05/04/06:

                Olivia and I had breakfast this morning and agreed that we didn't feel comfortable heading out on the road without at least one healing wand to take with us. So, we decided to spend some time here in Vegas creating new ones.

                Malcolm and the others are going to be leaving today. He called and asked us all to get together for a nice lunch before they left. Michael surprised the Hell out of us all by announcing that he and Vesta were going back with Malcolm. Vesta blushed to the roots and admitted that she's pregnant! Apparently, she woke up the morning after their honeymoon and just kind of "knew". Who knows? Maybe elves don't have to pay for pregnancy tests.

                Anyway, they're headed back to the Wood Elf community to retire and start a family. We were so happy for them! There was a lot of girlish squealing and carrying on and all the men put up with it with a minimum of eye rolling.

                Then Olivia and I told Malcolm about our plans to stay here for probably 6-8 more weeks. Olivia asked Jennifer and Debbie if they wanted to go back with Malcolm or stay here in Vegas. They both elected to stay - Jennifer so she could be with Olivia and Debbie because there's so much more to do here than back home.

                When the time came there were lots of hugs all around. Malcolm admonished us all to be careful. Then they all took off in Hizzoner's helicopter.

                Later in the day we heard that General Hoyle and his people had also left. Apparently, the General wanted to see sights and decided to drive back with their supplies and a bunch of the refugees that had been camped at the north end of town. Jesse was gone, too. After all the fanfare for his arrival, he left quietly.

                After dark, Olivia and I were in the hot tub with Alfred and Olias making a list of the things we would need to create the wands and some of that 'Pick me up' potion, when Olivia, totally out of the blue, asked "Why do you suppose I'm not pregnant? It's not like I've been careful to prevent it." I had no answer for that at all, but it got me thinking about both of us.

05/05/06:

                We asked Allison for a room that Olivia and I can work in without being disturbed or disturbing either Olias or Alfred. She set us up in one of the smaller suites and told us to let her know if we needed anything. She left and we got to work.

05/12/06:

                Olivia and I were disturbed by a polite little knocking at our door this afternoon; it was Allison. She said, "Lord Alfred wanted me to remind you that Miss Jazz has an appointment this evening. He would like you to join him for dinner first." We assured her that we would be there.

                At dinner Olivia asked me if I was going to my meeting alone. I told her that there had been nothing in the vision suggesting that I had to go alone and that if she wished to come with me she was welcome, as was anyone else. Olias declined as did Alfred, but Debbie was interested. Olivia asked Jennifer if she wanted to go. "Oh no," she said, but when Olivia persisted she changed her mind.

                Alfred told us that the Scooby-van was down in the parking garage if we wanted to take it. I looked at Olivia and we agreed that we'd just take some bikes. She was itching for an excuse to take her flying bike for a spin. She took Jennifer with her and I took Debbie with me on one of the turbo-bikes. Olivia warned me, "No matter what she says, go the speed you want to." Debbie pouted a bit and I told her that if the road allowed it I'd open it up.

                We got to the western gates of town and ID'd ourselves to the guards when they asked us to state our business. As they let us pass they exchanged some knowing looks and smirks; apparently we weren't the first to leave that way. I'm pretty sure they had visions of us jumping up and down on a bed having a pillow fight in wet nighties as a prelude to an all-girl orgy. Not tonight, Romeo!

                I took the lead and followed the landmarks that I'd been shown in the vision. When we got to what I was pretty sure was the place we found a few other motorcycles, some bikes, a few horses and one car. A fire-engine red Lamborghini Diablo with police lights mounted on it. And the nicest touch? Personalized California plates that said, "BITCH". Olivia and Debbie loved it!

                We followed the footprints in the sand that lead off into the desert. We hadn't gotten far and could faintly hear some drums when two Drow women stepped out of the darkness and checked us out. Olivia and Debbie assumed their best Drow attitude and checked them out in return. The strange women never spoke a word but stepped aside to let us pass.

                As we did they tried to stop Jennifer from following. That scared Jennifer and pissed off Olivia; she explained to them that Jennifer was with us and she wouldn't leave her behind. They relented and let her pass. I'm not sure how Olivia was able to walk with Jennifer clinging to her like that.

                We rounded a rock formation to find a bonfire with about two dozen women dancing around it. There were more Drow, some Gold Elves, Wood Elves, Moon Elves and even a couple of Humans. So I guess being Human wasn't the problem with Jennifer.

                Olivia pointed out one of the dancers, a Drow with her hair cut short and dyed flame red. "That's got to be the one who belongs to that car." I looked her over and had to agree.

                The dancers had noticed us and gestured for us to join them, so we undressed and joined the circle. Soon the moon began to rise in the east. And as it rose, so did the music. It grew louder and faster, the drumming more intense. The redhead stepped to the center of the circle and began to focus the energy that the dancers were creating. When that energy reached its peak she began to transform. She grew taller; her hair grew longer and became glowing white. When the transformation was complete, the Dark Maiden was there in the circle with us.

