"You failed my Word." spoke the Master in a soft, grating tone. No other words were necessary. The wraith steeled itself for 'death'.

The Master tapped his finger lightly on the grey throne he resided upon. "You expect some form of recompensation for your failure to bring Xyo to me. That is good. You understand what the price of failure brings. So I grant...mercy."

The wraith's form shuddered, a ripple of darkness fluttering through it. Mercy? From it's Master? It was...unheard of..

The Master waved a hand, balancing a glimmering ball of darkness on the palm of his hand. Tossing it lightly, it bounced once...twice...until it finally rolled to a halt just before the wraith.

"Take it. You will find that it shall give you some powers that you have not held previously." whispered the voice beneath the cowl.

Without a thought, almost acting instinctively at the command of the ominous figure which sat before it, the wraith streched out with a part of it's being, absorbing the ball into it's essence. A surge of power rushed through it, as if a bolt of lightening had struck a mere mortal. With the power came...intelligence!

The wraith, had it had eyes, would have blinked in surprise and gratitude. "Thank you, Master..." it whispered, prostrating itself before the figure that had gifted it so generously. "What do you wish of me?"

And then the Master spoke.

*********************************

Rhiannon lounged in a comfortable chair in the conference chamber. The Master sat idly, his attention held elsewhere.

"You wished to speak with me?" asked Rhiannon, his tone betraying his impatience to conduct his own tasks. Sitting and waiting for the Master's melodrama sometimes became frusterating.

The Master turned his attention to Rhiannon, the faintest aura of a rebuke about his attitude. "You have served me well, Rhiannon. And I seek to reward those who serve me well."

"And those who fail you as well, I see." said Rhiannon casually, making reference to the wraith the Master had spared.

"Though your approval is not required of that action I may take, I will indulge you this once. That wraith is not intended to survive. There is one, known as Lahndo whom the wraiths have investigated on numerous occasions. However, none return to give me the information require. If this one does not return, then I will have to send a Fiend to determine this mortal's intention, and the extent of his power. Jardek will serve that duty well."

"So you don't expect it to survive the encounter?" asked Rhiannon, an amused smile flickering at his lips.

The Master did not respond, turning inward once again.

Rhiannon frowned, sitting upright in his chair. "What did you call me here for, then?"

The Master turned back to Rhiannon, no sign of irritation evident in his demeanor. "As I said. You have served me well. So I give you an opportunity you shall not recieve again. You will duel with a Fiend of your choice. If you succeed, you shall become Fiend of the Cosmos, of equal status and power to those who will become your peers. If you fail, you shall die."

The Master went silent, turning his attention to more important matters...and mortals.

He waited on a cliff, part of the barren, jagged island where his trial would take place, arms crossed in introspection, gazing out at the surrounding grey peaks bordered by the listless grey sea. Lorrithian was late; waiting, perhaps, to test his human nature, to see if he would become impatient or lax. She would have to wait a very long time for him to fall to such petty faults. A thousand years of life will teach one patience, if nothing else. Even though he was only a small step away from the goal which he had sacrificed so much for in the past, he was calm and impassive. Emotion, as his Master had taught him, was the greatest weakness of mortals. Soon, he would no longer be one of them. Or he would perish trying.

Finally, he sensed that the time for battle had come. He threw back his cloak and drew Razor. Tiny points of grey light swirled around the blade in a helix, then formed into constellations as he attuned his mind to the stars. "Fire shall be my enemy, and water my friend." He permitted himself a brief chuckle at the augury. "How obvious." He replaced Razor in its sheath, then rose several feet from the ground as he concentrated on building his Zodiac power structure.

"ARIES," he intoned, as he extended his left hand out to his side. The first sign of the Zodiac appeared in a shining formation of grey stars. "TAURUS." The second sign winked into existence above the first. "GEMINI." The sign of the Twins appeared above his head. And so he named them in turn; Virgo, the Virgin, appearing to his right; Sagittarius, the Archer, below his feet; and finally, Pisces, the Fishes, at his left, just below Aries. All twelve signs arranged about him in a circle, much like the numbers upon a clock, all ready to unleash their magic upon his approaching foe. First, though, he would need some defense. The sign of Taurus flared into grey light, outshining all the rest, surrounding him in a transparent shield of crystal. Then it was Leo's turn to brighten as his senses sharpened, his reflexes and agility grew tenfold to match those of a feline. Thus prepared, he turned to face a distant streak of light, so bright that it appeared almost white. "Lorrithian. Fight well."

