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That’s fine , he thought. She should learn early that she’s not my equal. He walked carefully over the broken ground towards the marker.
                  “Ready to come back to serve me, Sister dear?” He stopped in front of the marker and stared. It stood empty except for the nails and ropes used to secure Arwenna. He began a frantic search of the area, looking for any indication of what may have happened to her. After several minutes he stooped down and examined a stone directly in front of the marker. There, neatly carved into the rock, the sunburst of Hauk stared back at him. Howling in rage, he picked up the piece of stone and hurled it at the marker before storming back through the portal. His only thought now was to let the others know.

 
    Chapter Six
     
                   S enyan took in the view of the courtyard and the bodies of his former companions. Sending Barek and Mialee away was no accident. An inner calm descended over him as the sword slashed through his spine. The last sound he heard was that of his raven, Corse, calling out a lament of his death.
    He opened his eyes, hoping that his mind was finally his own. The plain before him lay barren, littered with broken pieces of stone and cracked ground. The perpetual twilight took a moment to get used to. He could sense something nearby, something familiar.
                  “More illusions, Corse? I do not doubt what you are capable of. Why continue to test me like this?” Senyan spoke in the silence of his mind.
                  He heard a reply, one that came more from behind his ear than within his head. “I’m not worried about your trusting me, Senyan. Just checking the measure of control.” The familiar voice was but a whisper, but heavy with command.
    Senyan’s eyes widened as he realized the voice no longer echoed in his head, but from without.               “Where are you?” He whispered to no one he could see.
                  “We will meet soon enough, Senyan. You are here to watch and learn. Once you have learned what you need, I will have you brought back so that your reign may begin,” came the hushed reply.
                  Senyan blinked, startled at the implication. Something had changed then. Before, he had felt like nothing more than some pawn in a giant game of chess. Forces beyond his comprehension moved him for their own gain. Power was always a carrot dangled before him. Perhaps now , he thought, that has shifted . I must be careful .
                  The sound of sobbing brought his mind back to the rock strewn plain before him. There was a woman not far from him, tied to one of the markers. No, not just tied. Nails had been driven into her hands and feet. There’s something familiar about her. Some memory that was just out of reach. He started to move closer, hoping a good look at her face would jog the memory. A flash of light flared to his left. Startled, he melted back into the shadows as a man stepped through the portal. His eyes widened a bit, this person he recognized. He’s the one who killed me , he mused silently. And her, he killed her as well . Moving silently, he glided forward to a place where he could overhear.
                  “Still hating me, Arwenna? How appropriate. I prefer you start with hate. You will appreciate me more when I am in the mood to be kind.” He approached her suspended form and slowly unsheathed one of his knives.
                  Senyan started back, the name given the woman on the marker flooded his mind with memories. A cleric of Silas, one of the ones who tore him open. One of the ones who bound him to a bird that slowly corrupted not just his mind but his very soul. One of the ones who turned him into this creature he now was. His eyes narrowed in hatred as he watched the paladin ravage her. It’s not much of a revenge, but perhaps he could take his own form of