Merchants of Death

Chapter 10



In the world of Toril small bands of freelance mercenaries known as adventurers were common. What separated these groups from ordinary mercenaries was often not well understood, sometimes even by the adventurers themselves.



The distinctive feature was probably that so many self-described adventurers were vigilantes and would-be heroes. Whether or not these people were actually heroes was often a matter of opinion, with the people an adventurer championed or simply defended considering him or her a hero, and those the adventurer fought considering her or him an enemy if not an outright villain.



The group known as The Siren Slayers probably didn’t deserve the term adventurers, despite calling themselves such, for there had never been anything particularly heroic about their actions.



Taking advantage of the unrest in the Silver Marches region The Siren Slayers had entered the territory of the Kingdom of

Many-Arrows. Caring nothing for the treaties they violated in the process or the delicate political situation that their actions could throw out of balance.



The members of The Siren Slayers were not completely lacking in social responsibility and probably would not have entered a dwarf, human, or elf kingdom so carelessly. But the adventurers had never taken orcs seriously before and saw no reason to start now.



The Siren Slayers entered the orc kingdom in search of gold, glory, and the chance to unleash their more violent impulses on what they considered safe targets. What they found was trouble.



*****



The first settlement The Siren Slayers came across after entering the Kingdom of Many-Arrows was the town of Sleepy Meadows.

A quick investigation had revealed that the place was inhabited by vampires, most of whom were sleeping or simply relaxing, using the few buildings still standing to protect themselves from the harmful rays of the sun.



So The Siren Slayers had done what they considered the responsible thing, and killed all the vampires they could. Staking, beheading, or simply exposing to the sun all the vampires they got their hands on. If they had faced ordinary vampires The Siren Slayers probably could have wiped them all out easily.



But The Siren Slayers had called down the wrath of something far more dangerous.



Now the Halfling thief, human warrior, dwarf berserker, and elf wizard who made up The Siren Slayers were fighting the greatest necromancer they had ever met, an elfin female with vast mystical forces at her command.



They were not coping well.



“DIE DROW BITCH” the elf wizard Harsung cried, his elaborate robes swirling around him as he summoned the energies for another devastating spell.



But the mystical energies Harsung launched at the necromancer bounced harmlessly off her protective barrier, which appeared like a cloud of angry ghosts. Reducing the usually deadly spell to little more than a light show.



“MURDEROUS SCUM” Chrissy Lera screamed as she unleashed a destructive spell in retaliation, her red eyes gleaming with anger and arcane power.



Neither the male wood elf nor the female dark elf could understand the other, for they did not have a language in common. But that did nothing to stop or slow down the fury of their insults and spells.



He considered her a vile dark elf and practitioner of the blackest magic, while she thought of him as a treacherous murderer who would kill without warning or provocation.



Either one would kill the other with little hesitation or remorse. However, Harsung’s feelings counted for less than Lera’s, for the necromancer’s destructive spells were quickly overpowering the male elf.



Adara the Halfling watched the battle as she took in her surroundings. Searching for any sign of hope for her side.



The human Drew Thomas and Adara’s dwarven companion Tyron Strongarm were dead. Thomas’s gleaming silver armor and Tyron’s black spiked armor providing little protection against the powerful weapons all the vampires seemed to possess.



The surviving half of The Siren Slayers was doing marginally better.



Harsung’s magic protected him from the vampires’ bullets, and Adara was simply small, fast, and lucky enough to avoid all gun fire so far. Now the wood elf was dueling with the necromancer in what was once Sleepy Meadows only real street.



But the situation wasn’t entirely hopeless for The Siren Slayers.



The vampires had not followed the people they had chased out of the buildings they were sheltering in, for it was early in the morning and the sun was still out. Adara and Harsung faced only Chrissy Lera now, and the dark elf seemed completely unaware of Adara’s presence.



The little thief soundlessly crept up on the black skinned elf from behind, holding a poisoned dagger in one hand as she did so. Planning to end the battle with one decisive thrust into the necromancer’s apparently unprotected back (for all the dark elf’s ghost like protectors were concentrated in front of her).



As Adara stepped behind Chrissy Lera she realized that it was probably too late to save her elfin comrade.



Harsung was writhing on the ground, all of his protective spells and enchantments defeated by the necromancer. Screaming wordlessly as yellow fire crawled over his body and his very flesh appeared to melt, Harsung’s once luxuriant wizard’s robes smoldering as his body cooked from the inside out.



~It’s now or never~ Adara thought as she stabbed at the necromancer’s back, already envisioning the dark elf as a corpse in her mind, wondering if the elf had anything worth salvaging on her body.



But the deadly dagger never touched Lera’s flesh; the necromancer’s ghostly protectors moved to block it. When the thief hit one of the pseudo spirits it felt like striking a steel wall to the Halfling.



The attack did succeed in grabbing Lera’s attention though.



“YOU TREACHEROUS LITTLE BITCH” Chrissy screamed as she turned around. Her eyes blazing with mystic power, the dark elf’s hands glowing with destructive energy, and the false spirits that protected her clustered around the necromancer like some sort of undead entourage, a spell to completely destroy the Halfling already forming on her lips.



