Then, with a final, anger-fueled lunge, the beast pushed against the wire. The three immense trees finally gave and came crashing down. The furious creature pushed the wire around the trees, which pushed agains the tree trunks, until the trees caved in towards the center of the triangle. The parasite screamed as it realized its mistake and three gigantic tree tops crashed down upon it. But it was not the weight that was supposed to harm it. The blizzard that rained down earlier had covered the branches of the large trees with heavey, hard, sharp, spears of ice. The lord of Dread Whispers was impaled by the icicles, a hundred times over, struck by countless branches crashing on top of him. The crash was loud enough to be heard throughout the Tashmine forest and beyond.

The monster was cut to shreds with icicles. Its skull was split open. There was nothing left but a mess of black hair and blood. As the puddle of dark liquid grew, Galeb had to step back so that he was not standing in it. The three Aelo-Lorinthians stared silently and said nothing.

"Ow," Hamaer said after quite some time.

"Are you okay, Isba?" asked Kelemak.

"That had to hurt."

"Undoubtedly."

Then, the black husk seemed to melt and deflate. It exhaled slow whistle as steam rose from the dark mass. Black smoke gathered from the corpse and rose in the air.

"What's going on?" Galeb asked.

"I don't know, hopefully this is supposed to happen," said Hamaer.

The smoke swirled in the air, purple light flashed. It erupted into a chaotic maelstrom of clouds and light. Wind was blowing fiercely. Blue lightning struck down from the manifestation, striking near Kelemak. The Lorinthians jumped back.

"What is going on!" yelled Kelemak over the screams of wind.

More lightning struck and lights flickered rapidly in the black mass. The wind became so strong the Lorinthians had to brace their feet or be blown away. Two sharp crimson eyes appeared in the dark, swirling maelstrom. A powerful voice erupted.

"YoU haVe dOne wElL in deSTroyinG my BOdy, BuT I canNot be deStroyed, my PresEnce wIll remAin in this WoRld forevER!!" the red-eyed face grinned menacingly. Blue and purple lightning shot out at the Lorinthians, starting black fires where it missed.

"What do we do now!" shouted Hamaer. No one could hear him over the screaming maelstrom, but no one would have an answer anyway.

"wE wilL alWayS wiN! wE warned yOu noT to resiSt! ALL shall be wIth us!" A blue light opened in the heavens above and the area was covered in purple light. Black tornados spun out of the whirling mass and shot through the woods, tearing holes in the forest.

"No!" Galeb felt a hand on his sholder. He turned and it was Captain Aroden. Behind him rode his entire calvalry.

"Captain!" Hamaer shouted over the wind, "what can we do now!"

The captain's brown beard blew in the wind, "This evil entity was created through dark magic long ago! It cannot be killed!"

"No! There must be something we can do!"

"Yes, it cannot be killed but we can get rid of it!" Then eight purple robed figures stepped forward from the formation. They wore heavey cowls over their heads with yellow symbols of prisms. One of the mysterious figures approached Galeb and handed him a scroll. "You must chant these words, all three of you! You are the desire of the harestia, only the Aelo-Lorinthians can stop them!"

Galeb unwrapped the scroll and showed it to Kelemak and Hamaer. It was covered in runes and strange words of a language unkown to the Aelo-Lorinthians.

"Speak the words and approach the harestia! We will take care of the rest!" Hamaer nodded and began reading the scroll. The three Lorinthians clumsily spoke the foreign words, trying their best to pronounce them correctly. The eight sorcerors gathered together and began some kind of hand maneuver spell. Yellow prisms appeared out of thin air before them.

The Aelo-Lorinthians began walking towards the raging, black storm, reading the runes on the scroll that Galeb held. Repeating the strange chants over and over. Their voices grew louder as they marched closer. The sorcerors' moved their hands rapidly. The spirit of the harestia continued to throw down lightning, catching the dry trees on fire. Some of the Tuskegarians were hit by the lightning but the three Aelo-Lorinthians came closest to the storm were somehow missed. They stood firmly as blue and purple streaks of lightning rained down and struck through the earth next to them.

An inferno raged through the Tashmine forest, trees were torched, flaming branches fell down. Crimson light filled the woods, searing heat penetrated the armor of the soldiers. But the distractions made no difference, the purple mages ignored the fires and concentrated on their cantations. They moved furiously, summoning astral prisms which spun in the air before them. The Lorinthians now stood directly before the evil spirit, chanting their mantra. Although they were not afraid, they assured themselves that as long as they continued to repeat the lines they would be safe. Somehow that confidence worked, even though they were before the great harestia, the dark entity was unable to harm them.

