To Catch a Thief

A Greyhawk Short by Ket Onwall

"...and so it was that the Makers, they who created all, came to form a perfect stone. Fused with the eternal flame of Moradin’s Forge, blessed by Beory, Mother of all Oerth, Correllon, Father of the Olven, Garl of the Gnomes, and Yondalla of the Small Folk, it symbolized the agelessness and mystique of the Makers’ people. With its continued existence, the forging of bond would not be forgotten. For eons it burned bright in the sacred places of the Makers, until those of greed and avarice sought to covet it for themselves. The worshippers of Fire and Hatred besieged the sacred halls, but those of the Makers’ creation would not be caught unaware. Hiding the Flame in a place where none but they could find it, sealing it with great magics,they kept it safe from harm.

Safe it would have been, had any who knew of its hidden place survived the siege. Dark things from the Pits of Fire below were called (some say by the mighty mage Keraptis himself) to rend the Protectors of the Flame. All were taken. None survived, or so it is believed..."

excerpt from the Epoch of Myth, 115 CY, Author unknown.

Slipping silently over the high wall, the figure landed with a soft ‘plop’. The ground beneath was wet causing the feet to go in two separate directions simultaneously while the body went a third: straight backward into the shrubbery along the base of the wall.
"Oof." followed by "Ack!" echoed within the small garden.
"Ssshhh!" Called a second figure which had appeared at the top of the wall. "He’ll hear for sure!"
"You take thorns from a bush in YOUR backside and see just how quiet you can be!" shot back the first.
Looking from a third story window of the old house around which the wall ran, the elder man stifled a laugh. They would never change. Bumbling and stumbling over themselves, Ergo and his twin brother Elden were still two of the finest thieves in Perrenland. That was why the old man had hired them.
"Enter my house." Was the offer. "Make your way to the basement, and through the chambers below. Make it to the vault area without getting caught. Success gains you 500 gold sovereigns apiece."
"And should we fail?" asked Elden.
"I seek only to test my defenses, so if you fail, then I have succeeded in my task. I promise to not let anyone know." Replied the elder man who called himself Gelden.
The latter comment was true; Gelden surely would not let anyone know. The former, however, was a different story. Should the two halflings fail, then they all would most likely perish. Gelden did not want the added pressure of failing to influence the two. They must work as they always did- confident and uncaring of the consequences.
The next day he had received his answer: The brothers would accept the consignment. Half of the payment was required up front, but that had been acceptable. He wanted the two to be at their peak.
And so the wheels had been set in motion. By this time tomorrow, the fate of many lives would be determined. Sighing, the old man left the window to go and prepare.
Outside, the crisp, Patchwall air caused tiny puffs of frost to be expelled with the two brothers’ breathing. Hopping down from the wall, Elden joined his sibling. Glancing around, he looked for signs of obvious traps. He took note of his brother beside him. Just shy of three feet tall, Ergo was a bit taller than the average halfling. He always tried to use that advantage against his older brother, but Elden, though a full hand shorter than Ergo, was some ten pounds heavier. Things just had a way of balancing themselves out; which was the family saying.
Elden thought back to the days growing up in the shadow of the Yatil Mountains. Their small community was a bit north of the town of Exag, but the two brothers had gone with their Grandfather many times to the moderate-sized border town. Ergo and Elden plied their trade upon many an unwary shopkeeper, which usually led to many a fun-filled chase through the market square. Were it not for their grandfather, the two might have been incarcerated long ago.
"You two scamps are made for better than the innards of a cell." Grand Pap (as the twins called him) would say. "Family has a history, ya know. Up to you two to carry it on." The twins never paid much mind to that, but it made for great tales at the fireside.
"I don’t like it." Commented Ergo, causing Elden to snap back to the present. "Nothing has tried to stop us yet."
"First of all, you never like it, Erg. Second, that is what makes this such fun. The guessing and all that, I mean. On your toes. Adrenaline going, ya know?"
"Yeah. Adrenaline." Ergo snorted.
Moving cautiously, the two slowly worked their way through the garden. The hard-soled, open-toed sandals they wore, which were common with all halflings (solid shoes were so confining!), made small crunching sounds as they broke through the thin layer of frost covering the dirt. Rows of shrubbery, bushes, flowers, vegetables, and saplings lined the way, most of
which had already been harvested or was losing its flowers and leaves. Fall would soon turn to winter, and the days were already getting longer.
Moving quickly and as quietly as could be, the thieves stole up to the back door. Here was a small wood shed, padlocked.
The rear door was closed, and looking through the panes the two could see the solid metal bar was slid fully over, barring entry.
