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As we came into the town (with one more traveler, a tiny one) I noticed that Willow was very tired and I suggested that the newly formed family go and rest at the inn whith Dragh while I look for Viper (he shouldn't be hard to miss). I escorted them to the inn where to my suprise I saw Jurak and Womble.

I scratched my head...

"how did you get here ahead of us???"

Though in a drunken stupor (or he was just him, I couldn't tell <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />) Womble and Jurak looked at me, then each other, then a map on the wall of the tavern.

"ummm... By all accounts it doesn't make sense" One of them managed
....

"weeelllll, ok then I am off to find Viper, make sure the happy family gets up to sleep, I will come get you when I find him"

Dragh said that he would stay with the boys, whom ordered him a few rounds so that he could catch up (uh oh)

Now where would a sick fallen Deva be????

As we arrived back in my beloved Beregost, we went straight for the inn. Willow could use some rest (me too actually).

Big was our supprise when we saw Womble and Jurak drinking beer in the inn. Now how did they manage to beat us here??!
Proud as new father should be i showed them our daughter Aurora. They could barely stop staring at her.
No wonder she stood up on her own and walked around! O man, are we at this stage already!

"Hey Jes, do you have a big room available??"
"Ofcourse Jolie, heres the key. Second on the left. Congratulations btw."
"Thanks Jes."
I took the tired Willow and our daughter upstairs.
"Dont worry my love, rest a few hours to regain your strenght. Luc will look for Viper."


I was glad to be back at my town. I went outside for a walk.
"Wait daddy, i want to come too."
"Who?.... Aurora?" She could speak like a 10 year old or something <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />.
"Ok sweety, i'll show you my hometown"
We went outside and made a walk around town.
I showed her all the beautifull places i could think off.
All she did was smile and look around, just like she had been here forever.
And growing by the minite too <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />

[color:"orange"] I felt weak... very weak, I got thrown into the sky and landed on something. When I opened my eyes I saw it was Dqueene...
"My love, you came.. " I kissed her scales softly and lost conciousness.

I lost my grip and tumbled towards the earth, as I was falling I regained my conciousness through the sheer cold air. I saw the ground coming nearer and nearer and with my last strengths I open my wings and started to glide.... I could see the town in the distance
Maybe I can still make it

I steered in that direction and glided, lossing altidude and speed. When I was ear the fence of the town I was almost at the ground, I flew over the houses...

night was falling, so was the rain (more like pooring) and everybody in the town was inside or in the tavern so nobody saw me flying. I was completely soaked and then I just 'crashed' in the park of Beregost.
I took my cloak out of my bag, bited off the pain, deep down I knew it wasn't this disease that was gonna kill me so I might as well stand up to it. When I had my cloak on I stumbled towards the Tavern.

I opened the door and there they were, all sitting at the table, laughing and drinking and I noticed Willow and Jolie being absent.

"I hoped that you'd grieved more over my death than this" I said. They looked up and they're faces were priceless, disbelieve, astonishment and pure happiness came over they're faces.

I stumbled to the table and Womble and Jurak both ordered me a pint of the finest ripened beer the tavern had [/color]

[color:"#00cccc"]he couldn't believe it when Aurora stood up on her own, and
walked around! Womble could barely stop staring at her, and
his mouth dropped to the floor(which wasn't very far by the way)
O man, are we at this stage already!,someone sounded out! groaning already!
Jolie asked jessica if there was a big room available, and she told him
"Second on the left"....and tossed a key.... Congratulations btw."

Jolie said "Thanks Jes." he took Willow,
and his eversprouting daughter upstairs, to their room on the left.
After he was sure Willow was comfortably settled,
Jolie strolled by the boys at the table, telling them he was going outside for a walk.
"Wait daddy, i want to come too." Aurora was running towards Jolie and now
she was speaking like a 10 year old !!

that "baby" was growing so fast that jurak thought...
maybe in a day or two...
Aurora would be servin him some beers!

Jurak was jus tryyn t esplane tings, an slurred out,
[color:"#33cc33"]"we got ehre fastr cuz uuu wer' in a fields, havin' cherubim's,
an we must've shlipped by in the darknsssh"[/color],
and laughed uproariously! WhhoooWheee!,
[color:"#33cc33"] "the trip was actually faster, without the added extra weight"[/color],
he added with a wink.
[color:"orange"]"Yeah we left the wagon back at the lake so's we could travel
quicker, a dwarf who's concerned about a close companion, is always quick to
get to the bottom of the solution...!"[/color]
Womble smartly stated...

