[Part 6]

[Devron]

I have been defeated

NEVER!!!!

With a roar, Devron stood!  His body ravaged by countless wounds, his life's
blood covering him in a thin red sheet.  None of this mattered.  All that
mattered was the battle and he knew were to find his opponent.

"SLUAGH!" He crossed four steps of the stairs.  "Warrior of the UNSEELIE!" He
crossed four more.  "BLACKTHORNE by name!"  The gladiator stood at the top of
the stairs.  "Let us NOW finish this thing between us!"

[Blackthorne]
He turned to see the gladiator standing at the top of the stairs.  Still
glamoured, Blackthorne dropped into a fighting stance.  "Devron!  I have no
wish to kill you.  Yield and surrender, or die."  He reached back and drew
his sword.  It was black crystal, not steel.  He steadied himself for the
gladiator's attack.  He knew the other wouldn't stop, but he had tried
anyway.  Now it was for the fates to decide.

[Devron]
"You had me, you fey bastard!" the gladiator spat.  "You had me, yet failed
to kill me!  I find that insulting."  Devron settled into a defensive crouch
of his own.  "And now you would use a sword against an unarmed opponent!
Knight of the Unseelie, you have no honor."

The gladiator ran a tongue over bloodied lips.  "Lose the sword and let us
dance once more!"

[Blackthorne]
He drove the sword into the floor, and stood ready.  "You fought well human.
I had no desire to remove such skill from the realm of mortals.  Now you must
die, no one questions my honor, and lives."  His voice has quiet, calm.

His pale eyes burned with anger as the glamour fell away.  "This will be your
last dance, human." He spat the the last like an insult.  Blackthorne dove
forward and rolled.  He braced his hands on the floor and shot up into a
handstand.  His feet aimed for Devron's neck and chin.

[Devron]
"That's the spirit, monster!"

In a blur of motion, the gladiator spun aside and wrapped an arm around
Blackthorne's legs, trapping them against his body.  Now standing to the side
of his opponent, Devron whipped out a leg of his own in a low swing to the
back of the head.

[Blackthorne]

The unseelie pulled himself up before the gladiator's kick could hit his
head.  He took the blow on his shoulder, painfully jarring him.  As the next
kick landed on his spine, he twisted and punched at Devron's left leg. The
blows landed true and solid, but the gladiator continued to hold and kick
him.  Blackthorne swung himself up, grabbing his feet to for a second to
steady himself.  He released his feet and boxed Devron's ears with his spiked
hands...

[Devron]
The gladiator roars in pain as his helm caves slightly inward under the blow.
 Feeling his grip on his foe slacken, he drops to his knees; slamming the
Unseelie back first into the ground.

"KILL YOU!"

Using that moment of surprise, his hands scramble once again for his
opponent's legs....

[Blackthorne]
Pain shot up and down his back as the warrior slamed him into the ground. As
the other's grip loosens slightly, he kicked with both feet.  The boots
connect with the gladiator's chest and knock him back away from Blackthorne.
The unseelie flips to his feet and drops into a fighting stance.

[Devron]
The gladiator flips to his feet as well, dropping his fists before him
defensively.

[Blackthorne]
"Let us... end this... human...  You are... a mighty warrior... don't...
make... me... kill... you."  His side was on fire and his breath short.  The
other looked nearly as bad.

[Devron]
"KILL ME?  You talk as if it was within your power to kill me, monster!"
Devron snarled, spitting blood into the unseelie's eye.  "DEVRON will decide
who lives and dies this day!"

The unseelie flinched as the spittle blurred his vision.  Devron stepped
forward and instead of attacking --withdrew the emerald blade from the floor.
The gladiator laughed wickedly and drew the blade back....

[Blackthorne]
His eyes cleared in time for him to see the human take his sword. "No!
Soul-dancer come to me!"  With that, the sword pulls itself from Devron's
grasp and flies to Blackthorne's outstreached hand.  He thrusts the blade at
the gladiator's midsection only to have Devron bat it away with his cestus.

