"Hail and Well Met to the legendary Goddess of All Things Feline. May Your Talent, like your beauty, never fade. I am called Grak, last scion of the Ravenbane family line."

The image of the cat-headed woman giggled demurely, covering her mouth with slender brown fingers. Her eyes shone. "I'm flattered! But you still require a character to enter the world of VR2L Third Earth, Grak. What race will you be?"

"I am a male of the Fianna race."

"I'm afraid that no race by that name is on file. Please describe."

"The Fianna boast large, humanoid frames coupled with a head resembling, I am told by Earthlings, that of a German Shepard. I know neither the word 'German', nor 'Shepard' so I have elected not to take offense to this."

"None intended, I'm sure," smiled Lady Bast as the monitors displayed the newly created character. "The term merely simplifies your description for other humans...much like the makers of VR2L. Is this what you desired?"

"Yes," said Grak, "but I am larger...well over seven feet in height, broad shouldered, and weighing in excess of 350 pounds. All of which is muscle masse, I assure you. In addition, my entire body is covered in short thick fur, though its shade is closer to emerald green. My mane is a darker shade of the same and begins with a forelock, falling freely down to the small of my back. I see that my eyes are correct, however, and a pleasing shade of gold."

"There's a little bit of air-brushed amber red in there," admitted Bast. "It's one of my favourite effects. Is there a costume you would like to wear? I recommend it...we do have minors playing as well."

"I am a bounty hunter by trade...any clothing should be comfortable and easy to hunt with."

The monitor tried a series of outfits in rapid succession, freezing suddenly on one particular design. It was a very basic combinations consisting of breeches and a vest, both of thick and softened leather. Neither item was confining nor did they flap loosely, causing a hazard. Even the vest, though open, was cut to fall close to the body. "It is light and practical," stated Bast, "but thick enough to serve as light armour in the early stages of the game."

"Very well...it seems sufficient. I'm sure you know best in this situation."

"Character designated 'Grak' is saved," said the voice of Bast. "Basic equipment includes food, water, and basic bedroll. You may now choose one weapon and one additional item of equipment. Others may be gathered in time."

"As a bounty hunter, I will need both a long distance weapon and one for close combat...is that not possible?" said Grak.

"You may trade in your equipment choice for an additional weapon," confirmed Bast, "but you will be most proficient in the first weapon you choose."

"You basic equipment is more than enough for me," assured Grak. "I intend to have vast knowledge in the areas of survival. For my first weapon I will chose a long-bladed knife...so versatile a blade is indispensible."

"Done, and your second?"

"A long-range energy rifle capable of multiple settings," said Grak. "Often it's more beneficial to keep one's quarry alive. And in the case of some, a greater justice to see them caged rather than killed."

"Noble sentiment."

"I dislike those who victimize others. They need to see how it feels. Some may reform."

"And some may not."

"A small risk among many."

"True. Please balance your skills and your attributes," said the voice of Lady Bast.

Grak enhanced all attributes that he felt would help his profession and chose survival knowledge as his primary skill followed by a hunting knowledge and a hand-to-hand combat skill.

"Attributes designated to character 'Grak' are saved," said Bast. "Thank you for joining the VR2L test group already in progress. I hope you enjoy your stay on Third Earth."

"I leave you with The Sacred Oath of the Order of the Raven:" said Grak as the wall rose behind him. "'Let No Evil Go Unpunished'"

"You'd make a killer Avatar," half-grinned the image of Bast, reappearing on the monitor as the Fianna hunter stepped through the light and into the world beyond.

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

The structure rose before them, black and forbidding, a man-made mountain of stone. From afar it had appeared smooth, like dark glass, but now they could see that the bricks were rough and pock-marked, scarred by errosion and time, the four great obelisks chipped and uneven even against the dimming light.

Demonprist's eyes were closed as she savoured the moment she had been waiting for...entrance into the domain of her favourite fictional character: Mumm-ra, the Everliving.

"It's fabulous," she breathed, opening her eyes. "Kith, help me find a way in!"

"It's over here," said the Elven lord without pause, walking along the base of the pyramid to stand before a large stone...much like every other large stone in the facade.

"How do you know?" said Demonprist with mild indignation. This was *her* dream destination...why should Kith have the inside track?

