Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 02:19:19 -0400 (EDT)
From: Rune Therain <mist_dark@yahoo.ca>
Subject: Re: Nsync Saga, part 17

This one didn't take too long to write.  I was surprised I could get this
much out of it.  Anyway, it's here so let me know what you guys think of
it.  I want to hear from you.  The good and the bad.  Questions are always
welcome.  Drop me a line.  Mist_dark@hotmail.com or Mist_dark@yahoo.ca

Thanks to everyone who've e-mailed me.  I love hearing from you guys (and
yes I'm fully aware that I'm begging for e-mail here).  In particular I
have to thank Kenitra, Shade, Aeoros, Aphrodite, Keif, Di, Hamando, Tom and
Mark.  There's always someone else, but I can never think of them.  If you
want a few good stories to read check out Millinium love, BSB and Nsync
Chronicles, Brian and Me, and Lance In Shining Armour.  Search and rescue
is also worth checking out.

Legalities.  These start to get old after a while, but one must do what one
must.  This story in no way reflects the sexuality of the members of Nsync.
If they're gay it's not my business.  If you're too young in your area or
it's illegal I would leave now.  Also if homosexual themes offend you
(check your internet skills) and leave as well.  Parts of this story are
based of the RPG Rifts.  All trademarks belong to Kevin Siembieda and
Palladium books.

Anyway, remember to enjoy the story.  You obviously do if you've gotten
this far.  And remember to e-mail me.

Until next time, Rune


PART EIGHTEEN


	Sleep fled from Evelyn a few hours before sunset.  She left her bed
and pulled on her robe.  She walked across the room to light the fire and
then flagged down one of Selvar's skeletal servants for a pot of water, a
tea set, and some tea.  When she was sure the skeleton had her request down
she sent it off to retrieve what she'd asked for.  While she waited she
made her bed and opened the drapes to let the late afternoon sun into her
room.

	Selvar had been polite when he said he had enough room for
everyone.  He had enough room for a few hundred people, and then still have
room to spare.  Her room alone was at least as big as her cabin.  A large
window occupied one wall, while the fireplace took up another.  Two doors
led from the main room she was in.  One led to her sleeping chamber and the
other led to the hallway.  The walls were decorated in various tapestries.
Some depicted magical rituals while others showed forest scenes.  A huge
carpet covered the stone floor.  On it were a few pieces of furniture.  A
small table sat in front of the couch and two end chairs.  All of which sat
facing the fire.  Another two chairs sat by the window.  Torches and
candleholders were placed strategically around the room.

	A soft knock came at the door.  Evelyn answered it.  The skeleton
she'd sent to gather things for her tea had returned.  It shuffled into the
room and sat everything down on the table.  After Evelyn had checked to
make sure everything was there, she thanked it and sent it on its way.

When the door closed behind it she had to laugh.  The skeleton was only an
animated construct.  It didn't care that she had thanked it.  If she'd
asked it to it would have run itself into the wall repeatedly.  `Oh well,'
she thought.  `Old habits die hard.'

She began to busy herself making the tea she always had after she'd woken
up.  She wouldn't be hungry for another few hours, but she always wanted
tea when she woke up.

The water had just finished boiling when another knock came at the door.
This one was as soft as the first, but seemed slightly more insistent.
Setting her cup down she answered the door again.  Joey was standing on the
other side.  A troubled look etched on his face.

"Yes, Joseph?"  Evelyn normally had to concentrate, even slightly, to use
her various psychic powers.  Her empathy activated itself.  She could feel
the waves of confusion rolling off Joey.  Confusion mixed with anger, pain,
sorrow and loathing.  "Come in dear."  She took his arm and guided him to
the couch.  She closed the door and sat down next to him.

Joey sat there staring at the table for a few minutes before he said
anything.  "I killed him."  He said simply.

"The bandits?"  Evelyn asked.  She phrased it as a question, but it was
more of a statement.

"I took a man's life and didn't even stop to think about it," Joey said as
if he hadn't heard her.  "I cut him down."  A tear worked its way down his
cheek.  It was quickly joined by another.

"You had no choice Joseph," Evelyn said quietly.  She took his hands in her
lap and held them.  "He was going to kill us, all of us if he had the
choice.  But you stopped him.  If you hadn't someone else would have had
to."

