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Mike Holmes: Elkaru runs along the street, deftly dodging the rocks being flung in his direction. Obviously Oonia had been mistaken when she said that she was supposed to catch up with her husband later. Or perhas she was merely lying - but either way, he had definitely returned before she had thought he would. Still, his gold idol stuffed in Elkaru's breetches would certainly pay for the inconvenience of running away.
Elkaru_M heads back toward the inn, by a twisted route designed to throw off any tails.
Elkaru_M isn't afraid to head through the smellier parts of the city to get where he's going.
Elkaru_M idly fondles the Five-Bladed Tongue in his other pocket, while making sure the idol is still there as well.
Mike Holmes: He soon arives at the foreigners' house by the caravanserai. The caravanserai is abuzz with activity. Apparently whatever had spooked Oonia's husband had spooked these people as well. In fact, the whole city on the way had a feel of being much more active than normal. Not that Elkaru was used to the rhythms of the city, but any fool could see that something was wrong.
Mike Holmes: Inside the house, the only people left are packing up, definitely heading out.
Elkaru_M grabs someone at random. "What's going on?"
Elkaru_M looks around wildly, to try to get a handle on everything.
Mike Holmes: A porter for a caravan, picking up a crate says, "You haven't heard about the doom?"
Elkaru_M: "Doom?! Is this a specific doom, or something more general?"
Mike Holmes: "The Nameless One proclaimed that all in the city will die. Or something to that effect," he continues heading for the door. Then, "He's a prophet, and people are taking him quite seriously."
Elkaru_M muses aloud: "Hmmm, I wonder where the great Fahja Z'Kir is."
Elkaru_M says to the porter, following him: "Good track record, this Nameless One, huh?"
Mike Holmes: "Well, I've never heard of him, but my boss says better to be on the road when the sand cough comes to the camp," he sees that his aphorism might be missed. "Better not to be around when trouble might be brewing."
Mike Holmes: He looks around. "And many seem to be following suit."
Mike Holmes: The hall being up on a rise, one of the windows looks out onto the plain outside of the city, over the beige wall. Elkaru, looking about at the activity, notes that the camps of the plains tribes seem to also be more active than normal.
Elkaru_M nods. "That makes sense. Thank you, sir."
Elkaru_M moves towards one of the camps of the plains tribes, one that he figures is least likely to recongize him.
Elkaru_M thinks for a second, and heads for the Lurid Eye camp.

Mike Holmes: A few minutes later, Elkaru rounds the corner of the wall where it leads out to the plain and nearly runs into a dozen members of the Fire Snakes tribe. They're heading into the city for some reason, and they seem to be in a bad mood. Elkaru jumps back around the corner not certain if he's been seen.
Elkaru_M decides to take the long way around. Rapidly.
Mike Holmes: From the pace of the clopping of their hooves, Elkaru quickly determines that they must have seen him.
Mike Holmes: The next gate is too far to make it to, he notes, but there are many places where he could bolt back into the city.
Elkaru_M runs for the closest way to bolt back into the city, all the while looking for somwhere he can hide, a hole, a tree, anything.
Mike Holmes: Carreening around the Caravanserai, Elkaru quickly enters an alley between two brothels that are across the way.
Elkaru_M is still looking for a bolthole.
Mike Holmes: Almost as soon as Elkaru gets in the alley, he remembers having been tossed out here one night for not being able to pay up at one of the brothels. And he remembers that there are no exits except into the brothel.
Mike Holmes: The door is closed, taunting Elkaru with the question of whether it's barred from the inside.
Mike Holmes: Just then the door opens and another unfortunate is ejected into the alleyway. "And don't come back!" says the burly man who ousted the customer.
Elkaru_M looks the guy up and down.
Elkaru_M , in the meantime, pulls out the Five-Bladed Tongue. It looks like five wiggling tongues of iron meeting at a point, with blades on all the edges. He holds it awkwardly.
Mike Holmes: Just then the Fire Snakes block the entrance to the alley with their horses.
Elkaru_M: "Back off! I have the Five-Bladed Tongue of T'Pau! I'll destroy you all and sterilize your offspring. I don't want to use it because it will destroy me as well, but if I have no other choice..."
Mike Holmes: They see the blade, and one shouts, "That is the holiest relic of our tribe. It is said that Cay himself used it in battle once. Return it to us, and we'll kill you as painlessly as possible."