"Window?" Asked Ergo.
"Nah." replied his brother. "Look here." Elden pulled a large black stone, and placed it near the door. "Lodestone." He explained. Smiling, he went to work trying to get the bar to slide over.
"Stop!" Exclaimed Ergo. "I see a thread of some kind."
Looking through the glass again, Elden spied what had alarmed his brother. A fine hair, barely visible, was strung across the back of the bolt. Had the bar slid much further, and it would have broken the thread. There was no telling what sort of trap it might have set off.
Whispering softly to himself, he thanked Brandobaris for giving them a clear night so that the combined lights of Celene and Luna could guide their quest.
"Thanks, little brother." Elden said.
"Eh. It’s why we make such a good team. Besides, I plan to buy a pony with my cut. Can’t have you setting off all kinds of alarms, now can I?"
Smiling, Elden began looking to the windows for entry. "Told you we should try the windows." He giggled.
Ergo smacked his brother in the back of the head, and the two began to tussle. Escalating quickly, the tussle erupted into a full-fledged wrestle. Laughing and rolling around, the two poked, bit, kicked and scratched. Slowly the duel closed to a draw, and the twins released their hold on one another. Someday, I’m gonna take him, each thought, smiling. Huffing and puffing, they returned to the task at hand.
Ergo removed a folded cloth from a pocket of his backpack. Opening it carefully, he breathed a sigh of relief as he examined the glass contained within.
"Whew! It didn’t break. Would have been bad luck, eh, brother?"
"Really bad." replied Elden.
Holding the glass up to his eye, Ergo looked at his brother. "I see you....", he giggled. Elden stifled a laugh. His twin’s eye was twice the size of the other when viewed through the glass, and his bushy eyebrow looked like a giant caterpillar stuck to his brother’s forehead. Unable to contain himself, Elden burst out a tiny snort.
"Whaaa...?" Ergo smiled, turning his attention to the window. "No magics or hidden traps here. Should be safe to try."
"I hope so." said Elden, looking up to the roof. A thin trail of smoke rose from the central chimney, indicating that somewhere within was a warm fire. "Kinda chilly tonight. Maybe Gelden fell asleep while making some hot cider! Now THAT would be luck!"
"The man wants us to break into his vault. I think he might get upset if we stole his cider too." said Ergo in a serious tone.
Elden regarded his younger brother. He would never understand his younger sibling’s moral values. They were thieves, but Ergo never even considered taking something they were not contracted to steal. Elden, on the other hand, would take whatever wasn’t tied down if he could. Guess these two just had a way of balancing each other out.
Putting the glass carefully back in his pack, Ergo removed a thin piece of metal.
From his pack, Elden removed a pair of gloves and a vial. Opening the vial, he poured a thick substance onto the palm of one glove, and, placing them on his hands, rubbed the palms together. Pressing the palms to the glass, Elden told his brother "Ready when you are, Erg."
Slowly, methodically, and quietly as possible, Ergo began scraping the thin metal blade around the outside edge of the glass window. After the third pass, the blade penetrated the glass, and there was a barely audible ‘click’ as the glass broke. The sticky substance on the gloves held, though, and the pane remained stuck to the gloves. Slowly, Elden backed up with the
window sticking to his gloved hands. Placing it out of the way, he removed the gloves, leaving them with the pane of glass.
"Boost me?" asked Ergo.
"Up you go." answered Elden, cupping his hands. This way was always easiest, as Ergo was lighter. Once, they had tried Elden going first, but Ergo couldn’t hold his older brother. The two tumbled down, the boxes they were standing on crashing and breaking as they fell through them. The local magistrate was notimpressed.
Flipping himself up and into the window, Ergo glanced around quickly. Seeing nothing immediately threatening, he dropped inside. The floorboard made an eerie creak, and he froze,awaiting whatever hellish beast he was sure the man had waiting in the shadows. Nothing came.
Breathing out slowly, Ergo crossed the room to the cellardoor. Removing a small rope from his sack, he tied it to the door handle and flung the bitter end out the window. Moments later, he was joined by his brother.
Ergo watched his brother enter, and got a cold chill. He remembered a time, long ago, when he and his brother were climbing out another window somewhere. Ergo did not recognize the place, but he knew it as well as his own burrow. His brother’s wide smile, with the one chipped tooth, the pipe in his lips as he practiced the blowing of rings, the reddish brown tufts of
hair on the ends of his feet. The entire scene was as vivid and real as if it were happening now, when suddenly there was naught but shadow.
"Erg. Erg!" his brother was shaking his shoulder. "What’s the matter?" Elden looked genuinely concerned.
"Eh? Oh. Sorry. Nothing. really, Eld. Just thinking about old times." Ergo lied. He did not want his brother to think him incapable.
"Now?! Keep your mind on the work, Erg. No telling what is down there!" Elden chastised.
"Yeah. No telling." said Ergo almost inaudibly.

