The Choice -- Episode #314

EXTENDED SYNOPSIS:

Zad's evil sister, Callista (Mel Rogan), manages to wrest the precious Crystal Ark from Dar (Daniel Goddard), but her scheme to win the favor of Balcifer is not over. The Ark was forged with a power of goodness that even Balcifer cannot break, and as long as Eldar's line still lives within the Ark, Callista will not achieve her goal.

Meanwhile, the Sorceress (Monika Schnarre), yearning for the return of her love, Sharak, turned into an eagle long ago by the Ancient One, makes a deal with the devil himself to get him back. Knowing Dar needs Sharak's help in his quest, she must convince him to let Sharak go. When her appeal to Dar leaves her frustrated, she resorts to blackmail to get Sharak back. In doing so, she sets in motion a series of events that threaten to destroy the world.

Meanwhile, Dar has second thoughts about the Sorceress' request and wonders if he is being selfish about wanting to keep Sharak as an eagle. By now, the Sorceress has made the fateful decision to help Callista by transporting the warrior into the Ark where she is free to stalk the animals. When Sharak is finally restored as a human (Daniel Fitzgerald), the Sorceress is so overcome with joy that she keeps her indiscretion a secret.

While the lovers try to make up for lost time, Sharak can't shake the feeling that Dar needs his help, nor can he shake the feeling that the Sorceress is hiding something. When he finally figures out that she actually helped Callista get into the Ark, he has no choice but to go to Dar's aid.

In the meantime, it is clear to Callista that the animals are still protected by the Ark. She exits the Ark, discouraged but not defeated, because she has found a way to get the animals out. Callista creates a shrine to Balcifer on which she places four carved stone animals - a horse, a tiger, a wolf and a goat, all the size of chess pieces. Callista transforms the goat to its mortal state and prepares to sacrifice the animal to Balcifer in accordance with his will. Dar and Tao arrive in time to witness the scene, but Sharak twists the knife from Callista's grasp and cuts the rope that tethers the goat. The goat runs away, and Sharak blocks a warrior from going after it.

Enraged, Callista is determined to sacrifice a life, if not the goat's, then that of her chief
warrior, Kama (Krissie Steen). She drives the knife into Kama, and suddenly there is a
crash of thunder. A brilliant lightning bolt lights up the stone animals. When the light fades, Callista is gone, and the animals have become imbedded in the rock of a nearby cliff.

Now Sharak calls on the Sorceress to help them out, since she is to blame for what has happened, but since a life was given to transform the animals into rock, another sacrifice is required to turn them back. Dar would rather give up his quest than sacrifice another innocent life, but instead Sharak willingly sacrifices his life as a man, returning to his life as an eagle to restore the animals.