(the events depicted here take place after the lecture series)

His eyes jerked open as if waking from a nightmare to a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Sheets thrown aside as though shedding chains form his body, Artemus rushed to the large mirror within the bedroom. It?s ancient wood showing much wear and wisdom as his image appeared in the reflective surface. Carefully he began to whisper, left hand wiping counter-clockwise making his image distort and shift until an aerial image of the Arcanum showed itself. And the Academy was in flames.

?Who would?..? And then he saw her, moving between buildings. The face of a woman he could hardly recognize as the last time they?d crossed paths she had been of a lighter aura and a friendlier face. ?By Zutwa?what?s going on here?? Anger flashed within his emerald iris as the world shifted and he stood before the raiders, heavy set golems of dark obsidian rising from the ground up on either side, emotionless faces staring forward as they raised great, spiked fists.

A hand rose to halt their progress making the ground stir and split in a line that stretched between the groups. Face grim but determined Artemus looked upon them all with a cold edge in his eyes; a look that promised death this night for them all. ?If you value your lives, you?ll give me answers on why you?ve come seeking destruction.? Even as he spoke, mental messages were relayed to the senior students living in the school to ready contingency plans and fall back to the defensible areas, then contact Briarius by any means. Artemus didn?t know what brought Shauri to his door with blood on her soul, but he?d sure as hell find out why.

As that handful of golems gathered around him in a wedge formation, the Headmaster felt the energies of the compound which housed Arcanum Academy come to life. He wouldn?t take any chances with this woman or the strange soldiers with her. Even as he waited, a sixth golem began to form at the heart of the wedge. It?s mass an amalgamation of several metals within the natural stone of Rhydin, however its form more defined for more devastating movements. ?I want answers, and I want them now??

A sickly black sphere of force enveloped Atremus and his golems as a frightening visage of bone and death rose from the ground near them. The bone armor contained no other than Briarius Ravensheart who winced slightly from the damage of the lightning bolts as they destroyed his shield.

"I understand you may be in need of some aid Headmaster Kurgen."

Briarius, Headmaster of Ravensheart Academy spoke with the tone of the grave. He had definitely prepared for an attack for quite some time as he came with a host of undead which were all warded to prevent them from being consumed by Sha'uri. The battlefield had become a nightmare for the attackers.

Briarius moved close to Artemus.

"My spirits will get your students to safety. I will make certain that any who fall are protected against Sha'uri. I wish I could explain more, but the time for words is short."

Trained warrior or not, the wave of spectres and ghouls was enough to unhinge even the most disciplined mind. It was a slow but safe walk for the students. The enchantments made the undead seem to be fae and elementals to them. They had no fear.

Things however were not going so great for their master however. The enemy had Briarius pinned down and all he could do was deflect the attacks upon him. With his undead off helping the students, he had foolishly left himself open. He was used to their protection and fighting in single combat. Most of his power was used to give his undead protections and intelligence enough to keep the students safe. It was all too obvious that the innocents were Briarius' primary focus.

Despite the fear some of her men obviously had towards them, Sha'uri laughed at the whole nightmare effect. It was amazing to her the overconfidence that some people had... thinking they could protect themselves and everyone else from her. She was tough before, but ever since Bob introduced the darker magic drawn from primordial lines from deep within the bowls of the Abyss, Sha'uri was becoming something else even more powerful.

In the minutes that ticked by while so many others showed up ....

Sha'uri cast a wall of fire to melt most of the earthen piranha. The troops facing off with Arte and Bri swiftly used their fire and magic missiles to attack the piranha back as well. But before Aquil showed up some other things happened....

With one simple word to finish the spell, Three of her forms blinked briefly out and back into existence one at a time. What had been the Original facing off Arte was now in a different place.

It was nearly impossible to tell the difference between the Sha'uri's, clothed identical as they were. Even their swords from everyone's vantage appeared to be the same twin longswords she'd always had. After all, her copies were Her.

One Sha'uri jumped in the air, flying twenty feet above the shock waves Arte sent out at her direction. Her troops specifically with her there, however, went for a bumpy ride backwards several feet along with the damage from the land piranha, however minimal it was supposed to be. While the piranha didn't cut through this armor it did find ways between the plates around the joints and midsection. Some of the men now had white and red suits but most were plenty capable of a fight. A few were not so lucky as they had been swarmed by the wave of piranha, disoriented and fell into the wall of fire... from there they fell into the cracks Arte put in the ground between the two groups.

