Rallika has been searching for the reason why he is here in Arda for some time now and he has found the Annon-en-Groth mines. He wondered if the answer he seeked was somewhere in there.

Almost immediately Rallika was attacked by giant bats in the mines. Rallika sliced the right wing off one but 3 more came at his direction. One of them charged at Rallika's head but it missed. Three more shashes from Rallika only killed one of the 25 there. He gave up and ran from the bats but they began chasing him. Then a bat came in front of him and smashed a rock the size of his head in his face, knocking him out cold.

He woke up on the ground and someone was lookng down at him. "Woah! Where did you come from? And where am I?"

"I was following you to make sure that you were doing okay," Siad blade as he looked around, "I finished off the bats just after you had went under. and i am guessing this is a mining area.." he then held out his hand as to help him back on his feet. he looked around to make sure that there weren't anymore bats around before he said "What are you doing here anyways?"

A voice emanated from the shadows by the wall.

"I would like to know the answer to that question to."

Out of the shadows stepped an elf he was well chisled in body shape. A wicked grin was across his face as he stared at the two people in front of him. He wore a cloak around his body which made him seem dark to other people. Here they stood in the mines the other two looking plain while the wanderer had a childish grin.

"I know that your here trying to find something out about yourself but what it is I cannot tell would you care to enlighten us?"

Rallka got up and shook Blade's hand "Thanks for the help Blade, I swear those bats were made of stone." He looked at the stranger "and you, I have no idea who you are! Stop talking in riddles and make sense! Sheesh." He then understood what the elf was saying "You know something about me? Tell me! I have to know. Please!"

The elves eyes focused on the half demon and the smile dissapeared from his face. Alkar had lost his feeling of fun and had gone to a more serious versionb of himself.

"What you look for is a thought and from that thought a word and from that word an action and from that action an event. What that event that is is not your buisness but the buisness of the people of this land. What you do with the thing that you find is your own choice and your own curse."

The elf stopped talking and stared into the demons eyes which flashed. The elves smile returned to his face and he spoke again.

"I cannot tell you what you want to know for I The Wanderer do not give knowledge like this out to anyone no matter who they are but i would wish to go with you on this search for I think you have great promise and also the fact that you couldnt handle a few bats worries me."

The Wanderer laughed a sly snickering laugh and then turned to Blade and spoke to him.

"But why you were following him is a confusion to me and before we do anything else i would like to know why you were doing this."

"trust me, he can kill many men in one battle as he could of killed these bats. I had to of said that this would be his first time in here and that is why he couldn't kill them. becauase he was not used to fighting in this type of terrian." said blade. "Plus, i think that it would be safe for me to say that i was following him to make sure that he would complete the task he sent himself on so that i won't lose another firend."

The Wanderer smiled lightly at Blade.

"I was just being inquisitive their was no need to be harsh with me."

Alkar looked at Rallika and Blade standing their in the mines the air was stiflingly stiff in here. He was used to the outdoors and liked to be able to run amongsty the woods but he knew that this would prove to be more entertaining in the end.

"So what do you to say shall I come on this journey with you as a friend or will i have to follow you around stealthly?"

He posed the question for the second time this time hoping that they would answer kindly and allow him to travel witgh them as a companion not a skulking elf in the shadows.

"Yeah you can come freely and Blade is right, this is my first time in these cursed mines. Just don't double-cross us, I can get very aggressive." He looked around "now, where can we go from here? And where are we? Jeez I really messed up here."

You need not worry about me crossing you I go with people to gain knowledge so i can continue to tell riddles using my knowledge. Alkar looked down the tunnel both ways each way as dark as the other to a person without the natural eyesight of the elves. He looked towards the entrance-way and then to the further paths.

"It depends if you want to go further into the mines or if you want to go out and explore the mountain sides. Either way is dangerous due to the proximity of nightfall."

He shifted his eyes towards the further darkness and the dank smells that came from within it. He could here a few sounds in the distance probably a couple of orcs on patrol looking for intruders like them. The footsteps started to get louder soon the others would here them.

"Guys we have incoming hostile a large amount of them. I sure hope your ready to fight again demon boy."

Alkar reached to his back and drew his Katana then he shifted back into the shadows.