It was a terrifying sight, and Adara felt her courage desert her as she gazed at the angry necromancer.



“Please don’t kill me…I didn’t mean it…please…I’ll do whatever you want” Adara begged as she dropped her weapon and threw up her hands in a gesture of surrender.



Chrissy Lera couldn’t understand the words, but the pleading tone and gesture of surrender was unmistakable and made her hesitate. The fact that Adara was so small and pretty was also a factor, though Lera was not consciously aware of it.



Chrissy simply stared hard at the Halfling for a long moment. Her delicate features locked in an angry yet thoughtful expression.



“Come with me bitch…you will be useful MURDERER or you will be nothing at all” Lera said coldly. And though Adara could understand none of Chrissy’s words, the necromancer’s expression and tone of voice managed to convey the basic message remarkably well.



*****



Once the immediate battle was over the Halfling thief and dark elf necromancer were able to study each other in more detail.



Adara took note of the fact that Chrissy Lera was quite pretty by the standards of most of the humanoid races, and had a surprisingly voluptuous figure for an elf. The Halfling also noticed with a spark of jealousy that the elf woman was much more well endowed than she was.



After getting a better look at the Halfling, Chrissy would describe her as more cute than pretty or beautiful. Possessing a slender figure and standing just under three feet tall, Adara had a childlike aspect in the eyes of many humans and elves, and Chrissy was no exception.



It was probably that factor more than anything else that had kept the former ruler of Iberia from killing the thief in the heat of battle.



Chrissy led the terrified Halfling into the least damaged of Sleepy Meadows remaining buildings. Muttering a spell to let the thief and herself understand each other despite the language barrier.



The few members of the Crimson Legion left soon gathered around her. Eager for vengeance against one of the mercenaries that had just killed so many of they’re comrades.



“No…you can’t kill her…were going to keep her around as a blood source” Lera commanded her followers.



The vampires crowding around the necromancer in the dingy wooden structure suddenly looked hopeful. One of the female bloodsuckers exclaimed eagerly “can we have her now?”



“No…Marian gets the first drink…she needs it more than any of you do now” Chrissy said firmly.



The vampires were visibly disappointed, but knew better than to argue with their Mistress. Especially on the subject of her beloved lifelong companion.



Adara found to her surprise that she could suddenly understand the dark elf. Though the frightened Halfling wasn’t sure she wanted to.



“You can’t use me as…as livestock” Adara protested.



“Would you rather die now?” Chrissy asked coldly.



“Well no…but…” Adara frantically mumbled.



“Then you have no choice…now take off your clothes” Lera replied in an icy tone.



“What…but…but why?” Adara whimpered, all too aware of her own helplessness.



“Because I am not going to let a little backstabber like you keep any weapons…besides a treacherous killer doesn’t deserve any dignity” Chrissy answered angrily, vividly recalling how the Halfling had tried to stab her in the back only minutes ago.



Adara said nothing, seemingly in shock.



The adventurer didn’t want to provoke the deadly drow, and she was not especially modest. Nevertheless, the idea of getting naked in front of a group of hungry hostile vampires who already had a grudge against her seemed wrong on so many levels.



“Fine…I will call the others back” Chrissy said when Adara did not immediately react to her words.



“No…no…I’ll do it” the Halfling frantically replied as she began to throw off her clothes. Casting aside her worn looking tunic, pants, and the numerous knives, lock picks, bottles of poison, and tools of theft that the watching necromancer couldn’t even name.



When Chrissy Lera tried to get another female undressed there was usually a carnal motive to it. But this time she really did want to get Adara’s clothes off to deprive the Halfling of all her weapons and other tools, and of course to humiliate her.



Nevertheless she couldn’t help admiring Adara’s body after the Halfling was deprived of the garments specifically chosen to make her look smaller and younger.



Adara had a slender athletic form, with a few battle scars on her back and upper arms, which were partially disguised by deceptively beautiful tattoos to represent thieves’ guilds that the Halfling had been a part of. Adara also had firm little breasts and surprisingly large hips and buttocks.



The thief didn’t look childlike anymore to Chrissy. She looked like a strong beautiful woman who just happened to be really short.



Adara squirmed under Chrissy’s intent gaze; she had gotten looks like that many times before, but never from another female.



But the awkward moment came to an end when the necromancer sighed and said softly “come with me…Mary is waiting.”



Chrissy led Adara to a small room occupied by one person. The area was bare except for a large pile of blankets and pillows that had been used to create a makeshift bed. On the bed was a female vampire wearing a thick red robe.



The vampire seemed to have a voluptuous figure based on what Adara could see of her body. Though a lot of the exposed flesh appeared badly burned, nevertheless the Halfling had the impression that the vampire had been a very beautiful woman before her injuries had disfigured her.



“Mary I brought you something to eat” the dark elf said in a loving tone.



