Light and Darkness. Certain circles of metaphysicists consider the two opposites to be 2 parts of the Cosmic Septumberate-- the seven governing forces of all of reality. Three pairs of opposing forces. The aforementioned Light and Darkness-- Chaos and Order-- Creation and Void. The seventh is the Universe itself-- that space in reality where these six forces come together to create existence as we know it. While such metaphysicians acknowledge other governing forces of reality, these seven are at the very core of everything. Reality would exist without all of the other forces, but if any one of these forces were to be vanquished, reality would cease to be, and true Armageddon would occur. To ensure this balance, the forces conjure up champions to defend their place in reality-- Avatars. Perhaps the most famous of all avatars is the champion of Light: Tanin ancient Dragoon and wielder of Chrysilium. He has existed for more years than even the most aged of races, for his being is trapped within the Timestream at the command of his patron force of Light. He never ages. He slips in and out of time periods, rarely staying in one point for more time than is necessary to exterminate the Light's nemeses. But ever since appearing in Khazan, he has yet to slip back into the stream of time. The Light has kept him here even after his apparent foes had been vanquished. Perhaps his final destiny rests here on the Nexus of Reality.

Tanin paces about Seryph's living room, deep in thought. Normally he would be at his own apartment doing this pacing, but there was a rather nasty roach infestation in his building and the entire thing was being fumigated. Considering that this is Khazan, roach extermination was not an easy task-- more like a battle for life and death with sentient flesh eating bugs that can resist nuclear explosions-- by far not something Tanin wanted to stick around and witness. It took a little prodding, but Seryph let him stay on the couch in his living room while this epic battle took place.

The infestation isn't what is on Tanin's mind, though. Every now and then, the fabrics of reality would twist ever so slightly, as if they were anticipating some upcoming travesty. Normally, such twists mattered little to Tanin. He has been so conditioned to their presence, that they do little to disturb his contented nature. This time, though, something was truly amiss. He can't quite pinpoint what was wrong, but a sick feeling rumbles through his stomach each time he feels those strings being pulled-- a feeling unlike any he has felt before.

"Figures.... no one to talk to, and I'm getting an impending sense of doom. Seryph's off doing some artsy thing downtown, so I can't hassle him. Elwin and Ryoko are too busy handling the kids, so I can't bother them with my troubles. Tymora's probably off in the countryside training in some secluded training spot.... ARG! No one's around to nag."

So, what's an Avatar supposed to do when there's no one around to hassle about possibly dreadful events? Take a nap, of course. So Tanin sprawls himself out on Seryph's couch, his sword still strapped to his back, and falls soundly to sleep.

"Cars... never liked them. I prefer the old fashion way. But it would have taken my hours to walk out here if I did that. Guess I just have to live with advancements."

"Ok, ok... just pay me the cab fare and get going lady."

"Oh... oops. Sorry."

The hooded figure standing outside of the cab throws a few waded up bills at the cabdriver.

"Umm... keep the change."

She then semi-skips up to the door of the house she is standing in front of and rings the doorbell.... repeatedly, promptly awakening the dozing Tanin. With several muffled curses and a large amount of noise coming from the House, Tanin sleepily pops his head out the front door.

"Hi... no... we don't want any. Go away."

And with that rather nasty and rude comment, the hooded figure slaps Tanin.

"Figures you putz. Don't even remember your old friend." She pushes Tanin aside and walks into the house.

"Itai... Hey! Hey! You can't go in there!!"

"Listen here Tanin. I come ALL THIS WAY to see you after ALL THESE YEARS and all I get is "YOU CAN'T GO IN THERE?!"

Dragoon's jaw drops, surprised at the figure that stands before him. "Tabatha?"

The woman throws her hood off of her head. "Yeah, you putz. Who else do you know that's an elf, wears cloaks, and talks to plants? Or have you been seeing someone else behind my back? Hmm?" The sarcasm in her voice seems to drip from her mouth with that comment, causing Tanin to break out into a goofy but warm smile.

"Nice to see you again. I should have figured you'd track me down... since you'd live long enough to do just that."

