? Let me go."

Blood began to seep from beneath his chest armor, and pool around his feet. The old wound Khellenduras had caused in his chest had reopened. His grip on her relaxed. "Myra... my dear Myra..." He clutched his chest. "Lle saved me... but my time is short I fear." His breath was growing more shallow, the blood more profuse.

"I will make him fix what he's done..." Myra vowed, her eyes wrought with worry as she looked at Q'wellen, not knowing what to do.

"Too late... Lady Veil is... last hope." He was breathing heavily now, fighting for each gasp.

Myra looked almost franticly at the others, "Where is the Lady Veil!?"

Mike spoke up quietly, "She has retired for the evening..."

Q'wellen looked at Myra, his eyes pleading, desperate, "I must face him now, while there is still time."

Myra was at a loss, she should tell him no, she knew... but she couldn't. "I know where one might be... that may know where he is... if that is what you wish..." She didn't want to come out and say that Andrew's abode was now a temple to Khellenduras.

"One thing before I face him..." Q'wellen stepped up close to Myra. Putting an arm around the small of her back, he pulled her up against him and kissed her deeply, passionately, just as he had always wanted. "Amin mela lle, Arwen. Take me to him, now."

Myra stared at Q'wellen for a moment. She'd known he harbored feelings for her but... that outpouring was... She blinked the thoughts away, not really thinking about what she was doing. She pulled a rune from a pocket on her pack. "M..maligor...? A gate...?"

He consented and a portal of shimmering blue light appeared in the midst of a snow drift on Dagger Island.