All Roads Lead to Norrath

Chapter 20: The Demo
Gaktar considered his options carefully, as he stood on his balcony, overlooking the pastures of the Commonlands. He kept a number of residences throughout Freeport. That allowed him greater flexibility to do his job, but it also gave him places to meet with his various mistresses. He leafed through the copies of Okek's notes that Laiste had provided. This was the opportunity that he had been looking for, but there was something very troubling about this void golem. Laiste had arrived the night before with the golem, and it looked like no golem Gaktar had ever seen before. Except that it spoke very little, Gaktar could not distinguish the golem, Edene, from his lover, Laiste. Laiste told him about the incident on the trip--how the golem had burned a pirate to death in seconds. He was determined to demonstrate this power to Lucan. Only then could Lucan be convinced to go along with his plans. He took a sip of teren tipple and put on his military jacket, making sure the decorations and medals on it were secure and orderly. He put on his woolen cloak and went downstairs.
"Let's go, we have to arrive there at least 30 minutes before the audience. Lucan hates it when people are late," said Gaktar to Laiste. Laiste was dressed in her finest clothes for court, and she looked like any other lady at the D'Lere court. Gaktar marveled at her many disguises. It was what made her a great pirate. Laiste nodded and went to get Edene, and they took Gaktar's official coach to the palace.
When they arrived, the entire palace was in uproar. There were huge crowds, the likes of which Laiste at never seen in Freeport. There were reporters, adventurers, soldiers, and spectators all crammed into every available space. It reminded her of a sold-out opera theater she once attended in Kelethin.
"Why are all these people here?" asked Laiste.
"To see Edene," replied Gaktar. "I made sure to leak to the press that we are demonstrating an awesome new weapon. They will eat it up. Plus, they'll provide witnesses."
"Why do you need witnesses?" asked Laiste.
Gaktar smiled. "So Lucan cannot deny it later. So that he will have no room to back down."
Their coach pulled up to the front steps of the palace and the guards cleared out the crowds for them. There were gasps throughout the crowd as they caught glimpse of Edene and Laiste. "It's a doppleganger!" cried one voice. "No, I heard it's a new kind of golem," said another. They made their way past the crowd and to the audience chamber. There was heavy security, and guards were everywhere. Gaktar lead them into the throne room and surrounded by his ministers and attendants sat the Overlord himself, Lucan.
"General Gaktar, welcome back to court" said Lucan. "I heard you are bringing me a new toy today." Lucan leaned forward in his chair. "I don't know if it's worth all this commotion you've caused," he said menacingly.
Gaktar bowed. "My Lord, I have brought you a great prize. We have managed to take it from that treacherous queen... that *****, Antonia Bayle, herself. Through my agents, I have discovered that Queen Bayle had ordered her people to obtain a substance from the void portals. She intended it to convey to her an unsurpassed military advantage, with which she intends to impose her will throughout Norrath. But her plans were foiled when we managed to obtain this research. We have the notes of the research and it proves their treachery. They are using this void substance to create an unstoppable army of super golems. I have one of those golems here today."
Lucan looked troubled. His eyes scanned over to Edene and Laiste. "I would assume they are not really twins," said Lucan. "Who are they?"
"The one on the left is my agent, who discovered the research and brought it back to us. The one on the right is the golem, made to resemble her. The golem responds to the name Edene," said Gaktar.
"I see," said Lucan, sitting back in his chair. "It is remarkable, the resemblance. Very life-like. But what proof do you have that this... golem... is of any danger to us?"
"Allow me to demonstrate, my Lord." Gaktar made a signal with his hands, and a soldier under his command came forward. "I order you to kill her," said Gaktar, pointing at Edene. "Attack her and kill her now. That is a direct order."
"No!" yelled Laiste, but the guards behind her grabbed her and restrained her.
The soldier Gaktar ordered to attack Edene was one of Gaktar's best men. Trained to obey orders without question, he did not hesitate, but pulled out his sword and struck at her head. Edene moved out of the way so fast that her body was a blur. He tried again to slash at her, but once again, she dodged the blow easily. The soldier let out a roar and threw himself at Edene with all his might. As his sword came down on her, this time, she made no effort to dodge it. She grabbed the edge of the sword in mid-swing. The sword vanished in a shower of metallic liquid. The soldier tried to tackle Edene, but she put one hand on his head and another on his neck and she snapped it, as a child would a carrot. His lifeless body fell to the ground.
She started to walk towards Gaktar. His bodyguards threw themselves in front of him and drew their swords. Edene grabbed one of the bodyguards by his neck, and dark metallic roots sprouted from her hands and entered his head. His skin rippled as the roots took hold of his body, and dark veins covered his face. He opened his mouth to scream, but the roots grew over his mouth before he could let out a sound. She threw his lifeless body aside.
The other bodyguard moved behind her to try to backstab her. He shoved a blade into her back, but she did not turn around. Instead, all of his muscles tensed up and there was a popping sound as his eyeballs popped out of his head followed by a discharge of steam. There was the smell of burning flesh and an ozone smell, like the smell after a lightning strike or electrical discharge. His twitching suddenly stopped and he let go of the metallic sword stuck in Edene's back. As he did so, his rigid body fell backwards, dead.
Suddenly Laiste yelled, "Stop Edene! Stop! We can help you find the void portal! We can take you there! But you must stop!"
Edene froze and then slowly turned to face Laiste. "Take me there now."
"We will, soon," said Laiste. "We need to make some preparations. I promise you we'll go as soon as possible. But if you kill more people, it will compromise the mission."
"We must protect the mission. We must carry out our directives," said Edene.
"Yes, we all must," said Lucan. "Take it ... her... to the dungeon. She can stay in one of the cells." Edene made no protest and followed Laiste as the guards led them away.
Lucan turned to Gaktar. "How dare you bring a dangerous thing like that into my presence? You should have warned us of the risks."
"My humble apologies, My Lord. I had no idea she would react like that. As you know, we haven't had much time to study her. But you saw what she can do. Now imagine what a whole army of those golems can do. That's what Antonia Bayle is building. Soon, they will be fully operational. We must stop her before that can happen."
Lucan sat back in his chair and was quiet. He looked up at his advisors and generals. He made a triangle with his hands and placed it to his lips, deep in thought. After a while, he said, "I'm afraid you are right. If there is an army of these golems in production, then the balance of power between Freeport and Qeynos will be over soon. We must gamble all, now or never." Lucan looked at Gaktar. "Very well, you've made your point. I give you instructions to put Operation Basilisk into effect. Report back to me on preparations and plans as soon as possible."
Gaktar smiled. "You can count on me, my Lord." He bowed and left. Lucan watched him leave and the troubled expression on Lucan's face returned.