Elkaru_M blurts out, "But I didn't steal it off of your tribe...."
Elkaru_M gets ahold of himself and brandishes it as menacingly as possible. "Then you should fear it!"
Mike Holmes: As they stand there, Elkaru notices a Dust Rat run under the hooves of the Fire Snakes' horses spooking them. The timing is such that there's a profound effect on the riders. Somehow the shadows of the alley and the blade, and the glow off of Elkaru's charm all make his lie seem plausible. They calm their horses, and one by one get off of them.
Mike Holmes: "Do not use the holy blade! We humble ourselves before you!" one by one they get on the ground and grovel.
Elkaru_M nods. "Go! Go now! Tell your brethern that I am a man to be feared! This is Cay's punishment on you for persecuting me!"
Mike Holmes: The four lead their horses a small way away, and then mount up. They ride as if their lives depend upon it. Elkaru notes that a large caravan just then leaving the Caravanserai is impeding their escape. Could it be that part of what has the Fire Snakes spooked is the prophecy that's on the city?
Mike Holmes: Elkaru notes the man still standing next to him has a very frightened look on his face. Stunned, really. He looks at Elkaru as if asking if he can leave.
Elkaru_M: "You may go. Tell everyone you meet of this, that ">Elkaru M'ah is not a man to be trifled with."
Mike Holmes: The man, a city man whose finery is very dusty from having been thrown out of the brothel, looks at Elkaru sideways as he slowly exits the alley.
Elkaru_M quickly hides the Tongue in his clothes again and, since he is back in the city anyway, heads for the secret cult meeting place, as quickly as possible.

Mike Holmes: Elkaru arrives at the staircase that leads down to the door beneath the level of the street, behind which he knows the worshippers of Inis perform their secret rituals. Going down when nobody is looking, he knoks in the secret rhythm that emulates the basic dance of Inis that all worshippers know.
Elkaru_M waits.
Mike Holmes: He waits only a few minutes, and then the door opens, a pretty faced girl in silks peering from within.
Mike Holmes: "Yes?"
Elkaru_M makes the appropriate signs. "Can I come in?"
Mike Holmes: She frowns consternated by something about Elkaru. But she opens the door and gestures for him to enter.
Elkaru_M tries to smile at her charmingly, and looks around at who's at the site and what's going on, if anything.
Mike Holmes: The chambers are dark as Elkaru's eyes adjust from the light of the street. Several more women are about, including one who Elkaru would guess from her age is the high priestess. They seem to be involved in packing up, but allstop to take a look at Elkaru.
Mike Holmes: One of them hold her nose as he passes.
Elkaru_M nods knowingly. "I won't be here long. Can anyone tell me more about the doom?"
Mike Holmes: The priestess nods to some of the other girls as he approaches, signalling something."Why yes, I suppose. We just told one of your tribe some interesting things about the Green Moon tribe and their involvement."
Elkaru_M nods. "Yes, I'd be quite interested. Was the one you told the great Fahja Z'Kir?"
Mike Holmes: Elkaru's desert senses tell him that he's being surrounded. And that the pretty girls aren't just pretty.
Mike Holmes: "I think that was he. He wasn't very.....accomodating," she relays.
Elkaru_M looks around. "I assure you girls that I can be much more accomodating than my master. No reason to be hostile when we can be more... playful."
Elkaru_M smiles winningly.
Mike Holmes: They look distastfully at Elkaru's suggestion. "Fahja had brought a member of the tribe with him. We could have used a sacrifice to the Goddess. But he refused. Are you offering some recompense?" she says doubtfully.
Elkaru_M: "I'm not sure what kind of recompense you'd prefer, but I can offer this," says Elkaru, brandishing the gold idol.
Elkaru_M: The women seem to relax a bit, though they are still surrounding him.
Mike Holmes: The priestess laughs slightly, "That will do as an offering from your tribe. Fahja probably has made his way to the home of the merchant prince who houses the Green Moon and their ritual. Inis willing he'll end up with the magic stone that they've come across. Unfortunately, we can't say which palace this is."
Elkaru_M nods. "How is this connected to the doom?"
Mike Holmes: "They seek to align themselves with the dark force that comes from the north," she says, getting back to her packing. Elkaru notes that the other women have relaxed and are going about their duties.