[Devron]
Things were not working according to plan.  The gladiator now fought from a
position of pure desperation.

"Bastard!" he yelled, throwing a punch at the unseelie's head.  Blackthorne
blocked the blow with his free hand, ignoring the spikes of the cesti as they
drew more blood.

[Blackthorne]
Blackthorne swings at Devron's leg.  The gladiator moves to parry low, but
the midnight blade slices through the gauntleted hand and severs his fingers.
As the blade continues downward, it catches Devron in the left knee and
leaves a large gash in his leg.

[Devron]
"ARRRR!" screamed the gladiator as his knee shattered.  Devron closed his
eyes in pain and was greeted once again by the dreams of his own death.  The
monster standing over him, yelling triumph....

"NEVER!"

Using his good right leg, Devron lept into the air and spun; extending his
foot as he did.  His target was the unseelie's head, his intent was to break
his neck and end this fight before it was the end of him.

Blackthorne ducked under the spin kick and watched as Devron tumbled in a
heap at his feet.  With a growl, Devron came to his knees to continue the
fight.

[Blackthorne]
Bringing the blade around, Blackthorne spins in a full circle.  As he comes
around, his blade is aimed for the human's neck.  The gladiator throws up his
ruined left hand to ward off death, but the blade again cuts through his
gauntlet, this time severing his hand at the wrist.  The blade connects with
Devron's neck and removes his head in a fountain of blood.  Breathing
heavily, Blackthorne finally stops to look around him.

[Devron]
Devron's headless body falls without elegance before Blackthorne's feet.

[Part 7]

[Brendan]
After Maida had signed his acceptance papers, Brendan had gone to the
inn's stable to get his horse. M&N was a large war horse, deep gray with
long feather white fetters, and a sword shaped blaze down its forehead.
He left his tack and harness behind after paying for their storage.
Although he would miss their comfort and magic, the beauty of the
craftsmanship that went into their creation did not match the plain
utility of the Watch.

He returned to the barracks stables and turned his horse over to the
stable hands. ::Now for the hard part.:: Brendan reported to the
Quartermaster to receive his uniforms and equipment. After three tries
he received uniforms that fit, more or less. He reported to the Lt. on
duty to receive his orders. The group that he was assigned to were
already on patrol and had sent a rider back to the barracks with a
report of a large gang of looters.

Brendan saddled M&N quickly and followed the rider back to the group.

[Lane]
Using Tlainne's hand to get himself upright, Lane manages a smile and a
small squeeze of her hand.

"Ill be all right in a couple of minutes," he said, feeling the power of
his ring healing his body, "you follow the Lt.  And be Careful !"

[Tlainne]
"I will be." She squeezed his hand before turning to go. She turned back
almost immediately and said, "*Will* you be alright here Lane?"

[Lane]
"I'll be fine, get going !" he says heartily.

Lane watches Tlianne as she disappears, then he goes over to the window-
frame and sits exhausted on it.  In truth the ring was working, but it
would be nearer to 10 minutes before he was up to fighting again.

>From outside he heard the sound of a horse, and peering out he thought
he saw the uniform of a member of the Night Watch.

[Tlainne]
The sounds of combat rattled the thin wooden partitions as Tlainne
followed the steps downward, bypassing the main room where Blackthorne
and the gladiator fought.

[Brendan]
Whistwing reported signs of a battle and a few people still in the area,
Brendan drop reined his horse and approached the building. He pulled his
cloak over his face and called out, "Hail to the watch!" He received no
immediate response, with a twist of his wrist he rose and slowly floated
over the wall watchful for any sign of trouble.

[Tlainne]
Emerging into the dusty, scorched first floor once more Tlainne heard the
hail and crossed to the storefront cautiously. The man outside wore an
ill-fitting Watch uniform much like her own although he could still be a
thief, or one of those who had been kidnapping Church personnel.

'Bully for him if he is,' she thought, 'but I'm not Church.' Her
protection spells were still in place however.