"Damn right I‘d live long enough to track you down after you skipped out on us all those years ago. Some nerve running off into the Timestream and getting sucked into another time period. So, what have you been up to since you disappeared all those years ago?"

"Saving worlds, beating evil, mooching off my friends. You know, my usual... hey... speaking of mooching, I know where my current victi... I mean friend... hides his spare cash. For old time's sake, wanna go out for a bite to eat, 'my' treat?"

"Now you're talking. You owe me for all that ale you bought for that gang of mercenaries we hired back in the day. Consider this payback."

Tanin sticks out his tongue in retaliation. " Ye Blazes... I didn't think you'd remember that! So, shall we go?"

"Your way, or my way?"

"Mine."

Tanin offers Tabatha his arm, which she promptly takes. Arm locked, the two blink out of view, teleporting to their destination.

Tanin and Tabatha sit down at a table at a street side cafe close to downtown Khazan City. The sun is setting off in the distance, a far too romantic situation for two old friends like Tanin and Tabatha. The inappropriate silence is soon broken by Tanin.

"So? What've you been up to? How long HAS it been anyway?"

"Well, besides watching my friends die, you know how it is being an elf and all and having human friends... such short lifespans... I've returned to the life of a wood elf. You know, frolicking, talking with trees, and all that nonsense." she bursts out into another fit of laughter.

"WOOD elf? Miss 'Fry half an army legion with a burning catapult, insult a dragon in it's nest and then yank out it's teeth when it's not looking?'"

"Tell me you wouldn't do the same. Go on... see, you can't. Anyway, those were different times. At least back home. Things have settled down... so BORING. All the great heroes and monsters of legend have died or gone into seclusion. And here YOU are, one of the biggest heroes of all, yucking it up and having fun and not inviting your old pal Tabatha to come along. I'm never talking to you again." She folds her arms and pouts.

"Honestly Tabby..I would have brought 'ya here... but for all I knew you were dead! I mean... everyone else is? Right? Even YOU have to admit you're old for an elf."

"You call 4000 OLD for an elf?! Buster, if I were human, I'd be 40 years old. If that's old, look at yourself in the mirror. The years haven't been as kind to you as they have to me."

"You'd be surprised Tabby." Tanin turns and looked into the restaurant window, gazing at his reflection. "You ARE right though... I do look more aged. Aw Geez… It IS good to see 'ya again. But... what are you doing in Khazan? I find it hard to believe that you came all this way just to track me down.."

"Do I need any reason to see you after, what has it been for me, 1700 years? Anyway, I AM here for a reason, but we'll get to that later. I wanna hear more about what you've been up to."

“Nothing that compares to OUR old adventures, that’s for sure. Sure… I’ve tried to save the world a couple of times with the help of a few of my friends, but most of the heroes these days don’t have that same sort of adventurous flair we had back then. I’m all for fighting the good fight and defending justice, but most of these guys have no love of life or love for the thrill of adventure. Heroics is like a business nowadays rather than a way of life. And before you ask… since I know its coming… NO, I have not shacked up with some poor girl, thank you very much, and NO, I will not shack up with you for the same reasons I gave you all those years ago.”

"Aww… and I was hoping I‘d have a chance with you this time. But its good to hear you can remain so loyal to someone after being away from them this long. Don‘t find many guys like you anymore. Seems your type‘s becoming an endangered species."

"Oh… there’s a few of us left. Just don’t let any intergalactic zoos find out about us or they’ll want to cart us off to become their new exhibit. Anyway… pick anything you want... My friend had a nice wad of bills stashed away in his china cabinet and I took the liberty of borrowing more than a few to pay for our dinner."

Tabatha goes all out. Full course meal, along with the most expensive bottle of wine on the list, without giving a second thought.

"It's good to mooch off a moocher."

"Ah! I have taught my pupil well! I can die in peace now!"

"That can be arranged, considering why I'm here."

Tanin’s look sinks quickly from its jovial mood to a look of dead seriousness. "Tabby? Don't tell me you've come to kill me. Stay Good!"

