Ten long years. Every day seemed like an eternity of torture to Cinder. Had it really been that long. His thoughts were in the past as he strolled through the marketplace in Sigil the City of Doors. Like every day for the last five years Frizar was perched on his shoulder in raven form invading his thoughts for any signs of treachery so it could report back to Furcas. Theirs was a love-hate relationship, Cinder hated Frizar and Frizar seemed to love that.

Cinder picked up his pace a little. The last thing he wanted to do was to be late for his visit with his sister.

How he loved "Springrite." It was the one day every year for the last ten years when Furcas allowed him to meet with his enslaved sister.

Cinder had long ago quit feeling sorry for his plight. For as bad as his life had become it was nothing compared to the one that Ellenestra his beautiful sister was living. The day of their capture and of his fathers murder seemed to play through his thoughts as fast as Frizar could pluck them out.

Cinder could hear Friz's mental sigh as he yet again revisited in his memories that fateful day ten years earlier.

Like every Springrite, for the last ten years that he had spent in the High Forrest on the crystal sphere called Toril, Cinder was helping his Moon-Elven father Tantteer Ebondorne' and his half-sister Ellenestra prepare for the festival. This day belonged first to Rillifane Rallathil the Leaflord, elven god of woodland realms and second to those faithful elves that followed his ways. To the druids and rangers among the faithful this was a day of joyous revelry. Song, dance, and drinking rare and potent elven spirits, were among the more pleasant of diversions a fifteen year old half-elf could indulge in. And for Cinder, who had only two weeks earlier been excepted as a true warrior among his people despite his half human heritage, he could think of no greater joy than being among his family and friends. If only his mother the Lady Austriel of Silverymoon could have broken away from her courtly obligations to attend.

His mother had raised him to the age of five in Silverymoon when she allowed his father Tantteer, a ranger of incredible skill, to take him away from the safety of Austriel's beloved city into the dangerous wilderness of the High Forrest. But, to a five-year old that looked up to his accomplished father, he was in heaven. Tantteer taught him the ways of his elven ancestors: archery, swordsmenship, woodcraft, and stealth "to become a leaf among a forest of leaves," as his father used to say. He did not take to the ranger skills as highly as he did the ways around a sword and dagger. But now at fifteen there were few among even the most skilled fighters and rangers of his village that could hold back his short sword and dagger in combat. And his strength was increasing daily a gift from his mother's human side that the fey folk could not match.

He had downed his tenth glass of elven wine. Even the most stout among his people would be on the ground unconscious, and many were, by now. But the revelry had continued all through the day and long into the night. Even a few Centaurs and come to join in on this joyous occasion.

His sister was glaring at him again with her disapproving emerald green eyes. Ellenestra was as a pearl among stones, outshining even the most beautiful of elven maids. Ten years his elder and born to a Green Elven mother that died during her birth Ellenestra was entirely to sobering for Cinder. He too often indulged on spirits and other types of mischief for her liking. And Cinder thought so highly of her that he felt real guilt when she reminded him of his excess. She had never belittled his half-elven blood like so many of his rivals had. She only showed caring and concern for him and his father.

The full moon was at its zenith when the first gate appeared less than a quarter of a mile from the festivities. The beast that emerged from the dark portals were Baatezu (Devils) and theirs was a mission of slaughter and slavery. They numbered more than forty led by a nine foot tall Cornugon named Knuckmar. And they followed a plan of assault and murder practiced on hundreds of worlds.

Normally it would be virtually impossible for any invaders to approach within ten miles of the elven village without notice by their scouts, but even the guardians of the village were allowed a night off to participate at the mid summers eve festival.

The Baatezu approached the village using all manner of stealth. Some had the hellspawn ability to become invisible at will, others could blend in naturally with their surroundings and still others could move with the silence of the best thieves. The Baatezu were nothing if not calculating, their attack was precisely laid out so the most powerful fighters and magic wielding foes were the first to fall in battle.

As the devils stormed into the heart of the elven village the call to arms came too late. Many elves throats were torn out before they could even begin to call for help. Cinder's father Tantteer however was the first elf to draw arms on the attacking fiends. He screamed for Cinder to take his sister and the many children out of the village toward the Unicorn Run and from their to the trails leading out of the High Forrest toward Silverymoon. The attack caused the light- headed Cinder to sober quickly. Without any argument he quickly gathered his sister and as many of the elven women and children and lead the retreat toward the unicorn's run. Looking over his shoulder as he left his village behind he saw his brave father for the last time ever. He was engaged in a duel with the giant fiend Knuckmar. Tantteer even managed to land a handful of blows on the huge fiend before its massive two-handed sword severed the head from his father's shoulders.

Cinder did not tell Ellenestra what he had seen during their retreat for doing so would only cause her unnecessary grief and he needed her to be strong to help him calm the frantic elven children.

One hour into flight he called a halt to the frantic march. He counted how many women and children had made it out of the village. Twenty in all not counting himself and his sister. The normally skilled elven people had fled in such haste that they made no attempt to cover their tracks. Now was the time to due so. He figured he was perhaps five miles from the Unicorn Run and a slow but stealthy march would be preferred to the mass exodus he had just lived through. His sister and the other elven women had finally calmed most of the children so that they were no longer crying out for their mothers and fathers. But Cinder knew that if the fiends pursued them it would be impossible to outrun the devils. Then he realized it was already too late.

