Ethari stood with his back against the wall of stone. He didn't stand out with his hood pulled over his eyes. Almost every one of three people had a hood pulled over his or her eyes. He did stand out in another way. He wore light blue leather garments and a long white cloak. He normally had a dove perched on his shoulder but had recently let her go fly by herself. He did this occasionally because he wanted her to have her own freedom.

He also had his wings pressed against his back, hiding the fact he was a angel. Earlier Lothemdal made fun of the fact he constantly hid his wings, but now he had to. Even Lothemadal should, even if he was only a half blood. The town had cut throats sneaking in the shadows, ready to kill a innocent person. This city was not a city to come unarmed. That's why Ethari had brought his long sword and his bow and quiver. He also had a holy spell book which contained holy spells. He knew some spells that weren't holy subtype, like light. But he did have a bless spell and a heal minor wounds spell.

He would have a much more impressive selection if he had not donated it all to help form the soon to be guild, The Order of the Istari. At least he still had a weapon and a bow. With these two items, a normal man could be unstoppable, with the limitations of his body. Ethari stood and began to walk through the city, his shoes clicking against the stone ground. The desert heat was unbearable. Ethari walked over a grate, showing the many underground tunnels that linked below the city. As he glimpsed he saw a man press another man against a wall.

The attacker had simple brown worn out travelers clothes. He had a dark brown cloak concealing his eyes. The other man who was pressed against the wall had a black cloak on. His hood was not pulled up, revealing his thinning white hair. He had a belt on the outside of his cloak, showing three vials of something. Then the attacker pulled a knife from inside his boat. He brought it to the cloaked mans throat. He muttered something in the mans ear. The cloaked man spat on his attacker and shouted "NEVER!". Then with a swift cut the attacker killed the other man.

The man collapsed on the ground, blood pouring over his body. Ethari shouted down into the grate " Hey you!" The man began to run. Ethari grabbed the top of the grate and yanked it up. It wasn't budging. Ethari stomped on the grate and cursed loudly. He let a murderer get away. Ethari returned to the grate and saw the dead mans body gone.

For some reason that body was important. Ethari still had a chance to catch this man. It wasn't hard to find a man dragging a body around. Ethari ran to the nearest grate and lifted its lid. It didn't budge again. He did this to two more times until he found the lucky one.

He lifted the lid and descended into the dark depths below the city

Lothemadel had been flying over empty expanses of desert for countless hours. This was unbearable. Sand, sand and more sand, like an endless ocean. He then noticed a city in the distance. It was crumbling, and seemed worn out. Torches illuminated it with a dim glow. Lothemadel landed and tucked his wings under his robes, giving him an almost hunch back apperance. As he walked through the magnificent gates, which were helplessly swung open defeating the whole purpose of a wall, he walked through the allys and streets of this nasty city.

After about ten feet of walking, Lothemadel would notice a grate. It was about one foot wide and one and a half foot long. It had slim holes, allowing the veiwer to look into the underground channel below. A cool breeze lifted up from below, giving Lothemadel cool relief from the dry desert heat.

Lothemadel continued to walk some more.Under observation, he began to understand what this city's purpose was. It was a refuge, a refuge of bandits an cut throats. Your average citizen of Angband was wearing worn out, brown or black clothes with the occasional hood pulled over, covering their eyes. Every half hour or so, you would hear a terrible, blood curdling cry.

Suddenly, one of these cry's was heard only ten feet from were Lothemadel stood. He saw Etheri quickly running, tugging on numerous grates. Lothemadel quickly followed and jumped into the darkness of the grate after Etheri. He outstrechted his small, dull angel wings. These always were the shame of his life. His half angel blood had made his wings so dull, small, and stunted. He would never be equal to his father.

No time to reminisce, thought Lothemadel. He quickly glided down and casted a light spell, revealing the inside of the tunnels. It was about ten feet across and ten feet wide. The earthen brick was dull under the pale light of the light propeling itself from Lothemadel's staff. The occasional torch would cast an erie shadow.

The image of a man akwardly dragging a body. Lothemadel soared very quickly towords the perputrater. He tackled the man, and the rolled violently forward. A unexpected drop made Lothemadel jumped and hovered with his wings. Lothemadel waited for a loud thump from the lethal twenty foot decent.But it never came.