“No more animal blood” Marian replied wearily, not even bothering to lift her head from the pillow she was resting on.



“It’s not an animal…it’s a Halfling…she’s one of the raiders who attacked us” Chrissy said patiently.



The words grabbed Marian’s attention and the undead woman pulled herself into a sitting position, gazing at Adara with intense blue eyes.



“We were attacked?” the vampire exclaimed in surprise.



~She’s recovered even less than I thought~ Chrissy worried, wondering just how extensive the injuries Angelus had inflicted on Marian truly were.



“Yes…the filthy cowards attacked while you were…sleeping…the Legionnaires and myself killed all of them except for this little backstabber,” Chrissy explained, her obvious anger making the naked and vulnerable Adara cringe.



When the necromancer and the thief had entered the room Marian had seemed semi-conscious at best, but now she was fully alert as she surveyed the Halfling, gazing at Adara with hungry eyes.



“Why is she already naked?…have you been having fun without me Chrissy?” Marian mock pouted, and there was something shockingly (to Adara) sensual to the way that she looked at the necromancer as she spoke.



~Could they be lovers?…but their both women!…and ones undead!~ Adara thought. Wondering if she was misinterpreting the signals she was getting from the two females.



But the necromancer reminded Adara that the Halfling had more important things to worry about as she replied grimly “No…the nasty little bitch actually tried to stab me in the back…I just wanted to make sure that she didn’t have any weapons or other surprises left before taking her to see you.”



“Thank you Chrissy…you have always taken good care of me” Marian said gratefully.



~Not good enough…otherwise you wouldn’t be so hurt~ Chrissy thought guiltily, wishing that she could strike down Marian’s tormentor all over again.



Adara was getting more and more unnerved by all this talk of why the drow was angry at her and how they were going to use her for food. When the necromancer seemed fully occupied comforting and consoling the wounded vampire the thief decided that she had to use the distraction to escape.



Employing the skills that she had acquired over years of adventuring, the Halfling thief crept out of the room so quickly and silently that the necromancer didn’t even notice. Unfortunately for Adara the vampire was more perceptive.



“Chrissy she’s getting away.”



The spell struck Adara before she was a foot from the doorway.



One moment the Halfling was skillfully creeping away, the next her body fell to the floor as it became paralyzed, Chrissy’s magic preventing her mind from communicating its wishes to her body.



“Arrogant little fool…did you really think that you could just walk away?” Chrissy sneered as she approached the helpless Halfling.



~That’s kind of what I was hoping~ Adara tried to say, but her mouth couldn’t form the words.



Chrissy used her magic to telekinetically move Adara from the floor to Marian’s bed. The Halfling couldn’t even voice a protest as she found herself floating over to the hungry vampire.



~Oh gods no~ Adara thought as she felt the vampire’s cold hands on her flesh, moving her small body into a more convenient position for the bloodsucker.



But the gods seemed to have more important things on their minds than the fate of one never particularly religious thief, and there was nothing to stop Marian Casta from sinking her sharp fangs deep into the exposed throat of Adara.



*****



At the request of the dark elf ranger Drizzt Do’Urden, who was currently acting as a representative of their beloved leader Lady Alustriel, the Knights in Silver had sent a detachment of troops to escort the universal travelers, the surviving members of the goblin tribe Knights Bane, and of course Drizzt himself to Silverymoon. A small number of the Silverymoon soldiers stayed with the merchant caravan where the ranger had found the universal travelers, in order to protect the merchants and their servants until they could get to a safer and more civilized area.



The professional soldiers of the most cosmopolitan city-state in the Silver Marches region were for the most part polite, courteous, and in some cases genuinely friendly to the dimensional outsiders. In stark contrast to the hostility and suspicion the universal travelers had faced since coming to this world.



Of course the robotic Terminators didn’t care how they were viewed, and their mistress Sage also seemed indifferent to the friendlier reception. But Storm, Cyclops, She-Hulk, the Frost family, and even Mystique were glad to face a little less naked hostility and aggression this time.



The rest of the journey to Silverymoon was relatively pleasant and uneventful. So that as they arrived at the great city even the more cynical universal travelers found themselves thinking that just maybe things were going their way for once.



*****



“We need to do something soon otherwise The Phoenix will escape within a week” the demon wizard and scholar Doron angrily announced. Staring at his superior and colleagues with unusual fierceness.



In the days since Doron had arrived on Toril the scholar had realized the unpleasant truth.



Not only was The Phoenix Force on the verge of escaping its prison and most likely killing everyone even remotely involved in its imprisonment, but even though his colleagues knew it they were afraid to act. Paralyzed by fear and indecision.



Now Doron and the other Wolfram & Hart employees studying the Containment Cube were meeting in the firm’s underground laboratory in Silverymoon, which was directly beneath the jewelry shop that served as a front for the Wolfram & Hart operations in the area. Trying to explain their findings to the being in charge of the project.



“Were doing all we can sir…and have devised several new ways to plug up the breach in the Containment Cube’s magical barriers” one of Doron’s colleagues argued, a particularly smug elf who had given the demonic wizard grief ever since he had arrived at the laboratory.



