NationStates Jolt Archive

Rothargot gave them a sinister grin as he backed up slightly, opening a book.

"Why don't you?" he replied as the orb came into contact with the book. Suddenly a great hissing noise erupted as two powerful items clashed against each other.

"Duck!" Kalzog shouted, just before a loud boom erupted from the clashing objects.

Rothargot slid backwards slightly as the deadly orb shot back at Lorathin at high speeds.

"Destroying the Earth? You have been played a fool, Caderyn. Why would the mighty Valtrox kill his worshippers?" Inzikai replied, lowering his weapon only slightly.

The blood loss was getting too much as Cadeyrn leaned back against the bookshelf and slid to the ground.

"Just like every other god, only this one protects his followers. The others have left us out to die." He replied weakly.

I'll be dead in a few years anyway. My father's illness...the very same one, at the very same age.

He looked at his left palm and smirked at a growing mass of grey skin.

I never told Marlene, didn't want her to worry and waste her time looking for a cure. Do I have many options? Having the werewolf in me prevented it from being noticable, but now what was once a spec has starting engulfing my hand.

"I don't think I could betray Rimoru, Relthor, and Karasu." He said smiling a bit as his weapon clattered to the floor.

"Betray? Who's the one being betrayed? Rimoru never told you about Rothargot and the others. I bet she even let you taste her love before bedding with another she barely knew. And Relthor? Where is this 'friend' of yours now, when you need him most?"

"And Karasu? She too ran off, after you told her to hold me off as you fought valiently..."

"Ask yourself Caderyn: Who's betraying whom?" Inzikai replied, sheathing his sword as he walked closer to the fallen warrior.

"You may be right. You may already know how I felt about Rimoru, one of the main reasons why I took this job." He muttered as his voice became softer and softer. "Karasu too...but some things are not meant to be, not for me mostly."

His head tilted forward as the sounds from the battle nearby escalated.

"Where are they now is a very good question. Rimoru who is a goddess caused this mess, Relthor the mighty dragon is nowhere to be found, and Karasu who could decimate the entire room should she want too. I left my back against Kalzog, who as soon as you all leave will more than likely kill me in battle. Lorathin, who is dancing under the floor. I am alone again." He growled growing more frustrated with the situation. "No one tried to save Marlene when Beau took her... They probably only saved me because they knew I was the only one would challenge him and Kalzog."

Gritting his teeth he soon grew infuriated at his allies and began wondering how loyal to him they really where.

"Even the dragon god has forsaken me. What can I do?" He asked struggling to keep awake.

Rimoru could stop the shredders, she could have protected me. only Kalzog, an enemy has truely stood beside me. Even against Beau.

"Join us, Caderyn. Valtrox rewards the faithful and smites betrayers. Valtrox has rewarded me for serving him...After hundreds of years, I still have the body and stamina of a well built young adult...Imagine...virtual immortality..." Inzikai replied, putting his hand on Caderyn's shoulder.

"It sounds better than dieing alone in a few years, or because of my master's incompotence." He replied smirking. "I would like to live long enough to see Marlene grow old, I would do anything to be able to keep protecting her."

Cadeyrn rested his left hand on Inzikai's arm and looked up desperately.

"I will serve Valtrox, as no mortal master is worthy of me." He said proudly.

"Excellent, Caderyn. You will not regret this decision," smiled Inzikai as he helped the warrior up. "Perhaps, if you desire, you may even marry Marlene...a joyous ceremony that would be!"

Inzikai guided Caderyn to his massive sword.

"Wait here, Caderyn. Rest as I look for one other," he said as he gently set the warrior down, before searching for a certain elf.

Marry Marlene, yeah that would be nice. I'll live long enough to be able to do that, I won't have to be alone anymore.

The warrior used his massive sword as a crutch as the his wounds slowly began to heal. Focusing he was able to make rematerialize a another hand of fire. It was weak, but it would do.

Perhaps my path was never meant to be good or honorable. I always found the greatest pleasure destroying whatever came into my path and serving a strong master. A master who isn't incompotent and isn't afraid to unleash me, I am the Berzerker after all.

"Whatever may happen, in the light and the darkness, my sword will always serve me. Together we will fufill our dreams and our master's." Cadeyrn said looking at the masterpiece with nostalgia.

"Ah hell." Lorathin commented as he saw the reaction of book and ball. Dropping down with a thud, he saw Inzikai doing something strange to Cadeyrn.
"Kal, you're on your own again, Cade in trouble." He called over.

"Yeah yeah, I preferred to be on my own in the first place!" Kalzog growled as he turned his head towards the direction of the ball.

Suddenly, the demi-god charged towards the two lieing on the ground.

Kalzog pushed Lorathin out of the way before rolling slightly and wrapping his hands on the stampeding demi-god's leg.

Rothargot noticed this and immediately sent surges of flame down his leg, burning Kalzog's hands.

With a small yelp, he let go, only to roll away from the deadly point of Rothargot's tail, which slammed into the ground, digging down the floor.

Suddenly, several clicks could be heard echoing around the room.

"This ain't good..." Kalzog muttered as he noticed Rothargot himself was somewhat curious as he tried to pull his tail out of the ground.

**********************************************************

"Ar'mai! Where are you?" Inzikai called out. This was their final chance. Ar'mai could become his mighty queen and rule the empire under Valtrox...or she will be killed like the rest...

After regaining her strength, and hearing Inzi cajoling the good, honorable Cadey to work for the V-Man, Karasu's fury was out of control. She was still in the dark Restricted Area.

As Inzi walked to get a sword, Karasu was far enough away to build up enough speed airborne and with her special moves to be invisible, for the most part. With all the strength and momentum, Karasu smashed into Inzikai from the back, stabbing him with a Wakazashi, and slashing the back of his neck with a nihonto, as she knocked him over.

Karasu stepped on him and stomped on him, taking her kunai and nailing him all over the back at close range, then grabbing her tongfas and beating him about the head. She did this at an amazing speed, but knew to get away before the bastard stood up.

"Do not try it motherfucker!!! Do not try to corrupt Cadey!" She screamed at Inzi, her eyes were spinning different colors like a slot machine.

"Cadey," she yelled, "We have not abandoned you... I had to get my strength back. The other two have been messed with by a demon. No one has abandoned you! I would die first Cadey!" She turned to him with her eyes showing she meant every word.

Inzikai would have died...had he not had a little surprise for the lot of them. With great strength, he bucked Karasu off of him and smiled as he rose, black blood dripping to the ground, broken bones snapping into place.

He cracked his neck and looked at Karasu with a wicked smile. "Surprise!" he cackled with mock happiness. "Oh, but you all have abandoned Cadeyrn. He needed all of you...yet you left him to be wounded, to lose his weapon...Do not fill us with your lies..."

"Fuck you Inzi! We did not allow anything. If we were not all injured we would have been there in a second. And as I said. I will die for that man." Karasu glared at Inzi.

"You know nothing of that kind of loyalty do you? You cannot even fathom it. You are not even loyal to Valtrox. You stick with him as you believe him to be the strongest, and the only way to save your pathetic life. You are nothing but a coward!" Karasu spat at him.

She tried to get up, but was unable to. Maybe I, no we, will die right here. Not my son....

Inzikai smiled as he pulled out his wicked falchion again. "Karasu, poor little Karasu...I am no coward. I live to serve Valtrox...I do not betray my friends, as you have. I do not leave them, even if I need my rest."

The Lord of the Cult stood over Karasu, sword outstretched, pointing to her face. "I never noticed before, with all the raging between us, but I must admit...you are quite pretty. Too bad I'm going to have to kill you..."

"Not happening!" Karasu flipped into a back handspring and continued down the aisle at amazing speed... thinking again of her son.

She was running out of ideas... "Cadey!! Please help me!" she cried out to him. "Do not listen to this monstrosity!"

"Inzi, you live to serve Valtrox, because you cannot surpass his power, or you would have him serving you. That is obvious. Predictable, as usual. If you knew you could get away with whatever you wanted with no repercussions from Valtrox, you would not give him a second thought and you know it. You are a coward! Or you would have married Rimmy regardless of what Valtrox said! However, you are a coward and could not do so because of the repercussions... COWARD!" Karasu yelled.

"Admit to what you are... a slave of Valtrox, who decides your fate. You have no self-determination... your life depends on someone else's whims."

Karasu was laughing at him mockingly. It was all true. They stuck with the V-Man or else.

Now how could she get him to put up his shield? Where the hell was Ar'mai? A few more arrows would wear him down from putting up his shield.

"Coward? Do not dare call me coward, insolent human!" Inzikai growled. "You are the one running from me..."

"I serve Valtrox loyally, and he rewards me, do you not see?"

Suddenly, a strange clicking noise boomed across the Library.

Inzikai lowered his sword slightly as he raised an eyebrow. "What was that?" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

Lorathin rolled to the side to avoid the charging demon, before pulling himself to his feet and rushing over to Cadeyrn. "Are you alright?" He asked as he began casting a spell to help him speed up his healing.

"Cadeyrn, ignore all of them! They now try to regain your favor, yet it is they that brought you away from it! They will only repeat their past offenses!" called Inzikai.

Suddenly, the clicking noises were replaced by a single terrible screech. Inzikai looked down as he realized he slowly floated upwards. Then, it appeared he went into to free fall...except he was falling up...

"What did you do, you infernal demon?" growled Kalzog as he held onto a bookcase, which seemed unaffected by the trap.

"You tell me, you bloated meat sack!" came Rothargot's reply as he hung by his tail.

Even the shredders seemed affected by the trap, as they began to fall upwards, landing on the ceiling with a heavy clank. One fell through the hole in the roof, only to fall back into the hole, where it repeated itself, as if in a loop.

"Ar'mai! Where are you?" Inzikai called out. This was their final chance. Ar'mai could become his mighty queen and rule the empire under Valtrox...or she will be killed like the rest...

It had taken her a couple of minutes to sneak around the library to where Karasu and Inzikai were battling. From behind a column of bookshelves she began unloosing more arrows at the enemy...

"This is all I can do, I have no choice." He replied coldly while everyone seemed to try to convince him otherwise.

Now they run to my side. They fear what will become when I am their foe, because they might lose their precious punching bad. What of Rimoru and Relthor? Do my masters not care at all?

"Stay away Lorathin and Karasu, or I will kill you both." Cadeyrn said while weakly propping the blade on his shoulder.

"Fine." Lorathin replied, stepping back, only to start going upward unintentionally, before grabbing onto a bookshelf, "But you do know that one of Valtrox's servants is responsible for Rimoru and Relthor's absence, and is messing with her head."

"It is beyond that Lorathin." Cadeyrn said looking at the ground upset. "Regardless, if we meet again, it is likely we will become enemies."

Koryl cursed silently as he, too, fell to the ceiling. Twisting in midair, he managed to land lightly and get quickly back to his feet, but up here there was no cover. He would be in plain sight to anyone who glanced in his direction.

"I would prefere it otherwise, but if that is what you feel will become necessary, then I must apologise Marlene in advance." He replied, "Apologise to her that her hero and idol has fallen into the service of one who would kill her like he'd swat a fly and thus died."

Inzikai smiled cruelly as Lorathin and Karasu were told to leave Cadeyrn. His loyalty will be essencial to the cult...He will be rewarded greatly for it...

Suddenly, an arrow wizzed passed his head, causing Inzikai to turn around. "Ar'mai!" he called out, examining where the Arrows seemed to come from.

As Inzikai fell upwards, he saw Ar'mai behind a bookshelf. "Ar'mai! Grab hold of the bookshelf!" he shouted to her as he fell on the ceiling with a thud, knocking the air out of him.

"Do you think she would prefer her hero dieing, slow and painfully? Wasting away before her very eyes, helpless." The mercenary asked. "I refuse to die like that."

"Why would you waste away?" Lorathin asked, genuinely surprised as Cadeyrn seemed the picture of health, even with the injuries he'd sustained.

"A disease that killed my father, there's no cure for it." Cadeyrn replied. "Rumor has it only the philosopher stone can attempt to even create a remedy. I'll be dead in a matter of a year or so if I don't do anything."

When Ar'mai started floating upwards, she did as Inzikai said and grabbed a shelf that was not more than four feet above where she could have previously reached.

"What is the disease?" He inquired as even during this trying time he was intested in learning, as well as knowing that there were usually ways to circumvent almost anything with the right preparation and knowladge.

Rothargot's tail broke free from the ground as he began a free fall upwards, until he wrapped one stony hand on Kalzog's head.

"Gerroff me!" came Kalzog's muffled shout.

"I'm going to snap your neck in two, ogre!" replied Rothargot as he reached with his other hand towards Kalzog's neck.

Great...stuck here about to be killed thought Kalzog as his mind worked furiously to come up with a good counter measure. Few came up...

Kalzog could either let go, hopefully disrupting the demi-god and land on the floor- ceiling, and continue a losing fight up there. Unfortunately, by letting go, he could get his neck snapped off by Rothargot either by accident or intentional...

Or Kalzog could hold on and pray to any god that Rothargot will lose his grip...

"What have I got to lose?" the Ogre mumbled as his fingers let go of the bookshelf.

