[Part 10]

[Lane]
Having bowed to Tlainne in assurance that she would see him, Lane
stepped off with a spring in his step, despite the battles of the night.

Breathing in deeply he regarded the rising sun, heralding a new day -
and perhaps a new chance for him, also ?  

Smiling at a passerby, who eyed him cautiously and walked past, hand
upon dagger, Kaelen Lane laughed out loud.  Perhaps here where he was
not known, he could go back to his older trade, and instead of being a
thief, he could perhaps become a shadowy figure of the law.

Shrugging his shoulders, Lane popped into a nearby florists, and looked
around the room.  After several minutes, in which the lady shopkeeper
eyed him in suspicion due to the state of his clothing, he chose a
single Resachid from the shopkeeper who said they came from 'beyond the
world barriers'.  

#Expensive#, he thought, #but worth it.#

The resachids were much like orchids, but when grasped each of the
petals would glow with a different colour, depicting the holders moods.

10 mithril pieces for the single flower, and another 10 for a simple
crystal vase, beautiful in its simplicity, the only decoration being
crystal carved flowers around its base.

1 last mithril piece, and Lane was assured by the now helpful shopkeeper
that the gift would be presented to Tlainne in the barracks upon her
awakening.

Stepping back outside, Lane walked off towards the shop - Mailins ? -
who had first got him involved with the Night Guard.  He intended to
claim that he had foudn the keys walking along the street, on the corner
of the street where the shop was situated - perhaps the thieves dropped
it when they made their escape ?

Before walking up to the shop, where he could now see the shopkeeper
resignedly talking to a builder about the best way to break in, Lane
pressed the keys into a hastily softened piece of clay - after all, it
never paid to burn all of your bridges...

[Brendan]
He awoke in the infirmary, his body ached. He was bruised and stiff and
still light headed from loss of blood. 'I had forgotten how bad it hurt when
that spell let you down.' He tried to rise but his dizziness and body
incasing bandages stopped him. "Whistwing! Where is Whistwing?"

[Maida]

"Hush now Brendan. Whistwing is exactly where she should be, and so are
you." She held out her hand to the bird perched on the headboard of his
bunk in the infirmary. 

"And how are you today my lovely one?"

[Brendan]
He spoke softly watching Maida stroke Whistwing, 

"Is everyone safe?"

"Did all escape the falling roof?"

"How bad were my wounds?"

"I used magic to support myself, I must have been more injured then I thought."

"Oh God; my horse, was anyone injuried trying to bring him back, I call him
M&N short for MEAN and NASTY. I have never found a name that suits him better."

[Maida]

"I do not know, but everyone that came back is fine, except for you. Lt
Makai is dead of course, and only one of the regular guards came out with
your team, but you should recover. Does this happen to you often?

[Brendan]
"Oh yes, every day I make an effort to find myself under a dragon and a
collapsing roof," As he spoke his eyes twinkled and he faught hard to
control his laughter. Maida gave him such a savage look he burst out in
laughter causing him to rack his body in pain.

After a minute or so and he had calmed himself he said, "I saw one of the
regulars leaving through the same tunnel the *worshippers* were using. He
may yet find his way out."



          *          *          *          *          *

[Tlainne]
In her hands she held the delicate vase and single flower that graced it.
She was oddly touched by the gift, noone had given her such a thing
before.

She went back to her bunkroom and sat down on the bed, placing the vase
safely surrounded by books. She opened one of the thickest, a treatise on
the identification of flora, and began looking for the flower's
description.

[Part 11]

[Set three days after the fall of Shimmerianhaze.]

[Narration]
The night was relatively a calm one in the city of Montfort as the cold
rainfall of an autumn storm pounded the land.  Those who had to be out
quickly ran from shelter to shelter as they made their way around town.

Not so for the members of the night guard.  Stoically they rode their 
horses on patrol, keeping a careful eye to the shadows for the trouble
that usually brewed there.  But as mighty as they were, even they needed 
temporary respite from the chilling rain.

An elven sorceress was out this night, accompanied by a Lance of guards. 
They made a long overdue stop at the South Tower.  The team dismounted
and made their way indoors, their horses acquired by stable boys for a
drying down and quick feed before the return to duty.  The team, once
inside, did likewise.  The mess hall was warmly lit and darkly shadowed.
Little was said as food was ate and positions in front of the fire
half-heartedly fought for.

Suddenly, the courtyard door flew open as a stable boy rushed in, 
turned, and slammed the door shut behind him.  With his back against 
the door so firmly that his face showed with the effort, he screamed; 
"The dead...  THE DEAD HAVE RISEN!"

And then --despite the stable boy's best attempts-- the door began to
open....

[Tlainne]
Dead risen? What kind of prank was this? She was NOT in the mood and 
rose from the long table to say so. Risen dead indeed.

[Brendan]
He rose from his bed in the infirmary and went to the courtyard door. 
He opened the door on the scene taking place at the main building. 
Someone or something was moving in the courtyard. Brendan cast outward
and light the area with spellfire, a bright lite that exposed.......