The lich who had been appointed head of the project looked at the arguing researchers. Scrutinizing the scholarly elves, humans, and demons serving under him.



“What do you think administrator Safi?” one of the humans asked when the project leader was slow to respond.



The lich shifted nervously as everyone in the lab turned to stare at him. Looking quite fearsome with his gleaming white bones and thick black robes, his empty eye sockets glowing with unholy light.



Projecting an image of dark power.



But the truth was Safi didn’t know what to do. He had been appointed head of the project because his specialty was magical items to contain and protect life force and spiritual energy, a subject that had fascinated the lich ever since constructing his own phylactery. However, Safi felt out of his depth when dealing with the Containment Cube and The Phoenix Force, they were far older, more complicated, and powerful than anything he had worked on before.



“What if we do nothing?” administrator Safi asked. This was what the lich usually preferred to do when he felt he didn’t have enough data to go on.



All the researchers appeared uncomfortable at the suggestion, but none of them seemed to want to answer. Finally one of the elves replied “then The Phoenix and its host will surely escape…and there is nothing in this facility that is remotely capable of dealing with them at that point.”



The powerful lich would have been insulted at the suggestion that he was not capable of handling The Phoenix, if Safi had suffered the slightest delusion that he could do so. However, Safi was not arrogant, stupid, or ignorant enough to entertain such a foolish notion.



As the scientists and scholars looked to their administrator for guidance Safi stroked his cheek with a bony finger. A nervous tick that even un-death had not cured him of.



“How many of you seriously think that the type of measures we have been using will solve this problem?” the lich asked calmly.



A few scholars spoke up in favor of continuing with their current tactics, but most of the demons, humans, and elves present remained silent. Which gave Safi all the answer he needed.



If the skeletal creature could have sighed he would have.



When Safi felt that he didn’t know enough about a problem to make an informed decision he preferred to wait until he knew more or the problem simply went away on its own. As an un-aging lich time was usually not a factor for him the way it was for most people.



But sometimes even the undead had to act quickly.



“Doron…can you fix the Containment Cube?…or at least attempt to do so without releasing that primordial goddess trapped within?” Safi demanded to know.



Doron was shy and sometimes even downright cowardly in combat, business, and his social life. But the sophisticated demon was never lacking in confidence as a researcher and scholar.



“Yes sir…provided that I have access to the necessary materials and personnel and that we start now” Doron stated with complete self-assurance.



The powerful undead wizard stared hard at Doron, looking for the slightest trace of insincerity or doubt. And finding none.



“Very well…you may proceed” Safi said, glad that he no longer had a body capable of betraying his own fears or doubts.



*****



Because of its beauty, riches, culture, and tolerant atmosphere (especially in comparison to the relative barbarism of the region as a whole) the city-state of Silverymoon was often called the Gem of the North. A nickname the beautiful city deserved thanks to its elegant buildings, teaching institutions, well designed and maintained roads, and all the influential groups that called the city home. The mere sight of its skyline was often enough to make travelers stop and gaze in wonder.



Even the universal travelers, who had journeyed to higher planes of existence, hell dimensions, alien empires, and freakishly bizarre parallel universes, were not entirely unaffected.



“What a beautiful place” Storm exclaimed uncharacteristically, for the weather witch was usually moved by the beauty of nature and not manmade things.



“Yes it is” Cyclops agreed, as he stood beside his lovely dark skinned lover and prepared to enter the beautiful city. Finding that he was actually enjoying himself for once.



The universal travelers, the captive goblins of the tribe Knights Bane, and their escort were entering Silverymoon through one of the city’s main gates. Signing in and stating their name as all non-residents of the city were required to do when entering the city, surrounded by numerous Knights in Silver soldiers all the while.



The ranger Drizzt Do’Urden took careful note of all the added security, not liking the changes it seemed to signify.



The people of Silverymoon had always been (on the whole) an idealistic and trusting group. What had happened recently to make them so much more paranoid?



~Or perhaps it is merely Lady Alustriel who is once more being wisely cautious regarding her people’s safety~ Drizzt thought as he took in the sight of all the soldiers.



Emma Frost and her daughters Mindee, Celeste, and Phoebe were receiving little of the guards’ scrutiny. For they were focusing most of their attention on the far more obvious potential threat of the Knights Bane goblins and the tall and well formed She-Hulk. This allowed the Five-in-One to approach the clerk checking people in with relatively little trouble or bother from the Silverymoon soldiers or the other travelers entering the city.



The human clerk barely noticed as Emma and her daughters wrote their names on the scroll he placed before them. His eyes fixated on The She-Hulk, who despite her extraordinary height and size was nevertheless still quite lovely by local standards.



But Emma carefully took note of what her daughters wrote down on the white paper. Noticing how it differed from what the girls had always signed their name as before.



Celeste Frost.

Mindee Frost.

Phoebe Frost.



“What” Emma whispered in surprise as she stared down at the English letters, trying to process what it meant.