Luc understood as Dragh nodded at the same time, Dragh looked drawn out,
like he'd seen a few miles or so, and he also looked to be rather on the
thirsty side!!

Luc stood up to get everybody's attention
so they would know whats going on,
an told the rest at the table, his intensions,...
[color:"white"]"weeelllll, ok then I am off to find Viper,
make sure the happy family gets up to sleep,
I will come get you when I find him"[/color]

Dragh stayed with the boys, who ordered him a quite a few rounds,
so that he could catch up

Things were in full swing, and everyone was havin a rip-roarin time
at the old inn, Dragh was dancing a jig in the center of the
inn's large common room, Womble was re-telling Dwarven tales, Jurak listened
intently to those tales, while glancing at Dragh,... twirling like a dervish...
when all of a sudden!........

........it had to be, either... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> ...the ghost of viper... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />
or a very bad imitation,
and in a desparate state, at that!
because....
this Viper looked wiped!
he barely stumbled over to the table, collapsed into a chair,
Jurak called for the friendly, skinny little jessica,
Womble ordered pints, and Jurak ordered Jugs, pint after pint, jug after jug,
of the finest ripened beer the tavern had, and drank it all as they gathered
around the table....
just in order to be able to hear
the whole story of the misadventure's,
that viper had unfortunately run into.....

I came in and saw them. They were drunk rowdy, and Dragh couldnt' dance. Viper looked like death run over. What made me glad though was that we were celebrating, celebrating woudl go on until the end, if it was to come. This is how we lived. We lived with a happiness that would force us to celebrate life until it was finally extinguished. We would not mourn Viper, we would sing his name in songs, we would cry his name in battle, we would tell stories about him to eveyone that would listen. This is how we would remember our hero if he was to leave us.

I strode to Jessica and asked her to put the rest of the night on me, handing her a bad of gold (not too big <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />). I took as many pints, jugs, and bottles as I could carry and joined Dragh on the table failing miserably at my attempt to dance.

I jerked awake suddenly from my dream of falling, gasping for breath and trying to calm my pounding heart. The dream hit me then, and I felt a few tears seep from my eyes. Wow, that had felt so real! Talk about your weird dreams!

I tried to get my bearings, I was definitely in a strange hotel room. I frowned and tried to clear my sleep fogged brain. Oh yeah, I had attended the first day of the Larian conference yesterday and met some of my online companions. Jet lag must have been really bad. I didn't remember returning to my hotel, but I'd obviously gotten back and slept for several hours. I got up and stumbled over to the sink, grabbing a glass to get some water to try to wash the 'morning' taste out of my mouth. I hesitated briefly, not sure if it was okay to drink the water (you really have to be careful about that in a lot of countries - rule of thumb is "always drink bottled water" - although I'd recently found out that was a bunch of bull too). I shrugged, and took a big sip of water trying to wake up. Glancing into the mirror I notice that my hair had a lot more silver in it than I remembered. Must be time to visit the hairdresser again. Geez, it sure is getting expensive to stay a red head! I just grimaced and stuck out my tongue at my reflection.

Stumbling back to my bed, I noticed one of my Tarot cards, the Shapeshifter , lying on top of my pillow. I quickly picked it up to make sure I hadn't damaged it - this card was from my special Shapeshifter Tarot deck that I always carried with me. When had I gotten it out? Okay, DQ, no more wine! I looked around for my deck and didn't see it anywhere. Why would I have pulled just one card out? I glanced at the card a little more closely, it seemed more "shimmery" than usual, Must be the lighting... Ahhh, it was my shapeshifter card itself - well, that sort of fit with my dream. I giggled, after all, how often do you turn into Dragon? I opened up my backpack to search for my deck and found it in the bottom of the bag. I carefully put the card back into my deck and put the deck back into my backpack.

What I didn't find was the majority of my emergency chocolate rations. They were all gone! Had I shared it with my friends at Larian? I remembered that Kiya was a "choc" aholic. Then I remembered my dream and laughed; I'd certainly shared the chocolate with everyone in my dream.