                She took me by the hands and pulled me forward, almost into the fire. She spoke directly into my mind and said, "Thank you for coming."

                "I couldn't possibly refuse an invitation like that."

                "Of course you could refuse. You have free-will. That's what all this is about, after all."

                "And what is 'all this', precisely?"

                "Your dilemma. You need more information before you decide what to do. My father has little time for this world. His only interest in it is that the number of non-Elves is small enough to be eliminated entirely. That is his desire: to create a world for Elves only."

                "And you have a problem with that idea, too?"

                "I have a problem, as you say, with Orcs. With ogres and trolls, as well. But life would be so dull without them, and not all of them are bad."

                "I couldn't agree more."

                "He has nothing else to do, you see. His only drive is the supremacy of the Elven races. If He were to want anything else He would be a different person."

                "What's wrong with Him being different? A kinder, gentler Corellon? Crom told my friend that the old rules don't have to apply here. So why can't we change things?"

                "Ahh! But you can change some things. You have free will. You can change yourself; you cannot change my father."

                "But if I change, I will have to forsake Him."

                "My father is many things, including a pragmatist. You are one of the few High Priestesses in this world that he can call on, and you will be for quite some time. He will not throw that away. He may not reward you as you deserve, but I do not think that you are the type of person who looks for rewards. But you can make your own decisions; I defied my father by coming here and telling you this. I have also defied my mother. Believe me when I say that my father would rather see this world follow its own path than one designed by either my mother or the powers your Ka follow."

                She went on to tell me that her priestesses will work alongside me as long as I don't seek the kind of 'Final Solution' that would please Corellon; that as long as I worked toward a peace for all races I could look to them for help.

                She also warned me. Warned me about other followers of Corellon. "There are those who follow Him blindly. You will have to guard against them."

                "His priestess in Yosemite, Morning Mist, is she one those that I must guard against?"

                "Yes she is."

                I thanked her for helping me and for defying her parents to do so. She laughed and smiled at me, "I do what I please. Free will, you know. May you walk the path of beauty and song…."

                Then she was gone and Red stood in front of me again. The dance continued but she was obviously drained and clung to me for support. I held her until some of the dancers moved forward to help. They led her away from the dance and another priestess took my hand and led me after them.

                Soon all the dancers were gathered in a smaller circle around a much smaller fire. As we caught our breath, they passed some fruit, bread and wine around the circle.

                I took advantage of the quiet to introduce myself to Red. "Did you hear what you needed?" she asked. I assured her that I did and thanked her for her assistance. Olivia complimented her on her car and as they talked about that I noticed Debbie had moved to a smaller group and was talking to some of the younger worshippers and acolytes. She looked really interested in what was being said.

                Jennifer was clinging to Olivia; she looked freaked out by it all. The other woman were ignoring her but still managed to regard her with varying degrees of contempt or pity.

                As the fire died, the priestesses stood and sang one last song. Then Red announced the time and place for the next gathering.

                We all dressed and as we walked back to our various means of transportation I asked Red if there were any of Eilistraee's priestesses in or near the Kingdom. "Of course," she said, "and now that you know of us you will find them. And they will find you."

                "Well, I thank you again. I am in your debt."

                "Just follow your heart, like you have so far, and there will be no debt."

                Olivia asked her for a quick spin in the Diablo. She shrugged. "Why not?" They climbed in and Red started it up. When she did it changed color and then pulled an Azrael trick - it vanished, with the same kind of invisibility cloak! We heard it roar off and then roar right back just a few minutes later.

                Olivia told me that Red had taken her all the way to the city limits and back in that short period! They said their good-byes and Red took a bracelet off the rear view mirror and slipped it on. As she did she assumed the illusion of an Orc. A member of Ka, complete to her Gucci shoes. She laughed at our expressions and said, "I work in a hostile mission field."

                She handed Olivia a business card, "If you're ever in Ka territory and find yourself in trouble, call me. I run an Underground Railroad operation. If you can't get hold of me, tell any member of Ka that you need to speak to me regarding a 'recruitment opportunity' and make sure to tell them that there's a bonus in it for them if they get you to me."

                Olivia asked her what impact Melissa's 'taking a header' will have on the Corporation. Red said that the news had only just made it to LA, but some of the more aggressive types were showing some interest in succeeding her. "And let me tell you, they give a new meaning to the phrase 'Corporate Bloodbath'."

                She gave a wave and literally vanished into a cloud of dust. We headed back to Vegas and I had a much lighter heart than I had for over a week. I asked Debbie if she'd seen anything interesting.

                She said that she had. "I'm not into Crom's 'Be all that you can be' stuff, but this defending the people and being an example by your deeds, promoting art and music and stuff - this is something I could go for."

                I told her what Red had said about there being priestesses in the Kingdom and suggested she should look 'em up when she gets home.

                With both of us feeling pretty damn good, Olivia and I raced back to Vegas.

05/13/06:

                The whole group got together for breakfast this morning and I told everyone what I had learned last night and how much better I felt about everything. Then Olivia and I retreated to our makeshift lab to get back to work.

continued....