Continued from S3-2-6: Titan Kelos, Servant of Donblas (portrait). Nebi recoiled in fear, hiding in the shadows of a rocky overhang, as the cloud of strange black mist bellowed out from nowhere. It swirled in the cold morning light, then seemed to drain from the air; coalescing into a ring on the finger of one of the three strangers that appeared from within it. Blade, Rynard and Syn stood disoriented for a moment, but quickly shook off the shock of the teleportation and began to survey their surroundings. They had arrived exactly where Syn intended, in a shallow gorge not far from the Mabden’s fortress that he had seen with his scrying spell. Syn was the first to spot her, crouching in the shadows beneath a rocky overhang, her desert bow drawn and ready to fire, and the fear of a corner animal in her eyes. Tapping Rynard and Blade on their shoulders, he drew their attentions to her with out breaking eye contact. “No move!” Nebi warned the strange trio in broken common, rising into an archer’s stance with her bow panning between them. She had never seen a man like the one with the fog ring, but he carried a greatsword slung over his shoulder and worn an armored breastplate under his surcoat, though it too was of a style she had never seen before. The woman also carried a greatsword and wore soft leather armor, which did little to hide her toned but shapely form. The third stranger bore a broadsword at his hip, but his rich red tunic gave him the look of one of the traders who occasional ventured into the desert from the cities of the grasslands to the south. “Unless you serve Dregolath Xorn, we mean you no harm,” Blade announced, although she kept a firm grip on her swords hilt. “I no serve the dark one!” Nebi replied with pride. “He take many from clan. Men serve him for gold, steel armor and weapons. Woman he take never be seen again… he not take Nebi!” Although she eased the draw on her bow, she kept it knocked and ready, while she appraised them. To be continued on S3-2-8: Nebi, daughter of Clan Madal (portrait). A daughter of the Madal, one of the many clans within the Nomad Nation that roam the bleak Signing Desert, who fell under the influence of the Mabden slaver Dregolath Xorn; either joining him as willing servants for the reward of fine weapons, steel armor and gold, or being taken as slaves, her entire clan was on the verge of disappearing until Blade, Ryanrd Adae and Dearon Syn arrived to rescue the kidnapped Ilmioran noblewoman, Caterina Dotta. With Xorn’s slavery operation left in ruins, Nebi, and the few surviving Madal, returned to their nomadic way of life, but could never escaped the Mabden’s taint. Nebi played a vital role in the heroes’ infiltration into Xorn’s fortress, although not in the way she expected, leading to the confrontation between the Mabden slaver and Daeron Syn, which began a vendetta that would range across the whole of the Young Kingdoms… and beyond! The seventh installment to "book" two of my Stormbringer characters' adventures. Thanks for looking... Hope you enjoy! Comments and suggestions always welcome and appreciated!