"Demon boy!? Wait how do you know I'm half-demon? I'm in human form!" Rallika drew both swords and prepared himself for what was to come. To everyone's surprise only a small amount of tiny rocks rolled out of the tunnles leading deeper into the mines "You call this hostile? Ha!" The rocks shaked then grew in size. Arms shot out of the now boulders and legs also appeared. A head appeared and the 3 golems drew jewel swords. "Ooookaaay. I take back what I said." The golems aimed their swords at Rallika, Blade and Alkar and struck down.

Blade ducked from the golems attack as he then had said "Guys if i were you, i would really hold on to one of the posts whil i take these golems out of their holes." he then thought of the control winds spell and said the spell silently as then the wind started to come through the mines powerfully and took several abandoned tools and started to hit the golems. they then fell out of their hiding spots and crashed on the floor. blade then said "Come on the other side of the golems so i can finish them off." he then uttered another spell as he had taken out his sword. when he finished saying the spell in vampirish, his eyes turned red and he lost all control of his body. the spell had taken ahold of him. but he had taken his sword and slammed it hard into the ground. there was a earthquake huge eoungh that the area around blades sword started to turn red as it cracked. he took his left hand as he acted like he was shuffing someone. but instead of a person, he had pushed the crack towards the golems as the crack opened and lava came up. the golems still regaining their footings, fell into the lava.

Alkar sat their by the edge of the lava the glow had illuminated the spot he had been waiting to strike at the golems from. The excitement of a good spell and a nice fight still glowed in his eyes. He turned to Blade and spoke.

"I myself dont know much magic maybe one day you could teach that one. It could have saved myself from a few problems."

The look of excitement left his eyes and a look of despair entered them and a tear rolled down his cheek. His thoughts had returned to years ago when he had been on the Gretion. The ship had been massive and had landed on the edge of an island when they got further into the forest that was on the island the had been attacked by a stone giant that he had battled and ran from and eventually made it fall into a river near the middle of the island.

Alkar snapped out of it and tried to look as though nothing had happened to him.

"To repose that question Rallika which way do you wish to go further into the mines or out into the hill sides?"

Maybe if you would like, when you have the chance to alkar, you can come over to my guild and i could give you a lesson in my dungeons alittle later." said blade as he then said the control winds spell and he sent a colling wind over them to let the lava coll down to make sure that the golems didn't come back with lava on them.

Rallika thought about the battle with the golems. It was quick and deadly. He snapped into reality. "I need to get deeper. I swear there's something in this section of the mine we are in that could help me. But which passage to go? Gah! I hate hard decisions! When he gets stressed or enraged, things happen to reality. Rocks began to fall and crash then reform and float right back up to where they were. "We're taking the left. Let's go."

Blade had watched them as he was deciding where to go. he lti himself on fire when Ralikka made his decision. "As he lit himself on fire, the mines grew brighter to show abandoned tools and carts. "Okay then, its settled. lets go to the left." he said as he started to walk down the left path way to light the way.

Rallika followed Blade and asumed that Alkar was not far behind. Soon they entered a huge room with a fortified ledge stood. The ground began to runble and crack apart. Boulders with purple vein cracks in them formed into a giant golem. The golem roared and two Golem spawn fell from the ceiling. Rallika drew both swords and looked around. He saw a small jewel in the giant golem's head. "If any of you have ranged attacks I recommend them. Aim for the forehead jewel!" Rallika pointed to the weak point.

"Not too worry, this will be easy for me." siad blade as he raised his hand up and shot out flame arrows at the golem. it cracked the gem put didn't kill the golem. the golem was angered by the flames and he started to charge at bladehe pulled out his masterwork slingshot and a spiked bullet and shattered the gem. the golem fell down put was still alive "Anyone else want to finish this thing off?" he asked.

Alkar looked at Blade he was giving up the oppurtunity to kill this giant beast. He shrugged how ever weird he was it meant the kill was his to take seeing as how Rallika hadnt responded to Blades invitation. Alkar stood atop the fortified position staring out at the battle field.

"I'll get it you two handle smaller golems."

He jumped out across the ledge landing with a thump on the giant golems shoulder which had landed near where he had been. He drew his sword and was about to climb onto the golems face when their was a great rumble of motion.

The gem on the creatures forehead glowed a puplish hew all of a sudden and the cracks dissappeared from i. The golem proceeded to stand up which wasnt very easy for it seeing as it wasnt used to falling down on its face. Luckly it hadnt noticed Alkar yet which gave him the oppurtunity to sneak attack it but from his position it would have to be weakened before he could attempt any such thing.