Lothemadel glanced upward and was shocked on discovery. The mans clothes were just shreds, floating down. The mans white skin was now red. His hair was falling down in thick tuffs. He roared in pain as two horns sprouted out. Blood spewed from were the horns were forcibly projecting themselves, drencing Lothemadel's pure white robe. His skin turned a deep red. He cackled evily, as a summoned a whip of flame.

Lothemadel gazed upward at the balrog glaring back at him. Lothemadel quickly sidestepped as it whipped its flaming whip. The whip schroched the bricks were it hit. Thumps were heard as the chunk of earthen stone hit below. Lothemadel whispered, "What have we awokened?"

Ethari was about to burst. That man was his. He was going to take him down quickly and easily, and he would avenge the other mans death. But Lothemadal had to go and make things difficult. Now he would be deeper in the catacombs making it harder for them to get out. Ethari thought of all this while he ran through the tunnels. He stoped and ran his hand over his sword and muttered " light." His sword began to emit a pale glow. Ethari began to run again. There was Lothemadal by a cliff. Were was the man?

He stopped. He almost knocked Lothemadal over the edge of the sudden drop in the catacombs. A horrible image was floating in the air. It was a man, or what was once a man. It was covered in blood, horns sprouting from his head. He was growing and had thick leather like wings. What had they gotten themselves into? Ethari whispered a few words. " Bless" The area was now blessed, giving him and Lothemadal extra strength.

Ethari pointed his sword and pushed himself off the ground. He was rocketing at the balrog and his sword made direct contact. Except instead of making contact with his heart as intended, the demon raised his arm blocking a strong blow. The stab wound that Ethari gave him would be a strong wound against a normal humanoid. But this demon had strong skin, and was huge. The demon pushed his hand sending Ethari rocketing at the wall. The wall was to far of, giving Ethari a time to slow down. When he reached the wall he didn't hit it, but instead used his feet to push himself at the balrog.

He began to spiral and shouted " Arrow of the White Star." He hit the demon in the side. The balrog roared in pain, even the the move had little effect. It would take his and Lothemadals combined strength to defeat the demon. He pulled his sword out, a red blood covering his sword. His sword came out cleanly, the flesh healed over rapidly. This demon was stronger than he thought.

If he hurt the demon it would just be getting it mad, and not hurting him thanks to how rapidly he healed. He had to make sure when he hurt the demon it would be a strong wound that wouldn't heal so rapidly. If he did a bunch of small attacks the demon would get angrier and have some much rage he would destroy them. If he died down here they would never help finish the guild. He had to kill this evil horrible abomination. If the demon could live on he would kill more and hurt the lives of others. Ethari screamed " you will die demon, by my and Lothemadals hand" He faced the demon. The demon had white fangs that could tear flesh easily, and eat anyone. He had claws that were a faint shade of red, blood red. This demon had killed more in this form, and how many more were out there?

Lothemadel had been eager for a fight ever since he had discovered the shooting star spell. But now that he actually was engaged in combat, instead of having his blood pumping and adrenaline flowing, his heart was pounding inside his ears and his fear was terrorizing his mind.

Lothemadel began to think to himself, I am going to let the fear control me for five seconds and that is it. Then I will be calm. Lothemadel then began to panic. One. He flew quick and fast, far away. Two. Tears flew down his face.Three. He was sobbing and shrieking loudly. Four. He then began to pray. Five.

Then, lunging himself, Lothemadel flew at top speeds towords the balrog. He wasn't afraid any more. All he felt was hatred for the demon. As Lothemadel was reaching the balrog, he was already engaged with the Etheri. Lothemadel focused his energy to his fist as he spoke incantations. He lunged forth with a ball of energy in his hand.

Lunging back ward, he threw the ball at the balrog. "Shooting Star of Istari!" Yelled Lothemadel. It struck the balrog in an explosion of brilliant lights and colors. The balrog covered its eyes. It flew in circles, clutching its eyes."We need to get him now Etheri, he is blinded and will be confused!" Lothemadel quickly etched magical runes in the empty space above him.

"Monster Summoning!" Lothemadel said, violently swinging his staff through the runes. The magic writing faded away and two dire cougers lunged forth through the fading runes. The balrog was writhing in confusion and temporary blindness. Lothemadel quickly bashed him with his staff. Blood splatter in his eyes, on his robes, on his staff, on the distant ground below.

