Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 00:51:36 -0600
From: Jesus Ernesto Alcaraz Lizarraga ICQ#14080824 <aeoros@hotmail.com>
Subject: Nsync Saga: part 20

Okay everyone raise a hand who thinks that e-mailing can be a painful
experience.  I've had a horrible run of luck with trying to send this
installment in.  I had a friend of mine do it.  Anyway, I've finished the
battle.  sounds of much cheering this one is a lot longer chapters, but
it's still a nice one.  Now sections of it are a touch choppy.  But that's
because I didn't want to go back and start second-guessing myself.  So here
it is.  Let me know what you think.  Mist_dark@hotmail.com or
Mist_dark@yahoo.ca

Thanks to everyone that's e-mailed me.  You guys are great.  Special thanks
to Kenitra, Shade, Aeoros, Keif, Matt, Aphrodite, Di, Tom and Hamado (spelt
it right this time I hope).  You guys are great.

Legalities: this story isn't supposed to imply anything about the group
Nsync.  If they're gay, it's not my business.  If you're to young in your
area or it's illegal in your area to read this, please leave.  If
homosexual themes offend you leave as well.  Parts of this story are based
of the RPG Rifts.  All trademarks belong to Kevin Siembieda and Palladium
books.

Enough talk though, enjoy

Rune



PART TWENTY



	Lance rose from the bed an hour before dusk.  He looked down at
Selvar as he pulled on a robe.  The elf was still sleeping and looked even
more radiant in sleep then he did while awake.  They had taken to sleeping
in the same bed several months ago, but nothing had happened sexually.
They both wanted to wait for the right moment.

	He watched Selvar sleep for a few moments before walking to the
window.  It was dark enough that he could pull the curtains open and look
out.  He leaned on the window ledge and watched the sun make its way toward
the horizon.  When the sun was about half an hour from disappearing he felt
an arm wrap itself around his shoulders.

	"Are you ready for this love?"  Selvar whispered in his ear.

	Lance snuggled back into the elf's strong arms.  "Honestly?  No.
I'm not.  But what choice do we have?"  He sighed.  "The Acolytes are going
to come in less then an hour, maybe a little longer then that.  But they
will come."

	"I know," Selvar whispered.  "But I thought I should still ask."
He kissed the back of Lance's neck.  "I love you,"

	"I know," Lance whispered back.  "I love you too."  They stayed
there hugging one another for a few minutes.  Just enjoying the quiet of
the evening.

	"We should get ready," Selvar said.  "I've got something I need to
get from the my laboratory so I'll meet you in the meeting room in a few
minutes."

	"I'll go wake the others," Lance said.  He leaned up and gave
Selvar a quick kiss.  "See you in a few."







	Selvar arrived in the meeting room several minutes after everyone
else had arrived carrying a large sack.  He had changed his typical robe
for more tight-fitting clothing.  He wore a tight shirt and his slacks were
snug, but not skin tight.  Black boots finished the outfit.  The
Werecreatures leaders and Maria had already in the field and were the only
ones not present.  They had dropped by briefly to inform them that their
allies were in place.

	"Are there any last minute questions?"  Selvar asked as he set the
sack on the table and began pulling a number of oddly shaped bones from it.
He set each bone on the table before removing the next one.  When the sack
was empty he started to dress himself in the bones.  "Well?"  He asked.
"Any questions?"

	"Um," Chris said.  "What are you doing?"

	"Putting my armour on," Selvar answered.  He slipped an enlarge
ribcage over his head and strapped it into place.  Once it was secure he
attached six pairs of skeletal arms under his own.  Each arm clicked into
place and hung there.

	"Okay," Joey said.  "I can accept that.  Why the extra arms?"

	"Extra arms, faster attacks," Selvar told him.  He muttered
something under his breath.  The six additional arms twitched for a moment
and then began to move as if they were naturally part of Selvar's body.  "I
find many arms make light work."

	"I see," Joey said.

	"Trust me on this one Joey," Selvar assured him.  He finished
attaching the leg guards and sat down.  He pushed the skull helmet to one
side.  "Does anyone need to know anything before we start this?"

	"Just one," Evelyn said.  "Where will you be during this?"

	"Everywhere I need to be," the elf replied.  "I'll have to stay
within the castle grounds to make myself most useful.  And just in case the
walls are breached.  If I'm killed every one of my minions dies.again."  He
looked around the table at the shocked look on everyone's face.  "We have
to face that fact.  The odds of everyone at this table surviving this
battle are slim to none.  We can hope, but we have to realize what will
happen if we lose even one of us.  If I die then we lose almost all of the
undead support.  If Lance is killed then we lose control of the runes.
Each of us carries a vital part of this plan.  We will continue if one of
us dies, we have no choice in that matter, but it might happen.  We can
pray it won't, but it still might."

	He leaned over and kissed Lance passionately, snapping the blonde
out of his stupor.  "I love you Lance, but I thought you should be aware of
what the stakes are.  I won't die willingly.  I love you and will not leave
your side.  I promise you that."

	Lance smiled faintly and kissed him back.  "I intend to make you
keep that promise."