Standing in the dark dimness of the storefront she responded, "Inside! We
have several dead kidnappers and guards, but one escaped to the
Undercity. If you hurry we may catch the Lieutenant."

[Brendan]
He heard a female voice below him, he folded his cloak back so she could see
his weapons and slowly descended. "My name is Brendan, I was told to report
for duty in this area," he held out his letter of assignment. "Maida signed
my papers and I requested assignment to the night shift."

He made no effort to reveal his face and kept his head slightly bowed so the
cloak would hide his features. He wore his girdle and bracers with his
uniform, his sword rested easily upon his hip. His features where mostly
human but his eyes glowed red from his elvish heritage.

He reach slowly for a leather scroll case, and pulled a single scroll forth.
He tore the scroll in half activating the three spells it contained. "Shall
we join the rest?"

[Tlainne]
"I am Tlainne Aervaal. Certainly." She said, eying the scroll before
leading Brendan through the cluttered dark room.

"The Lieutenant saw two suspicious men lurking in the ruined building
across the street, and carrying a body. We engaged them, they fled to
this building. Armed men appeared, as did that man fighting the gladiator
and making so much noise. I suppose its a private quarrel, they seem
rather wrapped up in each other."

She sniffed a little as if such a thing were beneath her, and came around
the counter to the bolthole in the floor. "Above us is someone we picked
up on patrol who gave us assistance with another matter earlier. The
creature he fought when I arrived fled this way..."

She opened the trapdoor. "Watch the blood. The Lt said it is a contact
poison to those like me. He and three of his men went this way searching
for the body that was carried off."

She frowned into the darkness at the spiraling stone steps. "I'm not sure
what is down there. Shall we?"

[Brendan]
"Will we not wait for the one above?"

[Lane]
Having started limping down the stairs when the man first entered the
building, Lane appeared just as Brendan finished his question.

*Very good eyesight - ah, I see, elven heritage...*

"Greetings Brendan of the Watch.  My name is Lane.  Kaelen Lane.  I am
still recovering, but will give whatever assistance I can.  And then"
with a smile to Tlianne, "I can finally get a meal and a glass of wine."

[Tlainne]
The magestrix gave Lane a strange look. A minute ago Lane had been
wounded and in pain. Now he looked perfectly fit.

[Brendan]
He sent a mental command to Whistwing, ::Wait for me here, if mornings
light finds you seek out Maida. Don't worry I'll be back.::

"I'll take point." The sword he drew was one of exquisite beauty, set in
the hilt was a large emerald, inset in the blade was a dragons tooth
etched wih arcane runes.  He moved down the stair, his thread almost as
soft as Tliannes own.  Listening carefully he reached the bottom of the
stair. He checked the door to make sure it hid no enemy. Quietly he ask,
"Do you know which way they went?"

[Tlainne]
"No, I went to see if Lane was alright."

[Lane]
Having followed the other two down the stone steps, only years of
training allowing him to walk quieter than the two in front, Lane
stepped forward.

"Allow me..." said the thief, his mental conscious telling him "No, stay
in the background !  It's what has kept you safe all this time !*

Ignoring the sub-conscious voice, Lane made a few passes in the air,
spoke a few mumbled arcane words, and suddenly a group of footprints
began to appear, fading quickly, but showing the way the others went.
Stretching a little, feeling his wounds were now almost gone, the thief
turned back to the two others and raised an eyebrow rakishly with a grin
and a bow.

[Tlainne]
The glowing prints went down the abandoned mine shaft to the left, and
both ways at the intersection. The Lt had split his team.

[Lane]
Sighing, the thief realised he was going to have to show off more of his
abilities than he wished to to the Watch.

"One moment, give me a minute" he said to them, and rapidly began
flexing muscles in his face in case anyone from the underworld saw
him...  The result was an okk-kilter face, that bore only the slightest
resemblance to Lane.

"I wouldnt mind betting I can be less detectable than both of you, no
offence intended, so give me a count of ten then follow at a slow walk.
Ill let you know if you should stop."