"But Chris didn't," Joey said.  "He just knocked his out.  Even you just
put yours to sleep.  I killed mine.  I cut them with a sword made of my own
mind."

"Joseph come here."  Evelyn pulled him into a hug.  He wrapped his arms
around her and clung to her as if she were the last stable thing on earth.
She started to rock him gently back and forth, whispering to him
occasionally to let him know she was still there.  Eventually he cried
himself to sleep.

She just held him while he slept.  Now and again she'd brush the hair from
his face and dry his tears with her hand.  But she didn't leave his side
until a third knock came at the door.

Sighing she willed the door to open.  From her position she could see the
door clearly.  JC stood posed in the hallway ready to knock again.  He
looked startled at the door's sudden movement, but didn't say anything.

"Come in Joshua," she said quietly.  "Just don't wake Joseph."

"How is he?" JC asked as he entered the room.  He closed the door quietly
behind him.

"He's been through a lot in the last little while.  I imagine all of you
have," she said while looking at Joey.  She managed to untangle herself
from him and laid him down on the couch.  She disappeared into her sleeping
room and returned a moment later with a blanket.  She spread it out over
Joey and kissed him gently on the forehead.

"You care for him a lot, don't you?"  JC asked her as they moved to the
chairs by the windows.

"I'm a mother Joshua," Evelyn said as she sat down in one of the chairs.
"It's all I truly know how to do.  I've known him for a few months, but in
that time I've come to love him as if he were my own child.  I would do
anything to keep him safe, and it pains me to see him in anguish like
this."

"I know that feeling," JC said.  "Not the mother part obviously, but
feeling the pain of your friends when they're hurting."

Evelyn smiled.  "A good friend always knows when his friends are in pain.
They may not know why, but they know the pain is there."  She glanced at
the table and poured JC a cup of tea.  She pulled both her cup and the
fresh one across the room telekinetically.  She offered the new one to JC
who accepted.  "Now what is it exactly that you came to talk to me about?"

"Actually I came to see where Joey had gone off too," he admitted.  "I
heard him leave his room and followed him here.  I waited out in the
hallway for a bit wondering if I should find out what was wrong."

"I'm not going to tell you what Joseph told me," Evelyn told him.  "If he
wishes you to know, he'll tell you.  If he doesn't give him the space he
needs to recover until he feels comfortable telling you."

"You make it sound really easy," JC said.  "I haven't seen the guy in
months and then when he does show up he's in pain.  I don't like it.  I
don't want to have to watch him wringing his insides trying to cope with
something he has to talk about."

"He will talk," Evelyn said.  "You just have to give him time.  He feels
comfortable talking to me because I represent a maternal figure.  You are a
peer and brother to him.  He's spoken fondly of you, Lance, and Justin, as
well as Christopher.  He wants to have you respect him.  I doubt he wants
you to see him in what he considers a moment of weakness."

"But I don't care about that," JC said.  "He's like a brother.  I could
care less about his weaknesses.  We all have them."

"We both know that, and part of him does as well.  But at his point in
time, he doesn't realize it."  Evelyn sipped her tea.  "Give him some time,
he'll come around."

JC laughed quietly.  "No wonder Chris and Joey like you.  You're like a
mother to everyone you meet."

"I'll take that as a compliment."











	Anubis groaned as consciousness returned to him.  It took a couple
of minutes for him to realize where he was.  The room was made of sandstone
and lacked any decoration.  He hung, spread eagle, by chains in the center
of the room.  He had been stripped of any clothing.

	"You were brave," A man in a red robe said.  "Very foolish, but
very brave."

	Anubis glanced at him and snarled.  "And what do the Acolytes want
with me?"

	"Actually we didn't want you," Red told him.  "We only wanted Set,
but you decided that you would come charging to his rescue.  Since you
showed up, we thought we'd put you to some use."

	Red moved across the room and behind Anubis.  There was the sound
of clinking bottles.  He returned to sight carrying a medium sized bottle
in his left hand.

	"If you're even worth the title of a god of death, you are aware of
what I'm going to do to you."