Elkaru_M: "And no one is trying to stop them?"
Mike Holmes: "Well, I think you friend Fahja is. He was with two others," she says offhandedly.
Mike Holmes: "Kalek one was named," says another woman.
Mike Holmes: "But it's a fools errand anyhow," the priestess says. "There are dozens of the Green Moon in the city."
Elkaru_M nods. "You're right. It probably is. The important thing here is if the doom comes from the North, I need to go South."
Elkaru_M: "Need any help packing up?"
Mike Holmes: The priestess looks Elkaru over. "We too are moving out. To the sacred cave outside the city. There we will weather this doom."
Mike Holmes: "We could use someone to do labor for us," she says.
Elkaru_M brightens. "I'm your man. What do you want me to tote?!"

Mike Holmes: Hours later, the priestesses and her party are at the gate of the city trying to get out. A fight pertaining to an overturned cart causes the way to be blocked as a throng tries to get out of the city. Darkness has fallen, and people are in a panic. Which, rather than making things move along, just tightens the knot.
Mike Holmes: Elkaru carries a box full of the silks of the priestesses of his cult. The smell of perfume mixes with his own incongrously.
Elkaru_M considers that perfume might be a good way to mask his own natural scent.
Elkaru_M tries to push people out of the way so the priestesses can get through.
Mike Holmes: Someone in the crowd screams, and people start looking into the air. The moon light has become mostly blocked by small winged creatures.
Elkaru_M tries to get a closer look at the creatures.
Mike Holmes: Suddenly somehthing is falling. And then something else.

Mike Holmes: Thomas consults with Famrah and the old blind man on how quickly the poor of the city could be organized, and in what way. Regina notes crying coming from inside Famrah's house - obviously Suna.
Mike Holmes: Just at that moment, Regina sees down the street a merchant by the name of Naksos. This is a man who she'd struck up a bargain with a couple of days ago in the market, but who she'd never caught up with after that.
Mike Holmes: He's obviously packed up and leaving the city.
Mike Holmes: Regina wonders if he'd managed to get the trade metal that he was going to give to her for the charm she had wanted to sell him.
Regina flags him over.
Mike Holmes: He pretends not to notice. He seems to be in a hurry to leave.
Regina: "naksos!"
Mike Holmes: He looks in her direction, and waves in a friendly manner. But he keeps on going. From in the house Suna's sobs grow louder.
Regina sighs. and goes to check on the girl. he probibly fell through anyway.
Mike Holmes: Inside Suna's sisters try to quell her tears not understanding what's out in the street. They try to go to the door, but she stops crying long enough to get them to stop. Obviously not wanting them to see what she'd seen.
Regina heads voer to her. "dearie? whats wrong...?'
Mike Holmes: "Out in the street. It's so horrible," she says, semi-confidentially, now wanting to tempt her sisters to look.
Mike Holmes: Regina gets the feeling that Suna is disturbed by more than just the body.
Regina: "i assure you, that creature will not harm anyone again little one. its an ungly brute though i admit..."
Mike Holmes: "We're all going to die, aren't we?" she asks, looking to Regina to tell her otherwise.
Regina: " come now child.. noone will be doing any dying anytiume soon"
Mike Holmes: "But what the prophet said...can Thomas stop it? He's just a man like any other, no?" Suna continues to look for reassurance.
Regina: ".. he is.. and hes not...man is a very very fickle word"
Mike Holmes: "But a doom that would destroy a city? Surely he's not that mighty?" she looks hopefully at Regina as if to ask, "Is he really a savior?"
Regina: ".. i danm well hope so"
Mike Holmes: Suna looks up at Regina trying to see if she's being honest.
Regina smiels, shes being as honest as she can be
Regina stroeks the giurls hair calmingly, still trying to sort out whats ogoing on*
Mike Holmes: Suna seems relieved quite a bit. She wipes the tears from her eyes, and stands up before Regina, once again admiring her wings. "Well, then, we'd better help out, no? What should we do?"
Regina: "for now, stay here. i need to talk with thomas and the others and to work out a plan so we can get out of this safe, ok?' she ruffles the girls hair playfully, and comfortingly.