Chapter 21: Betrayals
The guards lead Laiste and Edene to the dungeon at the bottom of the palace. One of the guards opened a cell door.
"You're going to have to go and wait inside for a while," said Laiste to Edene.
"Void portal," said Edene.
"I know, but that will have to wait. We have a war on our hands at the moment. But I promise we'll take you there as soon as we can."
"War," said Edene. "We understand war." Laiste thought it odd that Edene sometimes referred to herself as "we", but she did not question it further. The guards closed the door on Edene and locked it. Laiste noticed that Edene did not seem to be troubled or upset by the events.
Laiste found her way back to the house in the Sprawl to wait for Gaktar, but when she got there, the house was empty. She searched the cupboards and found nothing to eat, so she went and lay down on the bed, without changing her clothes. What have I started? said Laiste to herself. She thought about how long they could keep Edene confined in the dungeon before Edene would realize that they had no intentions of helping her find a void portal. These thoughts tired Laiste and she fell asleep, until she was suddenly awakened by a figure standing over her.
"You are Laiste," asked the Dark Elf. He was dressed in clothes that identified him as a defiler.
"Yes, I am. Who are you?"
"I am Kahn. Gaktar sent me here on his behalf, because he is busy with military preparations."
"Sent you here to do what?" asked Laiste.
"To place you under arrest."
Laiste leapt up out of bed. "Arrest? For what?"
"For violating your orders. He found out that Professor Okek is alive. You were ordered to kill him, were you not?"
"I could not..." stammered Laiste. "He escaped before I could carry out my orders."
"Even if there were so," said Kahn, "you did not inform Gaktar of this fact earlier, did you?"
"He never asked," said Laiste defiantly.
Kahn smiled. "Well, you can explain it all when he gets back. For now, you are going to the dungeon for safe keeping." He signaled to the guards, and they grabbed Laiste. Laiste tried to struggle, but there were too many of them, and Kahn cast a spell on her that made her feel weak and slow. She gave up and they escorted her to the dungeons.
"I demand to speak to Gaktar," said Laiste.
Kahn laughed. "While he is away, I have been appointed to command the Home Guards. And you are in no position to make any demands."
Laiste was stunned. A defiler appointed to command the Home Guards? That was unheard of. A priest had never been placed in the military chain of command, much less a defiler!
"Do not look so surprised," said Kahn. "There have been many changes here in Freeport while you were away... living the good life in Qeynos. Apparently, you forgot your loyalties."
I will see your head on a pike, and I will wave and smile, Laiste thought, looking at Kahn. She spit in his face. He grinned even more broadly, and then he slapped her across the face--hard--it sent her reeling. The guards picked her up.
"Take her away," he said. "Put her in the cell next to the golem."

/shock
This whole story is amazing so far Itsey

Chapter 22: From Ashes to Ashes
“Look at this! They are forming new connections. In the intense heat of the fire, the micro clockwork retrenched into a protective crystalline form. Now, they are undergoing a transformation and reaching out to each other again.” Professor Okek was talking to Itsey as he stared into his microscope. “I am writing a paper entitled ‘Tranformation and Re-crystallization of Void-derived Micro Clockwork in Extreme Thermal Environments.’ It’s due to be published next month.”
“That’s fascinating, professor. I’m glad that you didn’t lose all of your research in the fire,” said Itsey.
“The loss of Edene was a huge set-back, but the discovery of surviving void substance from the ashes of the lab was a tremendous serendipitous discovery.”
“I’m afraid the lab fire was no accident, Okek.” Itsey didn’t mention Laiste’s name directly, but at the thought Okek’s mood seemed to darken.
“Yes, I was stupid. I should have arranged for better security in the lab. I should have at least done a background check on her before I hired her!”
“It’s not your fault, Okek. She tricked us all. I did some research into her past, and she appears to have been associated with the pirates of Feerott. But even more worryingly, she is an operative for Freeport.” Itsey left out the part about her and Gaktar, out of consideration for the professor’s feelings.
“So you think she deliberately took the job as my assistant to steal my research?”
“It could hardly be a coincidence,” responded Itsey.
“What do you think they will do with Edene?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps they will study her and find a way to make more of her. However, I suspect that Edene—and whatever it was that made her—has its own priorities. It may not be as cooperative or controllable as your typical golem. But the fact that they have her is still a concern.”
Itsey took a sip of the torsis tea that Okek served him and looked around. Okek had moved what remained of his lab and what he was able to salvage from the flames into a mansion in South Qeynos owned by a wealthy patron of the arts and a friend of Queen Antonia’s. The house was only sparsely furnished, and Okek had taken to moving all of his work to the basement, so that the oddly empty house stood in strange contrast to the crowded basement full of odd materials and lab equipment.
“Yes, I do recall Edene trying to tell me that she was in search of something, or perhaps that she had a mission. I forget.”
“I still have one question. Remember the unressurectables…those whose brains had been infected by the void substance…”
“The void-derived micro clockwork,” Okek corrected Itsey. “Or VDMC”
“VDMC,” repeated Itsey. “So why did the VDMC infect those people? And why has it not affected you or me, when we’ve been exposed?”
“I believe,” started Okek, “that the VDMCs were not trying to harm those people. At the beginning, it made clumsy attempts to invade their bodies—and their brains in particular—to try to establish a way to communicate with them. That’s how they communicate with each other—they just interface directly. But they are a silicon-based life-form, and they’re not compatible with biological systems.”
“So they weren’t trying to prevent resurrection?”
“No, I don’t think so. They would have no need for resurrection. They do not exist as discrete ‘persons’ the way we do. They share information more or less fluidly, and as long as any of them survive, they can regenerate through replication using raw materials available in their environment. But when they attempted to replicate in the brain, they ended up using up consuming all available resources—in essence they replaced the brain. And of course, you can’t resurrect someone without a brain.”
“But if they don’t exist as persons, how do you explain Edene?”
“Yes, in Edene, they replicated a person because they figured out that was the best way to communicate with us. Their earlier attempts at direct communication through interfacing with our brains failed—so through trial and error they discovered that the “Edene form” as a working user interface.”
“User interface?” asked Itsey.
“Oh sorry. Sometimes I invent new technical words but forget that I haven’t published them yet. A ‘user interface’ is a device that lets someone interact with a mechanical system. The VDMCs are mechanical systems, and they created Edene to interact with us. Presumably, they need our help in some way to carry out their mission.”
“So you’re saying there won’t be any more dead bodies turning up beyond resurrection?”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. But at least next time it won’t be unintentional.” He smiled, seeming cheered by the thought.
“I’m not sure that’s comforting, Okek.” Itsey was deep in thought for a few moments. “Suppose that the Overlord does manage to turn Edene into a weapon to be used against us… is there anything we can use against it?”
“It’s hard to say,” said Okek. “We don’t know where they come from. My research shows they are connected both to dragons and the void portals, which would indicate they are extremely powerful. But we know nothing about their motive, much less their history. Do you think Lucan intends to attack us?”
“I can’t share specific details with you. It’s all still classified. But yes, we have good reason to believe that we getting closer to war with Freeport. I have been working with others to try to prevent it, but Edene has introduced… a wild card. There are those who may use her to start a war.”
“And do you know where Laiste is now? Is she in any danger?” asked Okek pathetically.
“Somehow, I think Laiste can handle herself,” said Itsey. Itsey took another sip of tea. “I’ll tell you what,” said Itsey. “If we find Laiste, I’ll let you know. But,” Itsey put a hand on Okek’s shoulder. “There’s more than one pirate in the ocean.”
As Itsey left Okek’s new place, he stopped outside and pulled out a scroll from his bag. It contained a secret order, signed by Antonia Bayle: “By this order, the queen commands that the Pirate Laiste be apprehended, dead or alive. If possible, return or destroy the void golem, named Edene.” Itsey went to the harbor to deliver the message to the couriers.