Both demon and ogre plummeted at a lethal height, Kalzog's neck being gripped by Rothargot's massive hand.

Before the ogre could see himself hit the ground, the little air he recieved was not enough to keep him conscious. The last thing he remembered was hearing loud crack...

"Dragonsbane." Cade replied driving his sword into the floor for support. "It was put on the dragons at first, but was pretty ineffective against their larger bodies. The dragoons, however, are largely extinct because of it."

The mercenary turned his head at the sound of a vicious crack.

There was the ogre, and what looked like some sort of demon. Koryl watched the two warily. The ogre looked in pretty bad shape, but the demon could be very dangerous...

Hopefully his target was still alive. It might prove very difficult indeed to find the machine if the one that had taken it was dead.

OOC: Cadeyrn should have asked Valerith to bite him... ;)

"Dragonsbane?" Lorathin asked as he'd heard people called that, but knew nothing of it as a disease.

"I have accepted my duties under my own free will, Valtrox is my only master now." He remarked pushing his blade further into the floor. "He protects me as I will hold his name in honor, through this I can live the best possible way."

He smirked a bit.

"I am a mercenary after all, he just out bid you all." He mused.

"Not from where I was watching you didn't." He replied, "There are ways to circumvent even the most potent diseases or afflictions."

He shifted to keep hold of the bookshelf, "But if you are stead-fast in this road, I feel sorry for those who care for you." He commented, an unpleasent and forboding tone entering his voice.

Ah... Koryl thought, but who can trust a mercenary who will change sides half way through a battle?

"I have my reasons to why I do everything I do. I have survived through more than any other human before me." He commented watching for Inzikai. "Keep your pity to yourself."

He ripped the blade from the floor and pointed it at Lorathin before running towards Karasu and Inzikai.

Suddenly, Kalzog gasped with air as he felt the restraining arms taken off his neck.

Kalzog looked over his side to see Rothargot running for something. His right wing was rebuilding itself as it seemed it had a nasty break, the top half hanging in a strange way it shouldn't have.

The ogre let out a laugh as he nearly thought it was the sound of his own neck snapping. "Close one..." he muttered until he realized what the demi-god was running after. The orb...

"This is getting annoying!" Kalzog growled as he got up and prepared another spell. Unfortunately, as before, he felt fatigued as he tried to summon up a cyclone to toss the demon around. "Rimoru...if you were here now...I'd rip you to shreds!"

As Kalzog got up, he noticed another figure close by...the strange cat like man from earlier. "Hey you!" he called as he limped towards Rothargot and the orb. "I'll give you your doohicky if you get me that orb!"

"So be it." He commented, thought he was partially out of the fight due to needing his hands for most spells, and his hands were presently occupied.

It was worth a try. Koryl ran as fast as he could, heading straight for the orb. Somehow, he doubted the demon would be cooperative about making deals if he won the fight.

Rothargot smiled as the orb was close enough to reach. Rothargot's wing had already completed it's reformation and now all he needed was one small lunge...

Suddenly, he could hear the footsteps of something rapidly approaching. Rothargot growled as he turned around to see a strange looking man running towards him.

The demi-god unfurled his wings and lunged for the pink orb.

It was clear that he wouldn't beat the demon to the prize. Snatching a small dart from his belt, Koryl flung it at the orb just as Rothargot lunged for it.

Cadeyrn unseathed his throwing swords and threw them with excellent precesion at Karasu.

Keep Inzikai safe equals keeping Marlene safe. That's all that matters now.

"Karasu, I suggest you go back and find Relthor before you get hurt." He barked at the agile fighter.

The small dart smacked into the orb, moving it gently out of the way. Enough, atleast, to move it out of Rothargot's lunge. The demon skidded away from it, before righting himself up, his eyes moved from the rolling orb to the skinny cat-eared man, back to the orb. With a roar, Rothargot lifted himself into the air and dove for the orb, this time ready to use his arms and legs to bounce himself back into the air.

"I take back everything I said Cadey." Karasu looked at him with disgust. "You have no honor. I guess you were right. To side with Valtrox to prolong your own life. Selfish. Marlene, who you obviously do not give a shit about will be devistated, however we will have to explain that you have no loyalty, and care only about yourself. Pathetic." She glared at him.

Karasu had no problem moving around the library anywhere she wanted despite the reverse gravity, due to the fact that she was an expert in chakra manipulation. She just walked up and down the walls, or to the floor... wherever she needed to be.

"Inzi, you cowardly slave... you have convinced Cadey to become a cowardly slave as well. I am sure you are quite proud of yourself. Does not matter slave." Karasu laughed mocking him. She was also trying to draw his attention from Ar'mai so that she could re-arm her bow. It seemed to have the effect of forcing Inzi to raise his shield and weaken him.

"Cadey, we do not pity you... we despise your selfish lack of honor. Rimmy has been cast with a spell and has locked Relthor away you idiot! Do you not listen to Lorathin?"

Karasu's anger was rising, however, she was not going to take it out on Cadey... yet. Inzi, who could not balance very well in the reverse gravity was her target.

She jumped to the bookshelf he was clinging to, her chakra centered to her feet, and began assaulting him with sais and beating him with tongfas. If he had to lift a hand, he would just be floating. This was a good situation.

Karasu stabbed at him and slashed him with numerous weapons, her eyes now solid red. "You cowardly slave! You do what Valtrox wants because you fear him... not because you respect him!" She mocked him.

She yelled loudly for Cadey to hear: "Cadey, you switch sides because you are too selfish to die for someone else. When it comes down to it, it is all about you. You make me sick. You really had me fooled and I admired you greatly... saw you as a loyal and honorable man. You are a good actor."

Karasu continued stabbing and slashing at Inzi, hoping Ar'mai was re-arming to nail the fucker.

As Lorathin saw Cadeyrn go to attack Karasu, he hooked his legs into the bookshelf and cast an illusionary spell. An image tailored solely to Cadeyrn's sight, indistinguishable from the real article save by touch, of Marlene ran out, passing between Karasu and Cadeyrn at the moment the blades would slice into her chest.

Ar'mai was currently holding onto a shelf for dear life and could no use her bow. At the very least she could unsling it from her shoulder and hold it in one arm, but loading it and drawing the string would not be possible.

All the while, she was thinking about Karasu's words. Is it really cowardly to do something out of fear for one's life? Self-preservation doesn't seem selfish, but rather instinct. How could you justly ask someone to give their life away for another...

Karasu saw Ar'mai's predicament and jumped down to where she was holding on.

"Why do I not hold onto your legs, so you can shoot?" She asked Ar'mai.

The wretched monster had recovered too quickly; even now, he was too close for Koryl to reach the orb before him. Again, the wanderer's hand went to his belt, this time coming away with a duplicate of the small, five-spoked wheel that was tied to his side. Still hurrying forward, he sent the magical weapon spinning towards Rothargot's hand. It was one of the three most powerful artifacts in his possession, and easily capable of cutting through stone; it should at least put a scratch in the demon's hide, and jar his hand to the side. Perhaps this would be delay enough.

As Karasu jumped down, she unknowningly hit another trap.

The whole room was engulfed in a blinding white light, lasting for a great many minutes.

Suddenly, the light ended...

"Infernal fools! Stop moving!" Kalzog shouted as he stumbled around, looking for something to hold onto as he waited to regain his sight. He felt his foot kick something and realized it was his orb. He immediately got low to the ground and began to feel around, but noticed too late that the orb had fallen down...or up...whatever was happening now...

**********************************************************

Inzikai, having been looking at the bookshelf, did not recieve the blunt of the blinding light, and was able to regain his eyesight quite fast. Yet he also noticed that he was on the side of the library... This time, the book shelves had moved...but it seemed everything did. It was a maze that extended throughout the whole restricted section, including up the walls. Stairs seemed to have appeared in random areas, leading to dark doorways. The only way to get to another floor it seemed...

Suddenly, a pinkish sphere fell from one side of the room, settling itself on top of a line of bookshelves.

Inzikai looked to his side and noticed Karasu only a few paces away.

"Oh Karasu, I've had enough of your annoyance," Inzikai growled as he stepped towards the beautiful woman, his sword glinting in the torchlight.

Kalzog roared as the artifact sliced into his hand, lodging itself several inches into it. His hand skimmed across the orb, making the demi-god lose his concentration and smashed into the floor. Before Rothargot could even regain his balance, he scrambled across the floor to get the orb when suddenly, something blinded him...

Before he knew it, he was hanging upside down...yet he seemed rightside up, since there were bookshelves next to him as well as below him...

"What's going on?" he growled out loud, looking for any sign of the orb, Kalzog, or Koryl.

Karasu pulled out her two Katanas, ready to meet Inzi.

"You are the annoyance." She sneered.

Instead of going for Inzi, she flipped over him and grabbed the orb and ran it over to Kalzog.

Karasu did not know what it was... only that he needed it.

Maverion was slashing at the nigh-defenseless Sarik, finally drawing his blade up in both hands, with the tip pointing downwards, to end the Skizzarish's life once and for all. As the weapon started coming down on the paladin, however, Maverion felt a strange sensation, as if some sort of weightlessness was coming over him.

Figuring it to be some sort of trick by his foe, he quickly refocused himself and continued slashing away at Sarik. But then he began accelerating upwards, and realized he had to do something about it.

Instead of keeping Sarik pinned to the floor, Maverion reversed the force, flinging the other man at high velocities toward the ceiling. If whatever was pulling him up there would pull Sarik as well, then the lizard was in for a lot of pain. If not, then gravity would pull the lizard back down to the ground, which would again cause him much pain.

Maverion, for his own part, began grasping at the nearby bookshelves. Several books came tumbling out of their spots as he did so, until he finally got hold of a shelf. Surveying what was going on, he found that almost everyone was falling to the ceiling, and continuing to grab onto the bookshelf served little purpose other than to strain his arms.

Taking note of what was below him, Maverion let go and came dropping down (relatively) the large distance to the ceiling. Using his powers to soften his touchdown, Maverion landed with a bend of his knees and no injuries.

From this new vantage point, he took in the situation once again, noticing Rothargot's struggle for some ball, Cadeyrn's aggression with the others of his group, and Karasu's constant chattering. Lorathin seemed fairly unmolested, and looked to be up to no good, and so with a sudden and powerful force, Maverion attempted to rip the man's legs from the bookshelf, followed up by another force that would slam him to the ceiling.

When the blinding flash came, he closed his eyes and covered them with an arm. Sending his mind out, he was still able to see everything around him without looking.

***

The carpet struggled against the wind and Teralynn grabbed on tightly to it, but the force of the wind eventually drove them back in the direction of the palace. Realizing this, Teralynn hid the book as best she could under her cloak while the palace was still some ways off.

ooc: Remember, Hyper, Kalzog is now on the ceiling, and on a staircase (which will be revealed later). Currently, staircases near Inzikai and Karasu are some distance away, however each staircase will lead to a random area in the restricted area.

Pulling out several daggers, Inzikai whipped them at Karasu. "You don't have the blessings of Valtrox, little Kary...perhaps if you did, you would survive these blades," he taunted as he ran after her.

Karasu jumped over Inzi. "I do not need the blessings of anyone, slaveboy."

As she jumped over him she spun and slashed at his back.

ooc: getting confused about where everyone is...

Sarik gasped as he fell to the ceiling, crashing down, and nearly getting killed, if he hadn't been healing himself constantly. He gasped as he felt Maverion's force leave him and picked himself off the ground. Suddenly, he was blinded for a long amount of time, laying flat again to avoid walking off into another trap or even a shredder.


As he vision slowly came to him, he noticed Maverion some distance away. Pull a gasp, Sarik pulled out Inzikai's dagger, along with a bit of muscle and aimed it at the greenish man. With a mighty throw, he tossed it at Maverion, hoping to have it strike home...

ooc: Understandable lol, Currently mostly everyone is nearby atleast one other, however some will be alone. These traps are not only meant to kill intruders, but to confuse them as well.

Inzikai spun his blade, following Karasu's arc as she landed behind him. As she slashed at his back, Inzikai let his sword block the blows before spinning around, doing a quick horizontal slash at Karasu's chest.

"You are no match for me, Karasu...Once I hack you senseless, I'll chain you to my castle walls and we'll see who becomes the slave," he snarled.

Karasu laughed. "Even if you could do that, you can never enslave my mind, unlike yours." She smirked at him.

Blood was coming from her rib area. She literally went crazy with rage. It was too close to her belly. She threw eight kunai at him at once, then jumped above his head with her blades crossed under her feet, spinning at a blinding speed.

"I'm detecting a pattern, Karasu," Inzikai said as he blocked seven of the blades. The remaining one went into his shoulder, but Inzikai didn't seem to take notice. He kept his falcion near Karasu, deflecting her blows as fast as she could.

"When I strike for your stomach...you get angry...what are you hiding?" he asked, his lips curling up in a wicked smile.

Noticing Sarik's movement with his mind, Maverion carefully watched the lizard. Seeing the knife coming, Mave built up his energy again in case he could not dodge it in time. He dropped low to avoid the dagger, simultaneously using his powers to deflect the weapon. It still managed to graze his forearm, however, as he was using it to protect his head, before continuing to fly off into the library somewhere. At the back of Maverion's mind, he tracked the dagger. But at the forefront, he focused on fighting the lizard.