Mike Holmes: Regina alights on the top of a merchant palace, the sun long since set. Thomas had asked her to be a look out for them as he organized some sort of defense on the ground against whatever came her way. All day in the sky off and on, and no sign of anything untoward. She's not sure how long he wanted her to stay up. Though the moons provide some light, she's not sure how much good she can do at night anyhow.
Regina yawns, strethcing her wings a bit, starting to wodner if tom really DOES have enough barins to pull this off
Regina looks out across the city, thinking>
Mike Holmes: A shadow crosses the city, drawing Regina's vision upwards. No clouds tonight, the sky is crystal clear. What blocks the moon are millions of tiny shapes, and some not so tiny, much like the previous nights visitors. But much more numerous. And, again tonight, some not so tiny.
Regina: ....
Regina: "....they're heeereeee"
Regina dives off the roof lookign for thomas:
Mike Holmes: As she pauses to note the creatures, she sees that they've gotten much further over the city than she'd previously noted. They're everywhere.
Regina: "criminy. its crunch time...."
Mike Holmes: Regina launches into the air, her wings spreading out and carrying her on the night winds.
Mike Holmes: As she gains some height, her natural ability to keep her wits around her has her looking about when she notes that one of a threesome of creatures, large creatures, flying as a group, has peeled off and is swooping down at her. She also notes that the second creature is carrying something large, yellow and glowinbg brightly.
Mike Holmes: The creature angles by and makes a tricky move right at the last. Regina deftly dodges, but too late, the creature manages to tear some feathers from one of her wings. It arcs through the night in front of Regina's path as if to tell her to get out of the air.
Regina growls and does a barrels roll to collect her thoughts, but then swoops upward, in hot persuit. she reaches into her shirt and removes a large dagger, and bares down on the beastie*
Mike Holmes: As she comes in, she sees that the thing is like some of the large insects from the valleys of her homeland. But larger than a man, and shaped somewhat like that as well. And something totally unnatural about it's shape as well makes it quite horrific.
Mike Holmes: Regina tumbles to the ground wrapped up with the creature. She gashes is, but the impact with the ground is more telling on the creature. She manages to land on her feat, but it is badly hurt and stunned by the fall.

Regina sighs, holding her head in pain*
Mike Holmes: From the ground, Elkaru sees several things. One, a winged woman valiantly fights a demonic horror the likes of which he's never seen and has driven it to the ground.
Elkaru_M: "Hey, it's that winged lady from the inn!"
Mike Holmes: A second of these creatures is now descending to attack and a third just behind it.
Elkaru_M: "Lady, catch this!"
Elkaru_M pulls out the Bladed Tongue and tries to toss it to the winged woman so she can catch it.
Regina blinks and tries to grab it
Mike Holmes: The throw is off, however. They both stare in horror as the blade goes astray. But then the two sigh a collective sigh of relief as the blade plunges into the downed creature spraying green ichor across the nearby crowd. More panic enuses.
Mike Holmes: The two other creatures plumet towards Regina.
Regina blinsk ducks, and rolls behind a barell stand8
Mike Holmes: The creatures land, and he crowd scatters in all directions, people running each other over trying to escape. Even the famed Rhiani fierceness does not hold against such horrors. They one without the glowing head advanced on Regina.
Regina kicks the barrel towards him rahter suddenly8
Elkaru_M runs around them, trying to remain unseen, up to the thing the Tongue went into and fishes around for the Tongue.
Regina: "THOMAS! ANY DAY NOW!:"
Mike Holmes: Elkaru finds what he's looking for bringing the blade forth covered in goo that he can tell from the scant remaining light is green.
Mike Holmes: He turns to see that the creature that holds the glowing yellow object, a head, is right behind him.
Regina is waitng for the barel to impact.
Elkaru_M startles, and, in utter desperation, tries to shove the Tongue into the thing, while holding onto it. He's not going to throw it again.
Mike Holmes: The thing grabs his hand, it's body language indicating a loathing for whatever the blade is. It shakes his arm with hideous strength, and the strange blade goes flying somewhere off into the crowd. It turns to help it's friend, seeming to no longer find Elkaru a threat.
Mike Holmes: Regina fends off the other one, throwing barrels at it, and such, but now it approaches her.
Regina takes to the air then flyign to where tom is
Mike Holmes: The thing takes off after Regina, and she realizes that, while she's the more agile flyer, these things move with blinding speed in the air. She circles back to the crowd where perhaps someone will help her.
Elkaru_M follows the blade.