Chapter 23: Prison Break
The guard, a tall troll, who was leading Laiste to her cell in the dungeon seemed familiar. She noticed that he kept glancing over at her nervously as he lead her by the arm.
"I know you," said Laiste. "Your name is Headbusta. You were on that ship."
"Yeah," replied the troll nervously. "Don't try anything fancy. You caught me by surprise that time. But not this time."
"Me? Try something?" said Laiste innocently. "Actually, I've been looking for you."
"For me? Why?" he said suspiciously.
"To apologize. For my rude behavior. You caught me at a bad time. I was under a lot of stress."
The troll shrugged. "I don't care. My orders are to take you to a prison cell."
Laiste said nothing, but she deliberately caught her shoe on a crack in the dungeon floor and tripped. She fell to the ground, but before she landed, the troll yanked her up by the arm.
"Watch your step. The dungeon is old. Nobody's fixed the floor," he said. Laiste just nodded. He lead her to a cell next to Edene's. The walls were made of thick rock, and Laiste couldn't tell if Edene was still inside or not. She sat on the straw mattress, and waited for the troll to depart. Once he left, she reached into her pocket and produced the jailer's key. Pick-pocketing was the first lesson taught to an apprentice pirate, and she excelled at it. When she pretended to trip, she distracted the troll long enough to grab the keys from his belt. The commotion prevented him from noticing the clanging of the keys as she removed it. But she knew she didn't have much time. He would soon notice the keys were missing and come back to find it. She worked quickly to unlock her prison door.
Then she went to the next cell. "Edene?" she whispered through the metal door. "Are the there?"
"Yes," said a voice from inside. "I have been waiting here for you."
"Good," said Laiste. "I'm here to get you out." Laiste unlocked Edene's door and found Edene standing exactly as she remembered having left her. Edene didn't appear to have slept on her mattress at all.
"Are we going?" asked Edene.
"Yes," said Laiste. "We must go now. But we have to keep very quiet. We have to avoid the guards. Do you understand?"
"The guards impede our mission," said Edene in acknowledgment.
"Yes, they will try to stop us. But I don't want you to start killing indiscriminately. We have to be very sneaky. Can you do that?"
"That will not be necessary," said Edene. "There is another way."
"What other way?" asked Laiste, frustrated at the delay. "We have to move quickly. That guard may be coming back."
Edene turned around and looked at the wall behind them inside her cell. It was made of granite boulders fitted together. It must have been several meters thick. "Through there," she said.
"How can we go through solid rock?" asked Laiste.
Edene looked at Laiste for a moment. She seemed to be parsing Laiste's objection. Then she went over to the wall and touched it. Laiste could see lines flow through the rock, like veins of fire. Soon the whole wall was glowing from the inside with a strange light. In some areas, the inner light was more concentrated--they reminded Laiste of traveling on a road at dust and seeing the lights of a large city in the distance. The pattern in the walls was like that. Then suddenly, the wall began to move like a curtain being drawn aside. There was no sound. No crumbling of rock. No vibration. It was a single smooth motion and the walls were parted, revealing the moat around the castle wall. A section of the wall began to twist and reshape itself. A single projection, only slightly thicker than a sapling's trunk, reached out across the water, then widened into a thin sheet. It formed a bridge across the moat.
"Follow," said Edene.
Astonished, Laiste could do nothing but follow Edene across the bridge. Once across, Laiste noticed that the bridge was no thinker than the pages of a book, but it felt solid like rock or metal. As quickly as the artificial bridge was formed, it disintegrated into dust and vanished. The opening in the castle wall closed in on itself, healing itself like an organic wound. Within a few seconds, the rock had returned to its original shape with no signs of any change. Even the spider webs attached the rock were regenerated in the smallest detail.
"That's amazing," said Laiste. "What else can you do?"
"You will take me to my mission?" asked Edene. "You promised."
"Yes, of course," said Laiste. "That's exactly what I mean to do. But first we have to find someone who can take us to the void portal. The site is far away and getting there won't be easy. Unfortunately, I can't arrange the transportation because the guards will soon be alerted to look out for me. If I book passage, they'll find out."
"Then you cannot help me?" asked Edene.
"No, I didn't say that," said Laiste. "I think I know exactly the person who can get us there. We'll have to be careful and go in disguise. We can't have you looking exactly like me, it will draw attention."
As soon as she said that Edene was already changing. She had changed into a human woman. She still slightly resembled Laiste, but taller and older and with blonde hair. Her clothes also adjusted to fit her new frame.
"I don't recognize this new form. Who are you imitating?" asked Laiste.
"This form does not exist. It is a composite form. I have enough samples in my database to extrapolate."
Laiste had no idea what Edene said. She assumed that Edene had just made up a persona based on various people she had seen along the way.
"Ok, that will do. Now let's go," said Laiste. "And ... don't kill anyone unless I tell you to. Is that understood?"
Edene nodded. Her blue eyes seemed to twinkle merrily.

Chapter 24: Objects in Motion
Gaktar tapped his fingers on the table impatiently. Seven generals were arranged around the table. One of them was giving an operational briefing.

“The timing is wrong,” said Gaktar. “Your troops will not be in place in time. I want the 30th Division in place in two days. The 2nd Division is supposed to be assigned to the Home Guards. I don’t want any of them involved in Operation Basilisk.”

“But general Gaktar, if we don’t use any of the special units, we won’t have enough reserve troops to hold Feerott, much less push on to Karan. Our offensive will stall.”

“You let me worry about that,” said Gaktar. “You have your orders. You are all dismissed.”

The table cleared, and only one person remained. He was not at the table, but sat in the background.

“ I told that the operational briefing was a bad idea,” said Kahn.

“We are gliding along the thin edge of the knife,” said Gaktar.

“You’re not having second thoughts, are you?”

“No, but this will cost a lot of lives.”

“And it will cost a lot more lives if we don’t act decisively. You know what Lucan is, or has become.”

“Corrupted? Power always corrupts.”

“No, not just corrupted. It’s not a matter of taking a few bribes. He’s become a liche! He’s not even human anymore. His only ambition is to rule Norrath forever. Who knows that depths of darkness he will sink us into!” Kahn was getting loud in his excitement.

“Lower your voice, or someone may overhear us,” said Gaktar. “I am aware of that. You never tire of reminding me. Tell me, why does that bother you so much? Aren’t defilers used to such… influences?”

“You forget Lucan was a Paladin. He was corrupted by Soulfire, which is imbued with the power of the gods. That’s why he has corrupted the Inquisitors. Inquisitors and Paladins both are beholden to the gods. But Defilers do not derive our powers from the gods directly. We are upheld by the power of the ancestor spirits. We are not easily influenced by his corruption, which is why he has shut us out of positions of power.”

“And you want revenge?” asked Gaktar.

“No,” said Kahn. “We want a return to the old ways. We want to stop a threat that would make Freeport the instrument of outside powers.”

“Norrath for Norrathians?” said Gaktar.
Kahn paused. “You are aware of that?”

“I am aware of great deal. I know that you’re involved in the Pan-Norrath movement. You disappeared for a few months a while back. I assume you were not on vacation?”

Kahn sat down and took a sip of tea. “You should not have tried to kill Okek.”

It was Gaktar’s turn to look surprised. “How did you know? And why do you care?”

“Professor Okek is one of the founding members of the Pan-Norrath movement. The Void portal invasions demonstrate that Norrath is being invaded by outside powers. From the beginning, Norrath was a battleground between higher powers. Among dragons and gods. We call them gods, but they are not! The Paladins and Templars. The Inquistors and Shadowknights. They all serve these gods, but they never question who they are! Before the Rending, we almost defeated the gods! If they are really gods, how could we have almost defeated them?”

