"We need to know all we can to stop Randara," he said, his cool eyes curiously sympathetic.

The young woman sighed, an expression of quiet hopelessness dimming her features. She softly said, "I know."

"I've hoped it wouldn't come to this.. but it has, and there is nothing to do but try to recall him to himself." She looked around at the company, and gestured to the few chairs in the room. "Please, make yourselves comfortable, and I will tell you all I know, and all I've learned.."

They sat, or leaned, or stood at ease, in whatever fashion was most comfortable, and she began speaking softly. The tale she unfolded came as no surprise to most. Young Randara was ambitious, and impatient. His studies couldn't progress fast enough to please him, and so, being cursed with the impetuousness of youth, he did something foolish. Negligently foolish. Criminally foolish. He summoned a demon, thinking to control it. That he had failed went without saying. How badly he had failed.. She bent and twitched back a corner of the carpet, revealing what lay beneath it.. a pentagram within a circle that was burned so deeply into the floor that even the recent renovations to the building had been unable to remove it. As they watched, one or two of the most practiced mages saw a true horror..the lines of the circle wavered and blurred, and behind it.. writhed the tortured soul of Randara.

It wasn't always like this, she explained. Most of the time, the demon shared Randara's body, and Randara exerted some control over its shapechanging and hungers. But twice before that she knew of, he had lost control, and the demon had taken over, casting his soul out entirely and taking over the body. When that happened, the demon visited horrors on whatever city he happened to be in at the time, killing and eating citizens and animals alike, sating his hungers for.. other unspeakable things. Each time the demon grew in power, and this time.. Randara seemed incapable of escaping his prison and regaining control ov the body they shared. She finished her tale and sat silent, looking around the circle at those who had gathered. She didn't know them all, but among them she saw Sutekh Dunestrider and Maland, Elriss Thinvar, Kulgan the mage, Trieste, his mardhrel lover, Marion and Jasmine, others. By their vestments, she noted that worshipers and priests of all the gods were represented here. Her silence stretched on till finally, Kulgan spoke once again.

"We'll have to lure him here..."

Before anyone else could respond, he had sent out his thoughts on the leaf net.

"Randara! Demon! Leave the weak body and come take mine.. "

Trieste gasped, staring at her lover in horror. The others reacted similarly, or worse. Many cursed him for an arrogant fool. He looked around at them coldly and suggested they save their recriminations for later, and use what little time they had now to prepare. Still grumbling, they conceded that he was right, and formed a circle, hand to hand, each touching the burned circle in the floor. All except two, that is.. Chrysana stood in the center of the circle. And Kulgan... walked out the door.

None could say for certain what transpired outside in the cul-de-sac. Long minutes passed before the door opened, admitting Randara, followed by Kulgan. When he saw the trap into which he had been led, he turned and tried to flee, but found the door blocked, and himself inexorably forced into the center of the circle step by step. As mage and demon finally set foot into the consecrated circle, there was a sudden flare of brilliant light, and both were consumed in blue flame! A raging wind blew through the room, tearing at clothing and armor, buffeting furniture about. Trieste made a move toward the engulfed figures, but Sutekh and Jasmine, on either side of her, held her firmly, refusing to release her from the circle or break the protection of it. Within the circle, the two figures struggled while Chrysana looked on, calling for Randara to come out, join in, take back his flesh.. and suddenly, the figures in the circle were.. four. They roiled and twisted around each other, flames licking at them till -- as suddenly as the flames had come, they died, as did the wind, and the howling.. Chrysana and Randara stood in the center of the circle facing Kulgan. As the tension slowly abated, on the edges of the circle, Elriss Thinvar, High Priest of Rorin, slumped to the ground. With a soft cry of concern, Trieste Monsana dropped to her knees beside him, then looked up, her eyes meeting those of Kulgan, in the center of the circle. A chill washed over the entire assembled company as his gray eyes sparked with crimson light. They blazed in fury as he glared at his lover kneeling at the side of his long-time rival, then without a word, he turned and stalked out the door.

Randara broke the silence this time, his voice puzzled and concerned.

"Chrysana? Love?? Who are all thse people?"

The woman turned to him with a delighted smile, crying, "Randara! Love! Is it really you? Oh, it is!!" She threw her arms around his neck, showering his face with kisses. He laughed, returning the kisses, then held her away from him at arm's length. "By Shemri, it feels years since I've seen you..and.. who ARE all these people, love?"

She looked around the circle with a small smile. "Friends, love.."

"..Who are about to leave," Sutekh added, but was interrupted by another voice. "..there's the matter of damages..."

Randara looked up at them, then affectionately down at his wife. "Damages? Love, did you break something again? Oh, love.." He looked up at the others. "If she's broken something, of course, we'll pay for it. I'm always cleaning up her little messes, but she's so adorable.. I can't be angry with her..can I, love..?"

Sutekh started to say something, but was stopped by a warning glance from Chrysana. He simply nodded, and moved toward the door, beginning the exodus that eventually left the happy couple alone together for their reunion.