	Selvar grinned.  "I was hoping you'd say that."  He kissed Lance
again before turning back to the meeting.  "I've given all of my minions
instructions that they are to obey each of you.  They have their orders
that they will carry out, but if you need them for something they will
listen to you.  Other then that I don't know what else I can do."

	"Hope," Evelyn said simply.  "It's all any of us can do now.  Hope
for the best."  She absently fingered with the amulet that the Guardian of
Plants had left for her.  She glanced out the window.  "It's almost time.
The sun has almost set."

	"Then in closing I must say it has been a pleasure knowing all of
you," Selvar said with emotion creeping into his voice.  "I look forward to
fighting by each of your sides."  The group stood and pulled each other
into quick hugs.  Some lasted longer then others, but everyone hugged
everyone else.

	"Joshua," Evelyn said.  "I'll take you to the main tower.  Take
care everyone.  Once I have Josh on the tower I'll link minds."  She left
the meeting room a tad rushed with JC in tow.

	Lance pulled Selvar into another kiss.  "I guess Chris and I should
make sure everything else is in place."  He hugged Selvar and whispered, "I
love you," in his ear.  With a few quick steps he left the room.  Chris
gave Selvar another quick hug and followed his friend from the room.

	The remaining people stepped out onto the large balcony that was
attached to the meeting room.  They watched the sun dip past the horizon.
A moment after it vanished thousands of winged shapes appeared out of the
forest.  They screamed with incredible hatred as they flew toward the
castle.

	"That would be my cue," Selena said.  She touched the amulet around
her throat.  A soft light bathed around her and when it cleared she was
covered in a tight suit of armour that appeared to be made of bark, but was
far more flexible.  She pulled the two swords from her side and raised them
in a cross over her head as she spread her wings.  In that moment she
looked like an avenging angel from a stain glass window.  The wind swirled
around her as she propelled herself upward.






	Evelyn moved swiftly through the hallways to the library.  Once
inside she closed the door and leaned against it.  She closed her eyes and
reached out with her mind.  Finding what she was looking for she made a
connection to Selvar's mind.

	"Selvar?" She asked.

	"Yes?" The elf's mental voice came.

	"I'm just making sure the connection is working.  I'll link with
the others now.  I already have Joshua.  I'll inform everyone once the link
is working.  You won't be able to communicate with each other directly.
You'll have to go through me."

	"That's fine Evelyn.  Good luck."







	Selena flew until she was hundreds of feet off the ground.  She
flew in a gentle circle to get used to the weight of the armour.  It took
her the complete circle to realize that the armour had no weight.  It was
as if she wasn't even wearing it.

	"On to business," Selena said to herself.

	She touched the wind.  It was a feeling she could never have
explained.  It was like breathing.  You knew that you could do it, but you
couldn't explain it.  Let alone explain how it was done.  You just did it.
She felt the air around her and pulled.  She was rewarded with a gentle
breeze.  A few mental commands and the wind strengthened around her.  The
sky darkened in the fading light as heavy clouds rolled in.

	"Selena?"  Evelyn's voice sounded in her mind.

	"Busy," she sent back.

She felt Evelyn's mind leave hers and she turned back to the task at hand.
The flying creatures had gotten closer to her then they had been a few
moments before.  She could make them out as some sort of bird.  Harpies
most likely.

"Let's see what we can do to persuade them to go away," Selena smiled.  She
waited until they were close enough to smell their stink.  Harpies were
well known for their hygiene habits, or complete lack there of.  When the
first of the flock was a hundred yards away she struck.

The wind suddenly howled around her toward the harpies.  The force of the
wind broke the first ranks as cleanly as a knife.  They fell away toward
the ground, their wings broken.  Lightening snaked down from the heavens
and struck the ones behind the first.  They fell as well.  The smell of
burning flesh filled the air.








	JC looked down over the forest from the tower.  Shortly after
Evelyn had left him he had seen Selena winging her way skyward.  He watched
her in awe as she manipulated the winds and attacked the harpies that had
emerged from the forest moments after sunset.

	A sudden gust of wind almost knocked him off the tower.  "Guess she
can't worry about the rest of us at the moment," JC said softly.  He smiled
before calling up the emotions he wanted.  He opened his mouth and sang
into the howling wind.

	The force he was creating was soft at first, but gradually grew
until it formed an area of still air around him.  The wind howled around
the tower, but didn't touch the small area he protected.  The shield
wouldn't stop rain or other effects, but it would stop him from being
knocked off the tower.

	"Let's see.  What else needs to be done?"  Glancing around he
decided he needed to be able to see more clearly.  This particular song was
shorter, but a little harder to force.  Once he finished it he was able to
see for miles as if it were broad day light.

	"Evelyn," he called.

	"Yes Joshua?"

	"Selena needs some aerial support.  I think it's time for Jezebel
to move in."

	"We were thinking much the same," Evelyn's voice said directly into
his mind.  "She will move in a few moments.  Selena wants to make one more
strike first."

	JC turned his attention toward Selena and the harpies that were
starting to close in on her.  A clap of thunder shook the air and caused
the tower he was standing on to vibrate with the intensity.  A moment later
hail fell from the clouds.  Not the little pebbles he was used to, but huge
chunks of ice.  Some were the size of basketballs.  He quickly altered the
shield to keep the hail out.  Just one of those pieces of ice could easily
break a bone.  Possibly several.