Beneath the house, deep into the caves and caverns which lay there, the aged figure worked feverishly to complete that which had begun long ago. The closing was fast approaching and failure could mean loss of the object he coveted above all else. He had searched for a thousand of his sixteen hundred years for the treasure’s location, and he would not be denied. His time was short. The Father of the Flame has decreed that he would be the bearer of the Torch.
Working quickly, he created the circles and symbols which would give him access to that which he so desired. The two halflings were smart. He was sure that they would be able to bypass his tricks and traps. Not that they were easy, but they were more or less just a token resistance. The real test would occur AFTER they made the vault. AFTER they passed through the portal he had created. Yes. All would be as it should be, soon. His rite of passage would be assured.
The man appeared older than with his meetings with the brothers. Much older. His skin was gaunt and pale, and his sunken, black-rimmed eyes were a pale grey. Obvious Suel heritage showed in his every motion, word and appearance. Such a pure racial strain was no longer seen in the Flanaess, save perhaps in the Nobility of the Hold of the Sea Princes or perhaps the Scarlet Brotherhood.
Stooping over, he chanted the magics which would open the gate to the hidden place he had sought for so long. Would that he could venture the gate himself, but the protections would not allow that to be. Hence his need for the two thieves. It was regretable that they should be sacrificed, as even he was against such things. Still, such sacrifice was sometimes necessary for the greater good.