Her response came without warning, in the form of searing rays of fire that washed over his shield, searching for a weakness. The sign of Sagittarius flared as he retaliated, hurling deadly arrows of force at the radiant figure in the sky. Lorrithian dodged easily, then transformed herself into a beam of pure light, circling around Rhiannon before he could react. His shield strained, then began to crack as the immense power of Lorrithian's fire raged against it. He caught a brief glimpse of a beautiful woman with hair of dancing flames as he turned, then she was gone, once more transforming into a beam of light and shooting off into the distance.

"So fast," he whispered. Perhaps too fast. Unless he could counter that advantage, he would undoubtedly lose. A sudden flash interrupted his thoughts as Lorrithian appeared behind him. Pisces flared, sending crashing waves of water at her, but she simply rose above them and unleashed a devastating beam of energy. Rhiannon's shield collapsed beneath the onslaught, and he was lost in a massive explosion of almost-white fire. The cliff shattered, raining flaming chunks of rock into the sea.

"A narrow escape, Rhiannon," Lorrithian said. She turned to face the unharmed warrior, who hovered calmly over a nearby crag, surrounded by the softly glowing Zodiac constellations.

"I thought that by remaining stationary, I could attack and defend at the same time. Evidently, I was wrong."

"Then you had best find a new strategy," Lorrithian said. "I am not permitted to show you any mercy."

"Then I must use my full power," Rhiannon said. "I am sorry, but you leave me with no other choice."

"No apologies are necessary. Do as you must."

Rhiannon nodded faintly in acquiescence. "Then prepare yourself for the fury of the stars." A look of grim determination was on his face as the signs of Pisces and Aquarius flared to life. "Binary Conjunction!" The light from the two signs radiated outwards, surrounding him in a ghostly image of crashing glaciers. "ICE FANG." Stalagmites of ice rose from the remnants of the cliff, soaring upwards to impale Lorrithian on their deadly points. She tumbled backwards, narrowly escaping as the ice lunged past her, then her eyes opened wide in surprise as icicles formed all along the sides of the stalagmites. She surrounded herself in a shield of flames as a barrage of the wicked spikes hurtled towards her. Many were deflected or melted away, but a few grazed her, drawing blood, staining her robe with dark grey. She countered with a crackling bolt of lightning which cleaved through the stalagmites and shattered the top of the rocky crag behind.

"Another escape," she noted. The aura of flames surrounding her grew even more brilliant, sending waves of light radiating over the entire island as she searched for her opponent. "Where are you hi-" she began, but her words trailed off as she sensed movement all around her. Huge shards of ice pushed their way out of the rocky surface of the island, slowly ascending to more than a hundred feet in dully reflective height. "Very clever, Rhiannon. Reflection and refraction to confuse my directional sense. Obstacles to reduce the advantage of my speed. But what is to stop me from destroying them?"

"Nothing." Rhiannon's voice echoed out of the distance, seemingly everywhere at once. "But take care to watch your back."

"Too slow!" Lorrithian shouted, as she sensed him dropping from above. Fire lanced from her hands, exploding into the red-cloaked warrior with full force...then continuing on into the sky as he flickered and vanished. Too late, she realized her mistake; though he had seemed solid to her light sense, there had been no sound to accompany his actions, no flutter of his cloak as he dropped.

"Binary Conjunction!" The signs of Scorpio and Leo flared to life as Rhiannon stepped out from behind an ice shard, surrounding him in an aura darker than the deepest nether regions. "TERROR WAVE." A chilling wall of darkness swept out from his hands, catching Lorrithian in its path. She disappeared from sight as the life-draining blackness surrounded her. "Now to finish this," Rhiannon said. A palpable aura of magic surrounded him as Cancer, Pisces, and Scorpio burst into light, surrounding him in a flowing sapphire aura so intense that it was colored despite the greyness. "Ternary Conjunction! TSU-"

The darkness surrounding Lorrithian was shattered as her fiery aura exploded outwards. Rhiannon abandoned his spell, instinctively putting up a barrier as a flames surged towards him. Rock melted away and vaporized as Lorrithian's fury continued, burning with the intensity of a new star, overcoming the drab greyness as it turned everything white.

When it was over, Rhiannon found himself lying amidst clumps of twisted and shattered rock. Pain shot through him as he got up on one knee, coughing up dark grey blood, the same color that slickly stained his armor and clothing. Rays of fire instantly swept out to meet him, but were deflected as Libra burst into light. "Damn you," he hissed, as the rays continued to burn just inches from his face. He summoned his magic and vanished just before an orb of fire obliterated his surroundings, materializing on the other side of the island. He weakly slumped against a boulder while considering his next move. He had been foolish to underestimate Lorrithian's power; he should have waited patiently to wear her down, rather than trying to end the battle quickly. Now he was badly wounded, enough that he might bleed to death eventually; yet, without life energy to draw upon, he could not afford the energy required to heal himself. Lorrithian, with the Master's power to draw upon, had no such restrictions. He would fight back, of course; but in the end, her magic would outlast his and he would be destroyed.