I shook my head again and pulled out my notepad and pen and started writing what I could remember of my dream. I had learned a long time ago that if I didn't write my dreams down really fast that I would lose them. I wrote furiously for several hours trying to recapture all the important parts. What I didn't want to write, but felt I must was the last part of my dream. It must have meant something, the man or "fallen angel" that I had loved enough to perish for hadn't really cared for me at all. He had just left me to plummet to my death and gone to carouse with his friends without even mentioning me. I shook my head again, What unresolved issues in my life was that addressing? Did I feel betrayed by my loved ones? I bet Freud would have a field day with that one!

Oh well, time to get dressed and go to breakfast and then on to the next Larian event. I walked over and put my notepad and pen back into my bag, noticing the book I had found under my chair at Larian was in there too. I'll have to look at soon as I can, I mused.

I went to take my shower ...

[color:"orange"] We ran thru the wilderness after leaving our masters on the shores of the eastern sea. They had set sail....cowa...I stopped my thought knowing what would happen if I finished it. We ran west along the river...in the distance I could smell a village...humans, I thought...fresh blood...(this is the village of majik users) We came to the edge of town and I looked to see if it was well defended. "This is a joke" I said to my brigands. there was not a soldier in sight. My mind turned to the attack and my mind became clouded with rage, my eyes turned red and my claws grew longer and transformed into razors. We lept from the trees and ran into town with deafening growls.

Noone was spared...we cut them all down, they attempted to cast petty majiks which I somehow knew how to sheild myself from...a gift from my master. We continued thru the town street by street and house by house, man woman and child all were the same to us. We burned buildings and homes, shops and temples. As we reached the other side of town we looked back and saw nothing but choas and utter destruction....there was no scent of life.

[color:"black"] "The scroll, use it now, it will give you power" [/color]

The voice was back and I immediately did what it said, an unthinking and unquestioning servant.

[color:"green"] "Adun turidas, lem adarum, shi'i hani, goranda shi!! [/color]

I looked up as I had finished reading the demonic glyphs on the scroll to see the dead rise to their feet.

[color:"black"] "They will obey and follow you" [/color]

With that we set off down the river banks going as fast as we could wanting nothing more than to kill again. In a short time we came upon another village(this is beregost) We stood in the woods hid amongst the trees to scope out the cities defenses. Behind us were the lumbering hunks of flesh that were under my direction. With nothing more than a thought I sent them strait at the towns southern gate where they would surely be decimated...no remorse at all in my mind.

I led my demons to the east side of the village waiting for the fight to begin on the southern side of town. As soon as the guard was called the fools abandoned all other posts and rushed to the south side of town. With the coast clear me and my demon allies lept the walls and then onto the rooves of the houses in the area. We began running down the streets doing the same thing that we had done only 6 hours earlier...I came to the town square and stopped. The soldiers had discovered my ruse...

you are too late I thought to myself and knowing the destruction that lay behind me....I flex my hands and cracked my knuckles...these guards stood no more chance than a piece of meat in front of a bear.

It was time to kill them all.... [/color]

I woke up from my rest.
Something was not right.
There was a cloud of evil coming for us.

My first thoguht were of Jolie and Aurora.

I jumped up, and went downstairs.

Viper was sitting at the table, it was good to see him again, sick as he was, but i did have more pressing matters.

"There is something coming...intent of death and destruction" "Where are Jolie and Aurora?????"

I was told they had gone for a walk in Beregost.

"We must leave, we must get out!" I told them all in panic. "There is something very evil coming towards us..."

I ran out to find the loves of my life...

They were in a park with a fountain. Jolie was carring Aurora, who was looking at everything she could. Her growth did not surprise me as it did the others, i knew it would have been so.

"Jolie, we must get back to the Inn, terrible danger is coming...we must stay with the others..."
Jolie didn't question me on it, he knew i could feel things other could not.

We ran back to the Inn. Aurora was crying, and because it was out of fear, or because she could feel the evil as well, i did not know.

We burst into the front door of the entance, and went to the others.

"Jvb, Nero's down there, please don't follow me - I want to do this on my own."

I soared down with Ascolan to the village and implored him to keep distance and convince the soldiers to stay back, I didn't want anyone to take part in what was coming now.

No, not this time, Nero - there will be no fight. Not if I can help it...

He was taken by surprise as I crept up to him, because he concentrated on the soldiers, blood and murder in his eyes, preparing his claws to rip them apart. Ascolan had taken his position next to the soldiers. I knew, they would listen him.

