The small group trudged back to camp, dirty and tired under a leaden sky as a few drops of rain began to fall. Night was coming quickly, bathing them in an eerie half-light. Eric and Diana hung back from Hank just a bit, allowing the ranger to be alone with his thoughts. He had been acting strangely ever since one of Venger’s spells had literally dumped them back at foot of the Fire-Lit Mountains and in the path of one very angry tribe of lizard men.

It had been Eric who accidentally set off the booby-trapped spell, thinking he saw an easier way around the huge boulder in the middle of the path. That had been his third screw up in as many days, only this time, it had cost them greatly. Before, they had never been sent right back to the beginning of their journey.

Eric shifted the weight of his new sword back and forth in his hands, trying to balance it against the weight of his normal shield. Still, it was a weight he was not used to carrying and consequently, he had to keep making adjustments for its weight. Finally, he decided he needed a rest and called out for Hank to stop.

Hank seemed not to hear Eric’s plea for rest and continued his brisk walk. Jogging to catch up, the cavalier reached out to touch Hank on the shoulder, but before he could, the ranger seemed to anticipate his move and whirled around.

"It’s all your fault!" Hank screamed at the top of his lungs. "You’re so damn clumsy! I could do better on my own!"

"Hank!" Diana admonished. "You know it wasn’t Eric’s fault! It’s Venger’s!"

"Hank, I… I’m sorry," Eric stuttered. "I… I didn’t mean it. Honest. You know I’d never do anything to hurt Sheila."

An enormous bluish black bruise had bloomed on the cavalier’s cheekbone where he had caught the edge of a spear. He touched it with his hand, feeling the pain shoot down his jaw.

"I just thought there was a better way," he lamented. "I figured the quicker we could get there, the sooner we could get Sheila out."

This apology didn’t seem to placate Hank.

"But you’ve made more than your share of mistakes, Eric!" the ranger shouted again. "Every time, you’re second guessing me, screwing up! I’ve had it! It ends now!"

With that, Hank raised his energy bow and let an arrow fly. It took Eric completely by surprise and he was barely able to raise his shield in time to deflect the powerful bolt. The cavalier let out a yelp as it sizzled past his ear and Diana dived aside, the arrow barely missing her since she had been standing next to Eric.

Anger surged through Hank and he let loose a second salvo. Eric dropped the blood-encrusted sword he had been carrying and cowered under the protective cover of his shield. Quickly, he scanned the area for Diana, wanting to get her to safety since their friend appeared, at least as far as the cavalier was concerned, to have lost his mind. The acrobat was nowhere to be found however.

Eric wanted to say something, anything, to Hank, try and reason with him to stop this madness, but he was afraid of breaking concentration. It was taking all of his remaining strength to keep the barrier around himself and he didn’t want to give one of those arrows a chance to pierce a weak spot. But he was getting tired and the stress of the day was beginning to wear on him.

He could feel the shield weakening under the attack and swallowed hard. This wasn’t how he had thought he would die. The cavalier had thought he would die at Venger’s hand or in one of the pitfalls they encountered through the Realm. But not like this. Not at the hand of one of his best friends.

Abruptly, the bolts stopped raining down on him and Eric quickly peeked around the edge of his shield. Diana had snuck up behind Hank and was now grappling with the much stronger man, using her javelin as leverage. She was trying to pry the bow from the ranger’s hands without much success.

Eric leapt to his feet and wrenched the bow from his friend’s hand just as Hank threw Diana over his head in a neat flip. She landed with a soft whump on her back and didn’t move.

"Diana!" Eric cried and then whirled to see Hank on the attack once more.

There was no sign of their leader’s normal calm behind the icy eyes, just the emotions of a tortured man. Before Hank could attack again, Eric went on the offensive. He brought the bow up clumsily, but was able to unleash two binding arrows before the ranger got too close.

Hank fell to the ground in a heap, glaring at Eric. The cavalier saw he was secure enough and turned his attentions to Diana.

"Are you okay?" he asked, rushing to her side. She had regained consciousness and was trying to sit up.

"I think so," she sighed, rubbing her head where it had hit the ground. "How’d you do that?" She pointed to the bow.

"Dunno," he shrugged. "I just thought about what I wanted to do and it did it.

"More importantly, what got into Hank?"

He looked back at the ranger as he helped Diana to her feet. Their friend was now slumped against a boulder, the anger of mere moments before now gone. He wore a defeated look, one that Eric recognized all too well.