This one's gaze followed his form as Aquil sailed over the line of fighters and landed next to the other two. "Yeah, that seems fair... three against one here. You're going to need all the help you can get. I'm surprised you didn't call Lupi in. I'd love to reciprocate his kindness towards us."

As the men got up again, firing away at Arte, Bri, the Golems with Arte and now Aquil... who all seemed to be grouped together, the flying Sha'uri breathed sand melting fire upon the golems at an angle aimed to hit Arte as well. It was swiftly followed by a wave of negative energy across the whole area strong enough to drain considerable strength and constitution from those that couldn't withstand it, along with depleting their experiences in life. Even a few of her own men, who were in line of the wave, seemed to be affected by it.

A Second Sha'uri on another side of the complex, had the advantage of being slightly behind and out of line of sight for the defenders but was able to know what was going on in front where Arte, Bri and one who could only be Aquil had just gathered. This one cast an anti magic shells on a section of walkway the children had to go through in order to get into the main building. It was large enough that they didn't have a choice on their walk, and therefore wouldn't be protected like some thought they'd be. Their last several yards would have to be at a run. Whatever magical protection Bri thought he had around his undead would go dead the moment they walked into that field. It would not protect them from her. The Second Sha'uri moved in for lunch..... her group of troops attacking from one side cutting off children from Bri's specters before the specters could get to them.

"The orders are Kill them! Kill them all!"

The storm troopers with that Sha'uri maneuvered in on the children from that side trying to get to the main building.

A Third Sha'uri was on the opposite side from the second one. She seemed to rally in more troops to add to the mix, now that golems were attacking the men. An additional 250 men would teleported in, spread out around that side of the ring they had formed around the complex. This was to enforce the barricade they'd created around the Academy not only from the inside of the ring, but against any attacks coming from the outside by the city.

And the Last Sha'uri directed troops in from the backside of the complex. Their focus was to do as much damage as they could to the place. An additional 250 troops were teleported into this area to spread to the other side of the ring, totaling 750 troops on just this one school alone. These moved in, bombs were used and also put in place to do as much damage as they could when set off.

A barricade was erected and finished within a short few moments. It was not going to be an easy thing to get into the place, nor out of.

No sooner then the One relayed her statement to Arte, Bri and Aquil then again, that odd blink phasing Sha'uri out of sight briefly and back into view again... happened again....

"No!"

Briarius suddenly teleported closer to his spectres as they mentally relayed the information.

Briarius looked to the students and said only one thing, "Run!"

He used his powers to open a portal that would take the students through that last couple yards to inches before the main building. He dismissed his spectres. He called upon his fledgling divine powers to make that portal safe for the innocents. As the divine power strengthened the portal and kept the students safe, his personal armor and protection were obviously falling apart.

"...And so Jafar the Dragon remembered his past finally, and accepted his duty of a progressor..." she finished the tale, and ruffled her creation's golden locks. The Double Trouble were asleep already. For some reason Artemus was delayed... what kept him so long in that medieval city? He would hardly be inclined to miss an evening with Amaris, would he? The quasi-vampire was getting nervous. Hells take this Shifter... what if they might?! what if they already have?!
"And what became of churchmen and Anna?" Amaris asked.
"I will tell you tomorrow, I promise, sunshine," she pulled up the light blanked over the girl, watching her drift into sleep as well as her mentari friends. There was something remote in Rhaine's unfeeling gem-like eyes, as if she was accepting some data via neural link.

In a few minutes she was walking out of a rift in the Summoning Circle, already in her favorite living metal armor, sleek and black, and fully armed. A towering figure of Temple sentry, a large skeletal warrior, followed her. Indifferent gaze surveyed the surroundings. A quiet whistle was the only comment when she approached the defenders.

Snow began to dust the Summoner's Circle, swirling and spinning faster and faster, the temperature dropping suddenly as a burst of mist joined the snowflakes - and when the snow and mist initially cleared, the Ice Mage stood in the center of the Circle, silver eyes already half-filled with jet as she surveyed the chaos all around her. She gave a half-nod to Rhaine, stepping around her and the skeleton with her as she quickly assessed the situation.