Don't these people ever die!? Mave stood back up, bringing his blade into a ready stance before slashing at Sarik with a diagonal swipe.

With another dagger, Sarik perried the blow as best he could. With that little time he just gained, he rolled to one side and got up, as the pressure was no longer on his chest.

I'd better finish this quick... Sarik thought as he pulled out his broadsword and buckled his shield and ran towards Maverion.

The time Sarik took to draw his sword and buckle his shield allowed Maverion to focus on bringing the dagger thrown at him back into the game. Keeping the dagger as hidden and inconspicuous as possible, he brought it closer and let it sit in a position that would be most useful for a surprise attack in the future.

When the lizard charge, Maverion generated a force at Sarik's feet to trip him, and then prepared to jump up and strike down on the Skizzarish should he fall and come sliding toward Mave.

ooc: TG Rhinara

Sarik did indeed trip, but skidded along the floor towards Maverion. Yet Sarik was able to twist himself so his faced upwards, hoping this slide will cause him to slice Maverion from below...perhaps a bit undignified, but this fight must come to an end and the book found.

"Anytime you strike at me pisses me off, asshole!" Karasu said to Inzi.

She decided to back up and let him go on the offensive as her offencive moves did not seem to be effective.

The lizard did something Maverion hoped he was not so easily capable of doing in his bulking armor: twisting around so quickly to fight on his back. Maverion reinforced his jump with his powers to send him flying upwards more, barely pulling his feet away in time to avoid the broadsword.

As he approached the apex of his high jump, he pulled out his own dagger and launched it toward the Skizzarish, shortly followed by the other dagger that was hidden at the edge of their area of battle. Hopefully, the first would distract the lizard, and as he would try to block it or dodge it, the second one would come at him from an unsuspecting direction.

Inzikai smiled. "My my my, Karasu...such a rude mouth for a woman...perhaps I should just brainwash you, and reteach you some lessons..." Inzikai taunted as he eyes fell to the pink orb she held earlier.

Barring his elongated teeth, he sliced at Karasu's neck, hoping to lop off her head.

**********************************************************

Sarik moved his sheild to dodge the incoming dagger as he dove to the side. "Nice try, but it'll take more than that to kill me," Sarik grunted at Maverion.

"Karasu you know nothing of the battlefield! It must be easy to be so honorable given your condition. You sicken me with your promises of honor and integrity." Yelled while watching the blades strike a small girl who ran across the way.

Letting go of his massive sword jammed in the floor to investigate what he feared Cadeyrn immediately shot up towards the ceiling. There was a blinding light and a loud thud as his bones cracked against the ceiling.

"I am going to kill Relthor and Rimoru! Then you might feel a part of what it is to be like me!" He barked while getting used to the reversed gravity.

The bitch must think herself so honorable when she is god damned near invincible. I'll give her a taste of what it is to be mortal.

...

Good, Evil. I am beyond them.

Lorathin cursed as he found himself upside down against what he'd been formerly be bracing against. As he straightened up, he saw that Cadeyrn and his blade had been seperated. Grabbing ahold of part the floor/wall/ceiling, he began working his way to Cadeyrn's blade so that he could send it a great deal out of the berzerker's reach.

"You know nothing of my life Cadey, so do not sound so sure of yourself! You think you are the only one who has killed innocent people? You think you are the only one who has made horrible mistakes that you cannot take back and I must live with them longer than you do. However, I will not switch to an evil side for my personal gain! That is what I mean by honor. And I would NEVER betray a friend... ever!

"That is what I find so revolting... your betrayal. Have you ever loved anything other than yourself?" Karasu spat. "I do not think so. Not by the things you have said. Self preservation is one thing, but betraying your friends and moving to an evil side and attacking those friends who cared about you and trusted you is just sick! Do NOT tell me I know nothing of the battlefield! You know nothing of my experiences, so shut your face!"

Karasu continued... "All you are is selfish."

"OH?" Inzikai asked as he looked at Karasu. "How old are you then?"

He pulled out a small dagger and tossed it at Karasu again. Once she would attempt to deflect it, Inzikai will proceed with the killing blow...

The second dagger was still coming at Sarik as the lizard was busy getting out of the way of the first one and taunting Maverion.

Mave again used his power to push himself away while still in his jump, so that he would not landed right by the paladin, thereby allowing Sarik to chop him up with ease. The secret police officer flew in a wide arc away from the Skizzarish, landing not too far from Cadeyrn.

Gripping his sword in both hands again, he asked the Cadeyrn, "So, are you with us?" Either way, he would not trust the mercenary. A traitor was a traitor, and could not be trusted. But the answer Cadeyrn would give would determine whether Mave would attack him as well or not, as Mave never actually heard Cadeyrn declaring that he would join Valtrox's side.

"What if I said I was doing this to protect Marlene, because it has become obvious that all of you are absolutely incompotent!" He yelled back before reloading the crossbow on his arm and taking aim at Lorathin who was approaching his sword.

"I serve Valtrox, the only one worthy of me." He replied as the strange figure landed right behind him.

"Everything in life is self preservation you dumbass!" He screamed as the veins in his body buldged. 26 six bolts fired in rapid sucession as he sprinted towards his blade on the ceiling.

Karasu grabbed the knife and sent it back toward Inzi in one quick moment, while already having a kodachi up to perry any blow. It was much faster than the behemoth Inzi had, so she had the defensive advantage.

"Only for you Cadey... if you did not have help healing, from someone you just betrayed, you would not be in such great shape yourself. So don't you dare call anyone else incompetent! We have had your back! Do you not know that? And this will not protect Marlene! It will destroy her life! The man she cares about the most, betraying his friends and siding with evil. She will never trust you again and she will fear you!

"You moron! Valtrox will use threats against Marlene to get you to do anything he wants you to do... another slaveboy just like Inzi!" Karasu spat out at him.

"Protect her, what about what you just did?" Lorathin asked as he cast a spell, one that put the equivilant of a giant's hand of invisible force between him and Cadeyrn as he continued to work his was to the sword.

"You go to Valtrox, Cadey, you will lose Marlene forever... and ruin her life. Do not believe otherwise." Karasu looked him in the eyes. It was obvious that her eyes were filled with pain... pain from her own life which she kept hidden. He was not some martyr.

"Everyone has their cross to bear!"

"Mei Optimum Gladium Veni!" He called as the runes on the blade shined brightly before the massive sword flung through the air, cutting through the invisible wall, and into the Berzerker's grip.

"You underestimate how much I am willing to sacrifice for Marlene. I would even surrender her life if that means I can spend just a few more years with her." He said while chuckling almost insanely to himself. "I am no idiot Lorathin, I know you and your tricks well."

Mave began walking back toward Sarik.

Meanwhile, he spoke directly into Cadeyrn's mind, as everyone else seemed to be shouting at him. If you ask me, ally, their use of threats and fears are a negative coercive act on their parts. Valtrox allows you to choose him freely, and with that you will be granted with his gifts. These people seem only interested in using fear to force you back to their side. I do not know of this Marlene she speaks of, but I too have a family, and we are well taken care of by Valtrox. Keep these others away from your Marlene, or certainly they would be the ones to harm her.

"You are willing to sacrifice Marlene's life so you can spend a few more years with her? It does not get more selfish than that!" Karasu yelled with vitriol in her voice. She was so disgusted at Cadey's selfishness it made her sick.

"You have barely seen what I can do, and I would much prefere not to have to cut lose on you." Lorathin called back as Cadeyrn called back his sword.

Lorathin decided to try a spell to bring Cadeyrn's mind into a linkage, albeit a temporary one, with Marlene to see if she could talk some sense into him.

"Shut up and die!" Inzikai snarled as he continuously slashed at Karasu. But he had a surprise up his sleeve, that will surely give him the upper hand again...

"Think what you want Karasu, but her life was always in my hands. If it weren't for me then she would have died a long time ago. Without her, I would immediately kill myself. Yet, you insist on letting this disease take me! You think it best to take me away from her! I'll kill you Karasu!" He screamed as every muscle and vein in his body buldged while charging at her in a blind rage.

Suddenly he fell to the ground as Lorathin mind hacked him.

_______________________

Marlene was still sleeping but she could feel the disturbance in her hero even so far away.

In a white void the two faced each other, both confused as to how they got there.

As Maverion was making his way closer to Sarik, he saw that Lorathin was up to something again, and likely no good, especially given the comment he just made to Cadeyrn. With a sudden invisible force, Maverion tried to slam Lorathin hard against a wall to disrupt whatever he was doing.

With Cadeyrn temporarily physically out of commission, Lorathin added a spell to provide a protective 'bubble' that would keep most, if not all of the threatening stuff flying around, out.

It wouldn't stand up to Kal or Roth or someone trying their hardest, but would keep most else out.

What a bunch of shit. No one can reason here. Karasu sighed... she was getting sick of Inzi... no... she was always sick of Inzi, however, she could not injure him, so she came to the conclusion it was useless to waste her energy trying to fight him. She could not even scratch him... no point whatsoever.

After the jarring impact with the ceiling, Harlin sat up and shook himslef just to make sure everything was working. Surveying the battle, he saw Sarik in grave danger from Maverion. I've got to help him.

Standing, Harlin slipped into the Shadowfold, and ran through the emptiness until he was right behind where he estimated Maverion to be. He knew he had to be fast in his actions before Maverion could counter them, so he left the Shadowfold, and unceremoniously cocked Maverion on the head with the hilt of his scimitar.

Seeing Shara out a ways, Karasu yelled for her. "Shara! I could use your help if you aren't busy!" Shara's healing powers would also be helpful if Inzi slashed the baby... a sick thought...

Maverion felt something coming up behind him with extreme speed, but it was not like anything else he had sensed. Before he could turn around, he felt a person's presence right behind him, attacking him. He tried to dodge the behind-the-back attack, but was only partially successful.

A great pain coursed through his head and down his neck as Harlin's hilt smack against his skull. He fell to the ground from the assault, temporarily blinded by intense pain. But he knew that he would be dead if he stayed like that and did nothing.

Focusing his energy, he released an invisible force that pushed out away from him in a sphere, indiscriminantly throwing everything well away from him. The continuous use of his powers and this final burst has been draining on him, and he just stayed there, lying still to conserve his energy and take on the pain in his head. He did, however, keep his mind scanning around his surroundings in case anyone else should try to come up on him in his weakened state.

Shara looked over as she heard Karasu's call. "Of course I'm not to busy to help," she said as she drew her gladius, and pulled her shield from her back, and attached it firmly to her wrist.

Focusing herself on the grotesque Inzikai, she rushed him, diving low and swinging at his knees while protecting her neck with her shield.

***************

Harlin was blown backward by the invisible source and missed the ceiling entirely, instead falling through the skylight. He fell several feet into the air, and then landed with a thud on the roof. Reorienting himself he thought, That was very strange.

Minos looked down from his perch of solid air, and asked, "What are you doing lying down boy? Get back in there and fight!" The air rumbled only around Harlin.

Minos then looked back at the target that was floating ever closer to him. "There's no point in hiding the book girl, I already know you have it... give it to me please, so I won't be forced to take it from you."

Lorathin couldn't reach into the mind-link of the two, but was hoping that Marlene was setting Cadeyrn straight as she had a great deal of influence over him.

Looking over, he saw one of the bad guys get clubbed on the head and decided to take advantage of the situation as he conjured Bigby's Crushing Hand to try and incapacitate him.

"No elf will save you now, Karasu. You're mine!" Inzikai snarled, increasing his attacks, slowly getting faster and his blows getting heavier. He began to glow with a reddish light, his eyes matching the same color as well.

As Shara struck at his knees, he jumped behind Shara, and thrust out his foot to kick her down. Now he had both woman in front of him...

**********************************************************

Sarik laughed as Harlin appeared out of nowhere to give the mind mage a good whack on the head. He turned around to see where everyone else had gone, only to see Inzikai's dagger once again coming in at high speeds at Sarik.

The skizzarish paladin jumped out of the way just in time. "Watch out!" he screamed, in case Harlin was in it's path.

As Shara attacked Inzi from one side, Karasu slashed at his neck from the other side with her nihonto. Hopefully a two sided attack would work.

Karasu was getting tired due to her condition, and was grateful for the help... "Thanks Shara!"

"No problem, " Shara replied, rolling to a stop, and standing to redouble her attacks against Inzikai.

Marlene only cowled at the man she once cared so much for.

"So you too are going to judge me without hearing my side?" Cadeyrn asked

"What excuse could you make for serving Valtrox?" She barked at him wanting to hit him.

"You know my father died of a disease before I was born, leaving my mother helpless against a ring of bandits. They killed her and ripped me from her belly, all because my father wasn't there to protect her." He sad as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"I don't understand the relevance." Marlene growled.

"I share the same disease as him and I'll be dead before the year closes. In my absence I fear that the people I have angered in my lifetime will come for you..." He mumbled trying to seek forgiveness. "I won't lose you, even if it means selling my soul."