[Narration]
The door closed with a slam, the person on the other side losing 
interest in the contest.  From around the edges of the door, a brilliant
light poured into the room.  The stableboy did not relent on his 
possession of the door.

[Private Fenton]
"Risen dead or no, something is occuring outside.  What would you have 
us do, Tlianne?"

[Tlainne]
"Go see what it is." Of course. What an idiotic question. She crossed 
the room to the stairs after watching the soldiers go to the door. 
Idiots. She climbed the stairs to the second floor and cracked open a
shutter. 

[Narration]
Outside, night became day for the courtyard.  It was an eerie effect, 
as the surrounding night of the city was held at bay by the magical 
lumination.  The cold autumn rain continued to fall and thin rivlets 
raced down the face of the injured mage.

What Brendan saw was a shirtless man, turning away from the door to 
meet his gaze.  The front of the man's body was caked in dried blood 
(which was rapidly being washed away) from a generous throat wound, 
his eyes held no emotion --revealing no intent-- as he began to 
approach.

Next to the tower, from the open cellar door, another figure could be 
seen.  This one headless, he stumbled forward and fell into the mud.

[Captain Girnosh]
Girnosh stared out the window of his apartment. The rain seemed to 
avoid getting to close to his open window. Girnosh felt rather than 
heard or saw the disturbance in the courtyard. A smile flashed quickly 
across his face.  He turned, pulling the window shut. He pulled on his 
cloak, and strapped his sword to his waist. Gathering his Disciplines 
close, he walked down to the edge of the courtyard. He watched with a 
sick glee as the so-called living dead advanced on a man. He saw the 
magical light fill the night. He felt a strange pull towards these 
creatures, as one undead being to another. He stepped into the 
courtyard, and sent to the lone man. :::You look like you could use 
some help, my friend.:::

[Narration]
The headless body, dressed in the armor of a gladiator, clawed it's way
through the mud towards Brendan.  All around the courtyard the mud 
began to bubble and froth.  

The shirtless man continued his silent advance, for the dead need not
speak..  As the distance dwindled away to mere feet, the undead 
creature lunged with arms outstretched and mouth unhinged....

Realization dawned over Girnosh.  This was the same man he had feasted 
on when he last spoke to Selene!

And the rain became a little colder.

[Captain Girnosh]
A wicked smile swept over Girnosh's face. Obfuscating himself, he crept
silently up behind the shirtless man. Dropping the darkening cloak, he
extended his claws and slashed at the man's back. Girnosh's laughter 
echoed through the courtyard.

[The Shirtless Zombie]
The undead stumbled and fell from the force of the blow; his ribs, 
jagged and sundered, stood revealed to the falling rain.

He pulled himself up mechanically and turned in Girnosh's direction, 
his lifeless eyes drifting over the captain's body.  There was no 
recognition as he turned forward and once again began his attack on 
Brendan.

All around the courtyard the mud began to erupt, revealing an undead 
host of Inquistors and street thieves.  Fallen from recent battle, they
began to emerge from the earth to assault all that lived. 

[Brendan]
He heard the mind speak but didn't try to find it's source. He cast out 
with a spell, a seeking spell, that would send out a tendril to all 
sources of magic. Something in the night was causing the dead to rise, 
"Seek, find, locate." The tendrils started reaching out toward him and 
each of the undead creatures, somewhere toward the meeting hall, one 
toward the dark figure in the courtyard attacking the undead figure, 
tendrils reach out into the night.
 
[Narration]
The tendrils drew a line from him, through the cellar doors and down 
into the darkness.

[Brendan]  
Brendan stood in the doorway, unsure of where his sword and armor were, 
his body still ached from his battle with the dragon. He had replenished
his store of arcane power but was still physically weak.

With a thought he summoned his power an fired six bolts of arcane flame 
at the headless creature crawling toward him.

[Undead Devron]
The gladiator's body was ripped asunder by the spell assault, 
disappearing in a shower of putrified flesh and arcane flame.  A leg, 
the largest body part to survive intact, kicked at the ground in cruel 
mockery of walking. 

[Tlainne]
She recognized the undead for what they were and was insulted. The
Inquisitors yanked open the door below and spread outward on the steps 
to see what was happening, and drew their swords.

[Narration]
The undead pulled themselves free of the earth and stood, wavering and
mud-caked.

Their eyes began a hungering search for all that lives.
 
[Tlianne]
Tlainne fireballed the courtyard before the Inquisiters could get in 
her way, and waited to see what effect it had had.

[Narration]
A warm flash of heat and the audible hiss of steam overwhelmed the 
senses.  As the remenants of the spell curled upon itself and began to 
drift upwards as black smoke, zombies became burning pillars, walking 
for a step or two more before the flames overcame what little was left 
of their bodies.

Indifferently, the other zombies, nearly a couple dozen strong, 
converged on the patrol of Inquistors guarding the door.

[Private Fenton]
"Stand ready, friends!" The Inquistors waited with blades raised.

[The Shirtless Zombie]
He raised his arms and leapt for Brendan like an animal.