Nero spotted me and swirled around, leapt at me viciously and in the first moment I felt wardrums strumming softly in my veins, then it stopped abruptly. Yes, this time I had to take a different path - he attacked - I dodged - I turned - I ducked, always on the lookout for a certain weak spot, the amulet was burning again - I flinched it off my neck and held it dangling in my hand. I was not going to run away this time - not anymore, if he wanted to hit me - fine...

Very softly and slowly an extended single note rose out of my crystal heart shard... [color:"#a0a0ff"]The soft Tune of Hope... a whisper... a gentle breeze... a tiny spark... in search for support... Aided by the Sound of Searching... cry of an eagle calling his mate... a laugh of mutual understanding, of respect... fighting side by side... keeping another company at the crackling campfire... friendly banter... wordless understanding... peace... calmness.... trust... where are you, old friend?[/color]

I saw the demon - my old friend - the invisible bond that tied him to his master - the inner chasm, where once his heart has been. Now was the right moment!

The amulet swayed from side to side, amplitudes grew - it was so easy... I just... had...... to........ let ............ GO! The amulet literally flew towards him, hit his chest, the tiny claw within the crystal opened its fist and the pyramid - Nero's heart essence - assimilated with the demon's body.

The bond between the races is gone forever
The bond between individuals is still alive...
Some bonds, Mortal, come by own free choice - they do not gag and bond... they aid and support - why are you reluctant to learn this?

These memory shreds hit me like lightning: It had never really been my task to save this world, just to inform about the danger it was in! The inlanders, they were the ones to do it or not! Not me, I was only a catalyst - and my duty bonds were over. It was their Age of Steel and Blood, not mine.

Nero sank to the ground, unconscious. I smiled as I watched - I had done the right thing, his body shivered, writhed and transformed, claws formed to fingers, face slowly took up familiar features again. I rushed up to him, bent down and wanted to place the amulet carefully in his lifeless hand:

"Remember the ally que..." I whispered and then stopped. "No, don't remember, choose yourself what you wish to do, choose your own fate and destiny, old friend... Farewell!"

I flung the amulet high into the air, it painted a light blue streak on its way, flashed and... who knows, where it landed? I leapt up and ran towards Ascolan - mounted him and felt my last bond fading... Everything else now, his fate - the fate of this world - the fate of the group and new ones to join - was not more my fate. They had the same right to choose as I did, the same freedom to choose their paths of murder, killing innocents and guilty or preserving life.... Choice at own free will.[/i]

"Ascolan, lead the way... to my freedom!" To my free choice, to my old self - the way I was, leaving back to what I have changed here... going to where I want - to bonds that aid and support...

With a loud screech the proud griffin took off and I felt all weight fall off as we rose. We took the way to the sun - soared past Jvb: Choose your own fate, FireDragon, farewell!... towards the bright flash... Ascolan and I charged into it - with a roll of thunder a huge blast of blinding light lit the world around us and I was FREE!

Aurora and me were walking around in the park of Beregost as Willow ran up to us and said: "There is evil around, we must hurry!"
I went with her, i knew she felt more then us, to the tavern.
Then suddenly i remembered what Kiya said: Nero is on its way to Beregost
That was actually the main resean why we came here!!

We stormed into the tavern, were the others were haveing a drink, and told them what was going on.
I told them what Kiya said to me. I was really ashamed <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shame.gif" alt="" />. How could i forget that!!
We had to organize the defences....
"Womble is there anything in those shematics that can be of any use???"
At that time i heard the alarm bell ringing. It came from the south side.
"To arms, To arms, hord of undead is attacking at the south side. To arms"
I instinctively ran to the wall. I climbed the fences and looked at the ememy.
There numbers were great. I knew i couldnt stop them on my own, even if i had good powers against them.
I ran back and warned my friends about what was comming.
I turned to Willow. "I think we'll need the book of the dead here."
Aurora was crying.
"Jes, can you take care of her until this is over?"

BUUMMMP, POUND!

I jerked up in my hotel bed... a wonderful feeling of freedom in my heart. I clutched at my chest, it was burning and tingling. I peeped into my T-Shirt: A scar, quartermoon shaped... what had happened yesterday during the Larian convention? The last thing I knew was, some guys had tied me to a chair and then? No clue - nada. Something tickled my cheek, I brushed it off and found - a long feather in my hand, a beautiful one, amber and gold. I stared at it. Shreds, bits and pieces of my last night's dream came to my mind: Unicorns, griffins, werewolves, imps, a silver dragoness...

