The sky was carpeted by gray clouds. A warm, stagnant breeze blew across the rocky coast as the small group made its way towards the entrance to the excavation site. Carla sighed from the exertion and thanked the Goddess that she had worn her black pants instead of a light robe. According to Leeta, Angellis had been sucked into the ground after a horrible earthquake. A few years back, Lucitania and a couple of the other kingdoms had decided to try and excavate the ruins of Angellis. They had succeeded in creating an entrance, but once the excavation team entered the underground cavern that housed the ruins, they were never seen again. Since then, the zone around Angellis had been quarantined.

Carla could hear the waves of the Jacifix Ocean lapping against the nearby coast line. Finally, they found the entrance to the ruins of Angellis. It was nothing more than a giant hole in the side of a hill. The group lit several torches and started their decent. Carla walked by Leeta as they continued down on a slant. Behind her was Carmen, Garanna, and the remaining five soldiers. The journey downward seemed to take hours. Then, all of the sudden, the tunnel ended and they party was inside an immense cavern.

Carla mumbled a few words, and several globes of light shot from her hands and flew to the top of the cavern. Once there, the globes exploded, creating a small sun like object which gave off a pale yellow light. All went silent as they gazed upon the ruins for the first time. Collapsed buildings from a time long before the Great War littered the cavern floor for miles. The small Premier let out a long whistle. "How are we going to find the Goddess' Kiss?"

"Slowly," replied Leeta. "Very slowly."

The group headed down into the streets of the once great city. While they walked, Carla leaned close to Carmen and whispered into her ear. "Keep Garanna busy. I need to talk to Leeta without him bothering us." The priestess nodded and gave the Premier a devilish smile.

Garanna was walking by Leeta and jabbering on about different government policies that should be implemented when they returned to Lucitania. Just before Leeta was about to answer with her fists, Carmen glided in and started to annoy the Minister about a wound he had received several days before. He began to protest, but Carmen was able to maneuver him away allowing Carla to speak with Leeta unmolested. "Thanks," whispered Leeta.

Carla smiled. "I could see you were about to punch the little bastard out, so I told Carmen to intervene. Besides, I need to talk to you." She looked back to make sure Garanna was still occupied. "According to the tome I found in the Palace library, the Kiss was placed in a temple somewhere in the ruins."

Leeta gave Carla a confused look. "But Angellis was destroyed during the time before the people rediscovered Althena. There were no temples to the Goddess in the city."

Carla was silent for a moment while they walked. "Then that means someone came here after and built a temple just to house the Kiss. And since it was built during a time of war, the defenses will be very difficult to negotiate." She kicked a large chunk of rock. "Now the only question is how do we find it?"

Leeta quickly reached inside of her white tunic and pulled out the pendant she always wore. She held it in her right hand and closed her eyes. Suddenly, her pace quickened and Carla was forced to jog in order to keep up with the Princess. The group followed the Princess through the ruins past devastated buildings, a giant bridge which was splintered into several portions, down upturned roads, and past many more destroyed sections of the city. Finally, Leeta stopped before a bare piece of the cavern wall. She opened her eyes and breathed heavily. "It's here."

Carla walked forward and knocked on the wall with her right hand. "Not hollow."

Suddenly, the pendant around Leeta's neck burst into blue flame. The flame's tongues shot out and struck the wall right beside Carla. The Premier cried out in surprise and jumped back. The entire wall was engulfed in the blue flame. The blaze continued for several seconds until all of the wall was turned to ash. Light from Carla's earlier spell revealed that the blue fire had in fact burned away the excess rock to reveal the entrance to the hidden temple.

Four pillars the color of the brown, red rock around them seemed to hold up the very cavern itself. Past the pillars were similarly colored steps leading to the interior of the temple. At the top of the stair case was a deep blue marble statue of the Goddess. Leeta placed one foot on the first step, when a powerful feminine voice sounded all around. "Halt, intruders! This is holy ground and not to be trespassed upon by robbers!"

Leeta stopped and turned to look for the source of the voice. "I am Princess Leeta of the Kingdom of Lucitania. We have not come here to steal from the temple." She raised herself up and put on the face of a diplomat. "Show yourself, so that we may know who challenges us."

There was movement from the shadows of a heap that was once a building. All heads turned to see what was emerging. Its massive feline body was covered in sleek gold fur. Sharp talons clicked as it walked across the rubble. Two large wings similar to that of an eagles were folded to its sides. Carla's eyes narrowed when she gazed upon its face. "Great, a sphinx."

Leeta quickly took in the sphinx as it approached. The magical creature had the body of a lion, the wings of an eagle, and the face of a beautiful woman. Jet black onyx hair tumbled down its neck. Its face was that of perfection with smooth pearl white skin, a small nose, a rounded chin, and a pair of golden eyes that bore no hint of emotion. "Why do you stop us?" challenged Leeta.