"Why, Hank?" Eric asked, steadying Diana as she moved to sit on a nearby rock. "I said I was sorry."

"No, I’m sorry. To you too, Diana," Hank mumbled, tears now flowing freely. "I just lost it. I don’t know why. I could have killed you and I’m sorry. I know that’s not enough to say, but…"

The cavalier looked at Hank as he loosed the energy bonds. "S’okay." He finished freeing his friend and pulled him to his feet. "I know you miss Sheila. We all do. But killing each other isn’t going to get her back."

"I know," Hank looked skyward. "I just… I…"

"Never mind old buddy," Eric clasped Hank’s shoulder. "Let’s just get back to camp and rest up okay. I’m sure Bobby’s worried sick ‘cause we’re not back yet."

The cavalier handed Hank back the energy bow, an act that was not lost on the ranger. Eric quirked one eyebrow and looked the other man directly in the eye. It was an act of faith. Hank nodded and walked off towards camp, leaving Eric to stare at his back.

Eric picked up his sword and turned to Diana and offered her his hand. "My lady, may I escort you home?"

She gave him a small smile. "I’d be honored. Thank you."

He pulled her to her feet and they too set off for the camp they had been calling home for over two weeks now.

"Do you think we’ll ever get her back?" Diana wondered aloud.

"I hope so," he started at the small dot that was now Hank, far ahead of them. "I don’t know if any of us will live to see home if we don’t."

On the other side of the Fire-Lit Mountains, Shadow Demon was not having an easy time of it either. The Orc armies he was commanding weren’t picking up as many prisoners as he had hoped they might. Rather, the pig-like creatures seemed more interested in trying to yank the whip from his hands or eat whatever they could find in the village houses. Had the dungeons back at the Palace of Torture not been so empty, he might not have cared as much. But they were only half full and this concerned the shadow creature greatly.

He perched in a treetop, watching while the Orcs yanked unsuspecting villagers from their homes, yet he felt none of the normal satisfaction.

Perhaps, he mused it’s because I’m getting tired of this. Wish he’d just have better taste in women and we’d be done with this. Honestly, how hard can it be to pick a decent queen?

It had been over 50 years that Shadow Demon had worked for Venger and in all that time, this was the only task that no longer excited him as it once did.

Every two years, Shadow Demon scoured Venger’s dungeons and the surrounding villages for the prisoners necessary to ensure the success of the Day of Sorrow. According to the ritual, the more creatures watching as Venger bedded his new queen in the ritual hall, the more likely she was to conceive an heir to the throne. To ensure 100% conception in the first few days, they needed exactly 1,000 witnesses. By his current calculations, he only had about 850. This did not please him at all.

The Gathering had become a necessary part of the advanced preparations for the day, almost as important as finding the woman who would be the next queen. It was a part Shadow Demon didn’t feel Venger took seriously enough.

In addition to the witnesses, he needed to make sure the queen knew what to do during the ritual. He also needed to make sure the ritual garments were cleaned and prepared for each Day. This time, there were blood splatters to remove. A little thing, perhaps, but necessary to ensure that everything went smoothly. Otherwise, there was no telling what might go wrong.

These were all things Venger should have been doing, but not this time. Instead, the dark lord was spending too much trying to get Sheila to bend to his will, to get her to love him. Shadow Demon didn’t dispute that it was necessary; it was. However, he also felt Venger should be paying more attention to the details to ensure this wasn’t necessary again.

More than anything, Shadow Demon did so want Sheila to be the last queen Venger ever took.

Ideally, his master should have only ever picked one woman to be queen, allow her to complete the transformation that began with their ritual coupling and then raise the resulting heir, preferably a male, in the ways of the Dark Ones. However, much to Shadow Demon’s great chagrin, things had not always gone according to plan.

He cracked his whip once in the general direction of some Orcs who were once again busy eating rather than pillaging. They immediately dropped their food and moved off towards a group of cowering villages, grumbling about the lack of decency in the Realm these days.

This is what I mean! the translucent shadow thought angrily. If Venger would have just picked wisely in the first place, I wouldn’t have to be doing this! I could be back at the palace enjoying a nice torture session with that nubile young peasant girl instead!

Queen Rianna of Galix had been Venger’s first choice as his queen, against Shadow Demon’s better judgement. He had seen what his lord could not: the lack of an heir to the Celestial Throne of Galix. That indicated to Shadow Demon Rianna was barren and far from the best choice. Still, she had caught Venger’s fancy and the dark lord had taken her during the initial Day of Sorrow.