"Always thick-skulled, never seeing the obvious. I'M not the one that may kill you. I'M the one here trying to warn you. Eva is..."

Tanin ponders for a moment, sipping his drink thoughtfully. "Oh yeah! Her. She WAS rather persistent. What did she do again?"

"You putz. Don't even remember the fact that she cast Dwindling Twilight on you..."

"Tabby... it was over 1,000 years ago! You can't HONESTLY expect me to remember it!"

"I'd certainly remember if someone cast a spell on me that would effectively make me cease to exist after destroying my very soul."

"Oooooh Yeah! Okay... I remember now. But as I said... that was over 1,000 years ago. If I was gonna keel over and die I would think it would have happened by now!"

"And you're not concerned by the fact that she said it would take "more moons than there are in a mortal's life" to effect you? Very vague, but through a little research and arm pulling, I found out exactly how long it takes to destroy the person's soul. 1700 years. It will be 1700 years to the DAY in a week."

Tannin’s face turns a ghastly white, but he still tries to retain his cheerful manner.

"Uh Oh... Sphaghettios!"

"You aren't just going to DIE Tanin, you will cease to exist. Your very essence will be purged from the threads of reality. That... doesn't worry you?"

"It does... but that's how I handle stress. Why get upset at life? Anyway... there HAS to be a cure... right?"

"Perhaps. But only one person has it. Guess who that is."

"I'd say the person who cast the spell... but she's probably dead and gone... So... I dunno."

"She's alive and coming to SEE your death, like I said a few moments ago. You really DO live in the moment, don't you? She is an elf like me..."

"Hey... unlike you I'm not exactly immortal. I more or less Jump through the Timestream as needed. My memory and sense of time tend to get... muddled. Anyway... if she's on her way here all we gotta do is track her down and convince her to give it... right?"

"Track her down, yes. That should be easy. But convincing someone that wants to see you cease to exist with all of her heart... not exactly the world's easiest task."

"Hey... I'll just win her over with my suave charm and dashing good looks!"

"Umm... back in the day, you refused to share your so-called ‘suave charm’ with her. She was madly in love with you. Can‘t really blame the girl for feeling that way, but you gave her the cold shoulder, giving her the same story you gave me: That you were in love with one woman and only one woman… and that she was not that woman. Since she couldn't have you, she figured, no one would... literally. Therefore, she cast the spell on you."

"Oh yeah... I remember now. You're right... and I trust that if I say we go in and bash her 'til she says yes you'll bop me?"

"She'd rather die than give it to you. She'll die and go back into the grand scheme of things to be reborn or sent to the Great Beyond. Her secret would die with her. You, on the other hand, would cease to exist."

"Well... what do you suggest? Send her one of those subliminal sleeping tapes that says 'Give Tanin the cure... Give Tanin the cure?'"

"Confront her and actually do something you rarely do outside of dinnertime: talk to her. Tell her the truth. It has been 1700 years. Perhaps her hatred is more out of habit than true hatred. If you tell her how you really feel now, maybe she would understand."

"But Tabby... Like I already told you, I‘m still devoted to ‘that one woman.’ If I told her my feelings changed, not only would I be lying to her, I'd be lying to myself!"

"I said tell her the truth. Tell her that NOW. It's been 1700 years. She may understand. I'm sure she's given this a LOT of thought."

"Okay. Anyway... how do you suppose we track her down?"

"You always had a thing for energy signatures, right? You can sense the presence of certain energies inherent to a person. Do you remember her's? It was particularly unique if I remember your reaction right."

"Yeah... geez... I really AM getting forgetful. Okay..."

Tanin closes his eyes for several minutes, expanding his consciousness to the surrounding area as Tabatha finishes her meal. Some time later, Tanin opens his eyes.

"I scanned everything within 50 miles... nothing. Either she's outside of 50 miles... or she's not on Khazan yet."

"Then we have time. You don't stop existing for another week. I say we just take it easy until she appears in that radar of yours. Another bottle of wine?"