The two savage animals were clawing the balrog. Since the balrog was flying ,they were climbing up it with their claws. They would get to his upper body, then slide down. The demons black blood was now almost every were. This battle was becoming a blood bath. The ditch below was becoming a pit of the balrogs own blood. It threw the dire cougers of itself. They hit the walls with a vicious thump, sliding down and landing below.

The horrible sound of their bones cracking could be heard below. Their magnificent coat was now stained with both thier own and the balrogs and their blood. Both began to fade into a silver dust, disapearing back to the plane which Lothemadel had summoned them from.

Lothemadel had to get more reinforcements. He quickly etched more runes into the sky. He lunged his staff in the center of the magical writings. "Shadow of Elebereth!" He cried, and a small orb of black energy appeared. The shadow was exerting its blobish center, creating a claw. This claw would began to rend the balrogs flesh, creating more blood sloshing in the pit below. The stench was reaching Lothemadel. He was begining to reel. His head felt light. Lothemadel began to spin. He opened his eyes, seeing the balrog still wincing in pain and blindness. He plunged down below, trying to gather himself. This wasnt the end for me, he thought. Gathering all his energy he flew up to confront the balrog again.

Etharis heart soared for Lothemadal had triumphed in his quest. His shooting star had a great affect on the demon, causing it blindness and confusion. Then he summoned cougars and then a shadow. Together they were rending the flesh off the balrog. They were slowly destroying it. Ethari seathed his sword, letting the cougars and Lothemadal do all the combat. Then drawing his bow, Ethari began to let his arrows sing through the air.

One hit. Two hit. Three hit. Four hit. This was getting no where. Ethari blessed his next arrow. He drew his bow as far as he could and let it pierce the head of the balrog. The balrog screamed in pain as the weapon made direct contact with his head. The blessing on it made it stronger and more direct. It burned the skin of the demon, and blood poured out of the wound. Blood pooled underneath the balrog, making a lake of unholy blood. Not all of it was unholy. Ethari's blood was down there, but not nearly as much as the blood drenched balrog.

The demon than threw the cougars to there death, or so Ethari thought. Instead the cougars disappeared into a unknown plane. Ethari than quickly sheathed his bow and re drew his long sword. He began to slash at the demon. This was getting him no where. He had to continue if he wanted to live and if Lothemadel wanted to live. He began to make his strokes more powerful and strong. He was losing strength and the demon was bound to regain his state of mind soon.

He flew back against the wall and shouted " Arrow of the Stars!" He was spinning fast and in the direct path of the demons heart. If he got the demon he could kill it and pierce its heart killing it instantly. He was about 20 meters away. Ten meters. The demon turned to face him. He wasn't blinded or confused anymore. He extended his arm and batted Ethari away.

He hit the wall with a sickening thump. His life flashed before his eyes. His pains and suffering, his joy and happiness. No he couldn't give this up, the life he had, he created. His face was stricken with tears. He was filled with rage, rage against the demon. His eyes began to gleam with intensity.

He kicked off the wall with a grimace. He screamed with rage and pride " Sun Set!!" He stopped close to the demon and began to hack and chop and slash at the demon. He combined his agility and his reflexes to make a powerful sequences of strikes. He darted around slashing at the demon giving him no time to react. Blood poured down his cuts like fountains. He stopped at his heart. " Die you scum" he muttered under his breath. Then he stabbed his heart. The demon let out a heart wrenching scream. His body began to burn and crumble away. Ethari landed on the platform before the drop and said in a gasp " Lets see if that mans okay"

Lothemadel glided down to identfy the balrog. What a shame if all this was a trap. When he reached the bottom of the pit below, he was overwhelmed by blood. He continued to glide, uneager to touch the pool of blood below. The balrogs body was laying below, just bleeding, not moving. Lothemadel was suddenly overcome with the urge just to bash it's body with his staff. Not stopping, just hitting it over and over again. He raised his staff and stopped himself. He couldn't bring himself to desicrate a body, even if it was a demons. Lothemadel flew up the pit and back into the tunnel.

He followed the tunnel to were the disguised demon had dropped the body when he tackled him. The old man was laying face down, his gray thinning hair covered with his hood over him. It must of fallen during the pursuit.

