Narri sung a low and gentle song to herself as she muddled some berries and leaves. The colors of her voice mingled with her concoction and she rocked back and forth.

"So what is this you're making, anyway?" Marcella asked, trying to sneak a peek.

Narri pulled the bowl back and continued her work, still singing and humming.

"It's . . . it's gonna kill me then?" Narri continued to ignore her. "Will it hurt?"

Marcella pulled back when she realized Narri wouldn't respond. She flopped onto the ground and leaned against the trunk of a tree.

"You know, I used to sing to myself." Marcella began playing with her finger tips as she spoke to Narri, pretending the woman was listening. "I'm trying hard not to do it now, actually. I think if being in Lemuria has taught me anything it's that I should probably find some new ways of dealing with my anxiety."

"I don't sing because I am anxious, girl."

"Why do you sing, then?"

"Singin's magic." She stood up and brought the potion to Marcella.

"This is it then, huh? I'm going to drink that . . . then I'm gonna . . . I'm gonna die?"

Narri was a dreadful statue as she held the bowl out for Marcella. The girl took a deep breath and got to her feet, taking the bowl in both hands.

"Dere are demons in dah undahworld, girl." Narri kept her stoic expression. "Dey gonna try an' fool wid ya brain."

She smiled awkwardly at Narri, then brought the bowl to her lips.

The taste of it was putrid, it made the muscles in her throat contract and she nearly puked, but with all the self control she had Marcella resisted the urges of her body. She dropped the bowl and looked at Narri.

"You're going to protect my body while I'm gone?" Already everything was growing dark.

"As best I can, girl."

Marcella's strength slipped away and the next thing she knew she was falling, falling to the ground and then beyond. She fell out of her body and through the solid rock, dropping lower and lower, faster and faster until she entered a huge cavern. Stalactites reached down from the ceiling towards mirrored spires of rock which thrust up from the ground. Like the mouth of a monster, Marcella thought.

The only light was provided by the tongue of flowing lava which twisted around islands of black, solid rock.

Marcella flipped around in the air and touched down with a bit of a jolt. She scanned her immediate area and, despite the super heated, liquid rock around her, she felt cold.

"Hello?" She called out, "Anybody?" Her voice echoed all around her and she shivered. She crossed her arms over her chest and sniffed, then whispered at the ground, "where am I?"

Marcella rocked and cried. She whispered to herself as she felt her memory leaving her. She was . . . somewhere frightening. She was looking for . . . someone . . .

"Pity, pity, such a pity." A voice sang out from some unseen corner. "Little girlie's in a tizzy, such a pity, pity."

"Hello?" Marcella stood back up and spun around. "Who's there?"

"Hello?" Her voice echoed. "Who's there?"

"Hello?"

"Hello?"

"Please, I need help. I don't know where I am."

"Please, I need help--"

"Stop it!"

"Stop it!"

The voice that was hers-but-not-hers moved around the cavern. It came at her from different locations as she began to cry.

"I'm lost."

The voice stopped mimicking her and started laughing. It came from everywhere, threatening to collapse the cavern of earthen teeth with its force. Marcella covered her ears and screamed along with the laughter.

"You were told it would be different. Thought that you were safe. Well looks like you were lied to, boy I bet that chafes."

"Who are you?" Marcella got to her feet and screamed, throwing her fists back and puffing her chest. The wicked voice just cackled and laughed as it danced around her in tightening circles.

"Welcome to the lair, I think you'll find it comfy."

"Whose lair?" She felt her skin crawl as darkness closed in on her. She started to scream and the voice twisted and roared as it screamed back.

"Whose lair? Whose lair? You're not the one askin' the questions girlie! This ain't yo realm, ya dig? I own this place and I own you!"

Marcella tripped and in the darkness she felt heat radiating from the lava just a foot away. She pulled back and curled into a ball, screaming and covering her ears.

"Princess girly's too scared to stand up? To scared to speak? You foolhardy young wench, you ain't nuthin!"

"Please just leave me alone!" Marcella kicked at what she assumed were grasping hands climbing up her legs. "Please! I just want . . . I want something."

"Everybody wants, sister, but you gotta fight to get it. And I'm not givin' you a chance in hell to get what you want! YAHAHAHAHA!"

Marcella felt like the room was spinning, things were poking her and grabbing her and without thinking she yelled out "MY GRANDMOTHER! I want my grandmother, I need her help."