With a wink at Tlainne, Lane faded from view, and began to follow the
Northern most tracks, Moving Quietely.  His psionic senses allow him to
'feel his way' in the dark.

[Tlainne]
"That is a beautiful weapon." Tlianne said in a low voice, looking down
the corridor after the departing Lane.

[Brendan]
He spoke softly, "Thank you, it has always served me well." He looked down
the passage he watched for a slight blur that would show him where Lane was.

[Blackthorne]
Blackthorne reset his glamour, and retrieved his bow and quiver.  He moved
silently through the ruined building untill he found the trapdoor.  ::Must
have gone this way:: he thought.  Slipping into the staircase below, he began
to decend.  His hands and face ached were the gladiator's iron weapons and
armor had burned him.  His clothes were ragged and tattered from the fight
and his own thorns.  He held his bow ready, with one black arrow nocked.  The
arrowhead, like the ones he had used outside, resembled nothing so much as a
huge thorn.  He moved carefully down the stairs, stopping when he saw people
ahead.

[Tlainne]
The elven woman turned at the soft sounds behind her, a crystal rod half
hidden in her gloved hands. "You fight well Unseelie," she said calmly.
"What brings you here?"

[Brendan]
He bowed to Blackthorne, "What brings one of your kind to the mortal
realms?" He could sense the underlying power of the Unseelie knight, and
remembered what his grandmother had said of the other-worldly elves. 'Always
threat them with respect. They live by rules of their own and if a
friendship is formed, it will last forever.'

"Are you a lord of the court?"

[Blackthorne]
He looked at the two of them and bowed slightly.  "I am here because I joined
the watch.  I was returning from the inn with my steed when I saw the
fighting break out."  He touches his clothing.  "I haven't had a uniform
issued yet."  He turns to Brendan, and continues, "No, I am not a lord of the
court.  I am only a warrior."  He smiled at them.  ::They know what I am.
 Yet they do not raise their arms against me.:: he thought.

[Lane]
He continues moving, following the fading footsteps, being careful not
to obscure their view from anyone in front of him.  He cannot hear
Tlainne and Brendan following him after 10 seconds, but assumes that
they are.

His senses training, he hears Tlainnes comment and smiles, then lifts
one eyebrow in confusion as Brendan replies.

After a few moments, he hears voices ahead.  Forcing himself to move
even more quietly, he edges forward, along the corner of the wall and
floor, too see if he can find out what they are.

He sends out a tentative mind probe, very delicate, to scan the outer
surfaces of their minds...

[he senses highly intricate minds [highly Intelligent] and a great sense
of expectation, or waiting. See map for approximate locations marked by *.
Cant get any more than that from them, but there is also another hazy
mind group a little further on, seemingly unified and intent on a single
purpose. Great sense of purpose from them.

[Brendan]
"I no longer sense Lane, I think we should move and close the gap." He cast
a short spell and a small eye appeared in front of him. He pointed and the
eyes started down the passage with Brendan a few feet behind.

[Tlainne]
"I agree. We should have heard from the Lt by now surely." She followed
Brendan, glancing over her shoulder at Blackthorne with a smile.

[Blackthorne]
He raised his bow again, and followed behind the two others.  "It is very
dangerous to follow prey into it's burrow," the unseelie said quietly.  "Let
us hunt them carefully."

[Lane]
Thinking, the thief made up his mind.  He trusted that the others were
withing rescue of him if he ran into difficulty, and so he decided to
find out more of the two groups.  Swiftly pulling on a pair of gloves of
dark, black but furry skin, he turned to the wall  -   and walked
straight up it, walking down the corridor with his feet on the ceiling,
still invisible and mind-blurred.

He intended to get close enough to the people to find out who was who,
what they had planned, then walk back to Tlianne and the others and give
his report.

[Brendan]
Keeping part of his concentration on the eye, he looked ahead. The passage
was still lit from the glow of foot prints. He followed; carefully searching
ahead for some sign of Lane or trouble.