It hadn’t lasted. Venger had given Rianna three years to produce an heir, and she had failed. One day, he had simply exploded in a fit of rage and threw her opal pendant in her face, along with a bolt of killing power. The queen’s body had disintegrated and her soul was sucked into the necklace. It had been down hill ever since, at least as far as Shadow Demon was concerned.

After that night, six months to a year before the next Day of Sorrow, Venger selected a new woman to become his queen. The dark lord was no longer as finicky in his choice. Mostly, he picked whoever happened to catch his fancy. It didn’t matter if she was peasant, noble or even from the Realm. Just so long as she was healthy and of child bearing age. The rest was insignificant.

In time, they all failed him, one way or another. Some did not heed the warnings and did not live through the Day of Sorrow. Others angered Venger so greatly he left them in the Hall to die. Still others he killed outright or imprisoned in various pieces of jewelry, creating quite a nice collection of gems in the process. In the end, however, the results were almost always the same.

Once, Shadow Demon though the dark lord had found his queen in the beautiful illusionist, Varla. She had survived the Day of Sorrow and borne Venger a healthy son who had quickly been quickly sent off to the Dark Ones for training. There had, of course, been problems however. There always were, it seemed.

The Dark Ones had explained to Venger that his son with this woman was tainted by her hatred of him. There was not even a small seed of love, rendering the child impure and not the prefect heir the dark lord longer for. Still, Venger would have been able to live with that, had not two other events occurred.

First, those accursed Young Ones had rescued Varla from Venger. In the process, she had fallen in love with Presto, the young magician. Her love for the magician strengthened her. Those emotions, combined with Varla’s own considerable innate talents, and the magical power she took from Venger now made her almost impossible to recapture. Not that it couldn’t be done, only that it would be difficult.

Then, Venger had discovered another prophecy, one that outlined the only way the dark lord would ever be able to obtain the heir he desired. The perfect child Venger wished for could only be borne by one of the Promised Ones, the Peace Bringers who's coming had been foretold in the ancient books.

That meant there were only two women in the Realm who could bear the child Venger so desired, the thief and the acrobat. Out of the two, Venger much preferred the thief. She was young, sweet, and very pretty. She was much more suited to bear his heir, or so he told Shadow Demon.

However, Shadow Demon knew the real reason Venger preferred Sheila to Diana. Venger had a crush on the thief and had for quite some time. It was evident; at least once he looked back over the past several years. After that, Venger’s mission had been to capture the thief, along with the Weapons of Power.

Now that his master had what he desired, he seemed to forget what the purpose of her capture had been. That bothered Shadow Demon and he was working to make sure the plan did not fail simply because Venger was too busy falling in love.

By this time, the Orcs had gathered a sufficient number of villagers and Shadow Demon floated down from his perch to look over this batch of witnesses.

"They’ll do," he grumbled.

He snatched the teleportation net from the Orc captain and threw it over the terrified villagers. They vanished from sigh, instantly transported to one of the many holding cells in the palace’s dungeon. Cracking the whip once more, Shadow Demon herded the Orcs onto the path into the next village. He still needed more bodies and time was growing short.

Floating above the army as it trudged off, the black misty figure sighed once more.

You’d better like this queen, my lord. I’m running out of villagers!

Sheila was sitting in on a lounge chair talking with the ghost of Queen Rianna when Shadow Demon slunk into the room, head bowed.

"Excuse me, Queen Sheila," he interrupted, "but we must talk."

Both she and Rianna turned to look at the dark form, which was still partially stuck in the wall. Shadow Demon frowned. He had just returned from his trip with the Orc army, which had not yielded as many villagers as he had hoped. He was angry and tired and had little time for whatever girl talk they were engaging in.

Still he had to be pleasant to her. Venger had been furious after Shadow Demon’s last visit to Sheila’s quarters. The ghostly demon had taunted the thief, tormenting her about her growing affection for the dark lord. She had run crying into the bathroom and had not come out when Venger called. After, when she finally confessed her problem to her lover, Venger had punished Shadow Demon severely. He did not care to suffer Venger's wrath again.

"Okay," she nodded for him to come in then faced the ghost once more. "Rianna, you have my word. I promise I’ll do it if I can."

"That is all I can ask, Sheila," the figure bowed to her once. "I will leave you now."

With an icy glance at Shadow Demon, Queen Rianna shimmered and vanished back into her opal. The thief turned her full attention to the floating figure above her.

"What do you want?" Her voice dripped with disdain and anger. "Especially this time of night."