"Kiya, are you there? Come on, lazybones!"

Oh, DQueene, I laughed happily and relieved... Some bonds, Mortal, come by own free choice - they do not gag and bond... they aid and support - why are you reluctant to learn this? Where and when had I heard this?

"Yeah, I'm up - come on in... You'd never believe what I dreamt! Must be the Belgian air!"

I jumped out of bed eagerly and rushed to the door to unlock it, slipped over a forgotten card: The Dreamer, 23 - and came skidding to a halt at the door, fiddling to get that Shapeshifter card off my toes and fumbling at the lock at the same time. Still not very well organised...

My own snoring woke me up. It took a split second for me realize that I had fallen asleep outdoors, but that wasn't unusual. I love camping out and "roughing it" as we say in America. What was unusual was the fact that I had been sleeping in an alleyway behind a trash bin.

My best recollection of the night before had involved a buffet and a briefing. I must have dozed off during the slide show, because after that I remember nothing. Well, that's not true. I actually remember dreaming a lot, mostly elves and orcs and goblins and such -- mythological fantasy stuff.

Being fully alert when I awaken, thanks to years of military training, I decided to take stock of my situation. I am wearing the same clothes I wore to the briefing. The rest of my gear is absent. I am uninjured. I am hungry. I need a bathroom. My room key is in my pocket, exactly where I left it. My wallet is still in my back pocket, and nothing appears to be missing from it. My watch says it is precisely 6:58:12, Saturday ... so I can't account for approximately eight hours of missing time.

I found five cards in my other pockets. They had paintings and numbers and names on them: 9 The Seer, 13 Rebirth, 18 The Moon, 19 The Sun, and 20 Transcendence.

They looked like tarot cards to me, but not from any deck I recognized ... not that I'm an expert on that sort of thing. I wondered how (and why) I came to possess these cards. And, why do I feel drawn into the image on the last card?

I can understand losing track of time while sleeping. I don't remember ever losing track of time while awake, or ever blacking out. Something in the buffet must have been drugged. I didn't drink alcohol. Or did I? I usually don't. And, the most alcohol has ever done is make me dizzy, gabby, and sick to my stomach with a headache the next morning.

I don't have a headache. I don't feel sick to my stomach. That means one of two things: I don't have a hangover, or I don't have a hangover yet! To test my theory, I stood up and tested my coordination and sense of balance, and was pleased to discover that I appear to be in perfect health ... except for a minor case of hiccoughs.

I dusted myself off, straightened my clothes and hair, and wandered out of the alley trying to look as inconspicous as possible. "Aha!" I declared, when I discovered that I was within a stone's throw of the hotel with the banner proclaiming it as the site of the Larian Conclave.

Within ten minutes, I'll be showered, shaved, and suitably attired for breakfast.

I hope I didn't do anything to embarass myself last night. Other than sleeping in an alley, that is.

"Choose your own path firedragon, farewell!!"
Kiya soared past me, towards a blinding flash in the air.

"No kiya! Wait, i'm comind with you!" I Yelled after her, but she didn't seem to hear me.

I Saw her.. dissapearing in the flash, and the flash dissapeared with her.

She's gone...After all we've been trough.. gone.. forgood..

I flew towards where the flash has been.. No trace of it left.
What could have caused it?

Now kiya and dqueene are both gone.. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />

I decided it would be best to join up with the rest of the group, so i looked around if i saw any of them.

Suddenly i sensed a great energy, different than any i had ever sensed before.. Also powerfull but in a strange, but also familiar way.

It came closer.. It came from behind..
I made an elegant turn and hung in the air.

If my eyes dont deceive me.. No, this cant be... Another firedragon??

I flew towards it in my enthousiasm, but i got suddenly struck by the horrifying truth LaShandra had told me :
""Treasure can win every dragon's heart, specially if combined with a very very special object. This was the scheme of Ena B'No Gard - one of the Doom wizards. He promised you dragons - the frost and fire ones - he would give you the Egg of Eternity - if they would erase out every city, town and village that would threaten his power. In your case, Jvb: The fire dragons caused a lot of murder and grief - they are fierce, very fierce warriors - relentless and loyal if they have chosen one side - sadly enough, this time a very evil side."