“If they are not gods, then what are they?” asked Gaktar.

“They are aliens. Life-forms just like us. They evolved on other worlds and for their own reasons came to Norrath. They are more advanced than us, yes. Maybe they even created us to serve their own agenda. But we owe them no allegiance. They created us in order to serve as weapons in their fight with one another for control of this world. When we turned on them and almost defeated them, they retreated, and maybe even destroyed Luclin to cover their retreat.”

“Is this what Professor Okek believes?” asked Gaktar.

“It is what I believe as well. It is what many of us—on both the Qeynos and Freeport sides—believe,” said Kahn. “It is our duty to resist outside forces. We have to decide our own fates, not the gods or the dragons or the void creatures. And we have to start by removing Lucan. He is their agent.”

“Alright,” said Gaktar, standing up. “It’s too late to turn back now in any event. In several days the troops will be loaded into transport ships. As soon as those ships have left for their destinations and are beyond recall, we will move on Lucan. I have three divisions of the Home Guard assigned to secure the palace. Our most loyal men will personally guard Lucan. As soon as the pieces are in place, we terminate his reign of terror, starting with him. But we must not alert him before his army has been deployed overseas.”
Kahn stood up to leave.

“One more thing,” said Gaktar. “Where is Laiste?”

“I had her put in the dungeon, just as you ordered.”

“Good,” said Gaktar. “I suppose that’s the best thing to do …”

“Of course it is,” said Kahn. “It’s for her own protection. During the confusion of the fighting, Lucan’s allies may go after those closest to you. They may try to kill them or kidnap them in order to use them against you. By publicly distancing yourself from her, you will convince Lucan’s agents that Laiste is not someone that’s worth bothering with. And, of course, if we fail….then she won’t be implicated by association.”

Gaktar nodded. “Yes, I know, but I wish there was a way we could let her in on it…”

“You know that’s too dangerous. She needs to play along, and the best way to guarantee that is to make her believe it.”

“Yes, I suppose it’s good to know she’s safe and in a secure place.”

Chapter 25: "Into the Void"
Vhizz Frugrin ran his fingers down the list and without looking up issued orders to the hired workers to load the crates on the boat in a certain order. Dora was checking the military supplies to make sure that the right armor and weapons and potions had been loaded. Vhizz had entrusted to her the military command of the expedition so that he could focus on the scientific work.
Vhizz was interrupted by an assistant who told him that two women were looking to talk to him. "I'm sorry, I don't have time right now. Can't you handle it?" asked Vhizz.
"They insist on speaking to you personally, sir. They said they wanted to take you up on an offer you made while on a boat..."
Vhizz thought for a moment and then excitedly put down his checklist. "Where are they?" he asked.
"Waiting in the warehouse, Sir."
"Ok, take over the inventory control. Make sure those dock workers load the boxes in the right order... they are numbered. Check yourself. I'll be back soon." He rushed over to the warehouse.
In the midst of the busy workers, he saw two women. One was obviously the woman he saw on the boat, but the other did not look familiar. He greeted them, "Welcome to my expedition headquarters!" he said. "I knew you could not stay away from the excitement of one of the greatest scientific expeditions of all time!"
"Yes, if you're the leader of the team that is going to the void portal, then we want to come along. My friend here," Laiste inclined her head in Edene's direction, "has a... professional interest in the void portal."
"Very good," said Vhizz. "But I am afraid I haven't met your friend yet. And where's your twin sister?"
"My twin sister ... had to go away for a while. If you are looking for someone with extraordinary abilities, I assure you that my friend here, Zubia, has even more remarkable abilities."
"I'm sure she does," said Vhizz. "Well, it would be a pleasure to have you on the expedition. But in order to be in the expedition, you have to go as my employees. It's about the chain of command and such. I hope you understand. Everyone here is in my employ. Please see my assistant, and you'll be asked to sign letters of employment. You'll be provided with a salary of course. 20 plat a week for your services."
Laiste nodded. "OK, but just so we understand each other. Zubia has personal reasons for wanting to see the void portal. We'll work with you to get there, but once we get there, we have our own work to do."
"Of course, I understand. As long as you don't interfere with my experiments," said Vhizz.
"Or with my mission," said Dora. Vhizz didn't notice Dora standing by the door, overhearing the conversation.
"Oh, Dora, please come over here and meet our new expedition members. Dora, this is Laiste and her friend Zubia, and this is Dora, the military leader of our expedition."
"Military leader?" asked Laiste. "Why do you need military people here?"
"Well, it makes it easier to get the necessary paper work ... and in case we encounter any... resistance once we get there. Dora has been inside a void portal before. She understands the dangers and has fought the creatures inside. Her knowledge is invaluable."
"I have knowledge," said Zubia. Everyone was surprised to hear her speak up and turned to stare at her. She stepped forward. "I have been inside."
"You have? That's splendid. Just splendid," said Vhizz. "The more knowledge we have of these phenomena the better."
Dora quietly evaluated Zubia and concluded that something didn't seem right. There's a quality about Zubia that was vaguely familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Everything about her seemed a little...out of place. But Dora kept her doubts to herself. As a commander of the mission, she had to be as objective as possible.
"But tell me," said Laiste to the professor, "Why are you going? What's in it for you?"
Vhizz seemed lost in thought behind his thick glasses for a moment. Then he said, "Others have taunted me with having looked at theories from odd angles. Always wrong to the light, so never seeing what they saw. But I myself discerned, as I thought, beyond the picture, something white, uncertain. Truth? For once, then, something. It gleamed through the darkness of our ignorance. I have seen it. I do this, you understand, not for any prize or recognition. But because, with my mind's eye, I have seen what no other creature can surmise. A dark, pictureless vision of our unitary place in all of reality. Is that not worth pursuing?"
"And you?" Laiste asked Dora.
"My boyfriend is stuck in a black hole, and I have to pull his corpse out," said Dora.
"I assume there is a priest on the expedition to resurrect him?" asked Laiste.
"No, unfortunately we could not find a priest on such short notice," said Vhizz. "It seems there is some kind of war going on, and all the priests have been recruited to serve in active duty. But we did manage to recruit a necromancer."
"A necromancer?" asked Laiste, incredulous. "I thought they zombify, rather than resurrect."
"No, that's an unfortunate misunderstanding," said Vhizz. "This necromancer is very good. His resurrections are indistinguishable from the priestly ones. The person resurrected just smells... a little funny... for a few days. But that wears off."
"Who is he?" asked Laiste.
"His name is Varney," replied Vhizz. "Do you know him?"
"No," said Laiste. "I don't associate with many necros."
"Well, you'll find him surprisingly pleasant to work with. Once you get used to the smell."

Very good so far!