	"Every god knows what the Acolytes can do to them," Anubis sneered.
"Though not all of us are willing to grovel to stop you from doing what you
want to do anyway."

	A smile crossed Red's lips, but didn't touch his eyes.  "Under most
circumstances you would be correct.  But under these circumstances you are
wrong.  Very, very wrong."  He uncorked the bottle and began pouring the
contents out on his hands.  He rubbed the oily contents into Anubis' skin.
"The times are changing, and what we originally thought of as an annoyance,
has become far more important.  In fact the time of prophecies is at hand.
At least some of them."  He finished rubbing the oil into the god's skin
and moved back to put the bottle away.

	"We need your help," Red said.  "Or more accurately we need your
minions."

	"Kidnapping Set and myself is not the best way to secure our help."

	"If we simply wanted your help, then yes, we went about it the
wrong way," Red agreed.  "But fortunately for us, we don't want your help.
We only want your minions.  And we will get them."

	"Unlikely," Anubis laughed.  "I control my minions, not you."

	"True.  But I know how to steal that control, and I plan to do just
that," Red stood in front of him and looked him the eye.  "Normally we
would need all six Acolytes to perform the ritual that strips a god of
their power.  This time though we aren't stripping you of your power.  I'm
going to do something far worse to you, and there only need be one of us
here to do that.  Besides the others are busy performing similar rituals."

	A very masculine cry echoed from somewhere outside the room.
Anubis' ears twitched to catch the sound.  It came again before it stopped
suddenly.  The echoes still carried through the room, but their source was
gone.

	"It would appear that Set is finished offering his aid.  I doubt
the others will be much longer either."  As if to punctuate his point, a
female scream followed the male one.  It lasted longer but was also cut
off.  "Apparently Hel is also finished.  She was hard to get, but once we
had her in the chains it was easy to take care of her."

	Red slipped behind Anubis again and returned with a knife with
three blades.  "Now, we do have a schedule to meet and we don't want to
fall behind.  This is going to hurt a lot, but fortunately you won't care.
The pain will block everything else out."

He slashed upward with the knife leaving three bloody trails across Anubis'
chest.  The god screamed in pain.  The blood dripped down his chest.
Another slash created a similar set of marks crossing the first.  The X
that was now cut into his chest bleed profusely.  The blood ran down his
legs and dripped off his feet.  Red moved behind Anubis and created another
X on his back.  The blood was flowing very freely now.

"As I said before, we have a schedule to keep.  So I won't be able to keep
torturing you.  It would be entertaining to keep this going all night, but
I simply don't have the time."  Red drew the knife back and slashed the
god's throat.  A new wave of pain shook the Anubis' body.  "All good things
must come to an end."  The Acolyte drew the knife back again and embedded
it in the god's heart.  More blood gushed from the wounds and pooled on the
floor.

As the god died a filmy white mist appeared around his body.  The Red
Acolyte reached out and touched the mist before it dissipated.  "Your
minions are mine to command now."










	The nine of them sat around the end of the dark table in the dining
hall.  Their places were set except for plates.  Selvar sat at the head of
the table with Lance at his right.  JC sat on his left.  Beside JC sat
Joey, Selena, and Chris.  On Lance's right sat Justin, Pyre, and Evelyn.
Numerous candles lit the room.  A fire at the far end of the hall added
both light and heat.  A skeleton stood behind each person holding an empty
tray.

	"I trust each of you slept well," Selvar said.  He gestured to the
skeletons and they all filed toward the back of the hall.  They disappeared
through a small door that apparently led to the kitchen.  "Were the beds
comfortable enough?  It's been a great deal of time since I've had so many
guests."

	"The rooms were fine," Pyre said.

"And the beds are really comfortable," Justin added.

"Not that those two would have complained if the beds were as hard as
rocks," Chris snickered.  "They occupied themselves with other activities."

Selvar arched an eyebrow at the blush that was rapidly rising in Justin's
cheeks.  "It would appear that someone is jealous.  Wouldn't you agree
Justin?"

"Play nice," Lance said.  He leaned over and kissed Selvar quickly.

"I would do nothing but," Selvar smiled.

"Oh please," Joey rolled his eyes.  "Get a room."

"I have several," Selvar commented.  "But there's a time for everything."