Oh no! and it was coming towards me!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />

[color:"#00cccc"]
They were all at the table waiting for Viper to "spill his guts" about the story,
when Willow came two-stepping down the stairs yelling...
"There is something coming...intent of death and destruction"
"Where are Jolie and Aurora?????"
Jurak replied that they had gone for a walk through Beregost.
"We must leave, we must get out!"Willow was persistant and told us, again...
"There is something very evil coming towards us..."
she ran out the door looking for her child and jolie!
Viper was to weak to even stand, so Jurak helped him up,
and they started to head towards the dorr,
Womble had a great look of concern on his face, as did Luc, and Dragh! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />
they all motioned towards the door...

Thats when we heard the alarm bell ringing!
It came from the south side of town.

"To arms, To arms, hord of undead is attacking at the south side. To arms",
said one of the guards who was screeching outside the Inn's window.
Willow rushed through the door with Aurora, who now was crying.
Jolie was just trying to warn his friends about what was comming!!,
upon saying that he turned to willow and told her "I think we'll need
the book of the dead here."
Nero is on its way to Beregost. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> the main reason we're here,
when suddenly there was a tremendous noise!!

It was the rising sound single note rising out of Kiya's heart shard....
intensifying to a very high pitched whine.....and it was then that Kiya took
the amulet, and literally heaved it towards Nero, it hit his chest, with a
dull thud, and the tiny claw within the crystal opened,and the pyramid
assimilated with the demon's body.


All stood in amazement as this spectacular fireworks show unfolded,...people
were running around screaming, and most thought,... it may be the end of the
world...they watched in awe as Nero's body shivered, writhed and transformed,
his claws forming back into fingers, as his face slowly took up familiar
features again, and a healthy growth of facial hair as well, but he was still
unconsious, <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> we watched as Kiya threw the amulet high into the air,
leaving a dark royal blue streak on its way , it flashed and... looked like it
had landed,just on the other side of the black smith shop..
and that was the end of it....the awful noise had stopped.....
almost as quickly as it started, the town was still......
townspeople were very much relieved to see that Kiya,
had managed to diminish all the destructive evil,
literally bringing it to it's knees, for terrorizing this town of Jolie's,

they would ultimately pay...

a loud screech the proud griffin took off , and we all heard Kiya yell!...
"Ascolan, lead the way... to my freedom!" as we looked up and saw Kiya
and the great Griffon "Ascolan", fly off,... towards a very bright
luminousness, a sudden pealing roll of thunder, and a huge blast of blinding
light that lit up the whole countryside......what?...they had vanished!!


Womble and Jurak headed towards where Nero lay in the dirt, it looked as if
some color was returning to his face! The others, Luc, Dragh, Jolie, Willow,
and Aurora...who was helping her new found "uncle Viper" all headed to the
circle, with nero who was starting to mumble the most unintelligable
mutterings, it sounded like the poor man was delerious....we were about to take
the shaken Nero, and the stirred Viper back to the Inn,

They noticed that a stranger walked through the gates of town, and was pointing
off in the direction over behind their heads...

[color:"orange"]
LooK !! Up Over there!!.....
[/color]
We saw what looked like JVB coming across the sky, chasing the flash that was
no longer there! he looked down towards the town, and we all waved at him, he
had no time to notice ... It came from behind...a great energy,...
what tha..!!.
this cant be... Another firedragon??

The stranger approached cautiously....and watched the sky...
....they all yelled for JVB to come this way...

It was now time to choose sides against the very evil
[color:"red"]"Age of Steel and Blood" [/color] <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/suspicion.gif" alt="" />
It was going to be our relentless and loyal battle,
sadly enough,...
this time,.... not theirs.
The Dangers and unfinished quests of this world, were never over....
or safe for that matter!!......
Evil does not just die and go away....
there would always be another to help, another to solve, another to free......

Tomorrow would bring, a brand new day.....

[color:"#00cccc"]I staggered in through the gates of the town, bleeding from many old and fresh wounds. I shut the gates behind me as fresh blood dripped down my blood stained tattered clothes and ripped deep blue cloak. I stopped as I saw the carnage strewn about the town. Body and spirit on edge, I pushed myself onward. My mind was racing like a lightning bolt as I thought my adversaries had already been here and had caught up with me. "In the sky!" I tried to yell but my voice was fading, as was my strength. I pointed then at the sky to alert the townspeople. With a cough of blood I fell to my knees. I thought that was it, I was to die at that very spot. My will to go on was strong as ever it had been these past 3 years of wandering. I regained my stance and staggered over to the town center on alert, watching as I saw a flash in the sky along with what looked like a dragon. “What matter of sorcery is this?” I gasped. Feeling light headed, I made my way over to what looked to be a tavern. I leaned my back against the building and looked around fully for the first time.