"You've only been using Earth magic for a little while," sniffed Kith self-righteously, "but it's my main power. I can read stones...and these ones tell me we can get in this way. There's a magic spell locked into them...activate it and the stones will let us pass."

He ran his hands over the huge blocks of stone, occasionally tracing small glyphs on their surface which glowed and faded from sight. Within a few minutes, he had managed to trace a rough doorway on the outside of the pyramid. "Okay," he said finally, stepping back, "I've found the door and primed the spell...now all we have to do is wait."

"Wait? Why?" demanded Demonprist, brow furrowing in her impatience.

"The sun has to be in a particular position so that its rays will be strong enough to activate the spell," explained Kith. "We might have to wait overnight."

"Nonononono..." interrupted the red-haired Avatar. "We're *here* now, I'm not sitting out here all night like...like...some groupie waiting for concert tickets. There has to be another way in...if Mumm-ra needed to get in quickly, he wouldn't sit around and wait for the sun to shine just so."

"Well, Mumm-ra's obviously a better Fire mage than either of us," snorted Kith. "You're main element is Water and you only have Fire magic because of your staff."

"Actually, Fire is one of my natural elements," said Demonprist. "I chose Water as my primary because it would be too hard to learn, otherwise. I haven't really used it because the staff does a much better job...although its real purpose is to amplify my powers when I practise them."

"Really?" said Kith curiously. "I don't have different levels to my powers...I'm supposed to be a full elemental...I just have to discover all my powers first. A staff like yours would be awful handy..."

"Well, it's mine," sniffed Demonprist hautily. "But it might be more useful than you imagine...what kind of power do you need?"

"Solar jolt," said Kith with a shrug. "Right on the sun symbol there." He pointed the symbol out as he spoke.

"That's a sun symbol?" said Demonprist sceptically.

"It's an *elven* sun symbol," sniffed Kith.

"Whatever you say," shrugged the red-haired Avatar. Kith stiffened with annoyance. There was a loftiness and edge to Demonprist now that had never appeared when he had talked to her online. She could still be a lot of fun, but sometimes...

He was distracted by the Avatar's sudden movement away from the pyramid. "What are you doing?" he asked, curious.

"I need to catch the setting sun," Demonprist explained.

When she was beneath the last dying rays, she began a slow chant. Kith wasn't sure if it was a spell or a prayer...although he knew that she was well-versed in the magical techniques of her pantheon...it was a part of her character. Whatever it was, it grew louder and more frenzied...no, more *demanding*...as it went on. The Avatar seemed to dance her way back to a particular place, waving her staff in time to the chant, the red gemstone catching the light at odd angles and reflecting it back against the cold stone of the pyramid.

Finally, the prayer-spell ended with a sharp, war-like cry as Demonprist raised the staff aloft. The red gem gleamed and then seemed to burn with an intense inner flame. Then, with a sudden, violent movement, she swung the staff around and downward, throwing the power in a ball of flame directly at the doorway which Kith had traced on the stone.

The Elven lord barely had time to leap back as the fireball streaked by him and hit the sun glyph head-on. The spell exploded into tiny flames as the symbol glowed white hot and then there was a rumbling and scraping as the stone wall was drawn upward to reveal the passageway beyond.

"You could warn a guy!" snapped Kith irritably.

"I got it open, didn't I?" replied Demonprist sweetly, rejoining him in front of the entrance.

"Yeah, and you just about opened me up with it!"

"Look, I'm sorry, okay. I didn't know it was going to blow that badly," said the Avatar, brushing wisps of hair out of her face. "Can we just go in? I'm going to drop dead of excitement if we don't!"

Kith considered this. "We-ell," he said, drawing his decision out a little to make her squirm. It was about time the tables were turned. "If you're absolutely sure it was an accident..."

"Absolutely," swore Demonprist, lifting one hand to show that her fingers weren't crossed. The other was curled in a tight fist around her staff.

"Okay...but I'm watching you, bitch."

"Awww...how sweet. We have pet names! Dickhead."

"Real cute," snorted Kith. "Okay, you go first. I'm going to close the door behind us."