The skeletons had returned from wherever they had gone off to.  Their trays
each had a large dish of fruit in the center of it.  Each skeleton took its
place behind the person that it had left.  They waited there until Selvar
motioned to them.  Once given their commands they stepped forward and
placed the dishes in front of their respective person.  Great care was
taken to make sure that their fingers didn't touch the food.  When the food
was on the table they stepped back and remained motionless.

"If you'll humor me," Selvar said.  He bowed his head and whispered
something under his breath.  Everyone else at the table followed suit.  "I
rarely have guests, so I try to be as host like as possible."  He glanced
over the table.  The skeleton behind him abruptly left its post and
disappeared through the back door.

"Where did it go?"  Justin asked.  He picked up a fork and began eating the
fruit on his plate.  He picked up a piece of kiwi and fed it to Pyre.

"It went to get a jug of juice and a jug of water.  I noticed there wasn't
any on the table," Selvar answered.

"How did you tell it what to do?"  Joey asked.  "I didn't hear you say
anything to it."

"I mentally told it what to do," Selvar replied.  "It's similar to
telepathy.  When I'm with in a certain range of my minions I can
communicate them without verbally telling them what to do.  It makes
controlling them far easier."

"I bet," Joey said.  He noticed Lance feeding a strawberry to Selvar.  He
shrugged.  "When in Rome."  He pushed the fruit around on his plate until
he found what he was looking for.  Picking up a raspberry he tried to feed
it to Selena.

"And just what do you think you're doing?"  She asked avoiding the incoming
berry.

"Trying to feed you," Joey said.  He was starting to flush.  "Why?"

"I hate raspberries," Selena told him.  "Try that one," she pointed to a
piece of apple with her fork.

Grinning Joey picked up the apple piece and tried feeding that to her.  She
accepted this time.  "Better?"

"Much," she said simply.

"Napkin Joseph," Evelyn said.

"What?"

"You crushed the raspberry in your hand.  Use your napkin to clean it up,"
she told him.  A faint smile was traced on her lips.

"Oh," Joey said.

Selena giggled and took her napkin and cleaned off his hand.  "There all
better now."

"Thanks," Joey said.  He looked up and caught the look on his dinner
companions' faces.  "What?"

"Never mind," Lance said.  He picked up his fork and continued eating his
meal.  "Do you suppose your skeleton got lost?"

"It is taking a long time isn't it?"  Selvar asked.  "I wonder where it's
gotten to."

"Your skeleton is fine," Maria said.  "I sent it off to do something else.
I thought I'd meet our guests and bring the drinks myself."

"YOU!"  Pyre yelled.  He leapt from his chair and flew across the room at
Maria.  The woman was so shocked that she dropped the jugs in her hands.
The clay shattered when it hit the floor spilling the contents of each jug
over the stone.

Pyre took Maria squarely in the shoulders.  She rolled backward and kicked
him in the stomach.  He flew over her head and landed on the floor.  Both
of them rolled to their feet facing one another.

"What is the meaning of this," Selvar demanded.  All traces of humor were
gone from his voice.  He stood there every inch the lord of the castle.
The fire danced in his green eyes.

"She," Pyre spat.  "Is a vampire."

"I'm aware of that," Selvar snapped.  "That does not explain why you have
attacked her."

"All vampires must die," Pyre said without taking his eyes of Maria.
"Again," he added grimly.

"I will not tolerate attacks on the persons in this castle," Selvar said
coldly.  "End this at once."

"Not until she's dead," Pyre said.

A few dozen skeletal hands shot through the stone floor and pulled both
Maria and Pyre to their knees.  Their hands were pinned by the skeletal
ones, as were their legs.  There was no way they could harm each other in
their constraints.

Pyre growled at Maria.  He pulled at the arms, but they didn't give way.
He was effectively trapped.  Maria hissed at him and turned to mist.  She
moved across the room and stood by the door she'd come through.  Once there
she reformed.

A rush of movement caught everyone by surprise.  An instant later Maria was
pinned against the wall by Justin.

"He may not be able to slay your evil at the moment," he whispered.  "But I
most certainly can."

"ENOUGH!"  Selvar shouted.