Lothemadel said a quick prayer to himself, to the stars. He flipped the body shamefully over. The man was obviously dead. On his plain, brown belt was five, small bottles. They were about five inches tall and about as thick as a vial. A small, cillinder cork was stopping the contents from spilling over.

Blood was leaking from the mans throat, seeping the dirt and brick floor below them. His plain brown shirt was red from a puncture wound to the stomach. His eyes seemed to cry as blood was running from them too. Lothemadel wondered why this man was the target of a balrog.

He was begining to consider the possibilties. Maybe the man was a wizard. Maybe he had created these potions to kill demons. Or perhaps enlarge a persons height. Maybe the contents of those vials were of catastrophic proportions. Or what if they were potions of healing, and this whole thing was just a minor robbery. Or a decoy. What if this man was a fake, to distract the balrog from a real cause.

Lothemadel heard footsteps from were the chase had begun. He heard a womens voice begin to sob. He turned around to see a women in similar attire to the dead man. A black cloak was around here brown pants and white button up shirt. She had a belt, plain and brown with a shining skull buckle. She had a rapier at her side and tears streaked here face.

She was sobbing mornfully and approached the body. She threw herself over it screaming, "Why, why you old fool! I told you not to! Why!" Lothemadel hadn't said anything for a while, letting her cry for a little while longer. "Excuse me, but do you know this man? And perhaps why a balrog was chasing him? Perhaps those vials on his belt." The women stopped her sobbing. "I am here grand daughter, Anora. And yes, those vials are the purpose of the balrog pursuer. They are stolen, by me. I killed him. I told him not to take them, that I would do it tommorow, I just needed I nights sleep. You fool!" She began crying beating the body. Lothemadel just shook his head.

Ethari let out a huge sigh. It was over, finally over. They had successfully killed a Balrog. Ethari began to fly towards the body of the Balrog, knowing that Lothemadel was taking care of the man, or the dead man. He hovered down to the body of the demon, not as revolted as Lothemadel. Being a warrior he had seen plenty of blood. The demons body began to change. Its horns began to recede into its head, the skin pale again, besides the blood that drenched him. Was this a Balrog? Normally things reverted into their normal form when they died, not a changed form. The body normally changed to its normal form as soon as it died as well.

What was wrong with this body? It could be several of things. This man might not be a Balrog, and those potions change one's form into a demon. Or maybe the man didn't die right away. Or the man was still alive. Ethari shot down into the lake of blood and landed next to the body, blood splashed all over his cloths. He reached his head down and listened for a breath or a heart beat. There was none. The man was dead. Then that confrimed Ethari's first guess. This man wasn't a Balrog. He probably drank a potion changing his form into one of a Balrog. As for it taking so long for his form to revert to its original phase, that could mean it took some time for the potions effect to wear off.

Ethari wasn't sure if he was correct, but if it was the potions on his belt they must be more form changing potions. If the wrong person got their hands on those potions it could destroy the city of Angband or more. Ethari rocketed to were Lothemedel was. When he reached Lothemadel, there was a young lady sobbing over the dead body, dressed in similar robes. She was shouting things like " you fool" and " why....why" Ethari's sympathy was short lived, for he had important news to relay to Lothmadel.

He bent over and whispered into Lothemdal's ear " The body changed back into the man. These potions might have caused him to transform. We must guard these potions at all cost, they could threaten the whole realm of Arda." His last words were exaggerated, but his mood was still serious. Ethari turned to the lady and asked as if he were greeting a lady in the street and not in a sewer next to a corpse " What might be your name, and what are you doing down here"

Ethari added quickly " and do you know anything at all about those potions." If she did know something about all this, it might clear up a lot of the mess they had created. While Ethari waited for a response his mind wandered to something. They both were dressed in the same manner. They both could be a part of a guild, church, or cult. Ethari hoped they weren't both part of a cult, because then it could get complicated.

Lothemadel heard the information from Etheri and quickly processed it. This was good, the meaning of the bottles were uncovered. Lothemadel nodded to Ethari, and turned to the women. He tear stricken face was filled with sorrow, and was sobbing quitely to herself. "I loved him, he took care of me ever since my father died," She began. Lothemadel was glad that she was opening up to him, this could be the explanation of the bottles.

"We were the biggest theives of Angband. He had the lockpicks. He could open any door. It was amazing! It was almost......like magic," She finished those last words with a gasp. As if someone had punched her in the gut. She began to cry, then continue.