	The harpies were faring very poorly.  Their ranks broke under the
onslaught of ice.  Selena kept the hail going for a few minutes before it
stopped abruptly.  The moment the ice stopped falling another cloud rose
from the forest.  This cloud was made of figures appeared similar to the
harpies.  Except they appeared more human.  The new cloud swarmed into the
remaining harpies









	A hundred black skinned sorcerers formed a circle.  Each one had
hair as black as their skin, and white eyes that contrasted sharply with
their skin tones.  They stood in a cave that had been hollowed out by
water.  The walls were smooth of any uneven edges and not even a pebble lay
on the stone floor.  In center of the circle were six ornate bottles.  Each
bottle was engraved with several runes.  Kneeling in front of the bottles
was a black skinned woman.  The woman arranged the bottles in a circle and
then moved to take her place in the circle.

	"Is everyone here willing to make the sacrifice that may have to be
made?"  She looked at each person in the circle, waiting for them to nod.
"Very well."  She linked hands with the sorcerers on either side of her.
Each sorcerer followed suit until the entire circle was linked.  "Let us
begin."

	The chanting began lowly.  The woman started it and it spread from
her, left and right, as each sorcerer picked up the chant.  When the entire
circle was chanting lowly the woman upped the tempo.  Soon the sorcerers
were almost shouting the chant.

	Magic swirled around bottles.  A blue light appeared around them as
a result of the magical energies building.  It expanded until the whole of
the circle was bathed in its light.  The bottles changed from the clear
glass they were made of originally to various colours.  One red, one blue,
one green, one black, one brown and one white.  The chanting grew more
frantic after the bottles had changed colour.  A fine mist appeared above
each bottle and was quickly sucked into the bottles.

	The magical energies grew to incredible proportions.  Half the
circle of sorcerers burst into blue flames.  They never screamed in pain,
they only kept chanting the spell.  The smell of burning flesh filled the
cave as the spell came to a close.  The burned sorcerers collapsed into
ashes as six of their comrades leapt forward to cork the bottles.

	"Keep those bottles in a safe place," the woman said.  She walked
toward the only exit from the cave.  "Until they are uncorked the Acolytes
are mortal.  And as long as you make sure you don't uncork them the
Acolytes won't notice their missing power."  She left the cave to make the
final preparations for her part in this battle.  "Karr, you had better not
fail."









	The Red Acolyte paced in an underground cave.  There were wooden
support beams holding up an earth ceiling.  A moment later the Brown and
Blue Acolytes appeared.

	"It's about time," he growled.  "We have a few changes in our plan.
First we will be sending the Shades, Fiends, Ghouls, and Banshees in now.
I also want you," he pointed at the Brown Acolyte.  "To deal with our
meddling weather witch.  I want her out of the picture and I want her out
now.  Take control of the weather from her."

	"I'll take the Shades and Banshees with me.  I'm planing on
entering the castle directly in a few moments," Blue said.  "I'll send the
other creatures into the forest.  I believe there are some things waiting
there for them.  And we don't want to have to disappoint our little
defenders."

	"Good," Red said.  "And have the Black Acolyte summon something
nasty to create a large distraction.  A baal-rog would do nicely.  Whatever
he wants, but make it big."

	"Are you sure this is worth the effort?"  Brown asked.  "We could
easily crush these creatures.  We don't need an army to do it."

	"Something about this situation makes me uneasy," Red admitted.
"We should have killed the Trinity a long time ago, but we will have to
rectify the problem tonight.  Until then it's best to play it safe."










	Lance and Chris stood on the battlements just above the courtyard.
They stared out into the darkened forest hearing the sounds of a horrendous
battle.  The howls of wolves filled the air followed by the shrieks of some
inhuman creature.  The occasional growl from a cheetah or bear could be
heard, but it was mostly the wolves they heard.  The screeches from the
bats above were clearly heard as well.

	A flash of light momentarily stole their vision.  When it cleared
they could see a large shape towering above the forest.  The shape easily
stood ten feet above the tree line.  At first Lance thought it was a wall,
but then it started moving.  It was some sort of monstrous creature.  As
the creature moved it shot beams of light from what appeared to be its
head.  The beams laced into the forest and a great deal of silence followed
from wherever they struck.

	"What are we going to do about that?"  Chris asked.  "I think
that's why Selvar stuck us here."

	"We aren't going to do anything except get down to the courtyard,"
Lance said.  "Any suggestions for a quick decent?"

	"Just one," Chris said.  He looked over the edge of the battlement
at the courtyard below.  "I've never tried this, but it should work."  A
pillar of flame shot upward from the ground.  Chris stepped onto the pillar
and hovered there, supported by the flames.  "Going down."

	"Are you sure that's safe?"

	"Not at all," Chris said.  "But it's going to get us down there
quickly."  Before Lance could argue he pulled the blonde onto the pillar
and willed the flames to shrink.  The pair of them quickly made their way
to the courtyard ground.