The shadow figure bowed slightly. "Only to inform you that the Day of Sorrow fast approaches and we must begin to prepare for this event."

"What’s the supposed to mean to me?" she retorted. "I don’t even know what it is."

"It is the day Lord Venger shall take you as his queen, to one day rule the Realm by his side.

"It is the most magical and revered of days here within these walls, I assure."

He floated down to eye level and reached out caress her cheek. He halted only when she glared at him, fearful of Venger’s punishment if she told her lover about his brazen movements.

"And?" she prompted again.

"On that day, Sheila," he continued, "you will be faced with the greatest choice of your life. As Venger takes you as his bride, you must decided to accommodate him, or die."

"Some choice!" she spat. "So what? I pledge my undying love? Let him drink my blood? What?"

"No, Queen Sheila," Shadow Demon shook his head. "In the Hall of Darkness, Venger will ask you to physically change your body. It is then you will choose.

"Simply imagine your body changing in the way he asks and you will live. It is truly that simple. However if you do not, you will die. Not by Venger’s hand, but by your own."

Sheila gulped. "Then I don’t have a choice, do I?"

Shadow Demon shook his head. "No, you do not. Not if you wish to live."

He floated over to her and reached out once more to stoke her cheek, this time letting his hand trail down to her breasts.

"However, I can help you prepare for the coming day. That is if you wish. I can teach you the things Venger has not yet lavished upon you."

He advanced on her, backing her into a corner near her bed.

"NO!" The sound was more a hiss than a voice and she could feel a strange sensation well up inside her. "You will not touch me. Only Venger touches my body and lives."

Abruptly, Shadow Demon backed away, a small shiver passing through him.

"As you wish, Queen Sheila."

He bowed and floated back through the walls. Sheila watched him go, still shaking. She had been afraid of what Shadow Demon might have done to her. However, she was more afraid of the black power she had felt rise within her soul. That had been the power which sent Shadow Demon away, but she had no idea where it had come from. Or how to control it.

She had little time to ponder that question however, for at that moment, Venger teleported through the door, his fangs out and his lust readily apparent.

"Good evening, my sweet Queen Sheila!" Venger chortled, "You do look so very lovely this evening!"

She bowed slightly. "Good evening, Venger."

"I see my servant Shadow Demon has just left. He did not do anything unwelcome to you, did he?"

Sheila shook her head. "Nothing I couldn’t handle

She paused. "You know what just happened, don’t you?"

Venger nodded. "I know everything that occurs within these walls, my dear. I know of Shadow Demon’s lust for you and his distrust of my choice of you as my queen. However, after your display of power just not, he will think twice before bothering you again."

"So what did I just do?" She looked at Venger out of the corner of her eye as he circled her, gazing over her body in obvious longing.

"You began to realize your full potential," he whispered in her ear as he came up behind her, his hands caressing her back. "This dark power which runs in my veins runs in yours as well. It is the source of your ability to control you Weapon of Power. It makes you strong, makes you one of the most powerful creatures to walk this Realm."

His hands found their way to her breasts and massaged them beneath her silken top. She leaned back into him, pressing her nipples into his palms.

"How do you know?" Her voice was raspy and thick. "How do you see it in me when I can’t?"

Venger did not answer right away, but merely undid the knot from the golden cord securing her top around her neck. The square of fabric fell to the floor in an aqua pool of silk. He kissed her neck and shoulders, nipping at the flesh as he went.

"I saw it the day you set foot in this Realm. I see in you that which I see in myself. Something dark and dangerous, this power that binds us together."

Venger continued his exploration of her back as his hands worked loose the cord knots at her hips, which held her skirt in place. His fingers burned against the bare flesh on the side of her leg.

"You were chosen to come to this place for many reasons. But most importantly, each of you was chosen for the magic which flows in your veins like blood. It radiates from you like a beacon, my sweet Sheila, and it called me to you.

"This power lives in all of you, but none so dark as what lies within you. It is your black power that will help me rise to power, to fulfill my destiny. And you shall be there by my side when I achieve my final glory. This I promise you."

He had finally gotten the knots free and the two silken squares fell away, leaving her naked against him. His hands moved down her stomach and between her legs. She moaned as his fingers found her clitoris and massaged it; she was already wet.

She leaned back against him and found that Venger had once again made his clothing vanish without her knowing it. His throbbing penis rested against her buttocks and she moved against him, rubbing herself against his hardness.

"Let me show you a new pleasure this night, my love. I will be easy on you, I promise."