“We decided to drop the Cuckoo it…” Celeste began.

“Never really helped us but…” Mindee continued.

“We want to tell the world that were Emma Frost’s girls” Phoebe finished.



Sophie couldn’t use her tiny hands from her position inside Emma’s womb, so the little telepath simply projected a mental image of signing her name as Sophie Frost into her mother’s mind.



~You have been acting as our mother for a long time now…we just want to make it official…as soon as we get back home we are all going to legally change our name to Frost~ Sophie telepathically told Emma, though she was speaking for all of them.



The former White Queen usually hated appearing vulnerable in public, emotionally or otherwise. But Emma made no attempt to resist as Pheobe, Mindee, and Celeste all warmly embraced her, with little Sophie clinging to her even more intimately.



“I love you girls” Emma said in a voice that she would firmly deny was choked up, holding her daughters to her pregnant form as though she never wanted to let them go. And promising herself that she would not even let anyone seriously THINK about hurting her dear daughters again.



Ordinarily the sight of the usually sophisticated and cool Emma Frost acting so tender and maternal would have grabbed the attention of the other universal travelers. But everyone was distracted by what happened when Mystique finally walked under the gate (for until then she had been standing just outside the entrance).



The attractive though relatively normal (for this area) female form that Mystique had recently adopted disappeared as the magical wards on the gate forced the mutated human to revert to her true form. Leaving the shocked Raven Darkholme yellow eyed, blue skinned, and completely naked.



“Demon” one of the shocked guards exclaimed angrily, and Mystique was almost immediately surrounded by Knights in Silver soldiers with weapons drawn. The naked blue woman simply stood there, her forced transformation leaving her too confused and disoriented to react with her usual efficiency and speed.



Cyclops, the Frosts, She-Hulk, and Storm all started to move to the aid of their comrade. Unwilling to let one of their own be struck down by bigoted humans. However, Sage was once again the voice of reason.



~Please restrain yourselves…I believe violence can still be avoided~ the cyberpath telepathically informed her comrades, while also ordering her robotic servants to take no action.



The dark haired woman walked over to the guards surrounding Mystique, appearing perfectly composed despite all the drawn blades and the hostile expressions the guards were sending her way.



Saying in a calm, reasonable voice “my companion is not a demon…she is as human as you or I…her appearance is simply due to the fact that she is a…”



“Freak” Mystique interrupted, the trauma of being restricted to one form robbing the shapeshifter of her usual charm and guile.



The guards appeared unconvinced, but Sage’s actions had prevented an immediate outbreak of violence and the ranger Drizzt soon intervened. Explaining the situation to the soldiers commander and stressing how important these visitors were to Lady Alustriel herself, as well as how likely the commander and his troops were to survive until reinforcements arrived if the universal travelers were provoked into a violent confrontation.



While the dark elf and the human commander talked, one of the clerks who had been taking the names of visitors took pity on Mystique and wrapped her own cloak around the blue woman, shielding her naked body from the hostile, leering, or simply curious eyes of the men around.



“All you all right dear?...don’t worry about the men…they might leer like common peasants but most of them act like gentlemen” the female clerk said in concern.



The compassionate though somewhat condescending words managed to penetrate Mystique’s shock and confusion, and the mutant gave the hefty middle aged woman a look of such anger and loathing that the clerk automatically took a step back.



The commander of the soldiers who had threatened Mystique began to apologize profusely. Not wanting to offend his great leader or start a battle resulting in the death of himself and his men. But Mystique was not really listening, lost in thoughts of a time when she always looked like this, before she could change her appearance, a time when she could not hide how abnormal she really was.



A time when she was exposed on a daily basis to how unkind humans could be to what they regarded as freakish and strange.



She-Hulk was normally somewhat intimidated by the deceptive and deadly Mystique, who sometimes seemed like she could be anywhere or anyone to the green woman, but she found herself feeling sorry for the obviously troubled and off balance shapeshifter.



“Are you all right Blue?...that looked painful…do you need anything?” She-Hulk asked in concern as she walked up to the upset mutant. The watching guards all taking note of her powerful strides.



“I’m fine” Mystique replied tonelessly, though both women knew perfectly well that she wasn’t.



*****



The ruler of Silverymoon watched all the commotion at the gate with keen interest. Using sophisticated spells to carefully observe the universal travelers.



Lady Alustriel’s advisors had recommended that she meet the dangerous strangers outside the city in case they turned out to be hostile, in order to minimize the threat to Silverymoon’s civilians. Or at least strictly limit their access to the city in order to limit the potential damage they could cause.



But the High Mage of Silverymoon was glad that she had overruled them.





She was not happy that her overzealous gatekeepers had overreacted, but Alustriel was more optimistic after seeing how the universal travelers had responded to the situation.



It gave the powerful ruler hope that bloodshed and other unpleasantness could be avoided. Perhaps the stranger outsiders would even be an asset to her realm.



*****



The universal travelers entered Silverymoon on a much more somber note than when they had approached it. The confrontation at the gate reminding them of how often they were not really welcome among normal humans.