	Once they were on the ground again Lance bolted for the two statues
that guarded the gate.  He slapped each of the bases of the statues with
his open palm.  A white light flowed from the base of each statue to cover
them.  They flashed white once and then the light faded.

	"Kill whatever the creature in the forest is," Lance commanded
them.  The two statues strode of their bases and into the forest.











	"I'm aware of that sister," Damek said calmly.  "I was about to try
to stale the weather myself."

	"Don't try to take control of it," Nydia warned.  "I'm not sure
what will happen if three minds try to control it at once."

	"I know," Damek told her.  "I'm just going to make sure that
nothing horrible erupts from the battle of wills.  Keeping tornadoes and
whatnot to a minimum."

	"I'm tracking the White Acolyte, I'm not sure where she went."

	"You do your work, and I'll do mine."  He watched Nydia leave the
room before sitting cross-legged in the middle of it.  He closed his eyes
and reached out to touch the weather that he had once commanded with skill
that few could have hoped to match.








	Pyre and Justin darted around the castle as a group of Banshees
appeared out of no where.  The horrid screaming women flew around the
battlements destroying whatever they could.

	"Are they really dangerous?"  Justin called.

	"Not too dangerous," Pyre answered him.  "But they are cowards and
will attack you in large numbers."

	 The lovers split up to take care of the banshees.  Pyre easily
slashed through most of the creatures that had decided he was an easy
target.  They quickly learned he wasn't.  But not before over half their
number was gone.  The rest wisely fled.

	Justin was having just as easy a time as Pyre was.  His silver
claws were designed to battle vampires, but they were doing a wonderful job
cutting down the banshees.  It took his group longer to realize he was a
major threat.  He had killed almost all of them before the two remain fled.

	Pyre flew over to Justin and gave him a quick peck.  "Good work
love."

	"Thanks," Justin called as he continued to fly on his rounds of the
castle.  They would meet up on the other side and he would return the kiss
then.








	The Guardian of Air sat gracefully next to a pool of rainwater.
The room she was in was made entirely out of clouds, and would shift in
colour from time to time.  Her white hair was worn long to her waist and it
looked exotic against her creamy brown skin.  Her dress appeared to be made
of a colour changing mist.  One moment it was dark as the night sky and the
next it was as colourful as a sunset.

	The surface of the pool rippled as her finger traced a line through
it.  When the ripples had cleared an image had formed.  It was of the
battle that was raging in her element.  She watched her servant wipe the
air clean of the demonic creatures that continuously swarmed at her.  She
watched as countless Werebats attacked whatever creatures Selena couldn't
knock from the sky.

	Without being aware of why, she started to cry.  The pool rippled
slightly as her tears fell into the clear water.  She ignored them and kept
watching the scene unfold before her.

	A tiny pang of pain struck her in the head.  She touched her
temples and massaged them to clear the growing headache.  That's when she
noticed the blood.  Her tears had changed from water to blood.  And the
blood was rapidly darkening the pool.  She reeled backward from the pool as
a wave of pain slammed into her.

	"It can't take.."

	The Guardian of Air passed out as she continued to cry tears of
blood.









	"Evelyn," Selena called.  "We have a problem.  Someone else is
trying to take control of the weather from me."

	"What can you do about it?"

	"Get some of the Werebats to cover me for a while and I'll try to
take complete control.  Until then I'm going to be practically useless.
They're countering every move I make."

	"I'll have the bats cover you."

	Selena hovered in the air as four Werebats broke away from the main
fight to deal guard her.  Once they were close enough she told them to keep
everything away from her.  They nodded their understanding.

	She reached out and grabbed the wind again.  Finding what she was
looking for, she traced it back to the controller.  It was an easy trail to
follow.  Magic created natural looking weather, but left a feel about it
that was easy to trace if you knew what to look for.  She did, and she
didn't like what she felt.

	The other mind was obviously opposing her, and was most likely one
of the Acolytes.  This didn't disturb her too much.  She had been expecting
one of the Acolytes to interfere.  But what did disturb her was the third
mind.  She hadn't been expecting that.  The third mind seemed to be trying
to wrest control away from them both.

	Taking a deep breath she pulled on the weather.  She felt the other
two minds pull back.  It was like a three-way tug-of-war.  She pulled
again, harder.  And again she was met by resistance.  Gathering everything
she had she pulled on the weather altering her `grip' and `stance'
repeatedly.  The other minds refused to let go.

	A peal of thunder split the air as the weather was wrenched from
her grasp.  Her head snapped back and her eyes shot open.  Her eyes
exploded outward and her body went limp.  She plummeted toward the ground,
smoke trailing from her eyes.







	The Brown Acolyte was kneeling in the underground cave that she had
appeared in earlier.  Her mind was bent completely on taking control of the
weather from the winged Asian woman that had completely staled their aerial
attacks.  She felt the tug of the woman and the tug of another mind.

	"Damek," she whispered to herself.  "You won't win this one so
easily."  She felt both the other minds pull on the weather and she pulled
in return.