[Blackthorne]
Blackthorne moved with the other two as they advanced.  He kept his bow ready
and watched the passgage ahead carefully.  His senses were humming with the
thrill of the hunt and danger.  He was taunt and ready. He stayed a pace
behind and to the side of Brendan, allowing a clear shot down the hallway.

[Lane]
Continuing to approach the first group, moving silently along the
ceiling and keeping to the darkness away from the steps, the thief uses
his Hear Noise abilty to try and find out what is said.

[Inquisitors]
The Lt crouched below a crumbling stone balustrade waiting for his team to
get into position. Below over the rail was a large sunken room, like a
gladiators pit only larger. The wall on the far right had collapsed
partially, and no effort had been made to remove the rubble.

In the center court stood over twenty robed figures murmuring a chant over
and over. The same meaningless syllables. Three other cloaked figures
stood together with the girl he had seen being carried into the building
above. Her eyes were wide with fright and her pleading had no effect on
the men chaining her to iron rings set into the floor.

She cried for help, tears streaking her pretty face. The three stood back
from her to suurvey their handiwork and then moved towards the group of
robed and cloaked figures.

A fourth dark cleric, seen only dimly in the shadows, put a huge curving
horn to his lips and brought forth a mournful note. The Lieutenant shifted
uneasily. His men were not yet in position on the far side, but the sense
of anticipation was palpible in the air.

[Brendan]
The sound of a horn echoed throught the passage vibrating the wall slightly.
He felt a tingle as something about its sound brushed against his senses. "I
believe that horn is trouble and haste may be needed." He moved down the
passage at a swifter pace but still not risking a run.

[Blackthorne]
The horn's low tone called to something within him.  "It is a sound of evil
intent.  Beware," he said as he matched Brendan's pace.  The horn's call had
left a slight tingling feeling in him.  Enough to remind him of his past and
the vow.

[Part 8]

[Brendan]

He waited his next spell would have to be timed just right he hoped Tlianne
would be able to dodge or block the acid blast. He pronounced the spell to
the last word and held, the dragon would have to end the acidic spray soon.
As the dragon sprayed it's last bit of acid mouth still open he losed the
spell, eighty cubic feet of webbing flew toward the gaping mouth of the
stench ridden monster.

[Tlainne]

She had endured worse in her training days, but this was truly disgusting.
She threw her cloak over her head and ran the other way down the balcony.
The powerful stench of acid burned her nostrils when she let the hood
fall, and then she too was casting, trying not to breathe in the acrid
fumes.

[Shimmerianhaze]

Webs engulfed her head and down her mouth.  With a muffled roar of fury,
she began tearing the webbing from her face.

[Hooded Ones]

Those that werent trapped by the plants fell back against the north wall
to watch. Not a few edged towards the entrance in the northeast corner.
The dragon was not as tame as they had been led to expect.

[Ashkenazim Clerics]

The cleric backed against the plants turned on his attacker, swiping with
the flaming quarterstaff. The Inquisitor blocked with his sword, cleaving
the staff in two and ending the spell. The priest threw himself onto the
Inquisitor and the two began rolling on the floor, wrestling for control
of the Inquisitors sword.

[Tlainne]

Tlainne finished her spell and threw her hand out towards the dragon. A
jet of flame 60 foot long burst out of her fingertips, searing into the
dragon. The dragon jerked away from the flame, to no avail. The flame
moved with her.

[Shimmerianhaze]

As the flame raced across her body, it eventually came in contact with the
webbing.  A minature ball of fire explode over and around the dragon's
head. Back-peddling away from the flames, she slammed into the eastern wall.
A tremendous thundering sound began as cracks formed around her and into
the ceiling above.  A rain of silt and dust started to fall.

The dragon gave a roar of pure pain and frustration.  In the enclosed area
of the arena the noise reverberated for quite some time.   And then --with
cat-like dexterity-- she snatched up the struggling Inquisitor and
Ashkenazim Cleric.

[Ashkenazim Cleric]

"AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHK!"

