A few days later...

Nosdyn stood there with his arms across his chest looking at the gathered members of his Syndicate operation. He'd called for a major strategic operation that week. Illsandra, stood by his side...always. The particular Dark Elf woman that was his mate. She was one of the few Dark Elfs who had naturally blonde hair, normally a characteristic of Human women. Nosdyn could hear the whispers of his gathered associates and comrades. He looked at one of the far corners of the gathering hall of his house. There, standing proudly was the spirit of his Father, Tharak. He nodded quietly to his Father, before he began.

What they were up against...what the entire end goal of his mission was going to be would be remembered for all time.

That day...they would defeat a Thayne. Perhaps not kill her ultimately, but her defeat would be their undoing. Nosdyn was admittedly nervous, he was never one for flowery speeches, but he was a skilled leader. He knew what it was they were all up against. The odds...were so stacked against them it could ALMOST just work.

"I have gathered you all today, my brothers and sisters....because we are about to embark on the most fucking ludicrous military campaign ever conducted." Nosdyn was being truthful, he was going to need them all at their best capacity. "The target we are after we may not be able to confront directly...but she will remember us for the rest of time once we are through. She will remember the ones who HURT HER." Nosdyn said. He looked at his gathered acolytes, children of Ettermire one and all. "We have bidden our time, gathered resources and found the exact location of her Temple here in Ettermire. Been right under the Lloth Priesthood the whole time."

Nosdyn paused a moment as one of the acolytes handed him a folder. "Here in lies the information we all are going to use against her." Nosdyn placed the folded parchment on the table for his acolytes to review. "I am going to need ten volunteers." Nosdyn said.

***

Once his small assault force was gathered, Illsandra and he stepped out of the house first. Nosdyn took a look back at the house, it had been his first and only true home for a long time. Somehow, he wondered if he was never going to see it again.

Illsandra noticed something troubling her mate. "What is it my lord?" She asked.

"Just a bad feeling, like we're never going to come back home after this...just nerves I think." Nosdyn said. "With you by my side we will shake the gods forsaken pillars of Heaven itself." He nodded to her.

The ten volunteers gathered around Nosdyn and Illsandra, some were Undead and the other races of the syndicate, a good bunch. The Two Priests that were present had been there since the start of it all.

The male Priest walked over towards Nosdyn. "My lord." He nodded to him. "The temple is deep in The Under." The Priest said. "We could be down for months wandering around with no true goal."

One of the other volunteers...was also Undead, but that was The Thief they had recruited. He looked at the Priest with a nod and then looked over to Nosdyn. "My lord, with your permission there may be a more direct route to The Temple in question. Something my former guild taught us about when we were younger, initiates." The Thief said. "If you are willing, I can teach you about this route. A small group of us should suffice to go directly down this way." The Thief said.

They both presented valid arguments. But Nosdyn was reading The Thief's expression, his eyes...the fellow was not lying. "We will approach this your way." Nosdyn said to The Thief.

Illsandra walked looked at Nosdyn. "There is something I wish to thank you for." She said.

Nosdyn looked back towards her. "What is it?"

"You could have asked me to stay behind...you did not. You respect my decision to want to be by your side. For that I thank you." She said with a surprisingly humble tone of voice.

"For that...thanks is not required. Illsandra...you are my most trusted Enforcer. My mate. Where I go you will go with me...to the ends of time. There will be no secrets between us." He suddenly said. "For what we about to go up against...I want someone willing to fight with me until the very end."

She hugged her mate at that point, pulling him very close to him with a soft sigh.

The Thief walked up to them again, a few moments later. "The route is secure. We can proceed at your mark."