Cinder could sense the approach of the first Baatezu before they dropped on the fleeing group. Nets were thrown by many flying fiends. Drawing his sword and dagger he was able to cleave the large net that was covering Ellenestra and himself. Not willing to take flight and abandon his people Cinder closed on the closest fiends that could do any harm to his sister and the children. But at his approach the fiends took a step back not in any fear of Cinder or his drawn blades but to allow Knuckmar the opportunity to land in the middle of the fray. Many of the lesser fiends where drooling in anticipation for the coming battle even though they were quite sure of the outcome.

Cinder closed on the giant fiend that he had watched decapitate his father. The creature drew his head back and screamed a war cry that caused all manner of forest creatures to scurry in every direction away from the unnatural roar. Cinder new this would probably be the last battle he would ever fight and he feared for what would become of his sister and these women and children if he fell in battle.

Knuckmar advanced on Cinder with a measure of extreme confidence that unnerved him. Cinder new better that to show any weakness in the face of such a foe. He pooled all his anger and fear and channeled it into a devastating sword-dagger-sword combination. Landing as solid a series of blows as he had ever done on the startled Knuckmar. But to Cinder's horror the blows that would have cleaved the head from a grizzly bear merely glanced solidly off of Knuckmar's thick hide not even leaving signs of the merest scratch.

Cinder knew from what his father had told him about these types of creatures, that some manner of beast were unaffected by even the mightiest of blows if there was no magic in the attack. And although his weapons were finely crafted and elven forged they were not enchanted.

Impressed by the strength and skill of the attack, Knuckmar decided that it would be wiser to take out his opponent as quickly as possible. With a side ways swipe with the broad side of his huge sword Knuckmar bore in on Cinder. Cinder performed and aerial somersault over the top of the fiend's head avoiding the crushing blow intended for him. Realizing that his weapon was useless against so powerful a creature. Cinder landed behind the fiend, and in the same motion brought his short sword around driving the flat of his blade into the unsuspecting calves of Knuckmar, driving his legs out from underneath him and bringing him to the ground in a less that dignified fashion. As Knuckmar lifted himself off the ground his demeanor was one of mounting fury. Then some manner of reason seemed to calm the fiend and without any verbal command on his part the other fiends immediately seized all the children and women of the village, claws eager to tear the tender flesh of their victims. The children began to cry out in fear and confusion.

Knuckmar bellowed with laughter, "Raise thy sword against me again young whelp and I will slay one child for every blow you strike!"

Well that was it thought Cinder. To strike now would gain him nothing but the death of an innocent child. Cinder knew it would only be a matter of time before he joined his father Tantteer in death. But he feared not for his own life but for that of his sister and the young women and children they now had as hostages.

"Stop! Please!" protested Cinder. Slowly lowering his sword and dagger toward the ground. "Do what you will with me but let the women and children go they have done nothing to deserve your anger." He cried.

And that was the last time he ever laid eyes on his world Toril again. For as he pleaded for the release of his sister and the other hostages he was driven unconscious by a blow to the back of his head laying him low. And when he awoke he truly thought he had died and gone to hell. For the nine hells was were he truly awoke only he was not yet dead.

Driven from his recollections of the past by Frizar's mental wining, Cinder continued down through the open market on his way to a particular alley three lanes past the last of the food carts. This particular lane was officially called "Tarra's Way" but most cutters in the know referred to it as "Baator's Bridge."

"It be good to see master Furcas again. We have gone long away from home." The imp mentally relayed to Cinder.

Cinder had quit trying to shield his thoughts from Frizar years earlier. But its still brought a smile to Cinder's face when the always excited imp tried to relay his words to him. The imp was devilishly clever put he seemed to lack certain aspects of grammar, and this even came through when communicating mentally to Cinder.

The little imp was bonded to Cinder when he had first come into the direct service of Furcas those five years ago. Much in the same way that a familiar is bonded to a wizard. Cinder knew that even though he could communicate telepathically. See through his eyes, and shared in its regeneration abilities, the little imps true purpose was to keep him in line. To serve as a constant reminder that to betray Furcas or even the baatezu in general would cost him his own life. And worse, it would result in a fate worse than death for his enslaved sister.

Looking through the eyes of Frizar, Cinder could make out the slight glow of the gate leading to Baator. He chucked slightly, thinking how ironic it was that the key to this particular gate was the stinger from a imp. Well I guess the little pest has his uses after all he thought, knowing full well that Frizar was fully aware of his little joke.

"You no think loyal one Frizar would ever betray most important Master Cinder do you?" the imp asked.

"Owe, how could I ever doubt your loyalty Frizar." Cinder replied sarcastically. "Shut your bone box now! If I lose any time with my sister because of your endless wining you are going to wish your master was a tanar'ri!"

"Arrow stuck in Frizar's heart, you make good fiend lord master Cinder" the little imp replied.

Cinder walked right up to the gate to hell stepping through as he had done countless times before leaving the Cage that is Sigil behind him.