"No!" he exclaimed, smashing his fist into the boulder. "I will not be defeated, not in this battle, not ever!" Rhiannon marvelled at this sudden outburst of determination. Even when it made more sense to accept his fate, there was a part of him that refused to believe in capitulation, that spurred him to fight back no matter what the odds. These emotions...were they not what his Master had warned him against? Yet, paradoxically, they served to focus his thoughts, to direct him towards victory, not defeat. He would worry about the consequences later; for now, his emotions would serve as his guide. He chuckled to himself as he flew from the concealment of the rocks, soaring out over the leaden sea.

He sensed Lorrithian's confusion as he flew. Here, without any cover, he was vulnerable from all angles, an advantage his opponent did not take long to exploit. White fire rained upon him from all sides, tearing through the remnants of his armor, searing deep wounds into his body. His vision dimmed as he struggled with consciousness, yet he took the attacks stoically, saving his magic for his one chance to retaliate.

Lorrithian, sensing his weakness, flitted toward him, preparing for the kill. "Now," he whispered. The sign of Aquarius burst into light as hurricane-force winds surrounded him, catching Lorrithian in their fury. "This battle will be decided!" Rhiannon shouted. A briliant sapphire aura surrounded him as the signs of Cancer, Pisces, and Scorpio burst into light. "Ternary Conjunction! TSUNAMI!" The sea erupted at his command, cresting far above him in a massive wave. Serpent heads formed from the raging waters, laughing contemptuously at the helpless glowing figure caught in the wind. Rhiannon threw out his arm, directing the serpents to strike...then faltered as a gout of blood escaped his lips. "No..." he gasped. "I will not lose..." Yet his strength was fading, and with it, his magic. The Zodiac signs dimmed and went dark, the hurricane sputtered and died, the deadly waters above him wavered uncertainly, then disintegrated into a million tiny ineffectual droplets.

Lorrithian, released from the battering winds, saw her chance. She transformed into light, cutting through the falling droplets, circling around Rhiannon to end his life...

...then paused, disoriented, when she materialized directly in front of him, facing the wrong direction.

Rhiannon permitted himself another brief chuckle as the signs of Aquarius and Pisces flared, unleashing the power of Arctic Storm. Lorrithian stiffened as the chill of the north wind pierced through her, then the surrounding water converged on her, entombing her in a prison of ice. Rhiannon followed as she plunged towards the sea. A fierce cry escaped his lips as he drew Razor and raised the blade above his head to deliver the finishing blow.

(Enough.)

Rhiannon halted his attack and watched as Lorrithian splashed into the sea, throwing up a spray of grey water. "Master, you have reached a conclusion?"

(Lorrithian is defeated. You are the victor.)

Rhiannon's surroundings blurred, then suddenly he was standing before the Master's throne. The others were assembled there, kneeling in reverence; cold, calculating Mordath; enigmatic, guarded Jardek; and cruel, vengeful Kharazz. He similarly dropped to one knee before addressing the dark figure reclining in the throne. "And what of Lorrithian's fate?"

"She is unharmed, but will be absent for some time while the ice melts. An ingenious tactic, Rhiannon; feigning weakness, then using the water to alter Lorrithian's path. You have proven yourself worthy of the rank of the second most powerful fiend. And now for your reward." A globe of darkness appeared between the Master's gnarled hands.

"Thank you, Master," Rhiannon said, and then the globe enveloped him. It swallowed him ominously for an endless moment before melting away into the shadows.

The warrior that returned from the darkness was similar in some respects, yet different in others. He was clad in plate armor of the deepest black hue. Softly glimmering constellations covered the armor; if one looked closely, they could be observed to move about the armor, mimicking the movement of the stars in the heavens. He retained his fair hair and intense violet eyes, but his pupils were seemingly as deep as the universe, and galaxies and constellations were visible within. The only other reminders of his mortal life were the sword at his side and his long, flowing red cape.

"No longer shall I be known as Lord Rhiannon Meylith," he said. "I have passed beyond the concerns of mere mortals. No longer shall I require food, drink, or sleep; nor shall the hopes and fears of mortals consume my every thought." He rose to his full height and threw his cape out impressively. "My name is Gienah, the Fiend of the Cosmos, second only to Mordath, the Fiend of Magic. And before me, Master, your foes will fall. The fate of all mortals is death. When they meet me, they will understand."