"I-I..." She tried to scold him but only ended up lunging into his chest sobbing. "There has to be a better way!"

"A spider has a butterfly cornered in its web. To save the butterfly you can free it and let the spider live to kill again. Unfortunately the spider must die. Sometimes we are left without options, and have to react in our best interest even if it means sacrificing a few spiders." The mercenary said holding her tightly.

"I won't lose you either." She said holding onto him.

Maverion felt what Sarik must have when he was crushing the paladin into the floor. His breathing was becoming labored from the immense weight he felt coming down on him from Lorathin, and he struggled to crawl away, hoping that the force he felt was only confined to his immediate area.

***

Teralynn looked at the old man floating in the air, narrowing her eyes at him. She appeared to pull out something from around her waist, and it grew in her hand to become a composite bow. Drawing several arrows from a similar source, she nocked all of them on her bow and loosed them in Minos' direction. As they approached the mage, they burst into flames as a head, body, wings, and a tail formed out of the arrows. The fiery birds split up, then all dove straight toward Minos at the same time.

When the white light flashed, it blinded Ar'mai more than most due to her elven sight that was much more sensitive than most. However, she could also see in greater amounts of light than most people could and therefore despite it affecting her more, the net change was equal to everyone else's.

After the light had disappeared and Ar'mai had regained her vision, she began climbing down/up the bookcase until she leapt towards the floor (ceiling). Righting herself, and unslinging her bow from her right shoulder, she began notching arrows. The first target that came into sight was Inzikai who was attacking Karasu and Shara. She launched eight or so magical arrows at him in the blink of an eye before her senses noticed something else. Maverion had just been struck on the head and now was the time to finish him off.

She turned rapidly to her left and began firing off arrow after arrow at the wounded man.

Inzikai smiled at the elf and the human, playfully twirling his falchion. "Certainly you two young woman can handle poor old Inzikai?" he taunted, carefully treading around them.

**********************************************************

Sarik walked towards Maverion and smiled, his eyes glowing a distinct red. "Tell me, creature...how does it feel to be under so much pressure? How does it feel to know you are about to die?" he asked as he smiled wickedly, pointing his sword at the fallen opponent.

Caderyn snapped out of his slumber more determined to serve Valtrox than ever. He extended his blade in front of Maverion as the arrows clattered against its broad side.

"I was just reminded of how pathetic some of you are." He scowled as his fiery hand shifted to a dark red he swung his blade backhanded aimed at Sarik's waist.

The fiery birds split up, then all dove straight toward Minos at the same time.

Minos smiled, "Interesting spell..." he mused as the white brilliance in his eyes seemed to drip down and dissipate in the air. He held up his hand, summoning a large amount of energy, which he used to coalesce all of the moisture out of the surrounding air. A ball of water floated in front of him and them exploded into each of the fire birds. Growling, Minos followed up this assault with a massive burst of air moving outward from himself that he hoped would destroy the remnants of the birds.

The crushing force coming out of nowhere was not exactly easy to repel, but arrows were nothing like that. His mind sensing the incoming arrows, Maverion used his reserves, the last bit of energy for the sprint to the end of the race track, to deflect the incoming arrows.

Cadeyrn blocked the first wave of arrows, and several more of Ar'mai's arrows altered course, narrowly missing Maverion, and clattered harmlessly against the ground/ceiling and the walls. At the same time, Maverion did what he could to swing his legs around to kick Sarik behind the knees, making a two-pronged attack on the lizard with Cadeyrn.

Another wave of arrows came, and a couple of them embedded themselves into Mave's arm and side. He gritted his teeth in pain, clutching at the wound in his side.

***

Several of the fiery birds dissipated from the water, but they appeared unaffected by the air, and made a kamikaze strike right at Minos.

Without waiting for the results, Teralynn looked to the sandy ground of the desert below her. With a rumble, several dunes lurched upwords and several manta ray-like sand creatures, soaring straight at Minos as well.

Minos gritted his teeth, as the white light in his eyes shone stronger, breaking the darkness like spotlights. Fool, he thought, you can control everything she is sending at you, you must just over power her will.

Grinning, Minos exerted the mighty force given to him from his years if training and the Jiltak Eye imbedded in his staff. The fire was ripped from the birds, and the sand rays were crushed back to the ground.

"You do not know who you are fighting," the air rumbled in Teralynn's ears.

"Damnnation." Lorathin cursed as he saw that nothing had changed in Cadeyrn. It was getting the point where he'd have to do things unpalpatable, either that or somehow drive the bad-guys, and he hoped not to have to include Cadeyrn in that, away.

The massive blade burst into flames as Cadeyrn leaped high into the air, or towards the ground from his point of view, and swung the blade as a wall of fire tore its way towards Lorathin.

Inzikai's face became one of surprise when he felt several arrows embed themselves into his thick skin. "Ar'mai?" he asked quietly, lowering his stance slightly.

**********************************************************

Kalzog had limped around, going through doorway after doorway, searching for the infernal orb, each time reappearing in some random spot. He grew frustrated and began to curse each time he turned a corner.

Suddenly, something large and heavy barrelled him over. Rothargot.

"You just never quit, do you?" he coughed, blood dripping out of his mouth.

"Not unless I am ordered to," Rothargot replied as he raised his foot to stomp on the ogre. Kalzog wrapped his fingers around the foot and pushed upwards, his muscles bulging.

Rothargot only laughed as his foot continued to get closer to the doomed ogre.

Suddenly, Kalzog spun on the ground, slamming his feet into the back of Rothargot's knee, knocking the demon down crashing into a bookshelf, toppling it.

There it was, Kalzog's club. With a smile, Kalzog leapt up and limped as fast as he could towards the club as Rothargot slowly got up.

Kalzog laughed as he he brought his club over his shoulder and swung a practice swing. "This ain't going to be easy anymore, demon," he laughed at his new fortune.

He charged at the demon, who had just gotten up, and swung as hard as he could.

Only to have his club caught in Rothargot's hand. "Foolish mortal..." he laughed deeply as he kicked Kalzog away from the club.

"You know...I'm really beginning to rethink my profession," Kalzog mumbled to himself as his favored weapon was now in the hands of the demon general.

With incredible speed, Rothargot closed the distance and swung the club into Kalzog's gut, tossing the massive ogre into a bookshelf, uncovering Inzikai and two woman on the other side. Not to mention, a familiar pink orb close by.

"Shara, Karasu! Get the orb!" Kalzog shouted before being smashed again in the side as he tried to get up. He spat out more blood, along with several teeth. He couldn't take this much longer...

**********************************************************

Sarik growled, almost inhumanly as he jumped on Cadeyrn's wide blade and bounced off of it to slash at Cadeyrn's exposed face.

Harlin stood, and walked to the precipice of the skylight. Extending his foot, he had the unpleasant experience of rotating around the edge of the skylight until he again walked on the ceiling. Immediately, he dodged the wall of flames. Looking at its origin, his heart dropped.

Frowning, he said, "I'm disappointed at you Cadeyrn. We could have been great friends, I'm sorry that I'll have to kill you now."

Drawing his twin scimitars, he ran until he was several feet outside of Cadeyrn's reach, and waited. He knew he would have to play this battle smart. He certainly couldn't beat Cadeyrn on strength, only agility.

************

Shara saw Inzikai hesitate, and took the opening, swinging horizontally into his gut. The blade imbedded itself several inches before she wrenched it back out upon hearing Kalzog's cry.

Seeing the orb, she ran to it, and grabbed it. "What should I do with it?" SHe yelled

"And neither do you!" Teralynn replied as the sands began swirling around Minos independently of the air and wind.

Then the carpet and her seemed to merge and grow into a large shape. Horns popped out along the back and claws extended from her hand and feet. She changed into a serpentine form, which, though wingless, slithered through the air like it was solid ground as eastern dragons did.

The dragon lunged at Minos, its mouth wide open to snap down on the soft flesh of the man.

Teralynn was still in pain from her continual transformation, though, and was uncertain of how long she could keep this up. Maverion, I need some help up here, she sent to Mave, but there was no reply.

***

Green blood began trickling out of Maverion's wounds as a nearby dagger somehow found its way into his hands. He tried to swipe at Sarik, but the pressure of Lorathin's spell weakened the attempt and he hit nothing as Sarik jumped to attack Cadeyrn.

Mave then tried to throw the dagger at Ar'mai, but likewise, it did little as he did not have enough energy to either target her very well nor throw it far enough to hit her. It simply clinked along the stone and came to a stop before another of the elf's arrows found its way to his chest.

Turning his head to the sdie the blade ran along his cheek revealing a small gorge of tissue. The mercenary's fire hand shot behing his back hitting Sarik passing by.

"Come on." He growled.

We're outnumbered pretty badly.

His sword glowed brightly forming a shell around Maverion and himself. Repelling anyone within ten feet.

Karasu thought she would have gotten to the orb, however Shara reached it first. Now what?

"And neither do you!" Teralynn replied as the sands began swirling around Minos independently of the air and wind.

(snip)

The dragon lunged at Minos, its mouth wide open to snap down on the soft flesh of the man.

Minos flashed his teeth, "Fool, I control all of the elements!" he yelled as he drove the sand into the dragons eyes, and then shot a spike of sand up into the creatures belly, but before it reached that point, he coated it in flame, transforming it into ultrahard glass. At the same time, his cloud of solid air shot him up out of the way of the dragon's attack.

***************

Harlin tested the new shield Cadeyrn had formed with his blade. "Coward," he spat at the mercenary, "Betraying your friends, and then refusing to fight for your honor..." He shook his head. It's a pity, he thought, I was beginning to like him.

Seeing that Maverion was pretty much defeated, Ar'mai turned her arrows on the others. They were now completely metal and were barbed so that if they went in, they were extremely hard, damaging and painful to remove...

"Hit Rothargot with it." Lorathin called as he mentally curse the fact that he wasn't skilled in the close-combat without some special spells to back him up, spells he didn't have the energy or balance to cast, and that he wasn't entirely sure he could target differentiate in the melee.

"You and Karasu have a very distorted view of Honor." Cadeyrn growled as he held the shield steady. "Honor is a combination of doing good and providing a fair fight, yet all you have proved is that lack a complete side of that."

"I have not betrayed anyone, I only opened my eyes. Yet you call me a coward for shielding a fallen ally. No wonder I hate you all so much." He snarled pushing the barrier back even further.

"As I said, cowardly piece of garbage... You would do better for Marlene if you died right now, Cadey, you pathetic fool." Karasu yelled at him. "If I had not saved Marlene, she would not even be here! Perhaps I should have let her die rather than live what you are going to put her through. It would have been more humane." She shook her head.

Karasu could not see anywhere she could help with the fighting. Everyone seemed to be at a stand off of some sort.

"Cadey, you get more pathetic and sad every time you open your mouth. You do not know the meaning of any of the words you use. So stop talking. You are pathetic... I feel sorry for you. You do not know honor, loyalty, friendship, or love. And Marlene will feel your wrath some day as well... believe it." Karasu told him straight out.

"What do you think?! Throw it at-" Rothargot kicked Kalzog down, smiling wickedly before turning his gaze at Shara and Karasu.

"Take your best shot," he rumbled, the air around him thickening with smoke, ash, and fire.

Inzikai sputtered slightly as he was sliced across the chest. Yet, now that Shara and Karasu had their attention turned elsewhere, Inzikai found the moment to strike. He pushed Karasu hard, hoping to knock her over, before stabbing his own Falchion at Shara, hoping to get the orb from her hands, if not kill her all together.

**********************************************************

Sarik clattered to the floor, his armor bearing burn marks. But Sariks anger only rose, his infamous bloodlust rising. He returned to Cadeyrn, only to find a sheild around him.

"You cannot hide behind this forever," he snarled as he repeatedly hacked at it with his sword.

The berzerkers fury shattered the shell around him as he stared at the five or so "good guys" facing him. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he chucked his sword into the floor below.

Cadeyrn tore his metal amror clean off his body as he screamed in rage. Saliva dripping from his mouth he pounced from with inhuman strength towards Karasu. In this state it would take nothing short of complete annhilation to stop him.

"She could have been protected," said Harlin, "She could have stayed with my brothers, the Jiltakin, in Fandar. Do not sacrifice the future of the world when it is not neccessary!"

***************

Inzikai's blow bounced off of Shara's plate armor, only knocking Shara forward some, and causing her to bobble the relic. Regaining her grasp, she looked around for guidance.

Shara heard Lorathin, and looked at Rothargot. Lofting the ball, she hurled it at him.

When Inzi knocked over Karasu, she hit her head unconscious, unaware of the insane Cadey about to kill her.

The maniac landed on Karasu and began throwing his fists into her like a mad ape. Any trace of his humanity was gone, the Berzerker wouldn't stop the assualt until he was dead.

Transparent eyelids closed over the dragon's eyes to protect it from the sand. The glass spike punctured straight through and out the back of the dragon before lodging itself there, where a black liquid began oozing out. But the dragon only laughed maniacally in a deep and resonating voice as, from what Minos could see, it twisted its long body around and pulled the glass out before crushing to pebbles it in its hands.

It then lunged for Minos again, closing the distance between them in a short manner of time.