Elkaru_M calls out to it like a lost horse.
Mike Holmes: Someone in the crowd hands the thing to him, assuming that Elkaru must be some hero to be looking for a weapon at a time like this.
Mike Holmes: *
Mike Holmes: The creature lands again near Regina, and is about to attack when it stops short.
Mike Holmes: It points out to her, and then screetches a sound so loud that those nearby are stunned by it momentarily.
Mike Holmes: *
Regina crahes intot he ground, temorarly deafened8
Elkaru_M hold the blade in front of him like a talisman and flees.
Elkaru_M doesn't seem to be paying close attention to which way he's going, tho.
Mike Holmes: He comes around a building, where Regina is face down in front of one of these things, and the second one with the head turns to see him coming. As it does, it impales itself on the five tongue blade. It's hands come down, depositing the head in his arms before it falls back dead.
Mike Holmes: Regina looking up, notes that something else comes from the sky.
Regina blinks and true to look closer.
Mike Holmes: The demon-thing seems to step aside, though still watching these two, as a woman in black seems to descend from the skies. As she comes down, Regina can see through her - surely a phantom.
Mike Holmes: Elkaru notes her as she comes to hover over the ground in front of Regina.
Elkaru_M tries to put the head under his arm and continue to hold the blade.
Mike Holmes: The black, also etherial, would be an elaborate suit of armor, were it real.
Regina frowns and stands quickly, tryign to discern a species.
Elkaru_M glances down at the head.
Regina puffs her wings ut to intimidate*
Mike Holmes: The woman seems to be, possibly, of the same race that Alitia comes from. Possibly.
Mike Holmes: She speaks
Elkaru_M is frozen with fear, trying to keep the blade between him and the woman.
Regina stares her down.
Mike Holmes: The voice is inhuman, an artificial construct of a voice that rings out into the night, "I don't want to risk you flying off with that."
Mike Holmes: She points directly at the center of Regina's chest where Marek's amulet sits.
Regina blinks
Regina then looks at it:
Regina: ".. this is a gift. i will not surrender it
Elkaru_M squeaks, "Give it to her!"
Mike Holmes: "My Gogur might catch you, if you take flight. So I'll make you a deal and let you go," she says."What would you for it."
Elkaru_M , still holding the head, tries to slowly inch away from the scene...
Mike Holmes: As Regina ponders, the woman turns to Elkaru. "And you have something that I need to have as well. But you cannot flee me. So don't try, and I'll get to you momentarily."
Elkaru_M stops.
Regina: "first off....what is it.." she stands guardedly8
Elkaru_M looks at the head again.
Elkaru_M stage-whispers to Regina: "Look, just trade it for good fortune and move on!"
Mike Holmes: At Regina's response the woman tosses her head back at an impossible angle, and an inhuman laugh comes out of her. "It is a bauble. But if you give it to me, I'll spare your life, and that of anyone you care to name. Within reason."
Regina: ".. theres no way in hell this is a bauble if your willing to kill me for it. fess up"
Elkaru_M: "Pssst, I killed one of those things for you... Say you ask her to spare your life and mine..."
Elkaru_M prays silently to Inis for guidance.
RPG Serv: Notice: <Roll for Regina [1d20]: 4>
Mike Holmes: As Elkaru does so, he looks up and realizes that what he thought moments ago were decorative crenelations on the top of a nearby building are actually bats lining the edge.
Mike Holmes: Regina looks into the eye of the woman. Though not quite human, Regina gets a sense that the medallion is really very important to her in terms of a prize. She'll not go to any length for it, but she'd reaeely like to have it.
Mike Holmes: Elkaru look to the woman and sees now that she's starkly beautiful. Perfect, yet, marred by her perfection.
Elkaru_M nods knowingly.
Regina watches her carefully. shes got absolutely no dsire to give this back.
Mike Holmes: "Well? What is your answer?" the woman grows impatient.
Regina: "answer me first. what is this really?
Mike Holmes: The winged woman and the phantom lady banter for a bit about the value of things in the world. Eventually Regina wrangles a commitment from the woman to let her go keeping the amulet.
Mike Holmes: "I like you," she says to Regina scarily.
Elkaru_M eyes the bats warily the whole time this conversation is going on.
Regina smirks abit.
