Parting with his "colorful" companions, Roanin went on to gather other escaped refugees that came through the portal from the Astral Sea... the ones that remained anyway. He "convinced" them to sell their souls to the demonic being. He then led them in a crusade on the mindflayers that followed them, and eventually on those who had once enslaved them. Many died, and yet so many more were freed. With the mindflayers defeated, the newly freed slaves created a civilization in the astral sea atop the ruins of the mindflayer citadel. Leading this multi-racial city was a council of the beings that freed them all, with Roanin at its head. And yet for all those years the demonic being waited. When the time finally came, Roanin had almost forgotten the deal he had struck. But the demon never forgets, and he always keeps his promises. He finally had the last of the generals he needed for his mass army. He had already gained Naivara and Ookumea long ago. He led a great attack against Celestia with the army he had created. A horrible battle was waged and yet the demonic horde was not enough. Most were slain, and those that weren't fled to the material plane. And one of those few was Roanin. Now fully a demon, and forgetting his psionic roots, a warlock. He took the identity of Shar'nelok Belnath, a tiefling warlock traveling the lands as an entertainer. He has been hiding ever since, traveling to distant lands and beyond. Traveling even through the Anvil of Time, an ancient artifact allowing the user to travel through time. He traveled to the past and has lived there for decades, or centuries...hes forgotten how long. There he waits, and watches. Promising the demonic forces of hell that one day, one day he will have his revenge.

I no longer feel the want or need to run around looking for jobs or things to do with these people. I have a lust for slaying what beasts that are now some part of me, Yuan-ti. I know I will be doing this alone, but when they all watched Ronin cast me into the portal and none try to save me, I get the feeling they are set on what they think of me. Which is fine because I don't care for any of them either. I will end the terror of the yuan-ti myself, even if it kills me again. I cannot stay because i don't have control of what is in me. But while i think i'm functioning as myself i will fight against the snake beasts......and i will kill them all...

In the aftermath of the battle, one thought hovered at the fore-front of Ogrik's mind.

"Me not getting paid enough for this crap."

Ogrik had risked his life. Again. And the profit margins were far too thin for that. A few hundred gold, after having to split it with his companions.

Running the trade route from Ramehko to Harglast had netted him more. And it WAS what he was Destined to be doing, after all... But he still needed more of a stake from which to build. Which meant more adventuring... unless...

The cartographer back at the heart had offered him a thousand gold, in exchange for getting him in contact with whomever Ogrik had gotten his map from. A thousand gold was more than hundreds of gold. And Ogrik thought he knew how to get him in touch with the map's creator.

After dark settled in on the city, Ogrik unfurled his map, and sought out the markings on it that would show a portal to the other realms. He found one without trouble, though it was sealed. The portals seemed to be a frequent occurrance inside large cities... the barriers between the planes worn thin by the turmoil of mankind's emotions.

Ogrik slipped out of the inn, and followed the map into the warehouse district. The flimsy lock on the decrepit structure shattered with a single blow of his fist. There, near the far corner of the rat-infested building, was the weakness.

Recalling what the imp had done, Ogrik caught a rat, and ripped it's head off. Ogrik spread the blood in a circle around the portal site. Then he wrote "Open", "Trade", and "Qizlim" in the thick dust covering the floor.

Then, he went to sleep on top of the portal.

---------------------------------

Ogrik opened his eyes to an expanse of blood-red light, stretching off into the far distance. In front of him, seated behind a neat desk sat a female tiefling, wearing spectacles, and holding a quill over a stack of parchment.

"How may I direct your call?" She asked, in a nasal tone.

Ever the stunning conversationalist, Ogrik responded. "Wha? What this place?"

The tiefling sighed, and said "Oh no, I am not getting into that with you. You got our attention with the blood circle at the thinned barrier. Tell me who it is you want to talk to, or just wake up back in your own realm already."

"Ogrik want talk to Unimportant."

"Excuse me?"

"Unimportant."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"Guy that Ogrik want to talk to. Him say his name Unimportant."

"Oh, lovely. You know how many demon princes tell the people that they're dealing with that their name is Unimportant? All of them. That's how many. Can you recall anything else?"

"Umm, him was Qizlim's master, and said call him Delrehg, me think?"

"Delrehg, eh? You'd think he'd come up with something more original than that tired old horse. Qizlim is a proper name though, and I know his master. One moment, and I'll connect you."

The red light swirled about Ogrik, flaring. His eyes watered, losing sight of the receptionist, then blinking, re-focused on a familiar scene.

-----------------

Once again, Ogrik found himself within an enormous, well-lit banquet hall, complete with the same roaring fireplaces. Profiled in front of the nearest of these fireplaces stood the being Ogrik was told to call Delrehg, impeccably dressed in the same fine noblemans garb, sipping from what looked like the same goblet of mulled wine.

Delrehg turned, and arched a perfectly-formed eyebrow at Ogrik.

"Ah, good to see you again, Ogrik. To what should I ascribe this unexpected pleasure?"

"Ogrik wanted arrange meeting between cart grapher and Delrehg. Cart grapher offer ogrik gold to get him in contact with person make Ogrik's map"

"Ah, I see... you come upon one of the truly great trader's secrets all on your own. I knew you had it in you."

"Wha? Secret? Ogrik just want gold. That no secret."

"Yes, but the Method you are utilizing to GET the gold. Brokering deals between two interested parties is far more profitable than running the deals yourself, if only because you can do such a large volume of them, rather than doing all the tedious running about yourself, you get paid for telling other people where to do the running."

"Ogrik think Ogrik understand. Ogrik get gold for showing Cart grapher how get ahold of you. Ogrik get gold for telling other traders things on Ogrik map. Tell wool merchant, take wool to east realm, not west, get more gold."