***

Everything seemed to be moving slower to Maverion. His breathing became louder in his ear, and his beating heart also. He tried to look for Rothargot, but settled on just telling him mentally instead, Tera...has the book. She's...outside... Go...help her. I'll...keep the rest of these...from following you. Go now...

Rothargot's area was covered in smoke and ash as the ball hurtled through the cloud.

Suddenly, a great smash could be heard, as well as a sucking noise, before the ball flew back into a bookshelf, sucking that in as well, however leaving the books flapping to the floor.

Kalzog looked in wonder at the silent cloud. "You did it?" he asked, very surprised that Shara could do such a thing.

Then, Kalzog noticed Cadeyrn run at Karasu. He got up with what strength he had and got Cadeyrn in a bear hug. "Stop this now, warrior!" Kalzog growled as he squeezed tighter.

**********************************************************

Sarik smiled as Cadeyrn left Maverion to himself again. "Looks like you're out of luck..." he laughed as he slowly walked towards him.

Seeing Karasu down and Caderyn going crazy on her, Ar'mai quickly turned her aim to the insane killer and unloosed dozens of arrows in a split second - all of them barbed and guided to their target with her magic.

Transparent eyelids closed over the dragon's eyes to protect it from the sand. The glass spike punctured straight through and out the back of the dragon before lodging itself there, where a black liquid began oozing out. But the dragon only laughed maniacally in a deep and resonating voice as, from what Minos could see, it twisted its long body around and pulled the glass out before crushing to pebbles it in its hands.

It then lunged for Minos again, closing the distance between them in a short manner of time.

Minos frowned as his spike was destroyed. He began forming small balls of sand and coating each in flames, forming balls of glass. He launched these like bullets right into the face of the dragon in rapid succession.

He prepared to use one of his more deadly attacks aswell. He focus on the dragons body, and targeted its root elements. He began by extracting the air from its blood in a puff of red mist that surrounded it. Slowly he proceeded on to the water in its cells, forming a light rain on the sand below as the water dripped off of the belly of the beast.

"Desist," rumbled Minos, "Before I break you further into component parts!"

The arrows plunged straight into his back and the insane berzerker roared in pain. The warrior kicked wildly as Kalzog grasped onto him. He began head butting the ogre viciously as he was doing far more damage to himself. Saliva, and blood pouring from his mouth as he continued his self destructive assualt.

From the ground floor his blade which he ahd discarded in a fit of rage glowed again before flying towards Ar'mai as if it was possessed.

The dragon only chuckled in that deep rumbling voice, appearing as if it was completely unharmed, perhaps from some sort of quick regeneration or magical protection. "I could say the same to you, little mortal."

Teralynn, meanwhile, was not feeling too great at all. She was definitely not going to be able to keep this up for too much longer. Mave? she continued. What is going on down there?

Seeing the blade flying at Ar'mai, Harlin ran, and jumped onto it, driving the tip down until it lodged itself into the ground. The sudden stop propelled him into the air, depositing him in an ungraceful heap at Ar'mai's feet. He stood up and dusted himself off.

"Hi," he said to her before limping over to help Shara with Inzikai.

Karasu felt as if she was floating... I am dying... She was looking down at her body, and the fight still going on. Me... and my baby... She felt nothing but despair and then everything went black.

Suddenly, the cloud of smoke and ash parted, revealing the smiling Rothargot.

"Time to go," he rumbled as he flapped his wings, taking to the air. Inzikai pushed Shara away and pointed at Kalzog with his hand, immediately enveloping the ogre in a dark cloud.

Kalzog squinted his eyes as he could feel the tendrils of dark energy trying to break through his tattoos. Although they could not dissolve the massive ogre, they still hurt...and badly at that. Kalzog let go of Cadeyrn before getting knocked into another book case by Rothargot.

With his tail, Rothargot wrapped his tail around Harlin and threw him at a bookcase.

With a mighty roar, Rothargot picked up Cadeyrn, and Inzikai and flew to the end of a row of bookcases and smiled as he pushed them over, creating a domino effect, that will eventually kill Kalzog, Shara, Karasu, and Harlin.

Satisfied with that, he flew up to an upside down Sarik, standing next to Maverion. Sarik roared at Rothargot that was surprisingly frightening . Rothargot looked at Sarik with curiousity before taking to the skies. Maverion, I wish you luck Rothargot thought to him as he continued to fly upwards.

He noticed Minos attacking Teralynn and immediately flew straight at him, to knock him senseless or skewer him with his horns.

Kalzog could hear the bookshelves smashing into each other, and rose up as quickly as he could.

"Shara, Harlin, get Karasu out of here!" he growled as he put his weight on the bookshelf next to him, pushing with all his might as the incredible weight of it all was falling down on the group.

The bookshelf that Lorathin was on was broken, sending him sprawling. Shaking himself, he quickly moved over to Karasu, and picking her up as best he could began taking her outward of the library, as a bookshelf was tottering precariously nearby.

Cadeyrn immediately slipped into unconciousness as the demon sperated him from the battle. As he flew from the area his sword ripped from the ground and chased after until it gently rested in his still hand.

"Hi," he said to her before limping over to help Shara with Inzikai.

"Hi," she said with a smile, thankful that Harlin had saved her from the flying dagger.

The bad guys were now retreating, but not without a price to the good guys. They now found themselves in danger as the bookshelves were falling over. Ar'mai quickly darted away, looking for anyone who was injured...

Moving at an unprecedented speed, the dragon appeared beside Minos to knock him toward Rothargot before it disappeared into the air.

The carpet Teralynn was riding on was beginning to falter as Maverion's life force waned away. "Rothargot!" Teralynn yelled out as the carpet started to plummet.

***

Maverion saw Sarik moving up to him, but instead of doing anything right away, he closed his eyes. So this was the end.

But then he felt something strange. His whole body tingled, and he began growing warm. When he opened them again, his eyes were glowing a light blue. He pushed himself to his feet, slowly rising up to face the paladin.

He held an open palm out, facing Sarik's chest, then closed it into a fist to squeeze the Skizzarish's heart. He did not do it so hard that it would kill the paladin, only enough to put him in a great deal of pain before. Mave then used the same hand to backhanded the air inbetween the two of them to launch Sarik away before he looked over at Lorathin.

Somehow, he felt the crushing force come from that man, and Maverion did not enjoy being crushed. He reached out his other hand and began squeezing as well, this time aimed at Lorathin's throat. Again, he tossed his prey against a wall.

Taking several deep breaths, he began shaking the very stones of the building, causing all the books to come tumbling off their shelves. With several loud cracks, the shelves themselves were pulled different directions, save for those already coming down on Kalzog and the others. The shelves began crashing into everything and everyone left in the room.

(OOC: Gotta go. Buh bye. Oh, I'd suggest all the good guys get out of the library too ;) )

After Rothargot had rammed into the elementalist, he dove in and saved Teralynn, his tail wrapping around her.

"Aren't I useful," he chuckled, some of his mirth of being an elf still in him.

"Shut up! Teralynn, you have the book, right?" Inzikai shouted to Tera so she could hear.

**********************************************************

Sarik Landed against an opposite wall, but having not come from the nearby stairway, Sarik fell to the floor, rather then use the new surface as his base.

He gasped loudly as his eyes reverted back to their original color. "Ugh...what came over me?" he muttered to himself.

"'Ey, Sarik...why dont you...get outta here?" Kalzog growled as he gritted his teeth together.

All Minos saw was a massive flaming head before he was knocked into unconsciousness and drifted slowly to the ground on his crapidly dissipating cloud air.

**********

Once again, Harlin stood up and dusted himslef off before ming over to help ara carry Karasu rom danger.

Shara looked at him and whispered, "She's dying," as she began to remove her gauntlets.

She looked towards the sky as she held her hands over Karasu's heart, her lips moved in a silent plea to Westera. Suddenly, bright white light shot from Shara's hands, and began forming a brilliant tracery along Karasu's skin. The healing power in it was strong, but it might not be enough to bring Karasu back from the edge.

It did all it could, but it was now up to Karasu whether she was to live or die.

Karasu slowly opened her eyes. She was in pain all over. "What happened?"

She tried to get up but found she could not. "I cannot stand."

Then her thoughts shifted to the inevitable... "My baby! Oh please my baby must be OK!"

Tears began running down her face at the thought of losing her son.

Once Karasu had been taken off his hands, a battered and exhausted Lorathin collapsed where he lay, quickly drifting off to unconsiousness.

Sarik wandered outside just in time to hear Karasu's cry.

"Baby? By Zavers, Karasu! You should have stayed in your room!" Sarik shouted as he rushed to Karasu's side.

The Library guards rushed to her as well.

"What's going on?"

"What happened?"

Suddenly, Lorathin fell unconscious.

"You two, get Lorathin to her room, Shara or Harlin, one of you come help me with Karasu or find Minos and Kalzog!" Sarik ordered

Karasu was sobbing now, terrified that the baby might not have made it.

In between sobs she asked, "Could someone please bring me to my room. I must see Relthor." She sobbed. "I think Rimmy has probably been released from her spell." Karasu continued crying again.

"I do not know if there is anything I can do! I cannot heal myself like many of you can. You are so lucky. I have only mortal powers..."

"We're here for you Karasu," Sarik muttered as he helped Karasu to her room. "Everything will be fine, Karasu..."

He opened the door and noticed Relthor sobbing on the bed.

"Relthor, come here and help me!" Sarik growled. The Ageless Dragon nodded his head as he ran to Karasu's side and picked her up in his strong arms, taking her to the bed and laying her down gently.

Sarik nodded as he closed their door.

"My Karasu...I'm so sorry!" Relthor sobbed as he walked away from Karasu, unsure of how she will react with his presence.

Cadeyrn opened his eyes but was not in his right mind. He had obtained a severe concussion while headbutting Kalzog in his fury. Ungracefully and recklessly he began tearing the arrows of his back.

Inzikai looked at Cadeyrn. "Was quite a show you put on there, Cadeyrn. Valtrox will like to know about this..."

Harlin nodded at Sariks request, and hopped from bookshelf bookshelf, and then scaled the wall until he was back on the roof, where it took him very little time to locate Minos' unconscious body.

Reaching into his armor, he pulled out smelling salts, and waved them under Minos' nose, returning him to consciousness.

Minos looked around for a second, and then appeared to suddenly remember the splitting headache now throbbing through his head. "Ah," he said weakly to Harlin, "take me back to my room..."

Harlin lifted the older man onto his shoulders, and carried him back to his room.

***

Meanwhile, Shara had gone over to Lorathin, and was trying to lift the unconscious man. She could barely get him off the floor, much less carry him back to his room. Turning, she asked Ar'mai, "Can you help me carry him back to his room?"

Ar'mai ducked out of the library and back into the main hallway where the others were. "I can try..." Ar'mai said, non confident that she could indeed lift the man.

The mercenary looked at Inzikai with glazed eyes trying to piece together what was going on. Last thing he remembered was protecting Mave and then everything went black.

"Val...who?" He slurred ripping more arrows from his back.

"Thank you Sarik" Karasu whispered.

"Rel-thor... I-need-you..." Karasu was covered with blood and bruises.

"Cadey went crazy a... and, I think he beat me to death at one point." She was breathing in a labored fashion. "I could see everything from above me."

Karasu was staring into no where, remembering. "Someone must have helped me heal a little... but I do not know if... if... the baby survived." Karasu began sobbing again. "Relthor! I do not want to lose our baby!"

"Do not worry, my love, don't you worry," Relthor whispered as he set his hands on her stomach. Immediately they glowed a golden color.

Relthor smiled slightly, his eyes still teary. "Our son is alive, Kara. He's too tough to kill," he chuckled as he embraced Karasu gently.

As soon as everyone had evacuated the library, Kalzog chuckled quietly. "Well...I got my wish...last man standing," he laughed, before the bookshelves collapsed on him.

**********************************************************

Inzikai raised an eyebrow at Cadeyrn. "Remember, you swore yourself to Valtrox, the mightiest of the gods, who will protect you and Marlene from anything? Tell me you have not forgotten!"

Together, the two women lifted Lorathin, and carried him to his room. Looking up from where they had lain him on his bed, Shara asked Ar'mai, "Would you like to try rejuvenating him? I'll help if I can..."

"My head..doesn't feel right. Feel kinda tired right now." Cadeyrn said slowly falling into a deep sleep.

"Do not worry, my love, don't you worry," Relthor whispered as he set his hands on her stomach. Immediately they glowed a golden color.

Relthor smiled slightly, his eyes still teary. "Our son is alive, Kara. He's too tough to kill," he chuckled as he embraced Karasu gently.

"Oh Relthor!" Tears of joy were streaming down her face. "Please lay here with me." She sighed.

"It was awful... Cadey betrayed all of us and pledged his allegiance to Valtrox! Then he beat me... I am sure to death at some point."

Karasu began crying again. "I trusted him. I trust you too. I trust that nothing happened with you and Rimmy, am I right? From what I gathered from what Lorathin said, a demon was controling her mind. Although I do not think I want to see her for a while." She took a few breaths...

"You did not... did you?"