Nevertheless the people they encountered as they made their way through the large city to Lady Alustriel’s Palace were for the most part friendly and polite. This cheered most of them up a little as they approached the impressive white palace, which appeared as though it had been carved from a solid block of marble.



Though not She-Hulk or Mystique, who as the most alien looking of the universal travelers received the majority of the curious stares, dirty looks, and muttered insults that the universal travelers did get as they made their way through the busy streets of the city.



Mystique could have assumed another form, for whatever had been preventing her shapeshifting when she was near the gate was no longer in effect, but instead she decided to retain her natural azure looks. Mainly because the commander of the guards at the gate had warned her not to rely on her powers to disguise herself, that if she did the magic of the city would soon reveal her again. He also claimed that it was not her actual appearance that had provoked such hostility, but merely the shock of her transformation. Saying that most citizens of Silverymoon would take her looks in stride, for many non-humans had lived in the city for generations.



Mystique was not sure about most, for she and her companions had only encountered a tiny fraction of the population of Silverymoon at this point, but based on what she had seen so far she would not say that they were substantially more tolerant than the humans on her own world. Even the elves and dwarves that the universal travelers passed on the street gave the blue woman odd if not downright hostile looks as she went by.



“Are you okay Mystique?” She-Hulk asked as she walked beside the shapeshifter. Noticing how uncharacteristically passive the older woman was being.



“Of course it’s just…” Mystique started to say, feeling an unusual urge to vent and confess her problems to the person next to her, a little sick of always having to project an effective front.



“You don’t like people staring at you like you’re a monster…that’s why you hardly ever go out in public as yourself” the taller woman accurately guessed.



“There are other factors BUT YES…what would you know about it?...you were born normal…I was born looking like this…and you can guess how much compassion the people around had for ME” Mystique said venomously, venting her anger and bitterness at the closest available target.



“There’s a special kind of horror in being average…being the girl whose always overlooked, passed over, lost in the crowd…that’s who I was before I became The She-Hulk” Jennifer Walters replied quietly.



“You were not exactly average…I can remember a time not that long ago when female lawyers were virtually unknown” Mystique replied. Making She-Hulk wonder again about just how old her shapeshifting companion was.



Moreover, although this was not exactly a pleasant conversation the green skinned former lawyer appreciated it. Manipulation and deception came so naturally to Mystique, and were such a normal part of the shapeshifter’s behavior that She-Hulk often wondered if she could trust anything that Mystique said. But she had the feeling that the older woman was actually speaking to her openly and honestly for once.



“Regardless of what other people think I have always thought that you look best in your natural form…blue suits you Raven”

She-Hulk said sincerely.



An unusual expression of surprise crossed Mystique’s normally false features. She was used to compliments on the way she looked, but not regarding her true form.



“Thank you Jennifer” the blue woman replied, finding to her surprise that she actually meant the words.



*****



Once the universal travelers reached Lady Alustriel’s palace they were even more impressed by the structure. It had beautiful sculptures, highly decorated pillars, colorful yet sturdy walls, and numerous Knights in Silver in gleaming armor guarding the area. The High Palace was clearly built at least as much to awe and impress as it was to defend and intimidate.



As Mystique, She-Hulk, the Frosts, Cyclops, Storm, Sage, and their Terminator servants entered the luxurious palace they carefully observed their surroundings, with the telepaths in the group using their powers to scan the minds of those around them. Noting the defenses both magical and mundane that could be used against them if their hosts became hostile.



Few people in the High Palace could resist the telepathic scrutiny of the Five-in-One or the cyberpath Sage. Even most of the wizards and sorcerers serving Lady Alustriel could have offered little resistance if the mutant telepaths had really exerted their full powers against them.



But Sage and the Frost family had no idea that the High Mage was just as closely observing them, employing her strong magic to see into their very hearts.



For the most part Lady Alustriel was pleased by what she found.



Emma Frost’s daughters, Ororo Munroe, and Scott Summers were all essentially good people with fairly pure motives. Her spells could find relatively little trace of malice, madness, or evil in their hearts.



Alustriel was a little more concerned by the two women who could change size known as Mystique and She-Hulk. Not because of their formidable abilities but because of what she sensed in their minds. As near as the ageless sorceress could tell they were not evil so much as…twisted.



The woman once known as the White Queen also concerned Alustriel. Guilt and past sins clung heavily to Emma Frost, and as near as the High Mage could determine via her magic Emma’s moral alignment was somewhat ambiguous. Moreover, the nature of Emma’s bond with her daughters (especially Sophie) made it hard for Alustriel to magically examine her as an individual.





However, the ruler of Silverymoon also had the impression that Emma Frost meant to do good (at least by her family). Though Emma struck her as someone also capable of great evil.



The human female called Sage was different.

She was so mentally disciplined and closed off and so skilled at the ‘mind magic’ known as psionics that even the powerful magic of Lady Alustriel could detect little of her thoughts, motives, or personality. At least not without alerting Sage as to what Alustriel was doing.