Elden squatted at the cellar door, ear pressed tightly against the smooth wood. Closing his eyes, he listened carefully for any noise on the other side of the door.
"Well?" Asked an impatient Ergo.
"Huh? Oh sorry, was taking a little nap." snipped Elden. "He he he. Nothing."
Pulling a set of picks out of his pack, Ergo handed them to his brother. Elden had already removed a small cloth from his pouch. Untying it, he partially exposed a stone which glowed brightly. Carefully checking the lock area, Elden snorted.
"Not even well hidden. Small needle trap. Probably poison or something." he said.
"When will they come up with something original?" asked Ergo, almost laughing. "People think that thieves are so dumb."
"Some of us are." Elden giggled, elbowing his brother. Ergo replied with a light slap to the head and a "Ha Ha Ha."
Working slowly, Elden put a thick piece of hide over the needle hole. Slowly inserting the pick, he was immediately swatted by Ergo. "Hey...oof" he was cut off by quckly, when Ergo pushed him back.
Thud! Thud!
Two darts were sticking in the door, right where Elden had been moments before.
"Wh..wh..where did those come from?" Asked Elden shakily. "I didn’t see any other traps."
"From over there." replied Ergo, pointing to across the room. "Me neither."
"Then how...?"
"I don’t know. It’s like I knew they would be there. I could see you being hit in the side with two poison darts. It startled me, and I pushed you."
"Erg, you’re scaring me brother. Anticipation? Mental abilities? What gives?"
"I don’t know!" Ergo replied. "Can we go on? I really do not like this.....at all." He glanced around nervously.
"Yeah. Sure, little brother. We’re in and out. Collect our money and take a vacation or something." Elden was beginning to share his twin’s apprehension.
Squatting back down, he again began to pick the lock. He felt a cold chill of deja vu as he heard the ‘click’ of the lock releasing. Almost unconsciously, he caressed the right side of his face, relieved when he found only the tufts of his sideburns, and not two darts. What was going on?
Beyond the door was a flight of steps descending into darkness. Picking up the dropped stone, Elden held id out. The stairs went down and into darkness, beyond the range of the magic Light Stone.
"I’m not taking any chances." Ergo said. From his sack he produced three small poles. Connecting them all together, he began prodding the steps below.
"Me neither." Elden added. The familiar sound of metal on leather could be heard as he removed his slightly longer-than-average dirk from its sheath. "Shall we?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
Holding the stone up so it shown its maximum range, Elden allowed his younger brother to go first, since it was he who was best at this sort of thing. Prodding each step carefully, the two had gone perhaps 10 feet down, when a loud ‘crash’ occured. A blade had crashed down into the steps ahead, nearly smashing thepole.
"Ouch." said Elden. "That would of hurt." Ergo remained silent.
Carefully crawling over the blade, the two had descended only one more step when the entire flight of steps flattened out into a slide.
"Gods!" shouted Ergo. "We ARE dumb! Hang on!"
"No kidding!!" shouted Elden back, as the two went sliding down the steps.
Careening wildly, Elden tried desparately to hold the Light Stone up so they could see what was coming. And he wished he haden’t. At the bottom of the steps was a pit. The bottom was not visible.
Flying off the end of the steps, Ergo frantically threw the pole out. Miraculously, the pole wedged itself across the opening. Elden grabbed his brother around the waist, nearly jerking his brother’s arms from their sockets.
"I can’t hold! I can’t hold!" screamed Ergo.
"Just give me a second. One second!" cried Elden.
As quickly as he could, Elden swung his legs up onto the pole. Crawling over, he managed the edge, and crawled out of the pit. Now free, he turned and helped his brother out also. Ergo was ghost white.
"You ok, Erg?" asked Elden. Looking at his brother, he followed his younger sibling’s eyes downward and into the pit. The bottom, some fifteen to twenty feet deep, was now visible because of the stone. The entire bottom was covered by bones of various sized creatures. Some looked human, others looked animal. There was a five foot round exit leading out of the base of the pit, and it was obvious that a nasty beast made it its home.
"C’mon, Erg." said Elden, breaking his brother’s stare. "We have work to do. Ill luck this might have been, but we’re alive. That says something. Let’s go."
Searching around, the two found some old wood and rags. Making a torch, they doused the rag in some oil from a flask, and lit it with their flint and steel.
The smokey torch caused their eyes to water, but they could at least see. They were, in fact, in the basement. The room was cluttered with miscellaneous bric-a-brac, boxes galore, and junk pile in one corner nearly to the ceiling. What was strange was the lack of exits.
"He said caverns, right Eld?" asked Ergo, color returning to his face.
"Yeah. Must be an exit somewhere." Elden replied, beginning to examine the walls more closely.
"Use the torch." Ergo suggested.
Keeping the torch close to the wall, the two watched carefully for signs of a flicker. Their patience was rewarded when they approached the pile of junk. The torch snapped and danced, as a slight breeze caught the flame.
Looking around closely, the two found what they were seeking: the entire pile was hinged, and with a bit of tugging and pulling, they had created an opening large enough for the two to squeeze through.

The aged one stopped his work and cocked his head. The twins had entered the caverns. Well, his slide had not been successful. That was good. The two showed more promise than the rest. Well, let us hope they pass the next test. Success would soon be his.