Asstonishment showed very clearly on his face what sort of magic is this he was wondering to himself for who would give a golem an enchanted stone thaat heals itself. One of the smaller golems glanced up and saw Alkar standing on the shoulder of the larger golem and boomed out a low rumble. Alkar had to think fast where could the golem not get him from. He looked up to its head and smiled. He saw it raise its arm towards its back to get him. He ran at the back of the head and phased through jumping at the last second it was risky but he made the jump and landed on the creatures arm.

Alkar turned towards the creature's face and jumped soaring up onto its forehead.

"Hey guys I could use some help!"He boomed.

Ralika was caught fighting one of the smaler golems but was knocked for up into the giant golem and his sword stabbed through the jewel. Rallika pulled his sword out and fell down. The giant golem fell apart but 9 golems took its place. Each of them took a boulder into the air and threw them at the group. Rallika saw this but only Blade was in danger. Rallika quickly responded with a jump toward the boulder and slashed through it, slicing it into two. Rallika landed and cartwheeled away from a falling boulder. "We need to make stronger hits on the gem! Now we have o take out those golem rangers!"

(I just got on today so if there is something that is said let me know.)

Blade jumped on underneath the golem's arm and started to slash at the golems gem so that it will attract it's attention to him. but the golem reached up and grabbed him by the legs and arm and tore him off and slowly started to pull on his arms and legs to tear him in half. blade dropped his sword in the muck as he then uttered three spells quickly, once to cast smoke, one to cast a duplicate of himself and another to set himself on fire. in the end, as the smoke cleared, there was only the origanal blade as he killed the golem and was standing on it. "So, shall we move on?"

Rallka saw the golem rangers flee and noticed the gem from the golem's head on the ground next to its corpse. He went to pick it up but something quick as lightning took it and appeared in front of a tunnel. The stranger wore a black cloak and hood. The stranger held the amethyst at the group and purple lightning arced at the ground and spawned more golems. The stranger disappeared down the tunnel and the golems advanced. "Forget the golems, get him!" Rallika flipped over the golems and ran down the tunnel.

(Don't know if i sent my animals out or not but...)

Blade had whistled up to the entrance and his panther and timber wolf came down. he pointed down the tunnel in which the man or thing was and they knew that they were to only stop him. blade said to the others, "Wait, when you hear the screams of him telling them to get off, that is when we go down." he wiped his sword clean and put it back onto his back holster and waited. then far down the tunnel, there was a painful scream of one of the animals biting him. "Okay, he's down, let's go find him." he then stared to walk down the tunnel and saw the man on the ground to scared to move becuase of the panther. blade when up to him and healed him so he wouldn't die on them and asked, "What are you doing down here? and answer our questions quickly or else the panther and the timber wolf get a thanksgiving meal."

The stranger teleported away from the animals and appeared behind Blade. "Surprise" The stranger pulled out a scythe and was about to strike down upon Blade. "Back off!" Rallika jumped inbetween them and blocked the attack. He swung his sword at the stranger but missed. "Can't you Shadow Cult just back off?" "You have no idea what you're involved in. And you two, since you have interfered I'm afraid you will have to be obliterated as well." Rallika spat at the ground "You wish!"

"If i were you, you tell us everything you know before we have to torture you to get it out." said blade as he pulled out his sword and lit it on fire and pointed it at his neck. but before he knew it, he was on the ground fighting for his consicisnous.

Alkar watched the events that were unfolding below him with a great curiousity. The thing Rallika had been yelling about appeared behind Blade and in front of him but it hadnt seen him yet. Blade fell to the ground and Alkar did the stupidest thing possible he jumped on the things back holding as best he could which wasnt very well.

"Alright, that's it. You, go away now!" "You truly are as stupid as others say. You actually expect me to just, leave? Not likely." The Shadow Cult member teleported behind Rallika and shocked him. Rallika spun around and was slashing the whole way around but missed completely. "What do you want?" Their adversary smirked apparently and disappeared. His voiced echoed in everyone's head, like telepathy. "If you want me then come to the lowest level of the mines. You're already pretty low but still, I'll make things a little interesting."

"What does he mean 'interesting?'" Rallka's question was answered when shadowy creatures rose from the ground. "I just had to say that!" He shook his head and morphed. "Ignore them, we have to go deeper! Come on!"

(Just so you know, i am on the ground unconsious from the shadow person.)

blade laid there not knowing how long he was there. the last thing he remembered was that ralikka was telling them to go farther and then blade couldn't remember anything else. he then saw a vision that they were going down through a maze of tunnels that looked similar to the mines. so blade had tried to remember which ways he turned and how far each turn was from the next. he also saw that they had fought somewhat mutated miners with no heads and several other beings.