	A peal of thunder shook the cave.  Brown's eyes shot open and
exploded.  White smoke trailed from them as she was hurled across the room
with hurricane force.  She slammed into tone of the support beams.  A stray
piece of wood pierced her back and impaled her through her heart.  She let
out an agonizing scream before she was consumed in flames.









	Thunder shook the room Damek sat in.  The weather was torn from his
grasp as he was thrown across the room.  His head smashed against the wall.
He slumped to the ground, his body twitching a few times before it remained
still.








	"Joseph," Evelyn called.  "Go to Joshua.  I have to relocate Pyre.
Joshua will need the extra protection."

	Joey barely had time to answer her before she left his mind.
Shrugging he raced through the hallways making his way to the tower.  He
had to backtrack several times to avoid some of the creatures that had
invaded the castle walls.

	Dark shadows wearing cloaks stalked down a number of corridors and
out of the corner of his eye he would catch banshees screaming for blood.
The shadows would always disappear, but there was usually another one to
replace it.

	It took him ten minutes to make it to the base of the tower and
less then two to reach the top.  He launched himself through the trap door
and raced to JC's side.

His friend was completely involved in singing and didn't notice his
arrival.  Joey glanced around to see what was to be considered an immediate
threat.  Seeing a few harpies that had somehow made their way close to the
tower, he summoned a few bolts of mental energy.  He loosed them at the
avian creatures.








	"Pyre," Evelyn called.  "Selena has fallen.  You have to take her
place in the air.  The Werebats can't hold the horde off by themselves."

	"What makes you think I can?"

	"I know what you are Pyre, and it's time you let Justin know as
well.  You've been hiding this from him because you're afraid he'll reject
you.  He won't.  Tell him now because he'll be killed if you don't.  We'll
all die if you don't.  We still might, but at least we have a chance."  She
left his mind before he could respond.

	"Justin," Pyre said as he crossed the blonde's path next.  "I've
got something I have to tell you."

	"Can't it wait?"  Justin asked.  "We are kind of busy."

	"It can't wait," Pyre told him.  "Selena's been killed.  I have to
go take her place."  He looked around and saw the courtyard below.  "Let's
continue this one the ground."

	"What is it?" Justin asked when they were both on the ground.

	"There's not an easy way to tell you this," Pyre sighed.  "I love
you, but you have to see this."

	"Pyre," Justin said.  "I love you and there isn't anything you
could tell me that would make me hate you.  Except possibly you being a
vampire that has come to destroy me."

	Pyre smiled softly.  "Nothing like that."  He leaned in and kissed
Justin gently.  "But possibly something worse."

	In the dim light Justin watched Pyre's eyes change from their
normal green to yellow.  The whites also changed to yellow.  The pupil
changed from round to a slit.  His skin became a reddish gold and changed
from skin to scales.  A pair of leathery wings erupted from his back
shredding his shirt.  Very quickly Pyre's body began to expand in all
directions destroying his clothing.  His hands grew long nails and turned
into claws.  He finished his transformation and let out a bestial roar.

	"Wow," was all Justin could say.  "You're a dragon?"

	"You don't hate me?"  Pyre asked meekly.  Meek was completely out
of place with his current form.

	"Hate you?"  Justin asked.  "No, I can't do that.  Surprised.  Yes,
but I don't hate you.  Though I would have liked to have known before this.
But we can talk about this later."

	Pyre nodded and spread his wings.  He pushed upward with them and
soared into the sky, belching flames at a few flying opponents as he went.









	Selvar raced down the long hallway on one of the lower levels of
the castle.  A number of small goat-like demons were trailing behind him.
Each of his eight swords were bloodstained and a large quantity of blood
covered his bone white armour.  None of it his.

	"Selvar.  The castle walls have been breached.  At least one of the
Acolytes is inside."

	"I'm aware of the breaching," Selvar sent back.  "I've about fifty
lesser demons on my tail.  I'll take care of them.  Find out which Acolyte
is inside and deal with it.  Let everyone else know that the Acolytes have
moved into the castle proper."

	"Already ahead of you.  Lance is preparing something as we speak."

	"Good.  Now if you'll excuse me, I've some creatures to deal with."

	"Take care Selvar," Evelyn said as she pulled out of his mind.

	He ran around the corner and skidded to a stop halfway down the
hallway.  He opened himself to his magic and began calling upon years of
training.  The magic flowed around him and outward.  It wrapped itself
around the armour along the walls.  Calling them to life.  The bone armour
twitched and moved.  It stepped of their pedestals and walked to meet the
charging demon horde.

	Selvar leaned against one wall to regain his breath as his armour
fought the demons.  His arms ached and he needed rest, but there wouldn't
be any for a long time yet.  Dawn was still hours away.  He knew he
wouldn't get any rest until long after the sun had risen.

	The armour was dealing effectively with the demons.  Less then half
the demon numbers still stood after less then a minute of battle.  Only one
of the suits had been destroyed.  The elf gave them a standing command to
seek out any other demons and kill them as well.  He staggered down the
hall and slipped into one of the rooms to catch his breath and reformulate
his plan.

	The door closed behind him and he immediately realized something
was out of place.

	"Greetings necromancer," the Green Acolyte said as he stepped out
of the shadows.  He pulled a sword from his belt and leveled it at Selvar's
chest.