Passing through the hidden door, the brothers found themselves inside a large cavern. It was a natural cave, with stalactites and stalagmites frequenting the entire place. The walls were lined with unlit torches, so they each took one and slid it into their packs. Working carefully around, the found the cave to be about sixty feet around, and of unknown height. Again, there were no other exits.
"Now I’m getting bored." said Elden. "Not much excitement here."
"I think we’re supposed to be smart in this one. Which is why you are so bored." laughed Ergo.
This time, it was Elden who started the tussle, and after a few minutes, the two assailants wound down to yet another draw. Collapsing on the floor, they both laughed and gigled almost uncontrollably.
"Hey, Eld." said Ergo.
"Yeah?" asked Elden.
"If you were to wanna hide an exit, where would the best place to hide it from a short person?"
"I give up. Where?" Elden asked, playing the game.
"Way up there!" Ergo cried, jumping to his feet and pointing toward the roof. Up high, nearly out of sight, was an opening some ten feet around. Unfortunately, it was some twenty feet up.
"Now what?" Elden asked.
"We find a way up there." replied Ergo.
"Gotta fly spell?" quipped the eldest brother.
"Better." retorted Ergo. "I found the trick here." Following his younger brother, Elden was surprised that he had missed the obvious- a bar hidden in the shadows.
"Pull it down." Ergo offered to his brother. "I’m sure a ladder or something will appear."
"You sure? After the stairs, I don’t trust anything in these caves."
"C’mon Elden, afraid?" quipped Ergo. Angrily, his brother pulled the lever down. Nothing happened.
"Huh?" queried Ergo. "I was sure that ...." before he could finish, there was a ‘Whooosh’ as a torent of water began pouring in from overhead.
"ERGO!!!" His brother yelled. "Help me put it back!"
Struggling vainly to push the the lever back up, the two brothers, now knee deep in water, began collecting all of the now-useless torches. Taking the rope out again, Ergo and Elden worked together to cut the rope into pieces so they could tie some of the torches into a large bundle.
The two brothers, now resembling no more than drowned rats, clung to the floating torches as best they could as the chamber slowly filled up with water.
"Or we could allow the Quag to flood the room and we could swim down the tunnel." Ergo smiled weakly. Elden just shook his head, smiling beside himself.
"Ah. Here is my excitement." Elden laughed, splashing his younger brother. Round three began and ended quickly, and the two made their way to the tunnel.
Scrambling up, the two ran down the tunnel, with the water folowing closely behind. The passage ended in the open, on a ledge that went out for five or so feet, and left and right of the tunnel opening some ten feet each way. There was another bar here.
"What do you think?" Ergo asked.
"I think we do not have much choice." Elden replied, as the first traces of water appeared, disappearing over the ledge and forming a mini-waterfall. Without further hesitation, Ergo pulled the bar down. With one swift ‘boom’ a stone slab fell, sealing off the tunnel, and any chance of returning that way. The slab itself had numerous glyphs carved on it.
"Can you read it Eld?" Asked Ergo.
Looking close, Elden ws surprised that he could! Though he had never seen their like before, he could read them as easily as if he had written them himself.
"Belief in the Maker, belief in the clan, belief in thyself. The true path shall be seen." translated Elden.
"Wow. What does it mean? How did you know?"
"Don’t know. Don’t know. I just....did. Like you knowing the darts were there. Weird, little brother. Weird."

Further along, the ancient mage, now older than even before, smiled a toothless smile. They would be here soon. All was in place.

"So what now?" Ergo asked. Looking across the chasm before them, he could easily see the dot depicting the opening across from them. It was fortunate that the night was clear and Luna and Celene were both shedding their light. What was worrisome was the cold. Soaked to the bone, the outside air appeared even colder than earlier. Elden was shivering and his lips were pale, even in this light.
"I...I...I..dun...dunno." shivered Elden. "B..b...b...but I sh... shh...sure would L...L...L... like a warm...f...f...f...fire now!"
"Don’t worry. Things always have a way of balancing out, eh?" Ergo said half-heartedly. Elden just smiled weakly and hugged himself tighter.
"Belief!!" Shouted Ergo jumping up. "Trust in our belief! I believe in the Maker! In you, my clan! In myself! If we believe, we can cross!! C’mon!"
"Ergo! No!" Elden jumped up, trying to stop his deluded brother. Too late. Ergo jumped out into the chasm, and Elden turned his head, unable to watch. Moments later, he carefully peeked. Standing in thin air, some ten feet away, was his sibling, smiling broadly.
"Gotta believe, big brother!" Turning, Ergo bounded across the chasm. Slowly, carefully, Elden shuffled his way across also. Gaining confidence with each step, he, too, was soon half-running.
Reaching the other side, the two entered a small ante-chamber. The place was small, only ten feet across, and was well lit from a magic light from above. At the rear was another set of steps.
"More steps?" Ergo groaned.
"As long as a nice warm fire awaits us at the end." replied Elden.
Moving slowly and stiffly, the two began to descend the new stairs. Losing count, they continued for what they thought was hours before they arrived in a large, circular chamber.
The place had smooth walls onto which many symbols and glyphs were drawn. Magic circles were scribed on the floor, and torches lined the walls. The faint hint of sulphur and incense was present in the air.
The two brothers froze at the bottom of the steps. Both were looking at the chamber; no, not the chamber, but one identical. It was in another place, another time. The two had sneaked into the Sacred Halls; the place that their parents had told them they could not go until they were older. They arrived as the Protectors of the Flame were being raved by unholy fiends from the Pits of Fire. Seeking escape, the two had come to a locked door. The eldest had just picked the lock, when into the sides of his face two darts pierced. Looking up in fear, the twins saw the tall figure of a man in flowing gold and red robes coming their way. The two managed to escape, but soon after the poison claimed the older twin. Unable to help, the younger brother watched as his elder sibling died in screaming fits and pain. The younger twin buried his brother and escaped into the night.