[Inquisitor]

"AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHK!"

[Shimmerianhaze]

"Silence fools, " was all she said as she balled her fist around the pair.
Snapping bones and jets of blood issued forth between her fingers.  "Feast
upon blood poison, elven witch!"

She threw the bloody ball of flesh at Tlianne.

[Tlainne]

The screaming bodies crossed the jet of flame, half incinerated and
blazing now, screaming all the while. Tlainne rolled to the side, flames
still linking her to Shimmerianhaze. The grisly missile left a bloody,
scorched spot on the wall a few feet down as the once bodies of the two
twitched on the walkway.

And then the spell burnt itself out.

[Brendan]

He could not stop the throw and knew he had to have the dragon's attention.

"Dimmer in a Daze, what kind of name is that does it have to do with that
dull scaled looked or do you always let yourself go like that?"

[Blackthorne]

Blackthorne slowly rose to his feet.  The vines still offered him some
cover from the dragon.  He drew his bow and nocked an arrow.  ::If the beast
stops, I can put an arrow into her eye or other vital area,:: he thought.
::I hope it's not to late for the others by then.::  He watched her.

[Shimmerianhaze]

Spinning it's head around at the brazen warrior, the black dragon unfurled
it's left wing; a wing that was nearly 40 feet in length!  "I tire of you,
as well, spellsword, " came the cold reply as she released a devastating
back-slap at Brendan.

[Brendan]

He had waited for her attack, in a diving roll he went over her massive
limb and close to her body. He released his spellfire, the ball rolled out
away from him twenty feet in all directions, catching the dragon's body
and unfurled wing.

[Shimmerianhaze]

The black dragon roared as her wing became a useless burnt appendage.  In
the midst of her thrashing she slammed into the wall, which caused boulder
sized debris to fall all about the arena.  More than a few cloaked figures
were hit.

[Cloaked Figure #1]

"Arrrgh!"  thump.

[Cloaked Figure #2]

"Nooooo!"  kwack.

[Cloaked Figure #3]

"Someone control that bitc....!"  squit.

[Cloaked Figure #4]

He didn't even see it coming.  crunch.

[Shimmerianhaze]

Continuing her angered thrashings, the wyrm lept into the air to crush
Brendan beneath it's bulk.  A virtual rainstorm of silt and debris fell
about her as she did.

"Now you will DIE, nimble one!"

[Part 9]

[Tlainne]

Tlainne was shocked. She was amazed that the spell might be useful. She
hurriedly screamed the command word over the din and pointed at
Shimmerianhaze. "Feather Fall!"

[Shimmerianhaze]

The dragon rejoiced as Brendan disappeared under her bulk and waited for the
satisfying sound of cracking bones.  It never came.  In fact, she had yet to
even touch the ground.

The dragon glared around the room as she slowly drifted to the floor.  Her
eyes narrowed as they came to rest on the other spellcaster.  Acid boiled in
the back of her throat.  She released it in all her fury at the elven mage.

[Brendan]

The dragon was coming down but slowly, there was no where he could go.. A
sword would be no help; a spell but which one. He cast the spell hoping not
to lose himself in the creature whose form he choose. Brendan disappeared,
in his place was a sickly light brown boneless form of a giant amoeba, it
reach for the dragon and started to eat through the thick scaled skin. It
worked without thought just eating, just as all ochre-jellies would attack
the flesh of any creature that neared it.

[Blackthorne]

As the dragon drifted slowly downward and breathed, Blackthorne smiled.  She
was almost completely motionless.  He aimed and fired.  Before the first
arrow struck, he aimed and fired again.  As the first arrow unerringly
reached the dragon's eye, he released his third arrow.  ::One of those should
reach a vital location.:: he thought.

[Kaelen Lane]

Sprinting along, Lane just caught sight of Tlainne as a spray of what
looked to be water sped towards her - then he recognised the acrid smell
in the air.

*ACID !* he thought in horror, and frantically projected a cone of pure
thought outwards from himself towards the elven lady, hoping he was near
enough for the cone to deflect the acid from Tlainne.