The two other males were even stranger.

They were not really alive, yet they were not undead either. She could detect nothing of their thought or emotions (assuming they had any), nor could the powerful sorceress detect any kind of goodness or evil about them. But they clearly existed and were formidable.



However, as far as Lady Alustriel’s magic was concerned the beings known as Terminators were simply…there.



High Lady Alustriel was an idealist, but she had not remained in power for so long by being stupid or naïve. Knowing the potential danger the outsiders posed the High Mage summoned senior members of the elite Spellguard, which was composed of sorcerers and wizards that served her and Silverymoon itself in a manner similar to the Knights in Silver.



Alustriel also cast powerful enchantments upon herself and the people with her as the universal travelers made their way to her throne room (which already had numerous protective spells cast upon it). Doing her best to ensure that if the strange outsiders did become hostile they would be able to do little to harm her people or herself.



As always, Lady Alustriel hoped for the best, but carefully prepared for the worst.



*****



As soon as Mystique entered the throne room she felt the same sensation she had at the gate, telling her that the power that was her mutagenic birthright was (for the moment) gone. However, Raven was expecting it this time and was already in her true form, so the shock was not nearly as bad. Nevertheless it was still an unpleasant experience for the shapeshifter and left her too distracted to really pay attention to what was going on around her.



The rest of the universal travelers were carefully observing their surroundings.



The large throne room was full of elegant tapestries, beautiful sculptures, colorful stained glass windows, and other assorted treasures. Soldiers in finely crafted golden armor lined the walls, their muscular forms alert and ready to respond to any threat to their beloved leader. Standing among the heavily armored soldiers were robed humans and elves, looking deceptively frail in their thick robes, but with eyes and minds full of arcane power, prepared to unleash spells at a moment’s notice at the command of or in the defense of their High Mage.



It was an impressive display of wealth and power, and even the relatively jaded universal travelers were a little affected. But it all paled before the sight of the woman who sat on the opposite side (from where the universal travelers had entered) of the throne room.



She was beautiful, with fair skin, pleasant features, and a body just curvaceous enough to be called voluptuous. Her long silver hair was done up in a ponytail using a fine silk scarf and her form was encased in a simple white and gold dress that flattered her curves and showed a tantalizing amount of pale cleavage. But Alustriel Silverhand was more than merely beautiful.



The High Mage had an almost tangible presence, charisma so strong that it made almost everyone want to at least like, if not adore her. The Frost family, Mystique, and Sage all had the power or training to resist Alustriel’s presence, and the Terminators were simply too different from humans to be affected by the sorceress’s supernatural charm. However, the minds of Storm, Cyclops, and She-Hulk were far more vulnerable, and Scott, Ororo, and Jennifer found themselves gazing at the powerful woman adoringly.



~Wait…this is wrong…I don’t know that woman…why would I like her at all?~ Scott asked himself, disturbed by his own feelings. Recognizing the outside influence on his mind for what it was.



Scott’s dark skinned lover struggled with similar feelings, the supernatural charm trying to impose artificial feelings of affection on her generating an eerie sense of deja vu in the wind rider.



She-Hulk fought off the effects of Alustriel’s charm with relative ease. Her own mental problems giving the metahuman a limited defense against such magic.



The Five-in-One was about to help Storm and Cyclops but the black mutant and her lover mastered themselves almost instantly, staring at the High Mage with suspicious eyes. For Alustriel’s supernatural charisma was for the most part a subtle and gentle power.



The High Mage of Silverymoon was unusually surprised. Her supernatural charm was a gift of Mystra (the goddess of magic) and such an ingrained part of her that she actually had to make an effort not to use it. But the universal travelers’ reaction was not normal, for the effect of her charisma was so subtle yet powerful that it was usually only those that had the power or unique nature to easily ignore its effects that detected the power of her charisma at all.



~Of course…it’s due to the fact that their power is not magical in nature that makes these strange folk so vulnerable to our spells despite being so powerful~ Lady Alustriel realized with a characteristic flash of insight.



Seeing how much it clearly bothered the universal travelers, and not wanting to give offense, Alustriel deliberately suppressed her own supernatural charms. Making her appear as no more than a woman in the eyes of Cyclops, She-Hulk, and Storm, albeit a beautiful, finely dressed, and obviously powerful one.



~Remain calm everyone…we cannot afford a battle here and what just happened may not have been a hostile act~ Sage telepathically warned all her companions. Having a rough idea of just how dangerous High Lady Alustriel and her guardians could be if provoked based on what she had gleamed from the minds of those living in the High Palace.



While the universal travelers took a moment to telepathically confer, the ranger Drizzt Do’Urden moved to stand beside Alustriel, greeting his longtime friend and supporter warmly and stating in a very clear way just where his loyalties would lie if any battle broke out.



“Greetings good folk and welcome to our fair city…I wish to offer the thanks and gratitude of all of Silverymoon for ending the menace of Knights Bane and bringing peace back to our roads and countryside…our realm is richer to have such people in it” Alustriel said diplomatically. Her words full of warmth and strength but not the usual supernatural charm.