He was fast, he had came very close in such a short amount of time.
He also was very big, so i guessed he should be strong too.

"What do you want?" I yelled at it.
No reply..

Closer and closer it came, opening its mouth and...
Fire everywhere!!
It attacked me.

Immense pain, unable to move.
I could barely stay in the air anymore, as the dragon prepaired to attack me again.

I couldn't defend myself.. I couldn't win.. The evil has triumphed over good.

If only my friends would be here now.. They'd save me..

Inside my head, i saw my inner dragon fainting..
This was the end.. I changed back..

I startd to fall down, the dragon was still chasing me.
I looked down.. 1 final look..
I saw them!! My friends, looking up, stunned.

They were unable to help me.. I got tears in my eyes.

I cannot die.. I need them, and they need me...
This thought gave me strenght..
I had something my enemy didn't have.
He might be stronger.. But i had friends, and they wouldn't let me down.. Never..

I closed my eyes again, and turned around, so that i faced the dragon.
I saw him, even though i had my eyes closed..
I lay my hand on the bracelet i was still carrying.

It shined a bright pink light; the color of friendship and love, i was surrounded by it.
I saw the dragon close its eyes, the light must have been to much for it.

I was still falling, fast.
I was losing him, he was flying slower, because he couldn't see me anymore.
He turned around.. He knew i wouldn't survive this.
He would come back to pick up the pieces.

I turned back around.. I wanted to see where i was falling.

Water!! There was still hope, i was right above a lake of some kind!

This is gonna be a hell of a dive..

This is great....JUST GREAT, we finally get into town and to a place we can rest at and NOW is when the undead decide to show up. Couldn't they have picked a better time to attack, like in a day or so? That would have been more considerate. I suppose if they were more considerate they would have not attacked at all or they might have been not undead in the first place.

"Ok everyone, lets go to work. If I remember correctly when I was paging through the the mage book that Kiya gave me I saw a healing spell that will heal everyone in the vicinity of about the size of the town. Since the un dead are well, not alive, any healing of them will cause them damage. The only catch is that I will be just about dead ot the world. This will probably not kill all of them off but will get rid of some them and weaken the rest. Soooo I am going to go upstairs and make this spell out while I am in a room. THis way you can finish the rest off while I recover in one of the towns rooms. If someone could come collect me before we are off that would be great. Does this sound good to everyone?"

Opens up book and starts to concentrate, knowing how little time is left.

[color:"orange"] There she was standing in front of me that human woman that I had run from earlier. I wanted her dead...I was scared of her and nothing else it seemed. I lunged trying my hardest to slice her up but she kept avoiding me fueling my rage...I lept into the air again knowing that this would be it, this time she would be dead.

She just stood there with a small stone in her hand and as I flew thru the air she let it go and it flew at me like a bullet. With a dull thud it hit my chest and became one with my body. [/color]

[color:"yellow"] I fell to the ground and immediately blacked out. I was alone in my own mind and I saw the clouds of choas that had control me part and dissappear. As my mind cleared my body returned, no longer a machine of death, or an instrument of destruction. I was me again [/color]

I sat up abruptly confused and in pain....but at least this pain was the pain of the body, and not the mind. I looked up and saw Kiya dissappear in a flash of light. I read her mind as she left..."this is not my fight...this is their Age of steel and blood."

So she had left she had given up the fight...it was her choice, yet I was pained by it....how could she leave me...IDIOT...she didnt leave you, she left. I was going to continue my thoughts but suddenly realized that my surroundings were not so friendly.

[color:"#a0a0ff"] I was between the light and the dark I could sense my friends in front of me and I longed to see them but I could also feel evil behind me...evil that was very familiar. I whirled around grasping my sword and removing it from its sheathe (first time since I became evil) to see a dozen monsters coming my way (the demons that were with me) They looked confused of all things but soon realized that I was there to stop them.

I will continue this fight Kiya...it may not be ours but I have to help...so do you...I know you will come back and I will wait for that day in anticipation...I danced and whirled the dance of destruction borrowing the power of my own crystal. I will crush evil....everywhere it goes no matter where it tries to hide. Kiya...it will take you to finish this I think...destruction cannot end violence...I can only slow it down...peace will end this conflict...you must come back...sometime...