The brave Aelo-Lorinthians spoke the runes on the scroll repeatedly, not thinking about their danger or anything else. The robed Tuskegarians danced their prisms around even more rapidly. Storms of fire roared through the woods, devouring trees and bushes. The wind blew fiercely, uprooting smaller plants, threatening to eject the soldiers from their foundations in the snow. Purple lights flickered within the manifestation and it grew more violent as the Lorinthians approached it. It cast its red eyes down upon the three defiantly.

Finally, the yellow prims flew from the sorcerors and surround the black maelstrom. Blinding white light flickered, leaving all those present disorientated. It all happened very quickly. Yellow walls seemed to form around the black, formless monstrosity. Then another white light blinded everyone and a scream was heard across space and time. The Lorinthians felt themselves being thrown back, almost floating. Time seemed to stop momentarily with the burst of light.

Galeb R'ef twitched his large, brown Aelo-Lorinthian eyes until they finally adapted back to the darkness. He felt as if he had been sleeping for weeks. As his eyes adjusted he could see similar reactions from the Tuskegarians and his fellow Lorinthians. Except for the sunrise the woods were dark again. The raging fire had disappeared, the wind had stopped, the dark lightning had ceased, and the black storm had disappeared.

"Are you alright Galeb?" Kelemak asked concerned.

Galeb looked at her but was too bewildered to answer. Hamaer stood up and began walking toward the area the evil spirit had occupied as if he was being summoned. Galeb instinctively followed him. Soon everyone was wearily walking towards the center.

Hamaer Ka'bal said nothing. He looked around in the snow before him. Then he bent down and picked something up. He held the object closely to himself, examining it thoroughly.

"What is it Hamaer?" asked Captain Aroden.

The Grell simply held his paw-like hand forward and showed everyone. It was a small, antique hour glass filled with black powder.

The Aelo-Lorinthians and Aroden all looked at each other with peculiar expressions, neither sad nor happy.

It took days for the Tuskegarians and Aelo-Lorinthians to organize the remnants of the war. It was not a difficult, morbid task to sort through and account for who was wounded, missing, or dead. War medics were brought in from Tuskagua immediately but in most cases, it was too late. They had won, but the costs of victory were nothing to celebrate, less than 100 Aelo-Lorinthians were left on this planet. The Hibernation Apparatus was still destroyed and there was no chance in restarting a colony. It was a grim victory for the Aelo-Lorinthians.

Several days after the final annihilation of the Dread Whispers Galeb R'ef stumbled upon Hamaer Ka'bal and Kelemak sitting solemnly together next to an icey stream. They appeared to be in deep thoughts of despair. Galeb sat down next to them.

"What can we do now?" Galeb asked after minutes of uncomfortable silence.

"We lost a great deal more than we thought," Hamaer said gravely, "The Galome was murdered, Bulmer was lost, Old Tideme was also lost, Ismet is still alive for the moment but he will not last much longer." Hamaer situated his bandages.

"And Gildur," added Kelemak.

"Gildur was lost long ago," said Galeb, "He was the only one of us to see the outside world. And what he saw took control of him. He became corrupt from greed. And that greed led to the resentment of us. That is what happened."

"So what are you going to do from here, Galeb?" inquired Hamaer.

"I thought we would go back to the colony and start over this summer. The Tuskegarians have already invited us to spend the winter in their kingdom."

"I would have liked to join you," said Hamaer.

"We both would," added Kelemak.

"Then why can't you?"

"Galeb," Hamaer began sadly, "there is not enough left of us to rebuild now. Even if there was, have you seen the rest of the Lorinthians. They carry expressions of remorse, memories of horror, they want nothing left to do with this colony. They have already started quietly packing to leave in search of new lives elsewhere in the world."

Galeb became as grim as the others.

"Our colony is finished," Kelemak said, "and eventually the Aelo-Lorinthian race will be lost and absorbed into the world."

"I wouldn't be too discouraged," Galeb said softly, "We still have our own lives to live, and the freedom to choose how to live them. That is enough for me."

"I hope so, good luck Galeb," Hamaer and Kelemak stood up and began to walk away.

"Good luck to you two also," Galeb said to them even though they were already too far away to hear him.

