Continued from S3-2-11: D'Syr, succubus servant of Dregolath Xorn. Xorn sat in a darkened chamber of his tower in Hwamgaarl, the heavy curtains dampening the screams that echoed through the city from the howling statues; tortured souls imprisoned in endless agony by the Theocrat. In his mind’s eye, he looked down upon the bleak beach not far from his abandoned fortress, and snarled in rage as he watched the shore boats row slowly to the beach, unchallenged by the undines who had agreed to guard the coast for him; the Melnibonean’s sorcery at work again. Upon the beach waited four figures, the Dharijorian woman warrior, the red tuniced, fair hair man, the Dragon Lord, and Caterina Dotta, wrapped in one of his rich, red robes. Titan stood in the bow of the lead shore boat, his fine armor gleaming in the noon sun from beneath his noble livery, and a furious scowl on his face. “How can this be?” he demanded as he leapt to the beach when his boat grounded, and stormed toward them. “What does it matter how,” Rynard replied with a biting tone. “Isn’t Caterina’s safe return to Galeazzo all that’s important?” “Yes… Of course.” he stammered back, his eyes focused on the object of his obsession. Her gorgeous face was marred with dirt and the dried remains of rivers of tears, while her fine, golden mane was a tangled mess, and, by the sight of her bare feet and legs that showed under the oversized, deep red robe she huddled within, she appeared to naked beneath it, but she was alive, and, at lest physically, unharmed. Xorn roared in frustration, and ceased his link to Ss’Ly, his flying, snake-like demon spy who hovered invisibly above the beach, after he saw them board the shore boats to return to Kelos’ ship, and Syn looked straight into the demon’s single eye with a sly smile and made a gracious parting gesture. Ss’Ly soared out across the Pale Sea, thankful that it would take many days to reach Pan Tang! The end... of "book two". Our heroes will return in "book three"... Hopeful some time soon. Gifted with the ability to fly, and make itself invisible to human vision, Ss’Ly serves Dregolath Xorn as a spy and watch dog, conveying all it sees to its master over any distance when he desire, but it is easily distracted by its obsession with female humanoids. Perverse and depraved, its master often rewards it by allowing it to punish disobedient female slaves with its barbed, whip-like tail. Although it played only a minor role in the sequence of events that lead its master into conflict with the renegade Dragon Lord Daeron Syn and his companions when he kidnapped Caterina Dotta, an Ilmioran noblewomen, Ss’Ly failure to warn Xorn of the heroes’ infiltration into his Bone Hill fortress results in the destruction of his slaver operations there. Thanks for looking... Hope you enjoy! Comments and suggestions always welcome and appreciated! A special thanks to those who followed the entire series and were so supportive... Your encouragement really does mean a great deal to me!