A few more skeletal hands shot from the wall.  Each of them latched onto
Justin and pulled both him and Maria to the wall.  She once again turned
into mist to escape.  Once the arms had Justin pulled against the wall more
hands appeared and held him fast.

"Maria I would ask that you leave us for the time being," Selvar said
sharply.  "I will apologize for my guests behavior.  Once I understand
their actions."  He turned to face Pyre.  "Well?"

"I believe I will field that question," a male voice said.  "Though I ask
that the vampire stay."

Selvar spun to see who had entered his hall.  A tall man stood by the
entrance to the hall.  He was just over six feet tall and had a very pale
complexion.  His hair was jet black and cropped close to his head.  A black
goatee graced his otherwise smooth face.  He was dressed in black dress
slacks and black boots.  A white shirt was worn under a black vest.

"Who are you?"  Selvar demanded.  "My hospitality is rapidly running short.
As is my patience."

"Completely understandable," the new comer said.  "I am the Guardian of
Night.  I've come to bestow my gift, and I apparently arrived with my usual
perfect timing."

"My apologizes Guardian," Selvar said.

"No need to apologize Selvar," the guardian told him.  "Your actions are
justified.  If you would remove the restrains on those two I will clear
this whole nasty issue up."

Selvar nodded.  The hands disappeared back into the floor and wall,
releasing Pyre and Justin.  They returned to the table looking slightly
upset, but didn't say anything.  Maria stayed where she was by the door.

"As is obvious by their actions," the guardian began.  "These two are
vampire hunters.  They destroy the vampire menace because, for the most
part, the creatures are very destructive.  However, now and again you come
across a vampire that is different.  One that fights the bloodlust urges
that its master tries to impose on it."  He looked directly at Justin and
Pyre.  "Maria is one of those rare vampires."

"Why should we believe that she is any different then the others?"  Justin
asked.  "I've seen the atrocities that these creatures have committed."

"True enough.  I believe I'll have to show you Maria's mind," the guardian
said.  "Maria come here please."  The vampire complied without a word.  She
walked to the guardian's side.  He reached out and touched her forehead.
She collapsed to the floor the moment his finger touched her skin.  With a
blur of movement he was standing next to Justin and Pyre.  He touched their
foreheads as well and they both collapsed in their chairs.  "Normally I
would use other methods, but we have limited time."

"What did you do to them?"  Lance asked.

"They're having a nice little chat in Maria's mind," the guardian told him.
"They're seeing things from her perspective.  How she fights her
bloodlust."

"How long will it take?"

"A few hours."  The guardian turned to look at the others.  "You already
know that there is a battle brewing.  Time is rapidly approaching the date
that battle will take place.  You must be prepared.  Each of the Guardians
will bestow a gift upon you.  I've come to give mine tonight.  Or more
accurately, give my gift to Maria."

The Guardian of Night walked back to the unconscious vampire.  He touched
her forehead again.  Under his touch Maria changed.  Tiny little blemishes
in her skin smoothed out and disappeared.  She became more beautiful as
each second passed.  She began to exude an aura of incredible power.  As a
vampire she always had an aura about her, but now it was increased
dramatically.  After her body had stopped changing a fine mist oozed from
her body.  It swirled around her and vanished into the air.  The guardian
got to his feet and stepped back.

"What did you do to her?" Selvar demanded.

"Relax my friend," the guardian said.  "I've upgraded her status.  She is
no longer tied to the ultimate vampire lord.  No vampire can force her to
do anything, she is a master vampire now."

Selvar gasped.  "You can do that?"

"She is my creature.  A creature of the night.  Only I can call her to do
anything against her will.  She will know all of the changes made to her
when she wakes."

"Thank you," Selvar said simply.  "She's always been afraid that she would
be forced to do something that she didn't want to do."

"That is no longer a problem," the guardian said.  "I have other matters to
attend to so I shall take my leave.  I will send the rest of my gift later.
It will arrive in the next day or so."  The Guardian of Night walked toward
a gaping shadow on one wall and vanished into it.


TBC

What did ya think?  Let me know.  I'll take e-mail at either
Mist_dark@hotmail.com or Mist_dark@yahoo.ca I'll try to respond promptly.
I usually do.

Rune