"Yes. You remember." said a croaking voice.
Snapping from their near-trance, the twins drew dirks and stood ready. With a wave of his hand, the mage, now barely a skeleton of a figure, stripped the dirks from the hands of the thieves. Crooking his finger, Elden suddenly went stiff. Walking rigidly, eyes staring, he advanced toward the mage.
"Elden! No! Stop! Wake up!" cried Ergo, trying vainly to hold his brother back. With another wave of the mage’s hand, the younger brother was lifted from his feet and flung like a rag doll into the wall. Falling back to the ground, his back struck solidly, and all of the air was forced from his lungs. Stunned, it was several seconds before Ergo could catch his breath. Rolling over, he crawled up to all fours, and staggered to his feet. Across the room, Elden was inside some kind of light-cage. He stood staring and unblinking. The mage, uncaring of Ergo, was busy casting a spell of some sort.
Ergo took a step toward his brother, but found himself frozen and unable to move. The ancient, decrepit mage, swathed in loose-fitting, gold and red robes, was facing him.
"You and your sibling have been impressive thus far. But, your true test is yet to come."
"I...I...I know your voice. I know YOU!" said Ergo. "You were there! At the Sacred Hall!"
"Yes, little man. I was there. So close! Had your ancestor and his brother not interrupted me, I may have acquired the information I desired. As it was, while I ws busy with them, my ...associate... went a bit too far with the priests. Fitting that you should be the ones to aid me now."
"Never!" yelled Ergo.
"Oh, yes." Said the mage, placing a dagger under Elden’s throat. "I am quite sure you can be pursuaded."
"Who are you?" asked Ergo.
"No one you would care to know. But, if you must, in my youth I was called Keraptis."
"Impossible! He was just a rumor! Even if real, he lived over one thousand years ago! How?" stammered Ergo in disbelief.
"The power of the Flame is a wonderful thing." Keraptis answered. But power must be rejuvenated, just as a mage or a priest must renew his spell power. Your ancesters had in their possession an item of great power. If I am to continue, its power needs be mine."
"And what of my brother?" asked Ergo weakly, concern etched on his face.
"Bah! I have no use for either of you, once the Flame is mine. You shall be free to go." The mage lied.
"Why not get it yourself?" Ergo continued, trying desparately to stall until he could find a way out of this.
"Inqusitive, aren’t we? Very well. This last question I will answer, and then in you go. Your ancestors, while weaklings, were not entirely inept. They created a special hiding place for their holy relic. It is sort of a magical bubble. Upon this land they placed great magics, preventing all save members of their own society from entering without enduring great dangers. It is ironic that the only remaining people of this society are those who had no representatives in the halls. The Halflings were great planters and fishermen, and were responsible for providing food and water. The Olven provided the magi, the Humans provided the priests, the Dwur provided the battlements and protectors, while the Gnomes provided the technology and artistry. Each sect relied upon the other, and as a symbol of the bonding of their cultures, a flame of singular uniquiness was created within a gem of flawless cunstruction. Its power is that which I seek, and is what you shall retrieve for me. Time is of import, as the magics holding the place intact have begun to fade. Hence its name: The Fading Land. Come now. That is enough questions. It is time for you to enter the place and retrieve the Crystal of Ebon Flame for its true and rightful owner."
Finding himself free of his paralysis, Ergo entered the circle. Looking at his brother helplessly, he resigned himself to the mage’s wish. He could not bear the thought of losing his brother again. As he stood by, the mage Keraptis completed the incantation which opened the gate.
A great howling wind erupted as the gate opened between the two planes. Ergo, light as he was, could barely keep his feet, and only by grabbing hold of Keraptis did he keep from doing so. Gripping his shoulder with an iron-like claw, Keraptis yelled something, but was drowned in the deafening roar. Shoving Ergo through the opening, the halfling thief tumbled headlong through the portal.