	"Pathetic," the Blue Acolyte sneered.

She had Chris and Lance backed into a corner.  Chris stood in front of
Lance with his flame aura activated.  Every time the blue robed woman tried
to get close to them he would send a wave of flame at her.  She would move
back, but it seemed that she was only playing with and wasn't actually
afraid of the flames.

"Just a little longer," Lance whispered to Chris.  He had pulled out his
powders and glues and was busily making a detailed rune on the floor.

"Unfortunately you don't have a little longer," Blue said as a smile
crossed her face.  "I'm an impatient woman at times.  This is one of those
times."  Chris' flames suddenly extinguished themselves.

"What the fuc." Chris muttered a moment before he was slammed into the wall
to his left.

"A nice trick pyro," Blue said.  "But not nearly impressive enough.  I hope
you'll forgive me for putting it out.  Of course in about ten minutes you
won't care."  She glanced at Lance.  "I don't think so my little rune
mage."

The rune that Lance had almost completed was raked with an invisible force.
The powders and glue scattering themselves in the wake of an unseen hand.
A moment later the remains of the rune melted into the floor.

"I can't have you preparing yourself," Blue said sweetly.  "Now can I?"
She walked closer to Lance's crouched form.  "I would promise this wouldn't
hurt.  But I'd be lying.  This is going to hurt more then anything you've
ever experienced."

"Leave them alone," Evelyn's calm voice came.

Blue stood and turned around slowly.  "Ah, the mother has come to defend
her cubs.  You can run along now, I'll deal with you later."

A smile graced Evelyn's lips, but didn't touch her eyes.  "I'm a busy woman
Acolyte.  You'll have to deal with me now."

"If you insist."

"Lance take Christopher out of here.  You two don't need to see this,"
Evelyn said without taking her eyes of the Blue Acolyte.

Lance nodded and helped Chris to his feet.  The two of them skirted the
Acolyte and moved past Evelyn.  They disappeared around the corner.

"Shall we get on with this?"  Blue snapped.  "I've got a number of things
to accomplish tonight."

Evelyn's eyes flared blue as she struck with her mind at the woman standing
before her.  Blue's head snapped back slightly and she slid backward and
inch.  Evelyn kept up her attack while preparing herself for a
counterstroke.  It came as quickly as she had sent her attack.

She mentally parried the blow and launched a new attack.  Instead of one
concentrated blow she slammed into the other woman's mind with several less
powerful attacks, but with much greater speed.

"Nicely done," Blue commented.  The Acolyte retaliated with a blow that
caused Evelyn's ears to ring and a small trail of blood to tear from her
eye.  Evelyn wiped the bloody tear away and raked the woman's mind with a
mental claw.  Blue screamed in pain and slashed back.  This time Evelyn
cried out in pain.

To an observer it would appear as if the two women were just staring at
each other from opposite ends of a hallway.  The full battle would be
revealed to anyone who had any psychic power.  The battle was raged
completely one a mental plane, but was just as furious as the one that
raged in the forest.










	Pyre breathed fire at countless flying demons.  The creatures would
scream in agony and then fall from the sky.  Only to be replaced by even
more.  The Werebats had all but completely been destroyed.  A few still
remained in the sky, but they were quickly being killed as well.  More of
the demons were concentrating on Pyre as less opponents were in the sky.

	The only thing that had let him continue this long was his
regenerative factor.  The demons' claws were tiny, but were very sharp.
They were easily slicing through his scales and into the tender flesh
beneath.  The fact that moments after the wound was inflicted it closed,
didn't help the pain that was constantly stabbing at him.

	He smashed a few more of the abominations from his path.  He was
slowly working his way away from the castle in hopes that he could buy his
allies some more time.  If they could hold off until sunrise they would
have a much greater chance at survival.

	The stupid creatures were allowing him to carry out his plan.  As
he moved away from the castle they followed him.  They probably didn't
realize what he was doing.  Or they didn't care.  Either way he would be
able to buy a few hours.  In the mean time he would kill as many as
possible.

	Searing pain ripped through his right wing.  Pyre looked over and
saw one of the demons clinging to his wing.  The creature looked at him and
grinned wickedly.  An instant later it dug its claws into the thing skin
and tore.  Pyre bellowed in pain before he fell from the sky.  As the
ground rushed up to meet him he realized he had fallen from several
thousand feet.  He wouldn't be able to survive the impact.









	"Mistress," a black-skinned sorcerer said.  "Two of the bottles
have shattered."

	"What?"  The woman exclaimed.  "Who broke them?"

	"No one," the sorcerer told her.  "They simply shattered.  The
black bottle and the brown bottle just broke.  They cracked open and the
mist inside dissipated."

	"Did it change colour before it disappeared?"  She asked sharply.

	"No.  It just disappeared."

	The woman started laughing.  She laughed until tears rolled down
her dark cheeks.  "We may just win this yet."

	"Mistress?"

	"The bottles broke because two of the Acolytes are dead," she
explained.  "The Brown and Black Acolytes have been killed."  She laughed
again.  "More will die before the night is through, but we may just win."