Chapter 26: Heart of Darkness
Varney the necromancer was the last to the table. The officers of the expedition sat around an ornate table in the captain's quarters of the Chronomicron, the airship rented by Vhizz to make the journey to the Moors of Ykesha, and the void portal located on Brokenskull Rock. Around the table sat: Vhizz Frugrin (chief scientist) at the head of the table, Dora (military expedition leader) at his right, Laiste (mission specialist), Zubia (mission specialist), Varney (paramedic) who had just arrived, Garibaldi (the captain of the airship), and Boreal (first mate).
Vhizz passed around copies of the briefing prepared by Dora. It contained detailed descriptions of the geography of the Moors of Ykesha, recently unveiled by the Scholars of the Lost. There was a map which showed the major void portals so far discovered. Many of them had been destroyed or damaged in battles between Norrathian raiding parties and the void creatures, but one portal remained intact--the portal at Brokenskul Rock. So far, it had resisted all attempts by adventurers to subdue it, and no one who had gone in had come out alive. Laiste traced the shores of the Moors with her finger. She had visited many lands in her days as a pirate, but this part of the world was foreign to her. The presence of the Brokenskull Pirates, her one-time competitors, made her nervous. They had a reputation for ruthless and taking no prisoners.
"It is said that it is protected by Valdoartus Varsoon and Anashti Sul herself," said Dora. "Or some semblance of them. But our data on them is very limited."
"But what about the Brokenskull pirates?" asked Laiste. "Surely, they are not going to let us just walk on by."
"That problem is solved quite simply," said Vhizz. "There is no need to jeopardize our mission by getting into a scrape with them. I have simply paid their leader, a troll by the name of Captain Wavemasher, to let us through. Not only that, but his men will help to ferry our gear to the void portal site."
"Money does solve a good many problems," observed Laiste.
"We should not need significant resistance until we get inside," said Dora. "However, once inside, expect to be attacked by void beast sentries. Deeper inside, we will encounter ever more powerful void guardians. We must defeat them before we can enter the final chamber, which contains the black hole. Once there, we will have to defeat whatever guards the black hole... if we succeed, then we will have a chance to carry out our respective missions. I hope you all know your missions."
Vhizz said, "I will deploy the bot. It's a modified Platinum Repository of Reconstruction, popularly called a mendor bot. Except this bot is modified with sensors that will relay back information about the black hole. The bot will descend into the area around the vortex that surrounds the black hole and make measurements. It will take air samples, measure the magnetic field, take radiation measurements, and collect some debris for later analysis."
"Hopefully that 'debris' will include some of my former teammates," said Dora. Dora thought about her lover, Slicer, floating in suspended animation around the black hole. "If we retrieve their bodies, then Varney will ressurect them. Let's hope the radiation--or whatever else is around that thing--has not damaged them beyond resurrection."
"That should not be a problem at all," said Varney. "I once ressurected an entire party that had been consumed by pirhanas. It was quite difficult to catch all those fish and then cut open their stomachs to retrieve the necessary parts--let me tell you! And sorting the body parts out took days, but..."
"I think we get the picture," said Garibaldi. Everyone looked disgusted. "But what if we encounter, as reports indicate, Varsoon or Anashti? They are, by legend, immensely powerful. How could we ever beat them?"
"We have teamed up with several parties that are there to go after Anashti and Varsoon. They will go inside first and we will follow. Hopefully, that will keep Anashi and Varsoon occupied while we do our work. Granted, no party has succeeded before, but I'm hoping that this is where Laiste and Zubia can help us out."
"Um, yes... We have it all worked out," said Laiste, clearing her throat. "But we have to keep those plans confidential...I hope you understand."
"Confidential?!" exclaimed Garibaldi. "Since when did we begin to keep secrets? This mission briefing was supposed to fill everyone in on all relevant details."
"We're not keeping any secrets," replied Laiste. "But it's just very hard to explain Zubia's powers. She will know what to do when the time comes. She knows her mission."
Zubia, who had been quiet throughout the meeting, looked up at the mention of her name and studied everyone in the room, who were all looking in her direction. "The interface is transparent to me," she said. "Upon the exchange of the molecular recognition sequence, the data sequence will be spread through the hive and will excute the embedded code at the first abstraction layer. This will override any non-native programs and restore the system to its initial state."
"See..." said Laiste. Everyone sat back, satisfied that Zubia's explanation was at once highly detailed and yet thoroughly incomprehensible.
"Well," said Vhizz. "Tomorrow morning we will arrive in the Moors. It's time to go through our respective checklists, and get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow. Maybe the biggest day of our lives."
Varney waited for the others to leave before he took out a bottle of dark green whiskey, which has the consistency of phlegm. He took a sip and then downed the rest of the bottle. At the bottom of the empty bottle was a tiny skull of some kind of deformed fetus. His hands stopped shaking. He was hoping it would be enough to keep his nerves calm and get him through the night. Tomorrow, he may get a chance to meet his goddess--and the one who cursed him to this eternal unlife.

Chapter 27 : Old Friends Reunited
When dawn came, the airship touched down gently on the docks of the Moors of Ykesha, and Laiste was awakened by the activity outside. The dock workers, mostly gnomes, were unloading supplies from the airship, and Vhizz was directing the chaotic affair with his usual attention to detail. Laiste skipped breakfast and explored the construction site, asking for directions to the nearest pirate outpost. She was given some vague instructions about a giant canon and some balloons, and told to avoid the locals, who were mostly hostile. Zubia was busy helping the others unload the gear. She can easily carry several of the heavier crates that would otherwise take several men and loading bots to move.
With Zubia happily occupied, Laiste stole off to visit her former colleagues and rivals, the various pirate factions that had taken up residence in the Moors. Following directions of the gnome workers, and using her own knowledge of subtle pirate signs (carvings in rocks and trees that otherwise would go unnoticed), she made her way into a system of deep caves occupied by the most feared of the pirate factions: the Golden Horde of the Brokenskulls (aka Brokenskulls). At the door of the cave, a large troll stopped her and asked for her business.
"I have business with Stumpy." Laiste told the guard.
"No one here by that name!"
"Look, I need to talk to him. His secret phrase is "The Future is Imminent".
The guard eyed her suspiciously, but seemed to relax a bit. "Oh, you mean Pirate Lord Kagon the Despicable. Just go down that tunnel and take a right. Don't go wandering off into any restricted areas." The guard stepped aside. Laiste followed the directions and walked down a long cold tunnel, parts of which appeared to be natural cave and parts of which were clearly recently carved out. The trolls working in the tunnels eyed her suspiciously, but no one made any aggressive moves. At the end of the corridor was a giant chamber, with rows of stalactites and stalagmites that reminded Laiste of the deranged teeth of an old dragon.
"Stumpy!" Laiste called. A troll sitting on his throne with three female trolls feeding him and stroking him jumped up and grabbed his sword, but his pants fell to the ground. He dropped his sword to pull up his pants, but the sword fell into a crate full of loot. He started desperately rummaging through the loot for his sword.
"Relax, Stumpy. Or Kagon, if that is the name you go by now. I did not come here to collect on that debt you owe--or rather that loot that you failed to split with me last time. I have come here for some information. I am willing to forget our past dealings."
"Is this another one of your tricks?" asked Kagon suspiciously. "Why are you here?"
"I have come here to help a friend. I know you have spies in the area. You're probably here to rob and loot all the adventurers going after that void portal. In the old days, I would have done the same. But I'm not after loot. I need to know what we're facing inside of those portals." And she added flatteringly, "And I knew that if anyone local has information, it's you."
"Yes, well, I've always found information more lucrative than loot. It's easier to transport in any case," said Kagon. "But what do I get in return for helping you?"
"Well, for starters, I'll forget that little debt you owe me. I'll also forget how you betrayed me and left me to die in that battle with the Freeport militia. All of which is just my way of saying that I'll let you live. How about that?"
Kagon laughed nervously. But Laiste did not laugh.
"Ahem..." he cleared his throat. "Well, I suppose there's no harm in helping you. Costs me nothing. What do you want to know?"
"What kind of creatures are in those portals, and how do you defeat them?"
Kagon laughed again. But seeing that Laiste was serious, he proceeded: "No one knows where they're from. But they have some pretty incredible powers, that's for sure. And they don't look anything like creatures from our world. They have many eyes, and claws... and I've heard that the weaker ones can be killed, but some of them... they call themselves void guardians, are tough customers. I've seen many adventure parties go in and not come out. And those that did come out--well they were not in good shape."
"Has anyone defeated them?" asked Laiste.
"Yes, my contacts tell me that they have been defeated at other portals in Norrath. But the one here has not been tamed. There are rumors that Anashti Sul herself is in this one."
"Anashti Sul? The goddess of those Sinking Sands cults?"
"Yes, her. She has something to do with this, but I don't know what. But if she's in there, I would not advise going in. Only the gods know what kind of unholy alliance has been formed between Anashti and the void creatures. That's why I am content to make my money off the stuff adventurers leave behind after they go in and don't come back."
"I need a guide inside. Do you have anyone working for you who has actually been inside?"
Kagon thought for a bit. "So, if I have someone help you, this means we're even right? You won't pursue me anymore?"
"You have my word. And my word is about as good as any pirate's ever gets."
"OK, follow me." Kagon lead Laiste down some more narrow tunnels until they reached a huge dining room. Sitting among the trolls and eating a plate of froglok legs was a dark elf. "Ehnsaine, meet Laiste, my old... friend. Laiste, this is Ehnsaine, my most experienced ... tracker. He's guided many an expedition inside the void portals. He knows how to get inside and get out, without losing too many limbs."
Ehnsaine looked up at Laiste and smiled. He glanced back at Kagon. "This is a pretty one you got. Why does she want to go inside that death trap?"
"I need to go inside to help my friend. But we know what we're doing. All you need to do is to help us find our way inside, then we'll do the rest."
"All the adventurers say the same thing. What makes you so sure you'll survive, much less succeed?"
"I don't know," admitted Laiste. "But we have one advantage that the other groups don't."
"What is that?" asked Ehnsaine.
"My friend is... my friend is a void beast." At this, Ehnsaine raised an eyebrow.