Rallika ran down the tunnel avoiding any thing that got in his way. He took a left and rammed into a dead end. He felt a little dizzy and heard weird footsteps. He turned around and saw mutated miners coming his way. Rallika drew his Raku's Bane and charged. For mutated miners they were pretty quick. Before Rallika could slash right through one, a miner tried to impale him with a pickaxe. Rallika dodged the strike and countered with a solid stab. He slayed the miner, jumped into the air and sliced the head off a miner. "There's too many of them, fall back! Further into the mines! This is the Shadow Cult's work!"

Blade woke up from being struck in the head as he thought he was under attack. he opened his eyes showing that they were bright read. his body went on fire and he pulled out his two katars at they too were on fire as he then ran forwards as the flames grew and the mutated miners ran torwards him but the heat was hot were they cuaght fire. he kept running forwards as they didn't fall down. he slashed at them until he reached the end of the tunnel. the fire stopped and blade fell down. he got up on his knees and got up all the way. and then he turned towards the group and said, "That was new."

"That was new." Rallika shook his head. "If were going to get out of this alive and stop the Shadow Cult from doing whatever they are, then I suggest we get moving!" Rallika walked over to Blade. "No disrespect Guildmaster but get up!" Rallika grabbed Blade and pulled him upright. "Now, let's get moving! I hear something that isn't right." Rallika ran down the tunnel and from a tunnel to his left a giant boulder came down and rolled right at him. "Crud!!!!!" Rallika outstretched his wings while running and began to hover above the ground, trying to keep ahead of the boulder. Soon he sees spiked protruding from the walls, ground and ceiling. He hasn't been able to get in much flying practise and, with nothing but doubt in his mind, he attempted to dodge all of the obstacles ahead of him. Making it past them with only a few gashes Rallika saw a crevice in the ceiling that could manage to get him out of harm's way. He flew up to the crevice, extended his claws and gripped tight to the ceiling. His eyes were shut tight and all he knew was that the boulder rooled past him and crashed into a dead end of spikes. He let out a sigh of relief and dropped down. He reverted and fell on his knees. "Made it." He collapsed and went out.

Alkar was running as fast as he could to keep up with Rallika and Blade he ran straight down the tunnel following the others. He saw a boulder come rolling out of the area infront of Rallika. Rallika flew into a crevice leaving him to fend for himself he shrugged and concentrated as hard as he could. With the boulder rushing right at him and him not moving people would scream at him but the boulder then rolled right over him. He stood their after the boulder had rolled over him smiling he knew the only thing that had saved him was the fact that he could fase through objects like that.

Rallika fell out of the crevice helanded on his knees.

"Made it."

"Good."

Rallika pulled himself together and got up. He saw they were at the bottom of the mines. He felt extremely tired but he stood tall and walked right on in.

The cave that indicated the bottom of the mines was an eerie purple and sacrificial circles and altars were everywhere. "Finally you have come. I was starting to think you chickened out." "Oh shut up!" He lifted his amethyst and it began to glow and lift into the air. Soon demons and undead skeletons rose from the ground and quickly surrounded Rallika, Alkar and Blade. "Keep together guys, we can do this!" One of the skeletons charged. "Attack!"

Blade looked at some of the undead and said a spell under his breath. soon some of the undead started to attack their own army. he then took out his shield and two handed sword and lit it and himself on fire. he charged at the blokcade leaving a firey gap in the middle. he kept doing this trying to knock and kill as many as he could.

Rallika saw Blade cut through the undead like wheat to the scythe. Rallika saw that Blade created a clear path to the summoner. "Charge!" Rallika ran through the gap but the skeletons Blade destroyed quickly rose. Rallika was quickly trapped and the Shadow Cult member teleported right in front of him. "At last, you are mine!" Rallika blocked the scythe attack but was whacked in the head with a warhammer-wielding skeleton. "Ugh....."

"Rallika!" yelled blade as he turned around. even though he was suffering major wounds like before, he ran forwards trying to get back to rallika. he had put his sword away and put on his short katars trying to stab the undead out of the way. when he got to where rallika was hit, he didn't have any more strength in him. but he didn't want to get killed or captured. so he lit himself on fire and tried to get the flames to go as big and wide as he could before getting knocked out from lack of strength.