The Dark Novice had remained silent since they had started the climb. She watched the four beings she was escorting to the main temple room. Two male shee, one female shee, and alas, Grace, the green norndelite.

Of the two males she found Sir Das the most intersesting. He was close to her age and it was the first time she had been in contact with any male, let alone one her own age. She knew she would like to get to know him better, but that was very unlikely to happen. Males were not allowed in the temple, let alone in the parts of it she resided in. And even if he could become an exception to that rule it was doubtful if this female, the Princess Trissy, would allow for contact. There seemed to be something between the two, but she wasn't sure.

Then of course there was Sir Ghoul, he was an adult. Alyssa didn't care for adults to much, even though it was obivous to her that he had just become one. He seemed to be interested in Grace, and in a way that had nothing to do with science. Yes, she was sure, given the chance that he would like to get involved with this norndelite on a more personal level.

She looked at Grace and thought that she might have the same desire for Sir Ghoul. She thought Grace was truely beutiful and hope that Grace was the norndelite of which the legends spoke. It was time for things on Albia to change. The Shee were just beginning to stagnate. There had been no real change for over a century, and where there is no change there is death.

The Dark Novice knew that many of the Shee who knew of the legends believed that it would be death when the norndelite returned. She didn't believe that though. No, nowhere in the legend did it speak out right about the death of the Shee. It just said that the Shee would be gone. She knew in her heart that it meant the her people would leave Albia, She didn't know how she knew this, she just did.

Alyssa looked up, they were coming upon the level of the temple. She stepped up on the last step, then stood in the entrance. She turn around and addressed her little group.

"We're here," she said. " You must promise that when you leave the temple you will never mention these undergound passageways to anyone. It is a holy thing that must be kept sacred and secret."

"Of course we promise," replied Sir Ghoul. " After seeing all of this I understand that it must be of extreme importance to our beliefs. That is why we didn't know of it before, and I can respect that."

"Yes, I guess you're right Sir Ghoul," said the princess. "Yes I promise also, now can we go in! I want to see High Priestess Emy."

"Certainly," replied the Dark Novice. With that she turned and pushed the wall. The entry opened and they entered into the temple proper.

Grace looked ahead of herself, into the temple. It was huge, so huge she couldn't see the walls or even the ceiling. Looking at the floor she could see complex patterns laid out in multi-colored stones. And every so often, at certain points there were precious gems of all kinds. Diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and many others whose names escaped her. As she crossed the threshold of the temple's entrance the emeralds shoot out brillant green light, spreading everwhere. She was stunned and at the same time dazzled.

Suddenly there where chimes sounding off everwhere. Thousands of them. Starting off like a gentle rain sound, building into a storm. Then quieting down again, back into a gentle sound.

Sir Ghoul stepped across the entry to take Grace's arm, and then the sapphires started to glow with a soft blue light, seeming to fill in some of the empty dark places not lighted by the green.

As the Princess walked across the diamonds set about shooting out there light. A pure clear light with a certain clarity to it. Then red light came as Das followed. All this gem light shining and filling the temple with rainbows and a magical feeling.

"YOU ARE THE FOUR, SHE IS THE ONE! THE ROYAL NORNDELITE HAS RETUNED! THE OMEGA HAS ARRIVED! MAY IT BE OUR ALPHA!" A strong femine voice boomed out from seemingly everywhere.

The temple filled with light, flowing everwhere. The four could see the temple clearly in this light. Along the walls standing were hundreds of Novices. Every other one being a Dark Novice. Princess Trissy had no ideal that there were so many of them, so many...

As they looked upon the novices, the novices all knelt. Then they bowed their heads and it was obivious that they were praying. Directly in front of them, about 200 feet was an alter. In front of it were twenty prietesses who were dressed in golden robes. They moved forward towards them.

Princess Trissy was intimidated. She looked around her, she had never seen so many in the temple before, Never had it been so filled with light, she didn't know it could be this light. She looked desperately around for her friend. Where was she? Where was the High Priestess Emy? She looked past the approaching prietesses, up at the alter. There she was, standing in front of what could only be called a padioum?

"Emy, Emy," she shouted. "Emy, what's happening?"..........

The norns are not dogs!
but they do have Gods...
let's hope that there is not a day,
where for our play we have to pay...