And so all the life disappeared from the Aelo-Lorinthian colony of the Diamond Falls in the Western Lands. Some left together but most left alone, searching the world for a new place to call home. A place as far away as possible from the dreaded feelings left behind at the colony. The events that winter in the Tashmine forest were not immortalized in song or tale, they were purposely forgotten. There was nothing valiant that any Lorinthian wanted to remember, just terrible memories. Not even did the Tuskegarians speak of what happened ever again, and the war became lost in time.

As winter passed and the Crimson Moon finally left the night skies, spring then summer rolled around. By then most Aelo-Lorinthians were halfway across the world. Some stayed in Tuskagua, but for most, that was still too close.

Galeb R'ef watched the ocean waves against the horizon as he stood silently at the end of the dock in Rement Harbor. He had been staying in the enormous city of Kreenga Slewinns for nearly a week, it was a very distant land from the colony at Diamond Falls, but not distant enough.

"Galeb! Galeb!" children squealed as they ran towards the Aelo-Lorinthian at the edge of the wooden pier. Galeb R'ef turned and greeted them with a warm smile.

"You're not leaving already, are you?" a small, ragged girl whined. This last week, Galeb had befriended several local children. They were easily amused with his tricks or perhaps because they had never seen an Aelo-Lorinthian before.

"I'm afraid so," Galeb said while patting a small childs head.

"Where are you going Galeb?" a chubby boy asked.

Galeb turned back to the horizon, "I do not know."

"Will you show us a trick before you leave? Please?" a child asked. Voices grew in support of the notion.

"Well, alright. One last trick." Galeb enjoyed the company of the children. He had never seen any before while living at the colony and was comforted with their companionship. He had not seen another Aelo-Lorinthian for months now.

The wandering Lorinthian kneeled down, matching his eye level with the little people. He dug through his pocket and retrieved a small, star-like shape made of reflecting glass. The children watched in awe, intently waiting for what was going to happen. Galeb turned and held the small star up against the sun so the light hit it just right. Sunlight reflected off the glass star and slivers of bright light shone against the wooden pier and across the children. It was a simple tool of Aelo-Lorinthian design used to manipulate light in dark places. The children gasped in wonder. The magician then rotated the star so that the slivers of light moved back and forth. The children cheered in approval.

"How does that work, Galeb?" an inquisitive child asked.

Galeb put the glass star back into his pocket. "Magic," he replied raising his eyebrows.

"Can I have it?" the child asked.

"Well, okay," the Lorinthian again retrieved the reflecting glass star from his pocket and dropped it into the small hands of the child, "now run along."

Preoccupied with their amazing new toy the children ran off, leaving Galeb alone at the dock. His thoughts wandered to where he would go next and what would happen to him.

Years passed and the world changed. New wars erupted between civilizations and others settled down. New inventions and discoveries were made. New races appeared in the world while others seemed to disappear.

A bored desk boy sat glumly at the counter. It was a slow day at "Beryl's Trinkets" and the boy sighed impatiently waiting for the hours to pass.

Then, the door bell awoke the dozing boy and someone stepped into the dusty, old shop. It was an Aelo-Lorinthian, a very old Aelo-Lorinthian who crept forward at a slow pace, stumbling along with a black cane. As he approached the desk the aging Lorinthian slipped and almost fell. The desk boy rushed out to help his customer.

"Are you alright sir?" he said steadying the Lorinthian on his feet.

"Yes, my body hasn't been the same since," the old Lorinthian wearily rubbed his large C'dowe.

"What happened to you?" the boy asked noticing a large bandage on the creature's torso.

"Oh, I've been through," the wounded Aelo-Lorinthian paused, "quite a bit in my time."

"So, what are you looking for?"

"I was told you got some new things in, could I have a look?" he replied immediately.

"Sure," the desk boy dragged out a box from under the counter, "but to tell you the truth sir, I've been lookin' through all this and it's just a bunch of junk."

The ancient Lorinthian ignored him and began digging through the box. The desk boy watched him curiously, he had not seen an Aelo-Lorinthian for years. After a few minutes the old Lorinthian pulled something out and showed it to the boy.

"What is this?" the Lorinthian asked almost viciously.

"Uh, I don't know. It don't do anything, I'm not sure if it's supposed to," the boy said looking at the object. It was a small hour glass filled with black powder, "do you know what it is?"

The Lorinthian answered mysteriously, "No. But I think I could figure it out."

"Well, it ain't any good to anybody but you sir," the desk boy said, "if you really want it then you can have it."

The old Aelo-Lorinthian grew a smile which seemed to change into a sinister grin, "Thank you." The gaunt figure picked up his cane and began creeping back out of the shop.