"I am the guardian of this place," answered the sphinx in a sultry voice. It was now standing directly in front of the Princess. It was easily twice Leeta's size, but she didn't back down. The sphinx continued. "You obviously have the power of Althena if you discovered the entrance to the temple, but I cannot be sure you just didn't steal such power."

Leeta nodded. "That is a fair assumption, but how can I prove to you that the power I have isn't stolen?"

The sphinx smiled and made its way to the temple stairs. "You have obviously come for the Kiss of Althena, correct?" Leeta nodded again. "Then in order to get it, you must pass a series of tests to prove your worth. Do you accept?"

"Yes," replied Leeta without hesitation. The life of her kingdom and all the others depended on her getting the Kiss.

The sphinx's smile disappeared and her face became taciturn. "Your first test is a riddle, but be warned that a wrong answer will mean death for all." Its eyes began to glow, and a voice echoed through out the cavern.

Leeta's mind went completely black. She had no idea what the answer could be. What am I going to do? If only one of the others was here. Connery could probably figure this out. The Princess looked back at Carla and Carmen for help, but both of them shook their heads. Oh, if only I could push aside the fear like Cole...

Then it hit her. "Fear. You are fear," she answered with the confident tone that came with insight. "Fear cannot be truly defeated, but it can be controlled."

The sphinx nodded in approval. "Correct, little Princess." The creature's feminine face remained emotionless. "Now for the second test. You seek the Kiss to save many, but the one must be sacrificed to save the all. Who shall it be little Princess? Choose carefully."

This time, Leeta had the answer right away. "I give my life in order to save my people."

"NO!" shouted both Carla and Carmen at the same time.

"Too late," announced the sphinx. "She has made the correct choice. The one who has the most to gain must also be the one to give the most."

The magical beast's golden eyes went wide and two gold beams shot out and stabbed Leeta directly in the chest. The Princess screamed as intense pain spread all over her body. The five Lucitanian soldiers charged forward, but Carla and Carmen stopped them. Leeta screamed again as her blood began to boil. The Princess lurched backwards as a pain worse than death tore through her insides. Then, as sudden as the pain had arrived, it disappeared. Leeta found herself on all fours trying to find a breath. She forced herself to raise her head and meet the eyes of the sphinx. The beast's female face had a look of awe. "You failed to tell me that you were of the Goddess' Tribe. Instead of your mundane life, you have given up your immortality."

Leeta let her head slump forward with exhaustion. Tears fell from her eyes as she realized that the sphinx was speaking the truth. Physically she felt the same. Her magic still had its former power, but Leeta knew in her mind that her life span was now one of a mortal. The immortal blood she had inherited from her mother was now gone. Carla and Carmen were kneeling beside her trying to help. "Are you all right?" asked Carla with a worried voice.

Carmen finished a quick prayer and Leeta felt the healing energies flow into her body. "That should help a little," said Carmen.

Leeta wiped the tears away and started to rise. "Thanks, guys," she said quietly. Finally, she found the will to rise to her feet and looked the sphinx in the eyes. "Is that it? Is that the best you can do?"

A smirk played across the guardian's face. "You have had the insight to pass the first test, and the guile to survive the second test. Now you must past the test of strength if you wish to gain the Kiss. One among you is a traitor and, therefore, is an unholy being in this holy place. Prove yourselves. Uproot this evil, and the Kiss is yours." The sphinx backed up until it disappeared into the temple.

The guardian's words rang in Leeta's mind as she turned to look for Garanna. This was the chance she had been waiting for. Carla and Carmen shared her thoughts as the three women surrounded the Minister. "What?" he said in a worried voice.

"You've been found out, Minister," snapped Carla. "We know all about your conversation with the Pestilence Dragon in Lucitania."

"Why, Garanna?" was all Leeta could say. "Why betray us all to such an evil?"

The Minister had gone pale. "I... I... I have no idea what you're talking about!" He started to back away from them.

Leeta drew her sword. "You betrayed all of us to that demon. Because of you, the plague has been allowed to spread." Her voice began to tremble. "Because of you, the brave men and women who took up this quest are all dead. You deserve to die." Leeta raised her sword to strike.

Suddenly, Carla grabbed her arm and stopped the sword's downward arc. Leeta, wide eyed, glared at the Premier. "Why in the Goddess' name did you stop me!?" shouted the Princess.

"Look at him," said Carla. Leeta followed her friend's finger. Garanna had fainted. "Don't you think he would have fought back?"

Leeta lowered her sword and nodded. "You're right, Carla. I still don't trust him, however. Commander, come here." There was no answer. "Commander?" Leeta turned to look for the remaining commander of her troops. Her face went pale at what she saw.

