Did you hear about.....? I heard she was a......? Well he told me that you said...... Won't you do it for me? I love you. No I would never do that!! You are the only one I can trust.

These words burn my ears from every direction like the blazing hot sun of Athas burns my skin. Too many. Too much. Lies and deciet abound in all directions. My work is never done. Better were those time when I basked in the light, when I beheld the glory of good. But even then....no it will never be that way again. Now I serve death. Now I serve Nefarious the new king of hell. My work is never done.

On the Isle of Clockwork I watch the two lovers fight side by side against the dark cultists who hide in it's depths. Valiantly he puts himself between her and her foes drawing their attacks to him. Protecting her. He is a good man. He is rightgeous. For hours they fight. Side by side. Good against evil. Love against hate. The banter is pleasing to the ears like cool spring water to my thirsty palette. I could almost love them. "Have no fear lady, they are no match for my strength". "Hey, save some of them for me I'm no slouch". They almost seem at play. And for most of the day I watch and listen as foe after foe is dispatched. Others come and go and others still take time to chat at the campfire but the pair is inseperable. Together they are complete. And then the time has come to sleep.

I watch him cover her with kisses as they end their day together. Watch as he lies at the campfire and dissapears into the bliss that is welcome to all. Sleep. I watch her too as she returns his kisses and endearments. Taking no note of me. I am mearly a passerby, a stranger. No one of note. I watch as she falls into blissful sleep next to her mate. Like the ancient lovers they lay, each in the others caccon of love. I wait.

She opens her eyes. Looks around to make sure he is still asleep. The dark one approaches. The Necromancer Nergal. I fear for her life. He approaches dark and brooding. Ready at any moment to provide himself with another specimen of death to work his vile magics upon. He closes in. I want to scream to her. WAKE HIM UP. WAKE YOUR LOVER HE WILL PROTECT YOU. I wait. I watch.

"Is he asleep?". "Yes". Nergal smiles, "I have missed you". "And I you". I am fallen. Like so many times before. She embraces her dark master. Her countenance takes on an entire different effect. She is Nergal's now. And in so much as she was her lovers before she is his to command now. I watch them. Through a hazing cloud of colors my appearance is made apparent. My magic has failed me and I am seen by all. Nergal mearly shrugs. She remains silent. But her thoughts I can clearly see. She is afraid. Afraid that I have seen her deception. Afraid of what I may know and say. I am asked to leave. I do so without hesitation, Nergal is my brother. Through his mind I am aware of all things anyway. Though at the moment I am full to the brim. Disgusted at how much work there is to do. I leave them. But their thoughts, their evil love burns me like the sun.

I am called to battle. Good, a chance to clear my mind. The Warriors of Hades feel my wrath as I fight alongside my brethren. The white sand is blinding and the Slaads are relentless. But I fight on. Trying to forget. Wanting to wipe it all away. I take it all out on the WOH. If I cannot make my brother pay then they will pay in his stead. WOH Mordrid is a fomidable opponent but he is no match for my rage or that of my brother Anthraxus. We make of him sport to our desires and practice our aim blowing away parts of his body bit by bit. Then in one incredible blow I focus all my rage into one blast from my mind. The way has taught me well. As I look at Anthraxus through the hole in Mordrid's chest his armor falls to the ground in peices. But Mordrid is formidable. Perhaps defiler magics or some trick of the mind but he still stands. This only enrages me more. Anthraxus, as displeased with this as I reaches forward and tears Mordrid's heart from his body causing him to fall in a lump of flesh on the burning white sands. HAH! he laughs out. MINE!. I join him in laughter as we head for rest, leaving in our trail the piles of gold fallen from Mordrid's corpse. I am happier now. At least someone has been made to pay. But her words are still cursing even this small gift of peace. It must be her. No one else.

I head back to Clockwork. She is still there. Nergal is gone and with him the essence of evil that permeated my very conciousness. Only the lovers remain and all is as it was before. But I know. And she knows I do. I am no longer the stranger. I am now the threat. I join them in battle as many have done before. I HELP them destroy evil. I could almost love them. But I have to ask the question. I have to.

I reach out to her with the way, "You two have been together for a long time". "Yes we have, he is my husband. We are Married". I have to ask. My rage is boiling. I want her to be with me. In my domain where she belongs. Where she will be made to pay. I ask, "Happily?". She is crafty, I do love her so. "Yes I am very happy with my man Charis", she says out loud, "Why do you ask?". Instantly he is alert. Someone is threatening his happiness. He moves towards me with the fire of hell in his eyes. But I am his friend. I will not hurt him. So I lie for her as I have done over and over since the beginning of time. I lie. "What are you talking about?". But she wants more. She wants death. I love her so much now that I can not bear to see her live another second. He attacks. I defend with stronger magics. She runs to the mumbling idiot at the campfire and dissapears from my sight. He attacks again with more fury than before. I defend with even stronger magics, then attack him in the one place I know I can win. I throw the truth at him. "She is untrue!". "Liar!", he spits. "You will die!". "I am already dead", I cry, "And so are you for you know I speak the truth". He hesitates. "I love her", he says just as she reappears from the stairway. I look at him. There is nothing more I can do to hurt him now. I look to her, through her horrified expression I can see the faint hint of a smile. Nergal's smile. Evil. I am filled with lust for her. "I will have her!". "NOOO!!!!", he screams as I release the fog of death upon her frail and beautiful form. She dies. I feel her soul enter my domain. He is crazed. "Vile liar!!", he sreams "What have you done". I drop my defenses to his rage, look him deeply in the eyes and say, "What was needed". He kills my Half-Elven form. The victory is his abliet given and not taken. In my mind I hope that it is payment enough. He did not deserve this. My form falls to the sand as my soul sinks beneath. I can not wait to see her in my home. I think of what wonderful games I will play with her corrupted soul. I am happy again. Truly happy.

And the voices continue. My work is never done.

Charis
The Fallen
Lord of the Dead