"Do what you want, Venger," she breathed. "God help me, but I want you."

Venger eased her down to her hands and knees on the stone floor. He knelt behind her, all the while massaging her breasts. She felt his penis press against her as he pushed her legs farther apart, rubbing himself against her. The dark lord was already hard and slick, more so than Sheila.

She moaned as his hands caressed her, one finger circling the opening to her vagina in a tease like she had never known before. She could feel the wetness spilling from her; never had she been this desirous for him. Her knees quivered and Venger wrapped a hand around her waist to steady her.

"This will only hurt for a moment, sweet Sheila," he purred. "Then, you will fell immense pleasure beyond anything you have ever known."

Sheila was momentarily confused. Venger had taken her from behind many times. Then, just as she figured out what he mean, she felt him enter her anally. The pain was intense and she screamed, trying to pull away from him. Venger dug his claws into her shoulder and finished pushing himself in. Then, he stopped and held himself there.

As the pain lessened, the thief felt herself relax a bit. When Venger felt her push back into him, he leaned forward and ran his hands the length of her back. She shivered and as she did, he thrust into her a bit father.

For Sheila, it was the quickest orgasm she had ever known. Her body convulsed and tightened around his Venger’s penis. Giving her no time to rest, he began to move inside her, his hands seeking out her soft folds. His one hand massaged her between her legs, letting his fingers move in and out of her vagina.

The other hand he used to steady himself so that he wouldn't hurt her too badly. The faster he moved, the quicker Sheila orgasmed, over and over again. With each thrust, she tightened around him. It was the most powerful sexual experience he had ever had.

Finally, he came inside her and she orgasmed once more as he spilled his juices into her. They remained locked like that for a few moments, each struggling to catch their breath. When Venger finally pulled out of Sheila, she collapsed on the floor, her breathing ragged.

The dark lord picked her up and carried her to the bathroom. He laid her on the steps in the pool and got in beside her, holding her to him when exhaustion threatened to pull her body under. With a wave of his hand, she was cleaned and any minor damage he had caused to her body healed. The water drained away and was refilled with warm, bubbling water.

When she was finally able to speak, she looked up at Venger, her blue eyes wide.

"That was the best, well, you know… The most incredible feeling I’ve ever had."

Venger smiled wickedly. "I thought you might like that particular pleasure of the flesh my queen. It is a pleasure not lost on me, either."

"How did you?" she asked. "How do you know so much about me? What I like and what I don’t?"

"I know you, sweet Sheila, as well as I know myself. We are alike, you and I, in so many ways." He pulled her close to him again, letting the water relax his muscles.

"You are like me in so very many ways, little one. After all this, you must see that, see how well suited we are to one another."

"And if I told you I wasn’t at all like you?" She wanted to resist the urge to snuggle close to him, but her body wouldn't obey. Instead, she pulled herself close to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Then you would be lying to both of us," he whispered in her ear.

Venger smiled as the thief looked up at him, and he bent his head to pull her into another deep kiss. All the while the water bubbled and steamed around their bodies, obscuring them from the view of Shadow Demon who had returned to check on his master.

On the other side of the wall, Shadow Demon heard Sheila moan in pleasure as Venger caressed her. The translucent figure turned and quietly made his way back down to the dungeons. It was, perhaps, just as well Venger hadn’t seen what had transpired prior to his arrival.

In truth, Shadow Demon was no longer questioning Venger’s current choice for a queen. What he had witnessed in Sheila’s eyes earlier was more than enough to convince him that Venger knew exactly what he was doing.

When Shadow Demon had cornered Sheila, the fear in her had been apparent. Then just as he thought he might get somewhere physical with the fair thief, her eyes had darkened and a small red flame had ignited in the now black orbs. She radiated a dark power, much like Venger’s own. Weak though it was in comparison, it had been enough to cause the him to back away in fear.

He was sure Sheila didn’t even know what she had done. She had seemed just as surprised as he had. However, it didn’t change the fact the thief held the dark power within her, untapped. This power, he suspected, was what drew Venger to her and she to him.

As he neared the dungeons, Shadow Demon mused that perhaps a dark power-wielding queen sitting enthroned beside Venger might just be the best possible of all scenarios involving the Young One. Especially if she loved Venger as much as he appeared to love her. She would be able to bear the perfect son Venger wanted as well as have the power, beauty and desire to rule by the dark lord’s side.

Then, Shadow Demon though happily, I can get back to the more pleasurable torture business and out of this scrounging for peasants nonsense!