"Yes, exactly... and as the accuracy of your market readings becomes better and better known, you can demand a higher and higher fee for the telling. Plus, while you are doing so, you can keep an eye out for people, like our industrious map-maker, who might wish to get in contact with me. I will give you a better way to communicate with me than your having to track down a portal site. A crystal which will allow you to speak with me directly."

"What Ogrik have to give to get talky crystal?"

"Why nothing much, Ogrik. Simply agree to be my scout within the realm of men, sending me requests from the supplicants, dreamers, and other such ilk that would want to better their place for what seems to be an extremely cheap bargain."

"You not want Ogrik soul?"

"Well, of COURSE I want your soul, Ogrik... I want *ALL* souls. But by leaving you yours, should any of my... well... let's simply call them my competition. Should any of 'them' come calling, you can honestly tell them that you are an honest broker of commodities, a trader extra-ordinaire. But that you are your own master. No one owns your soul. That will throw them off the scent completely. They can't comprehend the idea that one such as I might forego the pleasure of acquiring another soul whenever possible. But this way, I get far MORE souls than simply your own. It's like an investment."

"So Ogrik get gold for telling people things on Ogrik map."

"Correct, and you will get even More riches by putting the ones that seem ripe in touch with me."

"And Ogrik get gold for find people for Delrehg."

"I see you have the idea. You will be a Truly great trader. Trading the only thing that truly means anything. Power."

------------------

Ogrik re-awakened in the musty warehouse. He dusted himself off, and hurried out the door. He had to make arrangements for his return to Baldur's Gate... and the destiny that awaited him there.

Naivara watched in horror as her friends slowly gave ground. The tide of battle was going against them. Ogrik stood bleeding from many wounds, his normally lightning-quick reflexes slowing down. Modnar seemed to be hiding more and more, as his opportunities for attack decreased. Roanin was missing, perhaps he had decided that this was one fight to run away from, since Keothi seemed to be focused on his demise. Ookumea was surrounded, her ragged breathing sounded loud in Naivara’s ears, her sister’s many wounds echoing in her own body. Even Cidd’s normally careless disposition seemed weighted with the inevitable defeat looming on the horizon.

This was it, her choices were gone. Never before had she felt this panic, this fear for her sister and her companions….her…friends. Her friends….she had never really had friends, not really. Acquaintances yes, but not friends. It felt strange to realize that now of all times. In the middle of battle she faced that these people meant something to her, that her sister was the most important person in the world to her. She couldn’t let them die, she just couldn’t, especially when she had the means to save them. It didn’t matter that she might not survive, or that she was giving up herself, somehow she knew that she would never be able to forgive herself if she didn’t try to save them all now.

She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. She reached into her pouch and pulled out the necklace. Quickly before she could think about it too much, she dropped the necklace over her head and focused her thoughts.

“I will make the bargain with you voice, but you must promise to save my friends. I don’t care what I have to do, what I have to give up, but you must save them. What do you require? What can I promise you that you will make this bargain?”

There was a timeless moment, the world held its breath as if waiting with her for the answer. Then from the darkness and air around her the voice echoed in her head.

“I require just one thing, one only and you shall be granted all you ask for. I require your soul! Are we agreed?”

Naivara hesitated for a brief moment thinking. Her soul, this was not unexpected. It was a typical price in these kinds of situations. She thought herself prepared. After all what was a soul. Could she see it? Smell it? Taste it? Would a soul remember her birthday like her sister had? Would it make her laugh like Ogrik did, or spoil her like Cidd. Would it try to protect her as Roanin or Modnar or Abraxus had? It was only a soul, as far as she knew it wasn’t helping her to have it. But her sister, her friends, they were her true soul. Decision made she focused her thoughts again.

“I agree to your request, just save them!!!”

The air around her felt warm for a moment, vibrations coursing down her arms, and through her head she heard the voice shout…

“DONE!!! The bargain is struck, for eternity will you be my child. Go now daughter, save your friends, reap the whirlwind!!!”

She felt power, tremendous amounts of power!! The feeling was like nothing she had ever known before. Intoxicating, the pleasure and pain all in one. All the world alive around her, every sense aflame. She felt as if she could do anything. Suddenly the options were limitless. She laughed, her voice echoing like the sound of thousands of tiny silver bells. She glanced around her and drew on the power aiming her first flash of lightning at the creatures attacking her sister. As she watched, her sister’s wounds seemed to close up, the blood literally stopping as if pinched off. Her sister started to glow with a dark energy and began to cleave the creatures surrounding her in two.

Naivara laughed to see her sister’s power. The glorious dark energy as enticing as her own. She decided to join her sister and before she completed her thought she realized she was floating along towards her. She laughed again and chose another target. Ogrik seemed like he needed some help. She chose one of his attackers and sent a wave of energy directly into the center of his body, watching as his body crackled with flames from the inside. The smell of cooked flesh drifted over the area and the corpse fell, coming apart as it hit the ground.

Naivara laughed again as she chose target after target. Soon all the enemies were gone, and she realized that it was over. Disappointed she floated towards her sister. She wondered why she hadn’t made the bargain before. She could have done so much in all the time she had wasted. She hadn’t changed at all, and after all of her agonizing she realized that this was the best decision she had ever made. Now she could use the power that she was always meant to have and make everything in the world better, just like her mother had wanted. She smiled to herself. She and Ookumea had a lot to do if they were going to solve the world’s problems. They needed to get going. After all there was only so many people they could kill in a day, it really was too bad they couldn’t do it faster.

Naivara glanced at her friends briefly, wondering if she should recruit them for this important project. She decided she would wait a bit, and give them time to get used to the new world she was planning. She knew that some of them might need some convincing, but after all, they were her friends. She was sure she knew just the right things to do and say to get their…cooperation. She smiled again as she thought of it.