Demonprist wasted no time in scurrying from the hot desert sand into the cool, and oddly clammy, darkness of the tunnel. Kith stepped in behind her. Taking a deep breath to prepare himself for what was to come, he traced glyphs in the stone and closed the door behind them.





The darkness was overwhelming, and almost palpable. It had a texture and heaviness that seemed unnatural. At least it did until a soft amber-red glow lit the corridor...or at least that part of it in which they now stood.

Kith crane his neck...he couldn't see the ceiling above him although he knew it must be there. He would have been able to feel its oppressive weight above him even without his Earth powers gauging the stone. All he could see above them were the stone walls disappearing into blackness though his senses told him they ended about ten feet above his head. The corridor was narrow enough...maybe four feet across...and the walls were brightly lit by the glow of Demonprist's staff.

Indeed, it was the gem that supplied their soft light and the warmth of it took the edge off the darkness of the tomb. And yet something wasn't right.

"Pictures," Kith rasped. The stale air of the pyramid was harsh on his throat. With a thought he created a small breeze to sweeten it. "There aren't any pictures on the walls. I thought Egyptian pyramids had picture writing."

"Some do...a little bit...but not a lot," explained Demonprist in a haunting voice. It was a voice that called up visions of the past...a time so old that one remembered it. No one except she. "And the Great Pyramid doesn't have any."

"Why not? I thought the tombs were always decorated..."

"Later ones yes...but the pyramids..." Demonprist paused a moment in her speech though her feet began to make their way down the passage. "The pyramids were too early. Some hieroglyphs were put into the newer ones, but mostly the texts were on scrolls with the deceased. They didn't need to be as elaborate then. They weren't... It wasn't..."

*Spit it out*, Demonprist thought to herself. *The rites weren't cemented yet. Even the gods were young.*

"The magic spells weren't as complicated back then," said Demonprist finally. "That's what the tomb carvings were, really...magic spells to protect the dead. Or the living, as they were supposed to arrive in the afterlife."

"And how do you know that?" said Kith sceptically.

Demonprist looked back at the Elf. He couldn't tell if it was the light of her staff which caused her eyes to glow brightly in the dark or some inner flame...a burning knowledge. She grinned...a cold and snakish smile.

"Never mind," said Kith.

"Sometimes it's better not to know," said Demonprist, continuing her walk.

The corridor was dusty and still though a small sifting of gritty sand would occasionally crumble down from the ceiling far above or skittered over the stone of the walls as it slid down the sides. Neither traveller spoke...they weren't sure they could be heard, so oppressive was the darkness and the silence of this place.

Kith couldn't tell how long they'd been walking, or even how far. Periodically, he did spot a few of the 'pictures' he had been looking for, but they were always in small clusters, ominous in their presence. Like warnings from some time gone by. He asked Demonprist what one of them meant. She shrugged and said it was nothing important...but not to look up.

Kith didn't look up. He was in Demoprist's territory now.

He thought he heard an agitated hiss as he left the spot far behind him. And still, he didn't look up.

Shortly thereafter, the corridor widened. Not noticeably, but gradually, flaring gently outward until Kith noticed that the passage was now four and a half feet wide...now five...and, finally, six.

With room to move and breath, Kith pulled up alongside Demonprist who suddenly stopped, eyes wide.

"What?" he asked her, mystified by her sudden need to stop.

"There," said the Avatar, slowly, deliberately, pointing at the doorway at the end of the corridor.

"There what?" said Kith, irritated.

"Come on!" she cried suddenly, grabbing his arm and dragging him down the hallway, through the door...

And into the cauldron room.

The bubbling scry pool stood, bigger than life, at the centre of the room, framed in black onyx which gleamed dully in the dim light of Demonprist's staff and the filtered rays of the vanishing sun which fell from the opening far above. Four black obelisks stood like monoliths around the cauldron. And on the far end was Mumm-ra's sarcophagus.

Mumm-ra's open, empty, sarcophagus.

The sound came from behind them. It was the soft padding of bare flesh on stone. Kith and Demonprist whirled around, coming face to face will all eight formidable feet of Mumm-ra's warrior form.

The ancient mage's voice boomed in the confines of the chamber: "Who *dares* trespass in the tomb of Mumm-ra the Everliving?"

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