"My love...I did not sleep with her...she was going...mad...I think she was trying to fight the demon inside her," Relthor said quietly as he sat down next to Karasu.

"I'm afraid none of us will see her anymore, Karasu. As I walked away, I thought I saw a knife float to her hands...I heard a scream once I got here..." he said sadly.

**********************************************************

Inzikai raised an eyebrow at Cadeyrn before looking up at Rothargot. "So? Where are we going?"

"The ship yard. I cannot carry all of you for so long," Rothargot rumbled quietly.

Together, the two women lifted Lorathin, and carried him to his room. Looking up from where they had lain him on his bed, Shara asked Ar'mai, "Would you like to try rejuvenating him? I'll help if I can..."

"I think you could probably do it," Ar'mai said as they laid him upon the bed. "He is just drained of energy and tired... not seriously injured."

She walked over to the door, "I am going to see if anyone else needs help."

"What?" Karasu said, incredulous. "No way... I cannot see her ever doing such a thing. She is too into herself to get rid of herself... right?" She looked at Relthor hopefully, even though she was very angry with Rimmy.

"I am so tired." Karasu was covered in blood head to toe. "I need a hot bath... tomorrow."

Shara looked at Ar'mai as she left and smiled. "Good luck," she said as she "rolled up her sleeves" and began performing another prayer to Westera. Life giving light flowed out of her hands and into the unconscious Lorathin, restoring his energy, and some of his magical reserve.

Shara looked at him as his eyes started to move under their lids. "I hope that helps," she said as she too left the room.

"Anyone else need help?" Ar'mai asked as she walked down the corridor. "Otherwise I am going back in there to look for Kalzog."

"I don't know, my love...but Rimoru was not herself," Relthor replied sadly. "My love, would you like me to wash you off? I will let you sleep as I wash you...I'm so sorry...I should have been by your side..."

"Yes please, Relthor. Thank you." Karasu's head fell to the side and she fell asleep.

Lorathin awoke a few minutes later, and immediately wished he hadn't as even with the help, he was still low-balled. Getting out of bed, he began walking, slightly drunkedly to see about the others.

Rimoru stared blankly at a mirror nearby, the ornate knife stuck deeply into it, where Rimoru's chest was. Guards had surrounded their master, washing her off, trying to get her out of her trance.

The voices in her head had ended long ago...what she thought was her conscious...was not...Azrael had helped her realize this...

"Azy," she whispered quietly as guards shook her violently.

"Well...gee...She's...gone?" asked Bjorn.

"She ain't gone! She just spoke!" replied John, shaking her again.

"By golly...she still not doin' anything!"

"Rimoru, Oh Rimoru, Ol' John is gonna kiss you," John chuckled.

"You idiot! She's going to kill you!"

"It's not like she heard anything! She's just...staring..."

There were several moments of silence.

"So...aren't you gonna kiss her?" Bjorn asked, as he stared wide eyed at their master.

"I was just joking..."

"Fine, then I will!"

"What? No! I'm gonna do it!"

"You know she can turn you into a toad if she catches you..."

"Fine, you do it. Just don't expect me to be catching flies for you," John replied, arms crossed.

Bjorn looked at Rimoru and breathed deeply, leaning over and placing his mouth over hers.

Rimoru closed her eyes as she brought her hands gently over Bjorn's cheeks, bringing him closer while kissing him passionately.

She pulled away gently before jogging out the door.

"Wow..."

"Hey!! I want some! I suggested it!"

Relthor slowly undressed Karasu and carried her gently to the hot tub, he got in with her and slowly washed the blood from her, gently massaging his love.

"My poor Karasu...going through so much..." he whispered as he slowly brought her back out, drying her and finally putting on a loose robe before setting her back on the bed.

Lorathin quite literally tripped over his feet as he walked. As he partially peeled himself off the floor, so he was on his side rather than face, he realized he'd been drained far farther than he'd thought, and even with the booster, he'd only been this drained once before.

The physical punishment he'd suffered, mild as it was in comparison to some was still enought to essentially incapacitate him when combined with the drainage.

Trying to call out for assistance, only a rusty rasp came out.

Ar'mai had since entered the library and began searching for the big ogre. "Kalzog!" she called out as she searched through the ruined room.

Rimoru wandered into the halls, holding onto the walls for support as she passed by slowly.

She looked to the ground, only to find Azrael laying there.

"Azy..." she whispered. She knelt down to him and nuzzled her face to him. "Azy...what do you need? What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

Kalzog heard a familiar voice call out in the distance. In fact, they were calling for him.

"Imagine that," came Kalzog's reply as he pushed a heavy book case away from him. He was bleeding heavily, especially on his burned arm, and several of his bones were broken, not to mention quite a bit of lost teeth.

"And who..." he spat out some blood as he crawled out from several more book cases. "cares enough about poor ol' Kalzog to come searching for him?"

He saw Rimoru kneel down, and pressed her face against him. He managed to say "Drained," Before passing out due to all the factors working against him, with Rimoru's physical contact being the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back.

"Azy..." Rimoru whispered sadly. "Azy...wake up."

She brought her lips to his and kissed him. "Please wake up Azy..."

She kissed him again, but sending some healing powers along with the kiss, along with a sort of energy sharing, where Azrael would share in a small amount of Rimoru's energy.

"It's me..." Ar'mai called back as she ran towards the Kalzog.

"Imagine that," Kalzog chuckled as he dragged himself into the open, making sure to stay away from any opened books. "And I had the impression you didn't like me."

"Ar'mai...wow...so you elves aren't selfish all the time," he chuckled again, coughing rather harshly.

"I moved on," Ar'mai said, intentionally making it sound like a stereotypical soap-opera. "I have found someone else... I just don't need to hate you anymore."

She smiled as she walked over to him. "Why don't we get out of here and then I will look at those wounds."

"I suppose that would be a good idea...considering I'm not quite a good reader..." Kalzog growled as he used a bookcase to help himself stand.


"Found someone else? No need to hate me? Who may that have been? Another ogre?" Kalzog chuckled as he tested his legs, limping badly on one.

"That demi-god did a number on me... I didn't expect it..."

"Nope... not an ogre," Ar'mai said, though it was pretty obvious who she respected the least.

"Well... he is a Demi-God..."

Lorathin woke again for a brief moment and whispered "Thanks," thought again he passed out, but this time his reserves and general condition were slowly improving as they'd passed the lethal point, which had it been permitted to run it's course would have proved fatal, leaving a living, but inert lump of flesh.

Cadeyrn was holding onto the edge of slipping into a coma. His blood pressure had dropped severly as he slept so deeply.

A single warrior among the ashes and the rubble, before a young girl pleading for mercy. His dark lord edged him to take her life away and he did so without hesitation. He cut her almost in two from the shoulder down; she raised her hand out in the last fleeting moments of existance. The warrior then ran himself through and fell on top of her.

"We were supposed to die so long ago, this is just the fate we denied." The warrior cried before surrendering to mortality.

"No Ar'mai, I've dealt with demi-gods before...None as powerful as him..." Kalzog grumbled

"I'm afraid this will be tougher than expected..."

****
Rothargot looked at Cadeyrn as the docks neared.

"Wake up, Human. We are almost there," he rumbled as he shook him slightly.

***
Rimoru quietly raised Lorathin in air. She walked to his room, the mage gliding peacefully behind her before she set him on his bed.

Rimoru lay herself next to the mage, setting her head on his stomach.

After a few hours, Lorathin's energy reserves had reached wake up levels, and his body had recovered somewhat. When he woke, he found himself on a bed, with Rimoru's head on his stomach.

Reaching down to touch her on the shoulder, "Thank you Rimoru." He said

Slowly he came back to conciousness as he opened his eyes more aware of what was going on. His head still throbbed as if someone was belting him repeatedly in the face with a smithing hammer.

"Thank you." He said almost forgetting he was battling this demon no more than an hour ago.

Rimoru looked up at Azrael, tears in her eyes.

"No Azy...thank you...You tried to save me... but I..." Rimoru began to sob violently. "Oh Azy... please forgive me..."
***

Rothargot cocked his head at Caderyn, unsure of how to respond.

He didn't have to, as Inzikai had already began to speak.

"Find us a good ship and kill the crew," Inzikai said as they landed.

Like the old days, the bad days, it was kill everyone with little reason other than gain. Things made sense back then until Marlene showed up.

"You'll have to excuse me, I haven't killed any unarmed people in a long time, so I might be a little rusty." He grinned as the wounds in his back slowly closed off.

"I do, as there is no reason for you to feel guilty." He replied as he held her. "It wasn't you."

"But Azy, I listened...I could have had you all killed..."

Again Rimoru looked at Lorathin, worry full in her eyes.

"Azy...that demon...will cause the death of all of us...He's the one in my dream..."

***

"Caderyn. Do you want Marlene to come with?" Inzikai asked as he examined the ships.

"You could have, but didn't." He replied, meeting her worried look with one of confidence and trust. "Then will just have to stop him. I know that all of us together, no demon could ever win. Also know that if you need to talk, I'll be available to listen."

"No, she is still too young to understand the things we have to do." He replied with a grim look on his face. "She's still upset at the fight between Karasu and the others, but she understands why that was needed."

He chuckled for a moment.

"She doesn't believe in killing." He mused.

______________________________

Marlene unclothed a project she had been working on for a while. She called the creation Ava. The other children had all scattered since she spread the rumor that Cadey was killed in his last fight. She already understood that they would just get in the way.

"Oh Azy, I'm so scared," Rimoru whispered as she pressed herself closer to Lorathin. "I already know Lustria will be thrust into chaos...Azy, I feel so helpless..."

***

But do trust her safety, being so close to those that had betrayed you?" Inzikai replied.

"No Ar'mai, I've dealt with demi-gods before...None as powerful as him..." Kalzog grumbled

"I'm afraid this will be tougher than expected..."

"Well... we will just have to redouble our efforts then," Ar'mai said as they exited the library and entered the main corridor again. "Here... lean up against the railing so I can have a look at these wounds," she told him.

Her hands began glowing and sparkling. She then began tracing his wounds, spreading her healing powers along them...


[ooc: bed]

"Yes," Teralynn replied to Inzikai's question about the book. Being grabbed by Rothargot's tail was painful on her flesh, however, and her mood was worsening by the minute. "What happened to Mave?"

***

When he had created enough of a disturbance to keep the attackers from following Rothargot and the others, and with an extra push on the final bookshelf to make sure it hit the ogre with adequate force, the light from Maverion's eyes vanished and he collapsed just as before, no longer breathing. The gravity in the library returned back to normal after a while, and Maverion's body dropped limply down to the mess of broken bookshelves below, his bones shattering upon impact.

"Trust in yourself and your friends." He replied as she snuggled closer. "Chaos is not necessarily a bad thing after all. Chaos creates as well as destroys. We just have to ride the wave of creation while preventing Valtrox and his minions from riding the wave of destruction. We'll have to filch Valtrox's chaos from him, which will annoy him, a suitable punishment for trying to mess with your mind."

"I sent her back home before the fight began, I imagined something like this would happen." He replied.

"You sound like the ogre, Azy," Rimoru chuckled under her tears. "I'm so sorry Azy...You guys went into the Library...and nearly d-died."

Rimoru began to sob again as she thought of what the possibilities of the outcome could have been.

**********************************************************

"Easier said then done," Kalzog chuckled, wincing slightly as her hand swept over one of his wounds.

"Now that I think of it...I wonder how Sarik is doing...this was his mission and we failed to," he winched again as another wound was touched. "Failed to stop Inzikai from nabbing the book."

"Speaking of Inzikai," he said with a sly smile on his face as he turned to Ar'mai. "Did you actually like him?"

**********************************************************

"Aren't you afraid that she will be taken by Rimoru or the others to spite you or use against you?" Inzikai asked as his eyes stopped at a large ship before continuing their path.

Rothargot set Teralynn down behind him and turned around to face her, bending down until he was eye level with her. "I'm sorry Tera, but Maverion is dead," he rumbled sadly.

"What a shame...Was a loyal soldier," Inzikai said as he pointed to a medium sized ship. "That one, let's get that one."

Karasu slept very late and woke up clean and refreshed but in severe pain.

"Relthor, thank you for bathing me." She looked over and kissed him. "Unfortunately, I am not in very good shape right now, my love." She smiled wanly. "I know I cannot fight like this. I hope we do not have to fight again immediately. That will not be an easy feat."

Karasu rolled over and put her head on Relthor's chest.

"Don't worry my love, I think the fighting is over," Relthor whispered to her. "I was so worried...so worried..."

He looked out the window, a bright sunny day, the birds flying, a surprisingly cool breeze coming through.

"How did you get so hurt?" he asked quietly, as he began to massage Karasu.

"Speaking of Inzikai," he said with a sly smile on his face as he turned to Ar'mai. "Did you actually like him?"

"What do you think?" Ar'mai asked rhetorically. "I was just stringing him along; playing on his emotions."

"I was trying to keep him occupied while you guys got the book.... but it seems that didn't transpire."

"You should have showed him some more skin," laughed Kalzog.

"Did everyone make it out alive?" he asked as he back at the Library. Suddenly, Kalzog's eyes opened wide as he patted the pocket in which he kept his orb.