The universal travelers didn’t respond right away. Both because they were still a little unsettled by what had just happened and because they did not have a clear spokesman or leader.





“May I ask what has brought such champions to our city?” Alustriel asked, her clever eyes taking in every detail of the outsiders appearance.



By unspoken consensus Sage was elected to respond. Already forming a clever, ambiguous, and manipulative reply in her head as she stepped in front of her companions, planning to lie by omission while telling the literal truth.



However, there were powerful spells in place inside the throne room to prevent any lie (even one of omission) from being uttered. So instead of the devious words that the former member of the Hellfire Club planned on saying, what actually came out of Sage’s mouth was “we believe our former comrade Jean Grey is in or near your city…since she could be a serious danger to herself and others we hoped that we could secure your help in finding her as soon as possible.”



Sage’s companions gaped at her, shocked that the normally pragmatic and cold woman had been so blunt and tactless. Throwing around their secrets as though they were party favors.



Even Sage’s legendary cool was shattered as she stared at the High Mage blankly. Trying to process the blunt words she had just uttered.



Lady Alustriel carefully kept any expression save polite interest off her face. Replying graciously “we would be honored to help you find your friend…it is the least we can do for those who have already done so much to aid Silverymoon.”



*****



Everyone in the underground Wolfram & Hart laboratory was nervous, though they did their best to hide it, each hoping that the people around them were more confident than they felt.



“All right…move the Cube into the containment unit…be careful…we cannot afford to drop it” the demonic scholar Doron said authoritatively.



The other researchers did as Doron asked; taking the deceptively small and frail looking mystic artifact and putting it in the room with the reinforced and hardened walls where they were going to work. Being careful not to jostle or drop the thing.



The appearance of the Containment Cube had changed since The Phoenix had been trapped inside it. Before then it had looked like a relatively normal small jewelry box, but now it glowed with a harsh yellow light, a side effect of the Phoenix Force’s efforts to escape. There was also a growing crack in the box shaped artifact, though it was still almost too small to be seen with the naked eye.



Nevertheless, that crack terrified Doron and his colleagues, for it was a physical manifestation of how The Phoenix was destroying the Cube. And they had no means of dealing with Jean Grey and the source of her power once that happened.



“Which is why it’s NOT going to happen” Doron said more to himself than anyone else. As he reviewed the plans he had made to fix the Containment Cube in his mind.



They were going to repair the Cube using a combination of spells and nano-technology. Using the machines to fix the physical damage while their spells restored the fading magic of the Cube.



Of course The Phoenix might sense what they were doing and actively fight it, which would make their task much harder if not impossible. It could even lead to her escape if they were not careful. So they had brought in some Wolfram & Hart telepaths who would be projecting thoughts of passivity and peace into the Cube during the whole operation, hopefully lulling The Phoenix to ‘sleep.’



There was a high degree of risk involved in the whole thing. If they failed they might damage the Cube further, leading to The Phoenix getting out much sooner. The telepaths could be driven insane even by such limited contact with The Phoenix Force. And of course there was the very real danger that they might accidentally release The Phoenix during the operation.



But if they did nothing The Phoenix would escape her confinement soon anyway.





Doron watched the apparently meditating human telepaths, observed his colleagues moving around the Containment Cube, and studied the technicians opening the containers of

nano-machines. Making sure that everything was going according to plan.



But there was a problem.



Doron walked over to a Dwarf technician and angrily demanded to know “where are the rest of the nanites?…there is supposed to be twice as much.”



The stout bearded male appeared nervous, rubbing his callused hands on his dirty overalls as he replied “they never came in.”



“What do you mean they never came in?” Doron said indignantly, certain that he could see the crack in the Cube widening before his very eyes, as he desperately tried to hold onto his composure.



The telepaths standing nearby opened their eyes and began to hoarsely scream. The sound so loud and distracting that Doron almost didn’t hear the Dwarf technician’s next words.



“The shipment was cancelled sir…budget cuts” the Dwarf replied apologetically.



“BUDGETS CUTS!” Doron screamed in rage and disbelief.



They were the demonic scholar and wizard’s last words. His last thoughts were to condemn whatever corporate bureaucrat was responsible for inventory.



*****



The Containment Cube did not so much explode as disintegrate, as the Wolfram & Hart employees attempt to fix it weakened the physical structure enough for The Phoenix to destroy it. Killing everyone in the room in an inferno of fiery power.



For all its violence the deaths of Doron and his coworkers had been mercifully quick. They had not even had time to feel any pain before they were reduced to ash.



The fiery power briefly took the form of a bird of prey. Gazing down at the ashes of its captors with something like satisfaction.



Then it seemed to shrink down and contract, becoming smaller and more solid. Taking on human form and dimensions, until it had the appearance of a beautiful woman.



Clearly human in form but still brimming with more than mortal power and vigor.



“Beautiful” Jean Grey said in tones of wonder as she looked upon the world with real eyes for the first time in over half a year.