All went suddenly quiet, and Ergo found himself face down in the sandy earth. Looking around, he saw nothing at first. The entire land was lit dimly from some unknown source, although the sky flickered frequently, as a torch within a breeze.
Looking around, Ergo’s eyes fell upon an altar some ways away. Running quickly to it, he found himself staring at the most beautiful gem he had ever seen. Fully the size of a closed, human fist, it was a blackish-purple in color. Within its depths, the halfling’s sharp eye caught the dancing patterns of a flame. Truly, it was not only finely crafted, but magically enchanted as well. How could he let it be corrupted by one such as Keraptis? His thoughts returned to his brother, and, sadly, he knew his only choice.
Grasping the gem, Ergo was surprised at the coolness, especially with a flame within. As he looked, there was a sudden flare-up, and rays of light began streaming around him. Shadows darkened and faded within his sight, purple and black rays alternating back and forth. He felt a calming warmth fill him, pressing its way down into is thoughts.
Deeper, into the unbidden reaches of history the rays delved, bringing with them the flood of memories which had lain dormant for centuries. He knew it all in that one instant. The bonding. The creation. The power of the crystal. Its power lies in the linking of all into one. Like a great forge, smelting all metals into one great alloy, so the flame worked its magic on the properties of the races. Those who had the knowledge could use the flame to combine the powers of the races to forge them all into one great alloy, able to, for brief periods of need, create a virtually indestructible force for good....or evil. Whatever Keraptis had planned for its use, Ergo was sure that it was not good.
Turning to head back to the gate, Ergo froze in his tracks, more terrified than he had ever been. Before him was a great beast, formed of the stuff of shadows. Huge, it was, and only one word came to the poor halfling’s mind: dragon.
The guardian. What better, more fitting creature to guard a shadow-world than a dragon of shadow. Its eyes were but twin sparkles of light, and its head lowered down so that its chin scraped the ground.
"Who art ye, and of what clan be ye? Answer now, lest ye be but a snack for me and my kin." The dragon spoke in a whispered hiss, mouth unmoving, words flowing from the shadow itself. Struck dumb with fear, unable to even breath, Ergo stood, staring at the monstrosity.
"So be it, mortal. I pray thy life was a good one."
Opening its maw, Ergo saw they whole universe within its belly. He prayed that Elden would forgive him, prayed that his Mom and Pap would understand; after all, this WAS a dragon.
"Things just have a way of balancing out, I guess." squeaked Ergo, his eyes shut tight, awaiting his fate. He waited for the wyrm to strike. And waited. And waited. Slowly, first one eye, then another opened. The dragon was still before him, and again he froze. Looking he saw the dragon was looking not at him, but his clenched fist. Looking himself, he saw that he had a clump of cloth from Keraptis’ red and gold robe.
Holding his hand out, Ergo stammered weakly Y...Y...You..w...w.. want..th..this?" and he dropped it quickly on the ground. The dragon sniffed deeply, a deep growl emanating from its throat.
"The rules have been broken." it said thickly. "None but the house Clan Flameguard are allowed within the portal."
"I....I..I...didn’t....m...m...mean.....it." stammered Ergo. "I just...sort...of...grabbed him. To stay....up...you...see....and..."
"Silence." said the dragon. "The powers of this place fade with the passage of time. I fade with the passage of the place. Countless generations pass and still none of the clan come. Until now. But the rules have been broken. If one not of the clan breaks the bond, so might I break the bond."
Stretching his neck throught the portal, the dragon gave a mighty roar. There was a horrific scream, as the dragon drew the mage Keraptis through the gate.
"Thy power works not here, former mage, but thy power and life are still sweet." With a great breath, a cloud of shadow passed over Keraptis. He slowly withered, as the life energy that was once his passed to the guardian of the gem. Twice more he breathed, and twice more the life force of the mage was drawn from him, until he was naught more than a pile of dust and bone.
With each successive gain of power, the streaks in the sky became less and less, until the sky shone with a light of its own.
"And so the power is restored." the dragon growled.
"He told me that!" shouted Ergo. "Magic had to be replaced! Like a wizards spell and a priests spell!"
"As it is with all magics, they fade with time. As death gives way to birth, and birth to death. All are bonded into one great flame. Growing dim at times, perhaps almost failing, but in the end, being reborn anew." the dragon added.
Placing the gem back into its rightful holder, Ergo turned to ask the dragon a question, but the guardian was gone.
"I shall not forget, this time!" He yelled to the emptiness. Returning to the gate, he jumped back through. Elden was lying prone on the floor, sound asleep.
"Wake up, dunderhead!" Ergo laughed, kicking Elden’s feet.
"Eh? Whaaa.... Oh! Look out!" Elden yelled, jumping up and reaching for his empty scabbard. "Where is he? What happened?"
"Nothing really. Boring, like you said. How’s about that vacation we talked about?" Ergo asked, swatting his bewildered brother in the head.
Round four began, and this time, Ergo won.