"Did anyone take the orb? Did Inzikai or Rothargot?" he asked suddenly.

"No idea..." Ar'mai responded to both questions, ignoring his comment about flaunting more of her body to Inzikai.

Kalzog cursed loudly as he once again took off for the Library. If the orb fell into the wrong hands, who knows what evil they could do with it...

Kalzog rushed to where he had previously been buried, hopping over books along the way. He pushed away books, rummaging through several piles as he mumbled unintelligable things to himself, most likely in the native Ogre tongue.

He pushed over a bookcase, along with another pile of books to see the pinkish orb nestled safely amongst the rubble.

"Thank Ogruk!" he laughed as he sat down on the rubble, pulling out the orb and examining it.

"What exactly does it do that it could cause so much harm?" Ar'mai asked as she followed tentatively after him.

"It can suck up anything...except a god of course," Kalzog said as he shook it violently. "It's meant to take out powerful creatures such as demi-gods or near gods, like Rimoru..."

"Imagine what someone like Valtrox would do with it...He could attempt to produce more or create some monstrosity out of it. I would rather it stay in our hands..."

"Well Relthor... Cadey... switched sides and pledged allegiance to Valtrox. He then attacked and beat me, as I said, I think I died at one point. I know others must have intervened or I would be dead for sure, however I do not recall who intervened." Karasu told Relthor sadly.

"I still cannot believe it..." A tear dropped from her eye.

"But when I bathed you, you had sword scars...along your stomach. I was worried...I don't think Cadeyrn's fists can slice you across the chest," Relthor whispered as he wiped Karasu's tear away.

"Now now my love. What if Cadeyrn is only faking it? Like Kalzog was with Beau?" Relthor asked Karasu. "No matter, my love. Let's set this aside for now. Worrying does no one any good."

Relthor leaned up against Karasu and kissed along her body. "Rest, Karasu. I do not want you to be hurt," he whispered as he continued massaging her beautiful body.

"It can suck up anything...except a god of course," Kalzog said as he shook it violently. "It's meant to take out powerful creatures such as demi-gods or near gods, like Rimoru..."

"Imagine what someone like Valtrox would do with it...He could attempt to produce more or create some monstrosity out of it. I would rather it stay in our hands..."

"Yeah... I'd say we should keep it away from them," Ar'mai added as she finished healing Kalzog's wounds.

"So guys... what do we do now?"

"Well..." he pulled out the spyglass he stole from Mebbiwik and Koryl earlier. "I did say I was going to give this back to the cat man...I have no idea where he is now..."

The ogre muttered something, and shook the orb again. Several books, a few bookshelves, some tables, chairs, and other items fell out of the orb. Finally, with a loud thump, Kalzog's trunk-like club plopped on the floor.

"There she is..." Kalzog chuckled as he picked up his club. "My only girlfriend."

"I suppose we ask Sarik what to do next...this was his mission..."

**********************************************************

Sarik sat on a bench outside, his armor piled unceremoniously nearby.

Why is my bloodlust coming back? I thought I had that under control... the paladin thought worriedly as he looked at several birds dancing in the trees.

"Cadey... he was not faking it. If you saw him and heard the words he said. It was no ruse. The sword marks... Inzikai." Karasu sighed. "I hope everyone else is OK. I just cannot believe Cadey did such a thing... He really did Relthor. He really did it. I would be dead if others did not intervene."

Lorathin smiled at having gotten Rimoru to chuckle as laughter was good for grief. "We knew that it could get dangerous when we went in." He replied as he began stroking her hair, "And if it wasn't for you, I would have most likely ended up dead, but you were there, and I'm pretty sure that everyone else is alright as well, thought maybe somewhat battered."

" Azy, the day you die will be the day I have lost all my friends," Rimoru said sadly. "I doubt Karasu will ever forgive me...I don't blame her either. I know Relthor does not forgive me..."

"Did you guys...kill anyone?" she asked quietly, her mind wandering to Rothargot.

"I'm not sure, possibly, but not sure. Also, I don't intend to die anytime soon." He replied with a slight smile, "And I'm pretty sure if you explain Relthor and Karasu will forgive."

"I already tried Relthor...and I doubt Karasu will even listen to me," Rimoru sobbed quietly.

"Oh Azy...I love you," she smiled, gently kissing Azrael on the cheek. "As a friend of course," she added.

"Were you guys able to accomplish your goals in the Library? Or was it the same as... Rothy's- I mean Rothargot's?"

As soon as she said Rothargot's name as Rothy, she blushed a deep red.

"That's disappointing," Relthor said as he held Karasu. "Cadeyrn seemed as though he were loyal to us...but then again, he seemed determined to eradicate anything in his way."

"Hopefully he'll eradicate Inzikai and the others while he's with them," Relthor said with a smile, trying to chear up Karasu.

"I am sorry to say that he will do his best to kill us, Relthor," Karasu said sadly. "He has no loyalty whatsoever. I have never come across such a selfish man." Karasu sighed.

"There are few people here I do not want to be around. I cannot wait to get out of here... to my palace." Karasu smiled at Relthor. "We can put all of this behind us."

"Acutally I'm not entirely sure what our goal was in your library." Lorathin replied, "That was Sarik's department, and I love you as well." He replied as he gave her a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"I don't mind you calling Rothargot by your nickname for him." He added, "You cared for him, didn't you?"

"You're right Inzikai, how do we go about rescuing her before Karasu or Rimoru decide to take her and use her as leverage?" Cadeyrn asked while examining the ship.

He turned over his left palm noticing the grey skin had spread to the base of his ring finger. No matter how hard he tried the finger refused to move.

"I don't mean to bother or anything, but when are you going to help me rid this disease?" The human asked running his fingers along the collection of bark like skin.

Relthor gave Karasu a wan smile. He felt he could not go with Karasu. He felt as though he too has betrayed her.

"My love...I..." Relthor sighed. Perhaps this is not the best time to tell her... "I love you," he finally said, covering up what he was really going to say.

**********************************************************

Rimnoru nodded slowly. "I love him...He was unlike anything, anyone I have ever loved before..."

"He came to me a strict deciple of Valtrox...and I said I was going to loosen him up...I didn't expect to be able to that easy...not to mention truly fall in love with him."

"I turned him into an elf," she continued, smiling slightly as she remembered how he looked. "A very handsome one...I think...I think I will have his child, even if he never returns to me..." she whispered.

Rimoru has never had a child before, never wanted one. This would be the first time she ever encountered pregnancy...

Inzikai looked at the skin on Cadeyrn's hand. "Once we get to sea, we'll see what we can do. We may even be able to contact Valtrox from there..."

"As for your Marlene, I will let Rothargot get her. If you want to go with him, you may do so, but we should also get the remains of a certain Vampire..."


Rothargot nodded in return.

"Relthor... you are not telling me something." Karasu said as she looked in his eyes. "I can tell from your eyes and your face. What is it? Please tell me. It is not fair to hide something from me." She gazed at him, waiting for him to tell her what he was hiding.

"Do not be afraid. Just say it."

"Yes, I would like meet my new master and hear what it is he will have me do." Cadeyrn said subordinately. "If you two secure Marlene and the Vampire's remains, I'll secure this fine vessel for our voyage. Just give me the order master."

Lorathin simple held her as she talked about Rothargot. "You are going to have a child?" He asked, slightly surprised as Rimoru didn't really seem like the motherly type. "But I'm sure you'll be a good mother."

Inzikai nodded. "Then it shall be done. Rothargot, let's go."

With that he walked towards the massive demon, who unfolded his wings again.

"Take care of Teralynn, Cadeyrn. She is not in much shape to fight."

Inzikai looked at Rothargot and Teralynn, obviously puzzled. "Why?"

"You will know soon enough," Rothargot replied. Inzikai held onto the demi-god and they took to the air.

"Where would Marlene be?" Rothargot asked as he floated high above the others.

**********************************************************

"My love," Relthor began, not able to look Karasu in the eyes. "I feel that...I have failed you...that I have betrayed you...That I have lost what little dignity I had left..."

"Karasu...I am going into self-exile...I'm going to look for my wife," Relthor muttered sadly, tears rolling down his cheeks. "Please do not take it wrongly. I am still with you, my love, I have not renounced my request for you to be my mate...It's just...I want to see for myself, see if my mate is dead."

Lorathin simple held her as she talked about Rothargot. "You are going to have a child?" He asked, slightly surprised as Rimoru didn't really seem like the motherly type. "But I'm sure you'll be a good mother."


"Do you think so?" Rimoru asked as she looked up at Azrael with wide eyes. "I...never wanted to be one before...but I love him so much..."

"I fear what's going to happen...I know very little about these kinds of things..." she sighed as she lay her head back on Lorathin's chest, the crying seeming to have stopped. "I don't even know what it's going to feel like, what's going to happen to me."

"Other than the fact that I'm going to get so much larger..." she giggled quietly.

Karasu began sobbing, but understood. If his mate was alive his first obligation was to her.

"I-I understand. You are obligated to her and it would not be right to leave her." Tears were streaming down her face.

"I suppose you will never meet your son." Karasu could barely talk because she was sobbing so hard.

"Please... do me this favor. Have Rimoru find you a different room. The longer you stay with me, the more difficult it will be when you leave.

"Please leave Relthor... it will make it easier later on...

"I hope you and your mate have a happy life, Relthor." Karasu looked into his eyes, tears streaming down her face.

"Please go Relthor... please go now..."

Relthor nodded sadly, leaning over to give Karasu a kiss, but decided against it. It may hurt her even more...

The Ageless Dragon slowly walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. "Karasu, my love, I wish you the best of luck," he whispered to himself before walking down the stairs.

As he reached the front doors, he stopped and looked around. "It will be quite a long time before I look at this marvelous palace again," he said quietly as he took one last look at the incredible architecture. With a silent nod, he walked out the door, preparing himself to transform once he was out of the city...

"And I don't know much about these things either." He replied as Rimoru rested on his chest. "There seems to be a distinct lack of mothers in this group to provide insight."

"Would you like to remain here relaxing or perhaps go see how the others are doing?"

"I think it is best I...go," Rimoru replied quietly, kissing Lorathin again. "Thank you Azrael. I feel as though I cannot thank you enough."

She wrapped her arms around Lorathin and kissed him several times before getting up and walking out the door.

I suppose I should see the damage in the Library... she thought sadly as she walked to the Library, minutes after Relthor had already left...

"You do not need to thank me." He replied as she departed. A few minutes later, he likewise arose and decided to see how Karasu was as she'd been in pretty bad condition earlier.

Suddenly, brilliant light flooded the room. Koryl closed his sensitive eyes and flung an arm across his face, but not quickly enough to preserve his vision. His eyes were well adjusted for darkness, but they did not handle sudden brightness easily, and it took him longer than most of those present to recover. He did see Kalzog's orb strike the book case, though, and he also saw where it went afterwards.

Ah... so that's what the thing does.

He headed for the powerful artifact at once, trying to get around the worst of the fighting. Before he reached it, however, the book cases began to fall. He was caught by the side of one of the heavy book cases, and a large tome struck his head. Pinned and batterd by the collapse the wanderer lost consciousness.

Some distance away, a pile of fine, gray dust was scattered across the floor.

Harlin, slighly the worse for wear but with no serious injuries, hobled out of the room in which he had lain Minos to rest. Looking down the hall, He saw Sarik sitting on a veranda. Limping to him, he slid slowly down into a sitting position, wincing at the pain he felt essentially all over himself.

Turning to this comrade and, more importantly, new friend, he inquired, "What next Sarik? They have the book and are heading to the docks. We must make haste if we are to have any chance of catching them."

Sarik looked at Harlin sadly. "I have failed my mission, Harlin. If we continue any further...are chances of survival grow slimmer. I do not want any of you to be forced unto doing it."

"Since my mission was to stop Inzikai from getting the book, I suppose it is now my priority to retrieve the book. I will leave for the docks as soon as I can, but I do not want you all to die for me and my foolishness."

**********************************************************

Rimoru had reached the Library, walking into the restricted section and letting out a small gasp. It was all in ruins, books lay around, the floor seemed destroyed, arrows, burns, slashes, and blood lay all over the place.

There also seemed to be another figure close by...a strange cat-eared man. Rimoru walked up to him and nudged him gently, never before seeing the man.

Sarik looked at Harlin sadly. "I have failed my mission, Harlin. If we continue any further...are chances of survival grow slimmer. I do not want any of you to be forced unto doing it."

"Since my mission was to stop Inzikai from getting the book, I suppose it is now my priority to retrieve the book. I will leave for the docks as soon as I can, but I do not want you all to die for me and my foolishness."

Harlin smiled, more of a grimace due to the pain, and said, "Don't worry, 'tis the price we pay for the future. I would gladly give my life to prevent them from summoning Valtrox. Not to say I intend to give my life though... I know I can only speak for myself, but I'm sure the others would agree."

OOC: Finally finished getting this typed up.
~~Near the beginning~~
T’zark and his companions were preparing to leave with the others when one of the straps on their pack animal’s harness snapped.
“Blast, and we’re out of spares, too.” Boliad grumbled quietly. “We’re going to have to get this fixed.”
“We’ll catch up at the next stop.” he added to Sarik.