In his pocket he carried the now drained ring of regeneration, which had
been the cause of his dizziness earlier - it hadn't quite healed him,
but a few moments rest had been all he needed.

[Tlainne]

Tlainne saw the acid coming and jumped over the edge into the pit below
to land samurai style. Kaelan's cone deflected the backwash from her, but
the hem of her cloak landed in a still burning pool of acid. Flecks of
acid were everywhere in the small room now, and one burnt her finger
through her heavy gloves.

It was difficult to see through the acid filled air, and the dragon's bulk
had doused most of the torches on the walls.

She reeled off another spell, black as the dragon far too close for
comfort snapped a bloody claw out to gut her. Moving rapidly she dodged
left, then right and rolled under the dragon's wrist a bare flicker ahead
of the dragon's reflexes.

She came up in the shadows under the balcony and rapidly cast again. She
couldn't see Brendan any more. A pinch of dust from the dirty stone floor
and spit, outside of her shelter large chunks of ice thundered from the
ceiling to slam into Shimmerianhaze and anyone else still in the open.

[Brendan/Oozing]

The slimy creature spread across the belly of the food, it ate at the scales
and would soon be through to the tender flesh below. It pulsed happily
enjoying the taste of the delicious flesh.

[munchamunchmunchamunchawhiiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!]

[Inquisitors]

The two remaining Inquisitors regrouped. One leapt off the balcony to the
dragon's back and held on. Her scales rippled as she moved, rising and
falling like small waves. He watched for an opportunity and plunged his
sword in.

[Brendan/Penetrating]

Finally a hole, the creature push and ate enlarging the hole, the sweet
taste of fresh blood and flesh. The creature pulsed and grew larger.

[Tlainne]

The dragon was out there. Tlainne was breathing heavily, trying not to
breathe at all. Lightning shot out of her hands towards the dragon to
light up the darkness.

[Shimmerianhaze]

Amidst the storm of falling arrows and ice, the black dragon that was
known as Shimmerianhaze perished.  Death came for her so quickly that she
could not cry out against it.  Her broken body gave way to the relentless
devouring of the ooze.

Silence fell.

And then a cracking could be heard from the ceiling above.

[Tlainne]

Her voice was raw from the acidic vapors, her eyes stung, and she
couldn't fly.

[Brendan/Unconcerned]

The ooze grew again eating the flesh while it was still warm, with each
pulse it grew larger the hunger more than Brendan's intelligence could
over come, yet!

[Guards]

"Retreat!" He pulled his sword free and jumped off the dragon running.

[Lane]

"Oh.... Dear...."

Looking upwards, Lane saw the cracks from the now dead dragon's
thrashings slowly creeping together, getting wider, longer, beginning to
completely cover the plaster and stonework that held back the many
tonnes of earth above.

"Everybody !" he shouted as he hurdled the balconly, landing just shy of
a pool of acid and skidding to a stop on, strangely, a lump of ice.

"To me, QUICKLY !  Someone get the girl !"

Closing his eyes, Lane let himself sink deeper into his mind, found the
core of his strength that dwelt there, and slowly pushed it outwards.
Ingress of Living Beings and Inanimate Objects was allowable, but
'unacompanied rock' was not...

The Dome was five feet in radius when Lane opened his eyes, now able to
move at a slow walk and still maintain the shield.  Unfortunately, it
wouldn't last forever...

[Brendan/Sated]

The blob of pulsating slime, oozed from under the dragon's carcass. It
moved across the floor pulling its self by means of almost hand like
appendges. The rocks from above striking its flesh caused slow leaks in
its constantly shifting body. It moved toward the sweet smell/taste of the
elven female.  The blob stopped in front of her pulsating excitedly as if
waiting for some response. As she watched the pulsing slowed as more and
more of it contents flowed from the wounds caused by the falling rocks.

[Tlainne]

Within the dome Tlainne looked pale and tense. "Kaelan, we need to get out
of the room before the exits are all cut off. Hurry!" She turned on her
bootheel to scream, "Brendan! Blackthorne!"