"A pity that the Master's plans must spoil our view," he remarked.

Lorrithian lifted her head from his shoulder and regarded the planet below. "Perhaps, but you should not find the sight so agreeable," she said. "You are a Fiend now. The emotions of mortals are forbidden to you."

"What, then, of us?" Gienah said.

"We are Fiends," Lorrithian said firmly. "We should not be capable of such feelings. And yet..."

"They exist," Gienah said. "You cannot deny them, nor can I. And neither do I sense that the affection we share is wrong. Can it be that all emotions are so terrible? It is clear that most emotions are self-destructive, but some would appear to be beneficial. Between us we have trust and companionship. Not the scheming and coldness of the other Fiends."

Lorrithian jerked suddenly and pushed him away. "Never let the Master hear that, or he will destroy us both!" Her anger was gone in an instant, replaced by her usual cool, detached expression. "Time grows short, and I have duties assigned to me. I will see you again." Brilliant light enveloped her as she transformed and sped towards the surface of the Blue Planet.

"Yes, we have duties to perform," Gienah said. His expression was stern as he forced himself to clear his mind of his beautiful companion. Only the stars and their secrets need concern him now. The specks of light covering his armor escaped from their confinement and spiraled outwards, surrounding him in a circle composed of the Zodiac constellations. He looked into the distance, beyond the orbits of the planets, into the depths of the universe itself, seeking the answers to the questions that his Master had put forth.

"Time flows in a circle, and thus history repeats," he stated. The constellations responded to his words, leaving him to form a dozen symmetric orbits some distance away. "Since the very beginning, life on the Blue Planet has followed these cycles." The constellations flared with light, and all before him began to fade away, save for the distant stars. "Dawn and dusk, life and death, renewal and decay; all are ruled by the wheel of time. And the stars have been here to witness it all." Ghostly images floated by; legendary battles waged in the name of honor or glory; cities long since crumbled and condemned to the earth; scenes of ardent courtship, venomous betrayal, merry laughter, and quiet solitude. "I call upon their visions of the past to guide my actions in the future. Now!" he commanded, gesturing to the scene before him. "Reveal to me the path bound by starlight!"

The darkness of his surroundings turned white as the stars surrendered their secrets in a blinding display. When the light faded, the Blue Planet once again floated below him. The shadows had grown into a dreadful creature of darkness. It hovered over the stricken planet like a rapacious vulture waiting impatiently for its prey to expire.

"The darkness that began with the world shall grow to consume it. All shall fall beneath its dominion, and resistance will be quenched by its awesome power of despair. Yet, even when all seems lost, there are those who refuse to give up hope." Seven points of light appeared in a circle on the planet below, shining despite the oppresive darkness above. "Seven champions of Light shall appear, each with their own trials to overcome, their hardships to endure." Thousands of tiny specks of light winked into view, and the seven points grew brighter as each speck added its strength to the point nearby. "Their spirits will burn like blazing infernos, sustained by the conviction of their friends and kinsmen. They will rally the people of their world, and strike back against the darkness. Then they will confront it directly..." The darkness hissed as the seven points flew upwards to meet it, and a titanic battle raged high above the planet. "...and, with their combined brilliance, shatter it forever." The darkness uttered a terrible cry as the points flared into light, burning it away like fog before the morning sun. The Blue Planet floated serenely through space, unfettered and beautiful once more.

(So I am to be defeated by seven lowly mortals?)

"Like all premonitions, Master, this is only one of many possible outcomes. The future is clouded by uncertainty and probability, and even a small action can have a drastic influence on forthcoming events. Yet, this particular outcome is also the most likely to occur."

(How can it be prevented?)

"As these events come closer to transpiring, the future will become more clear to me." Gienah gestured, and seven indistinct outlines appeared before him. "These, Master, are the Light Warriors. One by one, their identities will be revealed. Then you may act to destroy them, or hinder their plans."

(So be it. Inform me when you have discovered them. Then we will see who the future belongs to.)

"As always, Master, I remain your loyal servant." The scene before him dissolved as he ended his prophecy, returning to its proper place and time. The Zodiac constellations ended their orbits and returned to the depths of his armor. He studied the Blue Planet once again. The shadows, compared to the scene he had witnessed, were barely discernable. Yet they were there, and growing, an ominous omen of the darkness soon to come. "Prepare yourselves, Light Warriors," he said. "Your battle is about to begin." Flames surrounded him as he hurtled towards the ground, as brilliant as a falling star.