Mike Holmes: "Know that the amulet is, in some small way, the soul of the being from whom you got it. It is a treasure without compare. Do not return it to it's owner, for he is not what he seems," she relates.
Mike Holmes: "Now, as my boon for your charm of the Mighty Waters, who would you have me spare?" she asks.
Elkaru_M waves at Regina.
Regina: " the populace of this city... save for one person.
Mike Holmes: Elkaru remembers that Cay fought bat creatures when he strode the plains during the demon wars. These must be vengeful descendants of those beaten by that mighty god.
Regina smiles in a truly evil light of her own*
Mike Holmes: "No, that's not what I allowed. You cannot name them all, and I would not allow more than a reasonable number. I've been quite reasonable to this point, no? Don't make my bad side come out again," she says enigmatically.
Mike Holmes: "Surely there's some merchant prince you can save who would reward you well for doing so?"
Regina: "come now. is not populace a single enitity? tis a collective noun"
Elkaru_M hisses: "Do not argue semantics with the demon goddess!"
Mike Holmes: "Do not try my patience," she seems to grow darker somehow.
Elkaru_M waves to Regina timidly.
Regina sighs "alright alright, though can you still persue to torment? it'll be fun =0
Mike Holmes: "That would be my pleasure. Name their name,\" she responds.
Regina smiles with a bone chilliung smile:
Regina: "the priestess called aysha. she is a lout and a disgrace."
Mike Holmes: A dark look comes over her face. "The priestess of Akalatan? You are too late. She is already dead. In part by my hand, and in part by her own. Her body was to be mine, and was for a moment, until she commanded a demon to eat us. Now I am, again, bodiless."
Mike Holmes: She looks very disturbed about this. Moreso than she looks normally.
Regina blink "she was killed and i didn;t get to see?:
Regina: " hmm well, cna you have her soul suffer eternal agaony?"
Mike Holmes: "Her body was smashed by the jaws of a giant...well, that thing," she says, pointing at the wall.
Elkaru_M mutters, "Remind me never to get on either of your bad sides..."
Regina nods' writing a list down to make sure she covers everyone to be saved"
Mike Holmes: As one and all look over, a gigantic froglike demon comes rambling through the wall of the city, and starts wading through the adobe housing apparently headed for the river.
Regina kinda just blinks.....
Regina: "...now i REALLY wish i had been there...."
Mike Holmes: "Punish it, if you think you were robbed," says the woman.
Mike Holmes: The frogthing knocks over a watchtower as it proceeds.
Mike Holmes: "Now, who do you want spared, the night isn't eternal. And I have so many to kill!"
Elkaru_M raises his hand. "Madam, could we finish our business while the winged one makes her list?"
Mike Holmes: Elkaru notes that when the torchlight from a nearby tavern strikes the phantom that the armor appears to have etchings in it, filigree made by the maddest of smiths.
Mike Holmes: "Yes, certainly," she says nonchalantly. "Bring the head to me and kneel to be slain."
Elkaru_M looks at the head.
Regina: " no, i'm am glad it did as it did.. at any rate. i wish for the following to be saved: thomas, and his enterage.. the squaries and the horse mainly. rahori.. a well meaning fellow.. if thickheaded...the small girl, suna, and her family. the young girl serama, doughter of lhan... who knwos where that poor thing is...
Regina sighs and looks at elky."..and what the hell him too"
Mike Holmes: The head is of a perfect man, like this perfect woman. Black haired, with strong features.
Elkaru_M bows and says, quietly, "Thank you, you won't regret it."
Elkaru_M says to the woman, "Now that I'm on the 'do not slaughter' list, what will you give me for the head?"
Mike Holmes: "Agh!" says the woman. "My oath I have given. So what would you want for the head, ye who I may not slay?"
Elkaru_M: "A trifle"
Elkaru_M: "I want a kiss."
Mike Holmes: "What? Kiss you?"
Regina looks at elk like hes nuts.
Elkaru_M smiles. "Yes. A single kiss."
Mike Holmes: She steps forward to look Elkaru over. "I should void my oath just for the supposition!"
Elkaru_M: "Surely a woman of your looks can spare just one kiss"
Elkaru_M: "I don't ask for wealth, magick, the return of the dead, demon servants..."
Mike Holmes: She looks at the head in his hand, and then shakes her head. She steps up to him, a full head taller than Elkaru, and she kisses him. Elkaru can feel the life draining from him.