She saw movement at her feet and looked down at the Brown Ooze. It seemed
to be dying, or losing plasm. She cupped her hands around her mouth to
yell for the others again.

[Guardsman]

He grabbed her by the arm and spun her around to face him, "What do you
think you're doing!?! Get that spell off him before he's left behind."

[Tlainne]

She looked blank for a second then down at the Ooze. It pulsed at her
oddly, and realizing her error she hurriedly brought to mind the matrices
for dispelling. She focused a good deal of her energy into the spell to
ensure its success, and watched the Ooze for any change..

[Brendan/Bipedal once more]

The blob transformed slowly rising into an unshaped humanoid form that
slowly took on Brendan appearence, "My the Gods, Thank you. You won't
believe how hard it was to break away from feeding." His body show signs of
of abuse, the wounds he had gained as the ooze were with him even after the
transformation.

He looked around and return to shield covering the girl. With a wave he
dispelled it and gathered the girl in his arms. He murmured a spell and and
started toward to door. As he passed Tlainne he said, "Need a lift?" He
activated his cloak and rose slightly, shifting his grip on the girl he held
out a hand to Tlainne.

[Tlainne]

"Yes." She took his hand firmly in hers and swallowed hard. Behind them a
large crash echoed through the chamber as part of the ceiling went. More
and more pieces of masonry started to fall in an unceasing rain.

She held out her hand to Kaelan and stayed close to Brendan.

[Blackthorne]

The unseelie knight, seeing that the others were being shielded, leaped
towards the wall.  The cracked wall was easy to scale, and he was soon on
the balcony again.

He saw Brendan floating towards him with the sacrifice and Tlainne.
So he ducked through the doorway and headed back towards the exit.

[Brendan]

He raised Tlianne to the balcony but did not have enough head room to raise
Kaelan above the rail. He waited till Kaelan grabbed the rail before
releasing Tlianne's hand. He dropped down to help Kaelan across the wall.

Brendan looked around the room and searched for anyone that might still be
in the room.

[Guards]

Of the two remaining guardsmen, one boosted his partner onto the balcony
just before the ceiling began to fall. He saw he couldnt make it and ran
for the exit in the corner. The Inquisitor ran for the others as the
roaring increased.

[Tlainne]

She ran down the hall after Blackthorne to the safety of the intersection.
One by one the others came out of the passage, Brendan, the girl, Kaelan,
and last the guardsman coughing on the dust thrown up into the air.

"I think we've done as much as we can here tonight. Is everyone well?"

[Blackthorne]

Blackthorne spoke quietly, "I'm fine.  Should we return to the tower now?"

[Tlainne]

"Yes."

Tlainne crossed to the girl pale and shivering from fright. She had
her arms crossed over her chest to warm herself, futilely in this
underground hall. The elf swung her cloak off, soot and acid marred
though it was, and helped the girl put it on.

She knew the other were coming as she started to lead the girl towards
the stairs to the outside, but glanced back for a head count anyway.

Their horses were were they had left them which was just as well. Tlainne
helped the girl onto her own horse, reflecting that she'd have to ask the
girls name when they were away.

She held the reins loosely and turned to Kaelan. "Thank you for
assisting us," she said in a low pitched voice. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

[Brendan]

He followed everyone out helping those he needed it. When everyone was
outside an starting to mount Brendan went to his horse's side. The magic
went out and Brendan collapsed before ever reaching the saddle. The blood
started to flow once more and all he could do was moan trying the stay awake.

[Tlainne]

Tlainne handed the reins to the girl and went to Brendan. With the help of
the others they got him onto a horse, supported by the lone remaining
guardsman.

Tlainne and the others followed them back to the Tower at a canter,
where they gave Brendan over to the Healer Captain. Tlainne sported a few
white bandages when she was allowed to go.

Dawn was just breaking in the east, and it was with unhurried gait that
she joined the guards at breakfast.