[Brendan]
He just managed to cast his spell as the creature grabbed his shirt, 
the force of his telekinetic blast sent the creature backwards into the
courtyard, one hand full of cloth the other still dangling from 
Brendan's hospital robe. Ignoring the arm he began his next spell and 
cast it out at the feet of the zombies headed to the door, the mud 
became stone and caught most of the zombies' feet in stone. He leaned 
against the frame of the door grabbed the arm an tossed it out into the
yard. He called out, "Tlianne! The cellar, there's something in the 
cellar."

[The Shirtless Zombie]
His undead body pulped by the telekinetic blast, he stumbled against
Girnosh, trying to stand.
 
[Narration]
With an earthen crack, the ground around the feet of the undead host 
became stone.  In the awkward way of the dead, they struggled to 
continue their advance in vain.

[Private Fenton]
"Alright, fellows, CHARGE!" Fenton said, raising his sword high.

[The Guard]
As one, they fell upon the held undead, swords swinging.  The result 
was most effective as torsos were relieved of heads and limbs.

[Narration]
In a display that only Brendan can see, the magical tendril is severed 
in a flash of light.  

[Brendan]
He grabbed a blanket from the bed and head out into the yard, 'Maida 
going to choke me; if I survive this night,' he moved toward the cellar 
slowly prepared for whatever would come, the tendrils seldom missed in 
their lines and Brendan was sure the source of the risen dead was there 
in the darkness of the cellar.

[Tlainne]
In the cellar eh... She abandoned her post at the window and headed
downstairs. The door to the cellars had to be around here somewhere.
There. She crossed the hall in an irritated swishing of skirts and 
yanked open the door, wand in hand. 

[Private Fenton]
Chopping the last of the undead to pieces, he turned and gave a boyish 
smile to Tlianne.  "Nice fireball."

[Narration]
Using her elven sight, Tlianne stared into the darkness of the cellar 
just as a zombie came running --tumbling-- out at her.

[Zombie]
"Gaaahhhhh, " the zombie hissed as his jaw widened in anticipation.

[Narration]
Meanwhile....

[The Shirtless Zombie]
Standing with head bent at an unnatural, broken, angle; he shoved off
Girnosh and ran after Brendan once more.

[Brendan]
"You are the stubborn one aren't you," he said as the zombie once more 
came toward him. "Let see if we can adjust your attitude!" Brendan held 
his hands in front of him and a sheet of flame leaped forth enveloping 
the creature.  With a twist of his hands the flames increased and 
concentrated on the zombie.
 
When he was satisfied the thing would not be there, he closed his hand 
and the flames died, leaving little but charred bone. Brendan then 
continued toward Tlianne and the cellar door as the next zombie fell 
out. 

[Tlainne]
"Revaer!" Tlainne yelled as she fell back before the zombie. Bright 
white light lit the scene like a flash of lightning as electricity 
shot through the zombie frying it utterly in a gyrating ozone laden 
pinwheel.

[Brendan]
He cast a spell as he crossed the yard, the spell took form. Brendan 
looked ahead and directed his extended vision toward the cellar door 
and down into the darkness. The enchanted vision showed him....

[Narration]
A cellar reduced to ruin.  Benches and tables were destroyed and the 
ceiling was heavily damaged by some kind of spellwork that turned the 
rock to mud.  Nothing moved and no one was present

[Private Fenton]
Coming to stand beside the mages, he speaks; "We keep the victims of 
murder down there until an investigation is performed.  Then we move 
them to the cemetary."

[Brendan]
Far visioned he searched the cellar closely, "The ceiling has collapsed 
the building above should be checked. I can not tell if someone 
tunneled into the cellar and cast their spell or not, to much rubble. 
Bring torches and men, lumber and bracing. We need to know who did 
this."
 
[Narration]
Private Fenton nodded to the work order and set about gathering men and
materials for the job.  As Brendan and his men explore the violated 
cellar, one of the guard cries out in alarm.

[Private Hilm]
Holding his lantern high, the private inspects the one remaining 
support beam undamaged by the assault.  "There's something happening 
over here!"

[Narration]
An image overlayed itself on the beam at eye level.  It was a mouth,
reptillian in nature, and it leered evilly.

[The Mouth]
"Assss you will eventually find, the bodies of my Ashkenazim brothers 
have been removed from your handssss, " the mouth said in a reptilian 
hiss.  "I tell you thisss to sssave you the trouble."

There was a pause as a forked tongue ran over dry lips.

"I will tell you thisss to sssave you more trouble. This undercity of
Montfort isss not your concern.  Do you underssstand?"

[Brendan]
Even though he was sure the voice could not hear him he responded, 
"You have just issued a challenge. The undercity is no longer yours to 
do with as you please. I will hunt you through all your warrens and 
dens, and I will burn your bodies beyond your ability to bring them 
back." He turned and left the cellar going to whomever was Officer of 
the Watch to report all that had accured. His anger kept him from 
noticing he was barefoot and only lightly dressed.


THE END... for now.