Chapter Nineteen: The Pentagram Circle

The darkness was immense. Nothing could cut through it, not even the brightest light. Or so it seemed. The she-demon's eyes pierced the blackness and her fangs glimmered, reflecting some unseen light. She reached for the man's shoulders and pulled him close to her naked body, wrapping him in her leathery wings. The man ran his fingers through her jet-black hair and grinned back at her. The demon leaned down over him and licked his neck. She then opened her mouth and her fangs glimmered again as she prepared to have her meal - him. She was cut short by his strong hand at her throat. He squeezed, depriving her of air. Her eyes widened and she grasped for his shoulders again, then for his neck, begging him to stop. He squeezed harder and then with all his might threw her from the bed. She hit the wall with a painful thud and slumped to the ground. He sat up.

The door opened and a tall figure walked in. The torch held by the figure illuminated the room. The man looked up. The torchbearer was a tall woman with long chestnut hair and different-coloured eyes. She was voluptuous and elegant, and wore enruned chestnut leather all about her. She looked the two over and frowned.

"The meeting of The Pentagram Circle has been called. Be prompt," she announced in a deep voice and looked at the man again. She frowned and walked to the bed where he lounged on top of the jumbled covers. His body came into view. It was well built, muscles flexing elegantly as he sat up and leaned towards her, licking his lips. His hair was of a dark brown, but the top of it was bleached, whether by sun or by magic, into a golden-yellow. His eyes were emerald-green and full of mischief. He reached towards her and grabbed her arm, pulling her onto the bed. The woman gasped slightly, and then knocked the man over the head with the butt of the torch. "This is no time for games, Arece!" she exclaimed and bolted for the door. "You two are wanted at the meeting! Be prompt!" And thus she left.

The meeting was held in a dark cavern, much like the rest of the rooms in the Underground Castle. The walls were cold and slimy, and a single torch was the only source of light. Arece found himself next to two other people as he stood in the middle of the room before the massive throne. The figure on the throne stirred and leaned forward into the torchlight. It was of an elderly man with long unkempt hair tied into one single salt-and-pepper braid. He had a scar beneath his left eye and an eye patch over his right. Gold hoops glimmered from both of his ears. His eyebrows formed themselves into a frown, and his face reflected decades of fierce wars and battles.

"Where is Sindalla?" he boomed. Arece and his companions looked around the room and shrugged.

The modwir door swung open and the tall woman in the enruned leathers ran in. She froze as she saw that the meeting had already started. She ran and stood next to Arece, her gaze downcast. Arece smirked at her, his face shadowed by his hair.

"Thank you, Sindalla," said the man in a calmer voice, nodding to the woman. "Now that we're all here, I shall start this meeting." He stood from his throne, his dark cloaks rustling, making him look like some huge dark serpent. He walked forward from the throne and into the light. "You all know why we are here today. I feel that it is finally time for us to begin our quest!" he exclaimed and rose his sleeved arms to the ceiling in a powerful gesture. The torch flared for a moment. "I felt the awakening of another Gem. Even though it was weak and did not complete its cycle, we must act now" - he paused - "be fore we are too late!" With the wave of the hand, he summoned up a goblin servant. The little greenish boy dragged with him a board on wheels, which contained the map of Etrion, spread out and labeled thoroughly. A huge pentagram was spread across it. "This," said the man, pointing to the map, "is the map of the whole of Etrion. It is time for us to begin." He removed a small stick and pointed to the Star Crescent Continent [see maps on map page for detail] and the Star Light Castle. A huge inverted red star enclosed in a circle hung over the castle. "This will be for Arcadia," he said, pointing to the she-demon standing on the other side of Arece.

Arcadia walked forward as instructed. She was short and slender, with short raven hair, blood-red eyes, and black lips. She wore black leathers from her neck down to her very ankles. Her dark wings wrapper around her like a greatcloak. She bowed curtly and awaited her briefing.

"Arcadia will overtake the castle and catch the Princess Semiramis," continued the man. "This is a very important key point. From this castle, we can control all of the Star Light Empire." He then turned to the man standing behind Arcadia. "Wolveris, come forward."

The man walked forward, taking Arcadia's spot. He was tall and dark, obviously also of the demon race. Small horns showed themselves beneath his wavy cerulean hair. His body was well muscled, but he possessed no wings. He bowed curtly to the man.

"Wolveris will take over the kobold territory," said the man, pointing to a small area in the vast woods of Isle of Woe. "There you will meet with K'krath, the prince of the kobolds, and arrange for a base to be built." Wolveris bowed again and stepped back.

"Alright, Sindalla," said the man with a sly smile. "Come forward." The enruned woman walked forward, without bowing. "My Rune Thief, you are instructed with gaining Yorkshire," he said, and pointed to the top of the map where a small province lied on the Peach Continent. "My niece will help you there."

Arcadia leaned over to Wolveris and whispered, "Damn that rogue! Just 'cuz she sleeps with Gorfang, she's now his favourite!" Wolveris only frowned in return.

The man, now identified as Gorfang, paused for a second. He pointed to another star at the bottom of the Star Crescent Continent, in the void. "This," he said, "will be our new base. We are to rendezvous there in forty-eight hours."

He then called Arece forward. He pointed to Terass Isle and breathed in. "Once all the other points are secured, it will be your task to overtake the Capital Castle of the Human Empire!"

Everyone looked at Gorfang intently. The goblin boy wheeled out the map and the warriors left one by one. Gorfang leaned back in his throne and exhaled slowly, giddy with anticipation.

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