However, when they finally arrived, they found Sarik and the others gone, and the area buzzing with news of their arrest. The ogre had made quite an impression. Careful to avoid mentioning that they had encountered the group, the three adventurers from Dar-Kavryn traveled on to the arena – only to hear about the escape of the dragon, and the prisoners. So they continued on, into the desert. Verton filled a number of flasks with water, using a spell to store them all in a small bottle. More magic allowed them to follow the group, and hastened their own travels, but it was still a long journey.

They were passing through some ruins late in the day when ragged, but well armed, bandits began emerging from the rubble around them. One of them, evidently the leader, stepped forward.
“Well, well… what have you got to pay our little toll?”

Boliad was hot, dusty, and in no mood to put up with nonsense.
“We don’t have time to deal with you. Get out of our way!” he growled, drawing a curved dagger.

The bandit drew a fine Schiavona, clearly the group’s most valuable possession.
“Do you really think you can take me with that little knife?” he sneered.

Boliad struck. It wasn’t just that he was fast, though he certainly was. It was his complete lack of visible preparations that let him get within reach of the bandit before the man realized what was happening. Boliad’s left hand wrapped around the hilt of his opponent’s sword, forcing the weapon out of the way; his right brought the dagger in against the bandit’s throat.
“Yes.” he said calmly. “I do.”

The bandit leader’s face went pale. He waved his henchmen off, then backed away himself. Without another word, they vanished again into the ruins.

“They’ll be back tonight, wanting revenge.” Verton said.

“Of course. Do you think I would have let them get away if I didn’t think they’d be back? This time, we’ll meet them on our own terms.” Boliad replied.

The three continued on until they came to a small ravine, and set up camp in the bottom of it. T’zark built a camp fire and prepared a quick meal, Boliad arranged blankets and took care of the pack drezek, and Verton set the wards that would alert him when the bandits entered the area. They ate quickly, then T’zark stretched out next to the fire with his sword at his side while Verton cast two simple illusions on the other blankets. Boliad and the wizard hid at one end of the canyon, and all three travelers settled down to wait.

The bandits came about an hour after sunset. Verton woke the moment they crossed his carefully placed wards, and nudged Boliad. The warrior silently took up two of his favorite swords, and watched as several bandits snuck past his hiding place. Boliad stepped out behind them, swinging his left-hand weapon at the neck one bandit while sliding his right-hand blade between the scales and ribs of another. The third turned as Boliad was pulling his weapon free, and managed to block two blows before he drove his left-hand sword into the bandit’s chest. The blade was too firmly wedged in bone to easily extract, so Boliad let it fall with his victim. Taking a small battle axe from his weapon harness, he headed for the next bandit.

The bandits coming from the other end of the ravine saw the fighting and realized that the camp was a decoy. Most of them rushed right through it, ignoring T’zark and the pack beast, but a few remained on the other side of the camp. One, armed with a recurve bow, loosed an arrow at Boliad. The big warrior ignored the missile, which bounced off of his shoulder with a flash of red light, but T’zark did not. Reaching into the campfire, he flung a handful of hot coals into the archer’s face and charged. His sword reached the archer’s throat before the man could recover. Another bandit raised a crossbow and fired. The Crimsonscale flung himself to the ground, narrowly missing him, and Verton struck the bandit down with lightning.

The wizard divided the area with several walls of magical fire, then concentrated on blasting any other bandits that carried ranged weapons. T’zark overcame two of the enemy in a furious burst of blows, moving too quickly for the bandits to strike back, then slammed his shimmersteel arm guard into another bandit’s weapon, knocking it from his hand and sending him staggering backward into the flames. The Crimsonscale then retreated to the fire himself, before another group of bandits could reach him. He could not maintain the speed required to fight several opponents at once for long without rest.

Several bandits gathered around T’zark’s sheltering flames, forming a wall of weapons to keep him from attacking. After a few moments of rest, though, he fired a Shimmersteel dart from the tiny crossbow mounted on his armguard and dove out of the fire. One bandit was knocked backwards several feet by the impact of the dart; during the brief instant when the others paused, shocked by their companion’s fate T’zark rolled under the line of weapons and came up in front of another bandit, sword first. At this exact instant, Boliad was dispatching the last two fighters that stood between him and the bandit leader. Leaving his axe planted in the skull of one opponent and pinning the other to the ground with his sword, Boliad drew the curved dagger and advanced grimly.

This time, the bandit wasn’t going to be taken by surprise. He leaped forward, stabbing with the deadly Schiavona, which Boliad easily deflected, then stepped back to avoid Boliad’s return stab and began a sweeping cut at his enemy’s neck. The fight continued in this manner for several exchanges before Boliad managed to land a punch on the bandit’s face with his left hand. Before the man could recover, Boliad struck. With their leader dead, the few remaining bandits ran.

Boliad laughed as he cleaned his dagger.
“They’ll think twice before attacking travelers again!”

“Yess. We havve mosst likely sstopped thiss threat for good.” T’zark agreed happily.

Verton was not so cheerful.
“We have a problem.” he said, pointing at a wet spot on the ground around their supplies.

The crossbow bolt that had missed T’zark had gone on to strike Verton’s pack, breaking the bottle that held their water supply and piercing many of the flasks. Unless they could find fresh water, this was going to be a very dry journey. It was quite fortunate that they met a water golem the next day.

As they were thanking the talkative being, Boliad had an idea.

“Say, I don’t suppose you gave some water to a group including a paladin and an ogre recently, did you? Oh? Who else was with them? Inzikai?! How long ago was this? Thank you very much, for this information and for all of your help.”

“So,” Verton remarked, “we’ve almost caught up with them.”

“I just hope we can reach the library before anything happens.” Boliad replied. “You’d best cast that Long-Stride spell of yours, and let’s go.”

Some time later, they reached the palace of Rimoru. Little did they know that the first battle had already been fought…

~~~~~
Koryl woke, somewhat slowly.
"Wha' happened?" he mumbled, trying without success to get out from under the fallen books.

Sarik smiled at Harlin and nodded. "Many thanks, Harlin. It is good to know that there are still those willing to sacrifice themselves for the better of the world..."

"I plan to confront everyone with this soon..."

"Speaking of everyone, where's Shara? I figured she would have tended to your wounds," Sarik said as he walked up to Harlin and opened his palm near Harlin's wounds, healing energy going into rogue.

The books floated away from the crossbreed as Rimoru knelt next to Koryl. "You tell me," she replied, a small smile on her face as she examined the strange creature closer.

Koryl sat up and rubbed his hand across his face, trying to clear his mind.
"I can't remember the end, and I didn't see all of it. I think it must have been that demon that knocked over... but I should start at the beginning, or at least the beginning of what I know. I came here trying to find a scholar who could help me identify an artifact, and met a gnome who agreed to work on the project. We were in his office, examining it, when an ogre came crashing through the door and landed on his desk. The gnome yelled at the ogre to get out, and the ogre grapped the artifact and ran. I chased him, eventually reaching this part of the library. I looked around outside this section to see if he had dropped it somewhere, then followed him through the mirror. There was a big fight going on when I got here, too many people to keep track of all of them at once. I think they were fighting over a book, but I'm not certain about that. The ogre was struggling with some sort of demon or something. He told me that he'd give back the artifact if I got him a pink orb. I made several attempts, but the demon was too fast for me to reach it before him, especially since he was closer to start with. There was a flash of bright light that blinded me for a while, and then as I was making another try at the orb, the bookcases started falling over. I think that demon must have started the collapse; he and the ogre looked like the only ones strong enough. That's the last thing I remember until just now, when you woke me. Oh, yeah... and one of the fighters changed sides halfway through the battle. The mercenary with the big sword - I think his name was Cadren or something. I heard the others arguing with him; it seemed kinda strange, in the middle of a battle."

OOC: Grr! Stupid Jolt, logging me out while I'm typing.

Karasu layed in bed staring at the ceiling. "I am utterly alone. I do not know anything about giving birth or pregnancy. My son will never see his father. I do not know what to do. I am so lonely." Tears started pouring out of her eyes.

Lorathin arrived at Karasu's door and knocked on the door. He thought he heard weeping, but wasn't sure.

"Oh no...Not my Cadey," she gasped, horror filling her eyes, not sure what to do. Then her mind traveled to Marlene, something she could probably use to get Cadeyrn back.

"Did he say anything about a Marlene?" she asked quietly, nearly entranced as she looked into his slit-pupiled eyes.

Karasu heard someone knock on the door. She quickly dried her tears and called out "Come in!"

Lorathin opened the door and went in. "Are you alright?" He asked as he took a seat on a nearby chair, seeing her on the bed.

"I'll live." Karasu smiled wanly. "How about you? You were quite injured also." She asked Lorathin. Unfortunately she could not prevent some tears from running down her face.

"Is everyone else OK?" She asked.

"I'll be fine." He replied, "I couldn't say about the others as you're the second person I've seen since I woke up, but I'd wager yes."

He reached over to brush a tear away, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Well, things could be better." Karasu tried to chuckle, but it sounded as fake as it was. "I am in a bit of a predicament and quite alone. Completely alone actually. I will just have to find some way to deal with it." She started sobbing.

"Can you come back after you see everyone and tell me if they are all OK?" She asked him.

"Alright, we can talk about it then." He replied, "Talking ususally helps."

He then stood and headed to the door. "I hope the solution to your predicament is found soon..."

"There... is... no solution..." Karasu rolled over on her side trying to think of what to do. She did not have a houseful of guards and servants and friends the way Rimmy did. She would be alone up on the cliff. Karasu did not want to go to the villagers she had helped in the past, as none of them knew she was a dragon, and this would give it away.

I guess I will have to do it all myself. She concluded.

"There is always a solution." He replied as he headed out to find the others.

"Yes, quite a bit, actually. Let's see..."
Koryl's long, slender fingers wrapped around his forehead as he searched through his memories of the crowded recent past.

"When the red-scaled one -Inzikai, I think I heard someone call him- first started trying to convince him to switch sides, the mercenary said that nobody tried to save Marlene when Beau took her. He said that he wanted to live long enough to see her grow old, and that he would do anything to protect her. No, anything to keep protecting her - that was the wording. Inzikai then offered him the chance to marry Marlene; I think that strengthened his decision to change sides. When some of the others argued that she wouldn't be happy with his decision, he started talking about some disease that he has, and said that Marlene wouldn't want him to die in that way. Later, he said that he had made his decision in order to protect Marlene, and that the others were all incompetent. But he also said that he would surrender her life if it meant he could spend a few more years with her. I remember that clearly, even in the midst of battle and with my eyes still dazzled, because it seemed to be such a contradiction of everything else he had said about her. One of the other fighters - a woman, her name seemed to be Karasu or some such- any way, she told him how selfish the statement seemed, and he started ranting about how Marlene's life had always been in his hands. He paused for a time, then - I think some spell was affecting him. When he came out of it, he joined the fighting again, and that's the last I remember him saying about her, though I may have missed something. Who is Marlene, anyway?"

"Marlene is...his lover? He protects her," was all Rimoru could say. I wonder what Marlene thinks about this...I wonder if that's what she wants...

Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around the adventurer and held him tightly. "Oh what are we going to do?" she asked out loud.

Still more than a bit stunned from the blows he had taken during the collapse, Koryl hadn't really paid much attention to who it was he was speaking with. Now he was beginning to notice the details of her appearance, and realize who had probably found him. On the way to the library, he had heard much about the beauty of Emperess Rimoru.

His expression, as her arms folded around him, was largely one of surprise. Giving her a gentle pat on the back, he did his best to answer.

"I really know very little about what's going on here, and there is little advice I can offer. I wish I knew what it was that I walked into... But if you wish to find the man, I cannot imagine that he would go far without Marlene."

He paused for a moment, then spoke again.

"Say - that ogre... Who is that Beau he mentioned, who took Marlene?"

"Beau...bloodthirsty wolf man...he's dead now, Cadey killed him..." she replied as she pulled back slightly.

"I suppose I'll go get Marlene myself..." Rimoru mused as she finally realized she was holding onto a surprised stranger.

"Please forgive me," she chuckled quietly as she backed away, blushing slightly. "I have not even asked for your name."

"A wolf man... I thought that ogre looked familiar. I saw them - Beau, the ogre, and Marlene. I'm sure it must have been her. I had just enough time to use a little toy of mine, a tracking ring. Anywhere that Marlene goes, I can find her. I was going to try to get her free from them, but I didn't reach her in time.

"It has been a traumatic period; I can understand why you might forget the formalities. My name is Koryl Tarethon, and you are?"

OOC: Wow, Jolt didn't log me out while I was typing this time!!

"Good to meet you Koryl," Rimoru smiled. "I am Rimoru Ifrete," she replied, before adding her old fashioned cockiness.

"The Empress," she winked. "Could you track down Marlene? I just hope they haven't already gotten to her..."

"By the way, Koryl...what kind of creature are you?" Rimoru asked as she scratched one of his cat-like ears.

Lorathin decided to find out how the others were, and thus asked a guard for directions to the ogre. Once getting them, he headed in that direction.