"I never knew Grandpa's name. He never told it to me. But during the final confrontation with Sine. Maybe you have heard of him, he is one of the most feared and respected alchimest in all of Arda, residing in a tower here in the city." She still was silently crying to herself, forming a small puddle below her. Lothemadel assumed that Sine was the man rotting in the bloody pit, reeking a few feet away from him.

"When I got caught stealing the Five Potions of Transformation, I ran out with Sine on my tail. When we reached the door, Grandpa was their. Sine froze in his tracks, and shouted at grandpa, 'Angnor!' We ran back to our hideout. " When Lothemadel heard Angnor, he jumped up. "Wait," he said, "Angnor, that is the name of one of the best thieves in the entire world! He could magically open doors! His technique is still unknown, even to the most respected scholars can decipher his magic.

"That is what I thougt," Anora said. "Well," Lothemadel began, "Tell me more about the bottles." "Fine," She said with a sob. "The bottles transform the user into the most five powerful beings. An angel, balrog, unicorn, dragon, and a dryad of one of belonging to the most powerful ent in Arda. Sine was going to any thing to get them back." Lothemadel was begining to make some sense of this. Questions were being answered, and this mystery was coming to a close.

Lothemadel saw the danger of those bottles. Each one contained the power to transform to the most powerful beings of nature! The had to be delt with. Grabbing them off the belt of the man, he smashed the four bottles against the wall. All the liquids began to steam and evaporate, quickly drying up. "Thats the last of that," Lothemadel thought aloud. "Those bottles won't be a problem to you, Anora. Consider it a favor." The women's mouth was a gap. She stared vacantly at him. "You idiot! My grandfathers legacy was in those bottles! His final heist was ruined becuase of you, you cranky old wizard! You ruined my life!" Lothemadel began to laugh. "Trust me, I'm helping you," he said with a smirk.

Ethari was aghast. Not only was it her fathers legacy, those bottles could be useful. Plus, some creature could come up and lick a few drops transforming it into a powerful creature. Ethari's heart soared once the contents of the bottle turned into a vapor. Still, this vapor could have harmful effects on them. Ethari said quickly " lets get out of here before we continue this conversation." With that Ethari made a swift turn, his cloak lashed out. He grabbed the hand of the girl and began to lead her out. Ethari continued out of the tunnel not checking for Lothemadel. He knew he could defend himself. The girl chocked a sob.

Ethari said in her ear " hurry up, you could die down here." The girl yelped another sob and hurried up. Ethari finally reached the manhole which he had come from. He flew up and looked down into the manhole and reached his hand out. The girl made no attempt to escape and climbed up the ladder. She reached for his hand and Ethari pulled her up. Ethari made a sharp whistle as he waited for her to set her mind straight. In the distance a white speck flew over the horizon. In about three minutes, Cataraza was perched on his familiar spot on his shoulder. The girl stared at Cataraza, and Cataraza stared back.

Two thugs with with black shirts and green shorts approached Ethari and the girl. Ethari spotted hand axes on one of there belts, a short sword on another. They were both bald and buff, a typical thug on the street. The one with a hand axe said " whats a pretty girl like you doing with this peace lover?" He was judging Ethari on his dove, assuming he loved peace. The second thug reached over and pulled the girl towards him. She let out a scream, Ethari's cue to draw his short sword. He lunged for the one with the hand axe as he drew his weapon. His sword was centimeters from making contact with his heart, but the thug parried in the nick of time.

Ethari's sword slanted downward from the failed attack and the thug retaliated. He raised his axe and made a powerful downward attack. Ethari rolled aside and made a floor sweeping kick, tripping him. Ethari raised his sword and plunged it into the heart of the thug. He let out a gasp, and died. Something was wrong. His finishing move took some time leaving him open for a counter attack. Ethari turned to see the other thug; stunned and then Anora drew her rapier and stabbed the man in the heart. He collapsed.

" Nice fighting" Ethari commented. " Thanks" she muttered out of breath. Ethari noted " we should wait her for Lothemadel and see what we should do with these bodies. She made a small nod of approval. Cataraza had flown of into a few meters in the sky as Ethari had told her to do in all combat situations. She flew down lightly and returned to her normal position on his shoulder.