Chapter 28: The Die is Cast
He wore crimson armor from head to toe. Two large spikes projected from his shoulders ending with two skulls impaled on their tips. Some said it was the skulls of two vanquished foes, and others said that it was the skulls of two commanders who once dared to disobey his orders. Either way, he never bothered to clarify, which only served to frighten all equally (which suited him fine). He carried a giant shield embossed with the face of a dragon. Gaktar, dressed in his war regalia, made a fearsome sight. But on this day, he surveyed a far more fearsome sight: hundreds of war ships were anchored in Freeport harbor. A person could jump from ship to ship and walk all the way to the horizon without ever touching water. A swarm of men, Iksars, Sarnaks, arasai, dark elves, and other races of Freeport and her allies, dressed in full battle gear, embarked on tenders that shuttled them to their designated ships. At the docks, weapons, seige machines, cavalry horses, crafting stations, armor, provisions, and other equipment and war supplies were being loaded onto enormous cargo ships, each of which were bigger than some guild halls. Once a cargo ship was full, it had to maneuver carefully to leave dock, lest it collide into other ships jockeying into place to dock.
This was the largest fleet that Norrath had ever seen, and it represented the full might of the Freeport Navy. With it, Gaktar planned to strike quickly and strike hard. Once the enemy fleets were destroyed and the Freeport navy had achieved naval superiority, he would no longer have to fear fighting a combined armed force from Qeynos and Kelethin. Each could be isolated and defeated in turn. At least that was the plan, but Gaktar had enough military experience to know that no battle ever goes according to plan. So that morning, Gaktar had done something unusual: he asked his lieutenants for their opinions on the battle plan. In past battles, Gaktar kept his plans to himself. It helped him to project an image of decisiveness and authority. (Not to mention, it also made it far easier to keep secret plans from being divulged.) Secrecy and decisiveness were important qualities in a Freeport general. Unlike the Qeynosians who fought for their love of their Queen and their freedoms, the armies of Freeport were held together by fear and fear alone. Any sign of weakness or indecision could cause that army to unravel, and with it, the prospects for victory.
But last night, Gaktar called a war council. The war council consisted of Gaktar's primary commanders as well as commanders of the armies of Neriak and Timorous Deep. Queen Cristanos of Neriak had provided 150 of the 500 ships of the invasion fleet, as well as four legions, totalling 10,000 men. This army was under the command of the Warlock Xinjinn, her most trusted general. Timorous Deep provided a legion of elite Sarnak archers and Sarnak slaves to row the boats, about 5,000 men in all, under command of the general Cadamer. Along with the 55,000 men provided by Freeport, the invasion army totaled 70,000 men, divided into 20 legions. The question Gaktar posed to his war council was this: whether to proceed directly to invade Karan (and Qeynos) with his entire army or to divide up his forces and conquer first the outer islands of Zek, Isle of Refuge, Ferrott, and the continent of Faydwer to use as launching points for the final invasion on Karan.
Xinjinn, the general of Neriak, spoke first. "My lord Gaktar, you have assembled the largest fleet ever seen by the many races of Norrath. As impressive as such a fleet may be, it has one great weakness: it cannot remain at sea for very long. With 70,000 mouths to feed, such an army could not support itself off either land or sea. It is vulnerable to storms. For in the event of a storm, there would be no harbor large enough to shelter or disembark such a large force all at once. It would need continuous resupply and that means maintaining long supply lines. Those supply lines are vulnerable. If our supply lines are cut, whether by storm or enemy action, our army would starve in a matter of weeks. Therefore, the only prudent course of action is to secure intermediate objectives first. We can use these bases to secure our supply lines, provide safe harbors and resupply points for our ships and men, and launch the final invasion of Qeynos without threat from enemies or the wrath of Karana."
"I humbly disagree with my esteemed ally," said Cadamer. "We all know that Lord Xinjinn is a formidable strategist, with much experience in battle. But in this matter, he is being altogether too cautious. If we try to take all these intermediate bases, we risk splitting up our fleet. We would lose our numerical superiority and our forces would risk being isolated and defeated in turn--in the same way that we hope to defeat the enemy. We must focus all our strength at one decisive spot. We know that time is not on our side. The enemy has large reserves. Our plans call for quick victory. Our best chance to defeat them is to knock Qeynos out of the war before those reserves can be mobilized. Once Qeynos surrenders, the rest will surrender quickly and without a fight. And if they do not, we can easily crush them at our leisure. But Qeynos is the key, and they must be defeated first, because they represent the biggest threat."
"Gentlemen," said Gaktar. "I thank you for your words of advice and counsel. I will commend your service and loyalty to the Overlord personally. Each of you has made a strong case for his preferred strategy. But know that the final decision lies with me, and me alone. By tomorrow morning, you will know of my decision. And you will have your orders."
With that, Gaktar left the general's tent and walked by himself in the night air. He left the others to make their own last-minute preparations and perhaps get some sleep. But he could not sleep himself. And it was not the fear of battle that troubled his mind. He thought about Laiste and wondered what she must be thinking, locked up the dungeon. There would be time enough to apologize and make up after the war was over. He could not dwell on the guilt of having her placed in the dungeon. Ultimately, she would understand that it was for her own protection. But for some reason, he could not banish it from his mind. He felt uneasy about it. He was not prone to second-guessing. As a general, he knew that decisions had to be made and consequences had to be lived with. But he cared a great deal for Laiste.
Now, in the first glow of dawn, Gaktar surveyed the massed armies and navies of Freeport and her allies. The sweat of men and beasts mingled into a heavy aroma that filled the morning breeze--a smell that Gaktar found familiar and exhilarating--the smell of battle and victory. He called his messenger and gave him a note to be passed along to the fleet commanders and captains. The message was brief and to the point: "All ships: set sail for Karan."