It was finished...I stood resolute amid the fallen enemies...wishing I knew what evil had planned for this world. I turned as my senses tingled and saw Luc walking to the center of the square he climbed onto the top of the fountain and started chanting.... [/color]

I grabbed the book, as much as i did not want to use it that often. Things had to be helped, there was nothing else i could do...
I jumped up beside Lucidity.
I could see Nero also giving the effort to help.
With three of us this should be over soon...

I started casting a spell, concentrating, sending these demons back to where they came from...
CONCENTRATE i told myself.

I don't know what happened, who sent them back, but suddenly the ground opened up, and a wonderous light emmited from the ground, and sucked the demons in...

They were gone.....

Luc nd i smiled at each other, and went towards Nero.

Jurak came up to me as we were going towards him, and told me there was something i should come look at that he had seen.

I followed him to just on the south side of the Blacksmith shop.

He picked something off the ground, and held it in the air. It was Kiya's amulet!!!! "I think you should have this" he told me. "You are the one who might be able to carry on with this...and you did help the Nymph..."

I held back tears as i thought of Kiya, she tried so hard. Hopefully she was in a better place now.

Nero seemed to be fine, and i had to go check on Aurora. She had been so scared.
I called to Jolie, and he accompanied me back to the Inn to get our little girl...

[color:"#00cccc"]
Jurak headed back towards the,..where else...the Inn! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> ,
because thats where all the action was....or rather, used to be....
during his short trip, he wondered about that wonderous light, emitting from the ground,
and sucking the demons right off the face of the earth...those are powerful
spells and chants, thought the orc. willows spells had finished off the rest
of the undead, and they were gone! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
Jurak entered the town square from the south, just up from the smithy's shop,
and saw that there was nothing left to do, except clean up and move
on...actually nothing really to clean at all, the earth did that for us....

if we just gather up our scraggly team, and try to make the best of it. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

On the way into the inn,... there was a tall dark haired stranger,
leaning against the wall, practically [color:"red"]bleeding to death [/color]
and nobody even saw him!!......
cuz he was on the south side!..... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> jurak told the stranger
that if he needed help he would have to go around the front of the building...
and they both headed off in that direction,
the tall gent, introduced himself as virgo...or virg to his friends,
virgo-bluefire....... Hmmmmm??....Jurak was lost in thought when!!.........

there was a bright! [color:"pink"] pinkish flash [/color],
in the direction from which they had previously travelled.
JVB looked as if he was surrounded by it!! he was still falling, fast,
it didn't look good, it looked as if he... was going to crash!

rounding the corner to the entrance, there was poor Womble's pig "meat"
tied to the fencepost....splashing in a puddle...
and noticed that the rat "Fe", was making little mudballs with his front paws,
and flicking them at the pig <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/suspicion.gif" alt="" />
Hmmm...nothing new here, the pig was enjoying himself anyway. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/suspicion.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Looks like our job here is done!, hey Mr. Virgo? and you look in very rough
shape <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> Are you a quick healer, maybe you can be ready by tomorrow sun up
and join our group,
mead and lots of it for you.....tis the only cure!! you'll be ready by sun-up all right.
"Let's go, inside, and talk about
what we are going to do next, I'll getcha a pint, and see if Jessica
has an old rag to make a tourniquet, for that blister.
Jes came with a couple of glasses and some cotton shreds of cloth,
"here, take these", she said, and looked at his wounds, quickly she grabbed
the cloth back and decided to do it for herself...

Jurak went on asking questions......
So Tell Me Virg....[color:"#33cc33"]
have you ever been to the coast?, do you know a barmaid named Faile?,
she used to be a captian ya know!!......
or have ya been to the Azure Mtn.s?, very nice place,
tall peaks, with a castle...can't miss it!
have you seen the passage to the peaks?,
we have a wagon at the lakeside,
maybe you've visited Majik, that my friend...is a weird town...... [/color]

Jurak walked into the lounge and saw a long wide empty table,
the width of two windows, at a window seat!.. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />
....they went over and sat down,
at the largest table there was in the place, because if every body shows up,
this mightn't be big enough,... for all the plans, that have to be re-thunk,
and all the food,...and all the....water, and stuff.......