Elkaru_M: "Such beauty, why waste it?"
Mike Holmes: She steps back from the embrace, before Elkaru is dead, keeping her word.
Elkaru_M coughs up a storm. "It was worth it."
Mike Holmes: She then suddenly grabs the head, and hands it to the Gogur.
Mike Holmes: "You should run now," she says. "Before I change my mind."
Elkaru_M: "I was going to present it to you"
Regina sihs and wodners if she should have bothered saving mr lecher*
Elkaru_M: "But your suggestion is acceptable."
Elkaru_M beats a hasty retreat, careful to take the Five-Bladed Tongue with him.
Mike Holmes: Just then, back on the main road leading out of the gate, now clear of people due to the people fleeing for their lives, Elkaru sees three men riding past. As they exit the gate, he realizes that one is Fahja, and the other Kalek. And someone else from the tribe.
Elkaru_M: "Fahja! My savior!"
Elkaru_M moves toward him.
Mike Holmes: The air fills with bats again. And some of them are giants. And Gogur in greater numbers appear.
Regina blinsk taking this all in.
Mike Holmes: Fahja looks to be riding for his life. As, though they are spared, all others around them on the streets of Sherezak are beset by the beasts.
Elkaru_M isn't exaclty moving slowly, either. He rushes forward and away as fast as he can, in the same direction as Fahja.
Mike Holmes: He notices that he's not being consumed by the creatures, but this doesn't make it any less horrific.

Mike Holmes: Thomas fights demon after demon as Regina lands. The magial wards placed around the pauper's neighborhood are failing, and the guardian spirits slowly but surely dies under the assault.
Mike Holmes: Thomas cries, "Fly away! Save yourself!"
Regina quickly scans around to see if the demonesses word is being held
Mike Holmes: She notes that the demons avoid Thomas, and that he's only able to kill ones that he can track down. This only makes him more fervent in his desire to track them down. Perhaps he thinks that his goddess protects him. For surely her spells are upon him.
Regina: "thomas! stop that for a second
Mike Holmes: The poor folks of Sherezak fight valiantly spurred on by his efforts. But it's clear that they can't long last.
Regina: " get over here. we need to talk"
Mike Holmes: Thomas looks at Regina, "Now is the time to fight! I can't stop!"
Regina: " we ar e safe form this onsloguht! now is the time to leave!
Mike Holmes: He searches for a foe, but none of the Gogur will come near him.
Regina: "..* grabs him by the collar and drags him to her*
Regina: "thomas. darling. stop it! we are spoared form this onslught."
Mike Holmes: "Nobody is safe, look about you!" he says desperately pointing at a man being knocked to the ground down the lane. The Gogur implants some needle-like someting into the man who cries in pain and dies shortly thereafter.
Regina gets an idea..
Mike Holmes: "I have to save these people, I've given my word!" he tries to wrest himself away, his sword burning with a reddish light.
Mike Holmes: An extremely large bat passes over the orb of Orhan in the sky, blotting it out completely for a moment, and leaving only the torchlight as the sole illumination. This distracts even Thomas for that moment.
Mike Holmes: Regina makes a plea to the spirits attacking the poor of Sherezak. But her cries, though well stated, fall on deaf demonic ears.
Regina growls and sighs.
Regina then grabs thmaas again and gets very pointed in her words "look thomas. whats done is done.. i alreayd got lucky enough tongiht. i bargained with their leader to spare us and the girls family. i could not save the city... a prophecy is a prphecey, but we have been given the chance to live another dya and fight another fight. please, let this go, lets pack them uo and get them out of here!"
Mike Holmes: Dinan, fear written all over his face, looks to Thomas pleadingly.
Mike Holmes: From the house, Rej comes out and says, "It was never our fight to win, Thomas, she's right."
Mike Holmes: Thomas slumps, his sword turning back to ash grey as he does. "Get the horses, Arthen. We're leaving."
Regina: " don;t worry. we can;t always be heros =/"
Mike Holmes: Thomas looks back at her as he prepares to leave, "It's not about being a hero..."
Mike Holmes: He seems to want to say more, but can't summon the strength to argue.
Mike Holmes: Together the men from Stroane, Famrah and his family, and Regina leave the city amongst the screams of the dying, heading out onto the plain.

Shadow World

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