Chapter 29: The Raid
Itsey was enjoying his afternoon tea and jumjum pie while reading a book by the fireplace when he heard three loud knocks. He placed the book, called “A Theoretical History of Wormholes” by Professor Okek on his coffee table and answered the door. It was Okek himself, looking somewhat disheveled. Before Itsey could invite him in, Okek came inside and sat down on the sofa.
“I see you’ve been reading my new book,” said Okek. “What do you think?”
“I’ve only made it past chapter 3, and there’s a lot of math which I don’t understand, but the implications are astounding. Do you actually believe that Norrath is….”
“Yes! Of course it is. Look, I don’t have time to go over it now, but there’s something very important we must do. And we must do it right away.”
“We? I take it that you want me to be involved in this somehow…” said Itsey. “What exactly must we do? Or rather must I do?”
“I need you to be our healer. I’m leading a raid…”
Itsey shook his head. “No, I’ve retired from raiding a long time ago. Can’t you find someone else to…”
“No! This is not a raid for an ordinary healer. I need someone I can trust, and someone with a lot of experience. We’re not fighting some kobolds here. I’m going to kill a god!”
Itsey paused for a moment. “I’m sorry, I thought I heard you say you’re going to kill a god?”
“A Goddess actually. What do you know about Anashti Sul?”
“Anashti Sul?” asked Itsey, incredulous. “Anashti Sul was once the Prime Healer. She was revered by the clerics from whom the Knights of Truth claim their ancient origins. It was said that she became corrupted and released unlife upon Norrath. Now she is worshipped primarily by the necromancers… Do you know where she is?”
“Yes, I believe I do. I have been reading reports from scientific expeditions to Brokenskull Rock in the Moors of Ykesha. No one who has entered the void portal there has ever returned, until now. Yesterday, a lone survivor was found by the void portal. Somehow he escaped, although badly injured. He was treated by the medics at U.J.L and then shipped back here for further treatment. I have spoken with him. Based on his account, I believe that Anashti Sul herself has a hand in these void invasions. If she can gain control over the wormhole Nexus, all of Norrath will be in great danger. And not only Norrath, but countless worlds that are connected to Norrath by the system of wormholes.”
“Assuming that’s true. How do you intend to fight a goddess?” asked Itsey.
“We already have half of what we need… we have an army. That’s why I am forming a raid force to go into the void portal. I need you on that force.”
“But no raid has ever succeeded,” protested Itsey.
“No,” admitted Okek. “That’s why we also need the other half of the equation.”
“And what would that be?”
“We need an uncorrupted void guardian,” said Okek. “We need Edene. And I know the guy who has her.”

Chapter 30: Unexpected Reunions
When Laiste returned to base camp, she found a large mob of people outside of Frugrin's tent. As she approached, she realized that they were mostly new arrivals. They was clearly a second raid force forming up, and their leader was having discussions with Frugrin inside his tent. She suddenly noticed that some of the new arrivals were wearing Qeynos military uniforms. She started to run away, but someone grabbed her by the arm. She looked up and it was Frezzy.
"Laiste!" said Frezzy. "I thought I recognized you. I think there are some people who want to talk to you."
"Let me go!" she strugged to get free, but soon Frezzy was joined by more guards and she decided that struggle was futile. They marched her over to the tent and she went inside. There were heated discussions, but when she entered, everyone fell silent. As her eyes grew accustomed to the dark, she looked around and saw Frugrin sitting at his table going over some maps. Varney sat in a chair nearby and was taking notes. Itsey saw her and jumped down from his chair. Okek stood up and looked at her, astonished.
"Laiste!" said Okek. "My god. It's you!"
They were silent for a while. Laiste broke the silence first: "Look! I'm here to help. I'm sorry about... what happened. For betraying you. I was betrayed myself."
Okek paused a while to consider this. Finally, he said, "You could have killed me, but you didn't. Whatever your reasons for doing what you did, that's in the past. But I think we all have the same goal here, and you can help us."
"Yes, of course," said Laiste. She shook herself free from the guard holding her. "That's why I am here. I met with the leader of the pirates who have been operating on this island. He has given me some information about the void portals, as well as providing a guide who can help us. Someone familiar with the portals. That's why I returned."
"That will be very useful," said Okek. "But we need one other thing that you have."
"What is that?" asked Laiste.
"We know you took Edene. This mission cannot succeed without her. Do you know where she is?"
Before Laiste could respond, Edene came inside the tent. "These people know me as Zubia," said Edene.
Okek walked over to her and examined her carefully. "Edene! It's you! It's amazing. You speak Common very well. How did you learn so quickly?" marved Okek.
"I have learned all that is necessary and convenient for carrying out my mission," said Edene. "Are you here to assist with my mission?"
"Yes," said Okek. "We all are. We are here to help you do what you are designed to do. Our world depends on it."
"Very well," said Edene. "When do we leave?"
"We leave tomorrow morning at dawn," said Okek. "We already have people scouting out Brokenskull Rock and setting up our launch point." He looked over to Laiste and said, "It would be very helpful if we could have the cooperation of the Brokenskull pirates. We don't want any unnecessary hostilities."
Laiste nodded, "I have already arranged that. They know we're coming, and they will be cooperative."
"Then all is set," said Okek. "Does anyone else have anything to say?"
"Yes," said Itsey. He walked over to Laiste and silently considered her for a long time. Finally he said, "Welcome back."

