blooms. The ugly and beautiful, delicate and coarse, wholesome and poisonous, soft and hard, wet and dry, male and female, tall and short, and every other sort of contrast was everywhere — and nowhere at the same time, it seemed!
"Welcome, strangers. Why come to the place of Yangyin?"
The wizard stepped forth, hands raised, palms outward and before him. "I recognize you, Lord of Balance, Master Yangyin," he intoned. "I demand passage through this place."
"And what of me?" a soprano voice cried. "I recognize you. Lady of Balance, Mistress Yin-yang. I beg leave to pass through your realm."
"Enter," the male voice commanded. "Stay out!" the female voice countered. Gord peered left and right, but he could detect no one. Chert was likewise looking for speakers with the same result. Eneever Zig seemed untroubled, however, and marched into the strange place without hesitation. Again, the two young adventurers had no choice but to follow. After walking for what seemed like an hour, they came to a place that was the center of the cavern. There suddenly appeared before them two figures, one a male of purest white color, the other a female of pure black. The wizard bowed slightly, and Gord and Chert hastened to follow suit.
"Will you pay our price?" the male figure asked.
"We will and will not," the wizard replied.
"Good," said the female.
"Bad!" the wizard cried in answer.
Who will serve as the contestant?" Master Yangyin demanded.
Eneever Zig was ready. "He on my right, big, he on my left, small. Two will contest for our passage."
"Now I see why the combination of Chert and Gord was chosen for this mission," the small thief whispered to his huge friend. "I guess we're what you'd call 'in balance'"
"One will live!" the man said, looking at Chert as he spoke.
"One will die," the ebony female announced in a sultry tone as she gazed at Gord.
"That is in Fate's hands." the wizard countered. "Balance!"
At that both figures scowled, for the words of the spell-binder were a counter to their pronouncements. Then they smiled. The white male figure turned without speaking and beckoned them to follow, while the black female stepped among the three and spoke.
"It is seldom indeed that strangers enter our realm through this portal," the seductive Lady Yin-yang purred.
"It is often," her male counterpart snapped in disagreement.
The lady ignored his rebuff. "May I offer hospitality and assistance?"
Gord quickly took the initiative. "No. We do not ask for your weal, for then he would counter with woe." the young thief said, pointing to the pale Lord Yangyin.
Chert immediately caught his friend's meaning. "Nor do we want your assistance. Dark Mistress, for then the White Lord would surety do his equal best to hinder us."
Making a moue of disappointment. Lady Yin gave a shrug and turned away from them at the barbarian's rejection. The snow-white Yang, in contrast, turned and came to them, a look of gratification on his face.
The two young adventurers had the measure of this place now.
"Let's get on with the challenge." Eneever Zig said.
The two rulers of the place looked at each other. "Dead to contest with the living?" asked Lady Yin.
"No, these men are too strong for such puny opposition."
"Actually," Lady Yin said, visually assessing Gord and Chert, "they are too weak."
"Allow me a moment to consider," replied Lord Yang.
"I won't consider it at all," Yin said in a definitive tone.
"Do as you wish," the wizard said forcefully, "but we are going." With that the gray-locked fellow strode off, his rusty black robes swishing. Gord and Chert were more than willing to follow him, so all three marched away toward the place where they supposed the exit to the cavern lay.
"We shall join you, yes?" asked Yang.
"Sure," Chert told the two. "Come along."
"No, we'll manage ourselves," Gord said almost simultaneously.
"A balance," Zig noted without expression.
Lord and lady stared hard at all three of their guests. "We will go
"Welcome, strangers. Why come to the place of Yangyin?"
The wizard stepped forth, hands raised, palms outward and before him. "I recognize you, Lord of Balance, Master Yangyin," he intoned. "I demand passage through this place."
"And what of me?" a soprano voice cried. "I recognize you. Lady of Balance, Mistress Yin-yang. I beg leave to pass through your realm."
"Enter," the male voice commanded. "Stay out!" the female voice countered. Gord peered left and right, but he could detect no one. Chert was likewise looking for speakers with the same result. Eneever Zig seemed untroubled, however, and marched into the strange place without hesitation. Again, the two young adventurers had no choice but to follow. After walking for what seemed like an hour, they came to a place that was the center of the cavern. There suddenly appeared before them two figures, one a male of purest white color, the other a female of pure black. The wizard bowed slightly, and Gord and Chert hastened to follow suit.
"Will you pay our price?" the male figure asked.
"We will and will not," the wizard replied.
"Good," said the female.
"Bad!" the wizard cried in answer.
Who will serve as the contestant?" Master Yangyin demanded.
Eneever Zig was ready. "He on my right, big, he on my left, small. Two will contest for our passage."
"Now I see why the combination of Chert and Gord was chosen for this mission," the small thief whispered to his huge friend. "I guess we're what you'd call 'in balance'"
"One will live!" the man said, looking at Chert as he spoke.
"One will die," the ebony female announced in a sultry tone as she gazed at Gord.
"That is in Fate's hands." the wizard countered. "Balance!"
At that both figures scowled, for the words of the spell-binder were a counter to their pronouncements. Then they smiled. The white male figure turned without speaking and beckoned them to follow, while the black female stepped among the three and spoke.
"It is seldom indeed that strangers enter our realm through this portal," the seductive Lady Yin-yang purred.
"It is often," her male counterpart snapped in disagreement.
The lady ignored his rebuff. "May I offer hospitality and assistance?"
Gord quickly took the initiative. "No. We do not ask for your weal, for then he would counter with woe." the young thief said, pointing to the pale Lord Yangyin.
Chert immediately caught his friend's meaning. "Nor do we want your assistance. Dark Mistress, for then the White Lord would surety do his equal best to hinder us."
Making a moue of disappointment. Lady Yin gave a shrug and turned away from them at the barbarian's rejection. The snow-white Yang, in contrast, turned and came to them, a look of gratification on his face.
The two young adventurers had the measure of this place now.
"Let's get on with the challenge." Eneever Zig said.
The two rulers of the place looked at each other. "Dead to contest with the living?" asked Lady Yin.
"No, these men are too strong for such puny opposition."
"Actually," Lady Yin said, visually assessing Gord and Chert, "they are too weak."
"Allow me a moment to consider," replied Lord Yang.
"I won't consider it at all," Yin said in a definitive tone.
"Do as you wish," the wizard said forcefully, "but we are going." With that the gray-locked fellow strode off, his rusty black robes swishing. Gord and Chert were more than willing to follow him, so all three marched away toward the place where they supposed the exit to the cavern lay.
"We shall join you, yes?" asked Yang.
"Sure," Chert told the two. "Come along."
"No, we'll manage ourselves," Gord said almost simultaneously.
"A balance," Zig noted without expression.
Lord and lady stared hard at all three of their guests. "We will go
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