Standing over what used to be four soldiers, was one of her remaining five men. In his hand was a bloody sword. "What have you done!?" cried the Princess. The soldier started to laugh just as his shape began to blur. The blood stained weapon fell from his hand as he grew slightly shorter and heavier. Seconds later, a new man stood before the three women. "Holamar!?"

"Correct, Highness," answered the old Minister.

"You were the traitor all along?" said Carla, although Leeta assumed it was more of a statement than a question.

"Why, Holamar?" demanded Leeta. "Just tell me why."

His face was contorted with madness. "Because the human race has become weak. The Demon Dragons will bring the Chaos back to our world, and everything will be annihilated. Then all will be made into chaos, and it will be a distopia!"

"He's no longer sane," whispered Carmen. "I believe we can subdue without much trouble."

Holamar's blood shot eyes went wide. "Oh, I won't be stopped so easily, little priestess." He thrust his arms outward. "Behold my gift from from Lord Scorn!"

There was a flash of gray light, and Holamar let out a scream. The three women watched in horror as his body began to melt and dissolve. His arms and legs grew withered, and his torso simply turned to ash. And all the while, his head increased in size. All his hair fell out, and strange finger like things sprouted from his skull. Both his eyes melded into one large central orb. Thousands of sharp teeth filled his ever growing maw. At last, a giant beholder hovered before the three friends.

The abomination roared, and all ten of its eye stalks focused on its enemies. "Move!" shouted Carla, and the three of them dove in all directions and a disintegration beam lanced from an eye stalk.

Leeta recovered first and charged the monster sword extended. The beholder saw her attack coming and simply raised itself higher into the air. Leeta adjusted her attack and leapt after it. A white ray shot from another eye stalk and struck Leeta. Suddenly, the Princess felt like she was moving through mud, even though, there was nothing but air around her. The beholder's Slow spell cause Leeta to lose her balance, and the Princess dropped to the ground. She landed with a thud and lost her grip on the long sword. The monster roared and went in for the kill.

A refreshing feeling filled the sluggish Princess, and Leeta found that she could move. Familiar with one of Carmen's litanies, she quickly thanked the Goddess that the priestess was along. Unaware of Leeta's recovery, the descending beholder had no time to react when the Princess counter attacked and thrust both her booted feet into the air. Both feet connected with the creature's central eye. It cried out in pain and reeled away.

Leeta grabbed her sword and quickly jumped to her feet. The beholder had recovered already and was watching to see what she did next. Leeta caught a movement from the corner of her left eye as Carla tried to circle around the beast. The Premier completed a spell and a pile of rocks detached itself from a hill and flew at the beholder. One of the eye stalks focused on the flying boulders, halted them in mid flight, and redirected them at Carla. The small Premier barely dodged the counter.

Carla avoided the flying rocks, but she wasn't able to guard herself from the beholder's second attack. A gray beam shot from another stalk and hit the Premier right in the legs. Carla screamed as her legs turned from flesh to stone. Carmen tried to get to the fallen mage, but the beholder released another disintegrating beam. The priestess leapt back to avoid the deadly attack. Leeta knew that she would be unable to get close enough to actually attack the beholder with her sword, and she also guessed that the creature would counter any spell hurled at its spherical body. Then she had an idea. "Holamar! Over here!"

The beholder turned and focused all eyes on her. Leeta smiled as the first part of her plan worked. Now she had its attention. She raised her sword and threw it like a javelin. "Catch!" she yelled.

An eye stalk released a white beam and the sword's flight slowed considerably. Then the same stalk easily wrapped itself around the hilt of the weapon. "You will have to do better than that," he bellowed in a guttural voice.

"I plan to," answered Leeta.

Words to a spell rolled off of her tongue, and she cried out the activation words. "Thunder Thrust!" A bright white bolt of lightning shot from her hand and struck the tip of the long sword. The electricity flowed down the blade and consumed the beholder. It roared out in pain as it was electrocuted. Carla added to the attack with a spell of her own. "Take this you bastard! Omega Burn!" An immense golden white ball of energy formed before the Premier and released tendrils and bolts of energy at the long sword. The weapon exploded, and the excess energy released itself upon the beholder. It cried out one last time as the Omega Burn ended its pitiful existence.

Leeta ran over to the still form of Carla. She was about to start fussing over the Premier's legs when Carmen stopped her. "I can take care of her legs without any problems. You go into the temple and retrieve the Goddess' Kiss."

"Are you sure?" asked Leeta.

"Will you go already!" snapped Carla. "The sooner you leave, the sooner she starts fixing my legs!" Leeta patted her friend on the shoulder and ran off towards the temple entrance.

Back to Lunar: Mirror Images.

Back to the Library of Vane.

Back to the Shrine to Ghaleon.