"Hot damn." The voice instantly shrunk back and the lights were turned on. Marcella uncovered her ears and opened her eyes. She was surrounded by nothing but rock and magma.

"Where did you go?" Marcella called out. "I remember now! I'm here to find my grandmother, Rowena Louge."

"The Mystic and Powerful!" The voice seemed smaller and lower now.

"Yeah! You know her?"

"Who doesn't, lady, this place is crawling with spooks who'd like a piece o' her."

"What? She isn't hurt is she? Ahh!" Marcella jumped back as she noticed the thing on the ground beside her. Its pointed ears only reached her ankle and its molten rock skin blended seamlessly with its surroundings.

"Cool yer jets!" The thing unfurled gossamer wings and lifted from the rocky ground. Marcella quivered and tried not to look too closely at the things frightening, yet distinctly human, face. Even at its scaled down size, Marcella could decipher its twisted nose and off set eyes.

"Disgusted, huh?" The thing's small but robust arms gestured to itself. "I'm not an idiot, I know what I look like."

"What . . . I mean, you were so big, and it was so dark!"

"Yeah, it sure seemed that way, didn't it?"

"You're so tiny! And . . . adorable, in a truly disgusting sort of way."

"Yeah, it's probably these damn fairy wings. Why can't I get a sweet pair of oversized bat wings like the other demons? Or some dragon wings! Nope, I'm too tiny for that, so I get dinky bug wings."

"I've known some dinky bugs you'd probably be proud to be associated with."

"I AM NOT A BUG!" The thing heaved and its body shook with angry breath. "I am a hell fairy! A demon!"

"No, no, of course you're not a bug. I didn't mean to upset you."

"Don't patronize me!"

"I'm not!"

"Cause I don't like be patroned!"

"I'm sorry . . . patroned?"

"Yeah."

"Don't you mean patronized?"

"No, you patronize me, I'm patroned by you."

"No, that's patronized."

"Don't be ridiculous!"

"Oh I'm being ridiculous?"

"Yeah, you are."

"Well, what about you? First you're all big and scary and 'I OWN YOU!' And now you're a little bug who has no grasp of basic grammar?"

"I AM NOT A BUG!" The demon rocketed for Marcella's face and she swatted at it. It backed off and hovered out of reach. "I will smote you, you stupid girl!"

"It's smite!" Marcella put her hands on her hips.

The demon screamed and dove for her face again, but got caught in her hair. It pulled and fussed and tossed about as Marcella screamed back.

"Stop moving! Let me get you untangled! Ow! Stop that!"

Tiny, clawed fingers dug into Marcella's scalp. She pulled at the rocky little bug demon, trying to free it from her hair.

"Don't bother fighting it! You're mine!"

"Are you kidding me?" Marcella mustered her strength and yanked the thing from her knotted hair. She threw it on the ground and pressed against it with her index finger, pinning it to the rock.

"Hey! Stop it, come on! Ouch! OW!"

"Who's smiting who now?" Marcella asked pressing harder as the demon fought back.

"You'll have to kill me before I give up!"

"Aren't you already dead? This is the underworld . . ."

"Good point." The thing stopped struggling and tried to take some deep breaths, despite the finger pressed to its chest. "Looks like I'll never give up then!" It reached out for Marcella's face again and kicked its legs.

Marcella picked the demon up and held him tight with one hand, she then gripped his wings with the other and said, "since you don't like your wings, and you're out to smite me and all, I might as well just rip them off for you."

"WHAT! No! You can't!"

"But, you hated them so much earlier."

"I need them! You can't take them!"

"I will if you don't shut up!" Marcella shook the demon and he cried out.

"Please, I need them! Look at how small my legs are! Can you imagine how long it would take me to get places if I had to walk?"

"If I let you keep them, are you going to try to kill me?"

" . . . no?"

"That doesn't sound like you're really that sure of yourself." Marcella moved to rip the wings from his back but he yelled and begged for her to stop.

"I'll help you find Rowena Louge!"

Marcella loosened her grip on his wings and smiled. "You promise?"

"Yes, I promise! I promise!"

"Good then, where do we begin." Marcella let go of the demon and it fluttered into the air again. "How about your name? What can I call you?"

"Blarb'dy Clutch."

"What?"

"That's my name, you got a problem with that?"

"Uh . . . no . . . how about I just call you Clutch?"

"What ever, mortal, you wanna find Rowena or not?"

"Yeah, of course, let's go."