Fantastic so far, Chapter 31 please

Chapter 31: Alea iacta est
Ehnsaine met the raiding party at the Rock, which is what the pirates called Brokenskull Rock. There was funnel of light over the Rock, which marked the entrance to the last known open void portal in Norrath. Littered around the Rock were adventure packs and other gear left by prior adventurers who had gone inside. Clearly, none of them had emerged to claim their belongings, and the Brokenskull pirates had already looted a lot of the abandoned gear. As had been arranged, the Qeynos marines went in first, lead by Knight Captain Frezzy. Then Frugrin and his science team stepped into the void portal.
Then it was Laiste and Edene's turn. "Are you ready?" Laiste asked Edene. Edene did not respond, but took that as her cue to enter the portal and she disappeared inside. "Here goes!" said Laiste and followed her. There was a moment of darkness, as everything went black, and then Laiste found herself standing on a giant island, floating in the sky. The marines were already fighting with the void beasts, who were attacking in massive waves.
Laiste looked around for Edene but didn't see her anywhere. Someone grabbed her by the arm. It was Ehnsaine. "Over here!" he yelled over the sounds of battle, and pulled her to safety as a massive explosion sent rocks falling all over them. He lead her down a path away from the fighting and to a spot where Frugrin and his scientists were setting up their equipment. Dora was with them.
"Will this work?" asked Dora.
"That's what we're here to find out," said Vhizz. "Now, help me to secure the thrusters and stabilizers to this bot. The cable needs to be attached to the winch underneath the bot to support the intense weight it will feel when near the black hole, and the thrusters will be used for maneuvering only."
They slowly lowered the bot over the ledge of the island and into the void. Attached to the cable, it descended past a group of slowly moving asteroids orbitting the black hole. Vhizz was staring at a mechanism that was providing read-outs of the bot's sensors through a set of visors that looked like binoculars attached to a black box. The box was attached to a wire connected the bot that was sending back images and data. "Remarkable!" he kept muttering.
"Do you see anyone down there?" asked Dora, almost frantic with anticipation.
"Not yet, but there's a lot of debris down near the black hole. I'm scanning the debris field now. The bot is closing in! Hold on! I see something..."
"What?" asked Dora. "Let me see!'
"Here!" Vhizz said. "Here! I found some bodies! Look, do you recognize any of them?"
Dora looked into the machine. She moved the knobs that controlled the direction of the camera back and forth. Finally she said, "Yes! I see them. Those are Freeport uniforms. Wait... I think I see ... It's Slicer! It's his body! How do I grab him?" She started fumbling wildly at the controls of the bot.
"No wait!" said Vhizz. "This is a delicate maneuver. It has to be done carefully, or ..." But before he could finish, Dora pushed a button that activated the thrusters on the bot. But the bot spun out of control and crashed onto a floating boulder. Even from at a distance, Laiste could see the explosion, as the bot's fuel tank burst and ignited. There was an orange fireball and then a cloud of black smoke...and the bot was gone.
Everyone was too shocked to say anything. But before they could utter a word, there was a commotion behind them. A large group of void beasts was heading their way... and there were no marines left alive to defend them.

Chapter 32: The Importance of Being Undead
When Frezzy entered the void portal with his team, they were immediately attacked by waves of void beasts. He detached a team to hold off the void beast attacks while he lead a team to the inner void portal. Not known for his great patience, he was determined to get to Anashti as soon as possible, but he was approached by Varney and Edene.
"Wait," said Varney. "You cannot go directly to Anashti. There are number of powerful Void Guardians who must be defeated before you can get to her. Edene can tell you how to defeat them." Varney looked over at Edene.
"Yes," Edene replied. "The Void Guardians have been corrupted by Anashti and serve her as adjuncts. But otherwise, they have not been extensively modified, so I know their weaknesses. However, Anashti is a foreign entity... I do not know the weaknesses of her program, and I cannot help you in defeating her."
"That's where I come in," said Varney.
"How do you know anything about Anashti?" asked Frezzy.
"Let's just say we have some history. I know things about her that few people know."
"No, I'm not following you into there unless you tell me exactly what you know. So you will tell me now."
Everyone was silent for a moment and the sounds of fighting could be heard in the background, but everyone was focused on Varney. Finally, he spoke. "A long time ago, I was ... a healer. I worshipped Anashti Sul, and was her chief priest. Back then, she was the Prime Healer. A goddess devoted to healing and light. At times, she would visit me, and we became lovers. Back in those days, gods and goddesses took human lovers... usually their most devoted followers. Anashti's healing powers were able to extend my life, but not indefinitely. Nothing can prevent the inevitable--old age and death. As I grew old and my body began to age beyond repair, Anashti grew obsessed with the notion that she could enhance her powers to grant immortality to humans. This is strictly forbidden by the gods. But one day, she said that she had found a way to grant immortality to her followers, and she started with me. I was the first person that she made immortal. The problem is that humans weren't meant for immortality...I could feel something growing inside of me. It was unnatural, and it threatened to take over my mind. I was the first, of many, to be cursed with Undeath. Anashti took tremendous pride in her new abilities, and granted Undeath to many of her followers. The curse of Undeath had been unleashed upon Norrath, and in time, she would be banished by the gods for her hubris."
"But why do you want to help us defeat her," asked Frezzy.
"Because that's the only way I can remove my curse of Undeath. Only once Anashti dies will I be allowed to die like a mortal, like I should. I have lived for a very long time. I have watched friends and family die, and I have watched the world change through many ages. All things have an end. All beings deserve a time of rest. Mine has come and passed. I have come here to reclaim the death that is rightfully mine, that I have been robbed of. I have been the keeper of Anashti's secrets. I know her vulnerability. Only I know how to defeat her. Without me, you have no hope of victory."
"How do we know you're telling the truth?" demanded Frezzy.
"You don't," replied Varney. "You either believe me or not, but either way you have to make a decision. You're running out of time."
In the background, the sounds of fighting became more fierce. And a new wave of void beasts appeared.

Chapter 33: The Overlord
Kahn signaled for his men to stop at the entrance. Four teams of Gaktar's elite guards were deployed around the Tower of the Overlord. Kahn carried secret orders for the arrest of the Overlord. As planned, they were going to move in and grab Lucan the day after the main Freeport army had deployed to sea. This meant the only resistance to the coup was a small group of guards loyal to Lucan. These could be easily dispatched.
But Kahn felt a sense of foreboding. He had been a defiler for a long time, and the spirit of the ancestors usually warned him of the presence of danger, and at this moment, he felt a sense of premonition that everything would not go exactly according to plan.
Kahn turned to his lieutenant. "I want you to stay with the men here. Make sure no one gets out. I am going in alone to seek an audience with Lucan. Maybe there is a chance I can get him to surrender without bloodshed."
"I strongly advise against that," his lieutenant protested. "We have an overwhelming force here. The guards inside are no match for us. Let us do our jobs."
"No," said Kahn. "I am in command here, and that is an order. If I do not come out in 20 minutes, then you have the authority to take command of this mission and execute it according to plan. But do not come in until the time is up." The lieutenant grudgingly accepted his orders.
Kahn approached the guard outside the Overlord's residence and spoke briefly with him, and then he was permitted to enter. Kahn was still a member of Lucan's court, and as such, to enter was his privilege. But the guard looked nervously at the squad of men that Kahn left waiting outside.
As Kahn entered the building, he was about the ascend the main stairs to the tower when he felt a sudden pressure in his chest. Then an immense roaring sound filled his ears and the ground shook. Large columns of the building started to come crashing down and Kahn scrambled for safety under the stairs. After a few seconds, there was only darkness, smoke, dust, and rubble. Kahn could hear the sound of yelling outside. He tried to orient himself in the darkness--he brought out his softly glowing jewel, which cast a pale light on his surroundings. He was trapped beneath the stairs. The upper floors had crashed on top of the stairway and sealed him inside. Clearly, there had been an immense explosion that had collapsed the tower. Kahn tried to remain calm. Immediately, questions raced in his mind: who had caused the tower to collapse? Clearly, it was not his men. This was not part of the plan. Had Lucan destroyed the tower to mask his own escape? Had Lucan been alerted to the raid? Or was some sinister third force involved?
He once again heard shouting outside, and someone yelled, "Kahn! Are you there?" He recognized the voice. It was General Tailz. What was Tailz doing here? He knew Tailz is a supporter of Lucan, and that could only mean that Gaktar's plans had been compromised. There was another force that had arrived to stop him from carrying out the coup.
Then he heard another voice: "I know why you men are here. But at this moment, we all need to work together to dig out the survivors. Your leader Kahn is inside, and so is our Overlord. We must work together if we are to save them. So start digging! You! Get some water! We need to put out this fire first!"
It was the voice of Bahua. "Damn!" Kahn thought to himself. This is a mess. But first, he had to survive.
"Here!" he shouted back. "I'm in here!"