Justin was making his circles around the castle much faster now that Pyre
had been called away to replace Selena.  He wondered how Joey would take
the news of her death.  He wasn't upset about it right now, but that was
because of the adrenaline in his system.  When this was all over he knew he
was going to crash, and crash really hard.  But he knew that when he came
down off his natural high he wouldn't reject Pyre.  Granted he was still in
shock about his love being a dragon, but he didn't care.  He loved Pyre for
who he was, not what he was.

He was so involved in his thoughts that he almost ran into the man appeared
in front of him.  The man was dressed in what looked like leather pants and
a leather shirt.  It took Justin a second to realize that they were
leather.  He'd never seen leather the dyed reddish gold before.  The man's
hair hung to his shoulders and was a dark red, almost auburn.  His skin
tones were also golden.

"Please tell me I don't have to fight you," Justin said.

The man smiled.  "No child, you don't have to fight me.  But I do have a
favour to ask of you."

"Who are you?  And what can I do for you?"  Justin asked.

"I am the Guardian of Fire," the man replied.  "I'm about to bestow my gift
upon your cause.  Two of your friends are on the roof of the main tower.
Take them inside the castle and go there yourself."

"Are you going to tell me why?"  Justin asked.

"It should be apparent once my gift arrives," the Guardian said.

"If you say so," Justin said.  He flew toward the tower leaving the
Guardian behind.  As the man had said Joey and JC were on top of the tower.
They had pretty much cleared away anything from the tower.  Most of the
creatures that were still attacking the tower hung a respective distance
away.  He touched down on the tower and walked over to JC and Joey.  The
pair stood back to back so they could see whatever came near the tower.
"We gotta go guys.  The Guardian of Fire's about to give us a gift and we
don't want to be around when it goes off."

"What?"  Joey asked.  His eyes widened after a second.  "Oh shit.  We don't
want to be here when it happens.  Get us off this tower."

"Huh?"  JC asked.

"Not a problem," Justin said.  He grabbed each of their arms and flew off
the tower.  Once he'd cleared the tower he just dropped.  When he was close
enough to the ground he started flying again and flew through the door at
the base of the tower.









	The Guardian of Fire clapped his hands in the air twice.  A small
ball of fire appeared above him.  It floated in front of him and began
growing in size.  When it was ten times as big as he was, he nodded at it.
The ball spread giant wings and screeched at the sky.  Tiny trails of flame
wavered in the air as the Phoenix hovered in front of its master.

	"Destroy all that is in the sky my friend," The Guardian whispered.
The mythical bird cocked its head at him and screeched to acknowledge his
request.  The flaming bird flew away from him leaving a trail of flame in
its wake.










	Shaking off the chains of fatigue Selvar launched himself at the
Green Acolyte.  The man smiled and parried his blows.  It took an
incredible swordsman to be able to deflect every attack leveled by a
necromancer in full battle armour.  Eight arms are very difficult to avoid
at once.  The Acolyte had no trouble with this task.

	"You're very good," Green complimented him.  "But I am going to
kill you and then I'll have my way with your love.  He's cute you know.
You're lucky to have found him.  To bad it won't last."

	"You won't lay a hand on Lance," Selvar spat in fury.

	"Oh but I will.  It's so much fun to taunt a man that is going to
die," Green gloated.  "You'll die and then Lance will die, after I rape
him.  And then I might pass him off to the Black Acolyte.  He has a
necrophilia fetish.  He's an odd man, but to each his own I guess."

	"Silence," Selvar snapped.

	"Oh what the hell?"  Green asked.  He thrust forward through the
elf's defenses.  His blade found a weak spot in the armour and pierced
Selvar's heart.  "I was getting bored with this anyway."

	Selvar gasped and slid backward off the sword.  He slumped to the
ground as a trickle of blood ran from his mouth.  He wore a shocked look on
his face under his helmet.  A large pool of blood spread around his body.

	Green leaned over him.  "I told you, you would die tonight," he
whispered into Selvar's ear.  He laughed as he watched the elf's life slip
away from him.  "I'll enjoy your love before the night is through as well.
And do keep in mind that I always keep my promises."

	"NO!!!!!!!!"  Arvia screamed.  She ran passed the Acolyte and
hugged Selvar's dead body.

	"You aren't need here priestess," Green said coldly.

	"You will die for this," she whispered harshly.

	"You are in no position to be threatening me."

	"You have killed one of my chosen ones," Arvia breathed as she
stood.  "That is an offense punishable only by death."

	The Acolyte arched an eyebrow.  "And you are going to kill me?"

	Arvia nodded.  Her features changed.  Her hair darkened until it
was raven black, and her skin became even paler.  Her robe altered until it
became a slinky gown that hinted at everything beneath it, but revealed
nothing.  "Yes I will."

	"I was beginning to wonder when you would show up Ishtar," Green
smirked.  "Clever disguise by the way.  I am, however, not afraid of a
goddess of love."

	"Perhaps not love," Ishtar said calmly.  "But perhaps a goddess of
war as well."  Her robe shimmered and was replaced by golden scalemail.  A
bronze shield appeared on her left arm and a golden spear in her right.  "I
also keep my promises Acolyte."

	Ishtar spun with incredible speed and knocked the sword from
Green's hands.  She twirled the spear and knocked the man's feet from
underneath him.  Before his body hit the floor she had stabbed him through
the heart with the spearhead.  He screamed in pain before bursting into
flames.  His body was completely consumed by the flames.

	"I also keep my promises."

	The goddess dropped the spear.  A moment later the shield joined it
on the floor.  She dropped to her knees next to Selvar's body.  She pulled
off his helmet and set it aside.  Smoothing the hair out of his face she
wept.

	"You are beyond my power," she cried.  "But I will see that your
minions will continue the fight.  It is all I can do for you my chosen one.
I am sorry."  She collapsed on his chest and wept harder.

	"Lance," she called.  "Your love has fallen."










	Pyre stood in a great hall.  The designs were Egyptian.  At the end
of the hall stood a woman in ancient Egyptian garb, except that her dress
was purple.  Next to her stood a man dressed in Egyptian garb as well.
Except his was the traditional colour of white.

	"Greetings dragon," the woman said to him.  "You have come to me,
but I refuse you."

	"Pardon?"

	"I am the Guardian of Death," she said.  "I gather many of the
souls of the departed.  I refuse yours.  All souls must past through these
halls.  If they do not they are not dead."

	"What are you talking about?"  Pyre asked.  "I hit the ground and
died.  I remember that."

	"Your body bares no marks," the man next to the Guardian of Death
said.  "That is the my gift to your cause."

	"My gift is to refuse your soul passage at this time," Death
replied.  "If I will not take you, you will return to your body and live."

	"You're giving me my life back?"

	"I am refusing your soul," Death said.  "He is giving you your life
back.  Only the Guardian of Life can do that."

	"Thank you," Pyre said simply.











	Karr teleported himself into the center of the room.  Glancing
around he saw Lance and Chris in the far corner.  Chris lay on the ground
with a large welt on his forehead.  Lance knelt over him with a cloth
trying to bring the swelling down.  In his other arm Lance hugged a large
white book.  Every now and then he would say something to it.

	"Leave us," Lance said without turning around.  Karr could hear the
tears in his voice. "I don't know who you are, and I don't care.  But leave
us alone."

	"I've come to help," Karr said.

	"Then do so else where.  I don't have time to deal with this."

	"I'm afraid I have to help right here," Karr told him.  "This will
only take a little while."

	He closed his eyes and began to chant the spell that he had been
given not long before.  His hands sketched the spell in the air before him
in time to the words that he spoke.

	Twenty minutes passed in this way before any noticeable effect
appeared.  A tiny doorway appeared.  It grew until it was large enough for
a grown man to walk through.  Karr collapsed to his knees when the door had
stopped growing.

	"You did it wrong," a black-skinned woman said.  She walked in from
the shadows and helped Karr to his feet.  "You won't be able to cast any
other spells until that one is finished.  And it won't be finished until
they go through it."

	"I know," Karr said.  "There was no other way to do it."

	She nodded.  "Agreed.  My sorcerers are spread around the castle.
They will deal with any minor creatures.  Three of the Acolytes are dead
Karr.  We have half won this battle."

	"But not completely," Nydia said as she appeared in the room.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

	Karr nodded his agreement.  "But we can hope."

	There was a rush of light and Karr's head rolled across the room.
Nydia stared in shock as her brother's body collapsed to the floor.  The
doorway snapped shut as its source of power vanished.

	"Hope is such a frail thing," the White Acolyte said.  She held a
blade of pure light in her hand.  "Much like his head."  She flicked the
blade at the sorceress.  Blood gushed from the wound that appeared from her
navel to her shoulders.

	"This ends now," Nydia said coldly.  "You've killed my brother.
And my twin.  You have slaughtered countless people.  And now you die."

	"Cliches," White said.  "You have to love them."  She was going to
continue taunting Nydia but was caught short by a fireball in the face.
She slammed into the floor and slid toward the wall.  She lay there in a
daze.

	When she had recovered enough to stand Nydia was involved in
another spell.  She felt a strange sensation cover her body.  The feeling
quickly faded.

	"Not good enough to kill me," she smirked.

	"That wasn't suppose to kill you," Nydia smiled triumphantly.  "But
this one will.  You're life depends on the five remaining in this
dimension.  All of the Acolytes' lives do now.  I'm sending the five home."

	"No you're not."  White slide her blade into Nydia's chest as the
woman began chanting.

Her body fell to the floor next to her brother's headless corpse.  Instead
of the chanting being silenced it kept going.  White looked in horror and
realized Nydia's spirit was still casting the spell.  Nydia stood above her
body, a pale form compared to the original, but none the less powerful.

A flash of light and a clap of thunder accompanied the completion of the
spell.  Lance and Chris vanished with a small popping sound.  Nydia looked
triumphantly at White as the woman burst into flames.



	Five black-skinned sorcerers watched the remaining three bottles
explode.

	"They are truly gone," one of them said.  "We have won."

	"Yes," another said.  "But at what cost?"


	TBC


So what did you think?  Let me know.  This isn't the end.  I've still got a
few things to finish with.  Until next time.

Rune