She immediately noticed the troops moving in for the school - an entire army's worth coming to bear from behind. With a low growl, she raised her hands - and for the first time in many years, she called forth Ice not from the air and water about her, but from the very heart of the Ice Plane itself. The brunt of the blast was directed towards the troops at the back of the school, who immediately sought to return fire - but the blasts were swallowed by the blizzard winds ranging about her. The troops on the fringes were fortunate - the shielding on their armor affording them some protection, but those in the center of that blast were not so lucky, for the power she called forth was like a force of nature itself, screaming vengeance for the attack on the Academy. The armor shattered on impact, the bodies very soon after, leaving broken bits of frozen flesh scattered in her wake as she advanced on the troops, dark lines twining over pale skin, ebony streaks dancing in her pale hair, her hands glowing with a sharp white light as she prepared another surge.

"Missed me?" that voice was slightly snickering, as she winked to Artemus. A half-dome antimagic shield appeared over him at the wave of her hand. The ruby-and-hematite medallion sparkled in protest - the priestess used protection available to asmodeans only, with the modification that the limited intelligence of artifact considered unnatural.

Her evaluation of the situation took seconds. A mist started filling the area, as if a thick cloud landed out of nowhere after Wyh's blizzard. The mist didn't feel damp or wet, instead it felt slightly tingling, as if from electricity, and it seemed to swallow laser or plasma blasts. Patches of cloud became thicker here and there. Some of the stormtroopers that touched the mist ended up falling, turning into lifeless dust that filled their armors - it took under five seconds each. The mist was draining life out of them, fully, thoroughly, from every cell. The mist was feeding.

For the moment, Rhaine decided that "at all costs" included blowing the disguise as well. Her voice was already muffled. Mist between her lips, mist over her eyes, mist in every breath. Swarm of misty tentacles replaced her hair, soft-looking, dissolving in the translucent mass of the cloud. Her hands seemed to dissolve in the mist, with gradual transition from the pale flesh into the opalescent pale smoke.

"Get everyone into one safe location, Art. I don't want someone you protect end up digested. You have a minute or less"

For now she was still controlling the mist, controlling those that were assembled in the opalescent whiteness with every second, like an accelerating avalanche. The skeleton was hurling mixed-elemental streams at the enemy, visibly trying to target Shauri, the shell around him shivered from each cast. Rhaine herself had no protective antimagic shell around her. The mist that _was_ her was swallowing energy hungrily, achieving some kind of weird equilibrium.

In a minute, the first hundreds of insect-like beings lunged at the stormtroopers and at their leaders. Had someone bothered to watch them, every attack was a masterpiece of unknown evolution. Even before the insect touched the armor surface, dozens of what looked like sticky tentacles, or possibly outside digestion organs, rushed forth like some impossible biological jet. Within split second before insectoid's landing the armor was melted through, and new, shorter extremities shot forth - ovipositors? stings? Within seconds it was over for a victim. Melted holes on the armor, and high temperature within - for the new beings to spring out of these cocoons. And the air was still filled with mist, unnatural, creeping with alien life and possibly brewing more surprises.


((on the ooc scale, this is next minute from Rhaine's arrival, knowing her habit of lunging into trouble in case certain feline is involved, she possibly needed less than a minute to start the necessary chain reactions))

South end of the complex where Sha?uri?s copy known to some as Number Two blinked out and was replaced by her other copy, Number One. This one had just been breathing fire all over Artemus . She?d been replaced by Cain, who was now fighting Aquil. She, too, grinned at the play, but deep down she wanted to be in Cain?s place right then. There was something about the way Aquil fought that appealed to her as a fighter. He was a challenge, a worthy opponent. He was someone who could actually teach her something new? For her, it was an honor to face him in battle. She hoped the next blink would take her back there again.

The ice cold air blew in from the northern end. She watched as over a hundred men were either frozen so quickly they shattered and some seemed to go with a small explosion. For those further away from the source, they were brought down to their knees shivering with almost immediate hypothermia and even frost bite. Others were also shivering but the further away they were, the more they survived it.

At the great loss of men, something flickered in her eyes? a spark of sapphire in Amethyst hues as she took in the carnage of the scene? The ice knew no bounds. And from the Ice a Mist did come, brewing carnage for twisted fun. Pain and Pleasure until I grew numb.

Fascinated by the two as she watched momentarily, gaze hardening with every crack and pop of flesh, every cry from her men. Even through the mist, Aquil?s movements caught her attention, moving so fast it seemed that time somehow grabbed him, grabbed her and slowed as if in some weird way they were connected ?. And something flipped from within ?..

?I?m not numb.? Her voice of light was pained; gaze almost horrified at the souls crying after the effect.

Some lost, some crying to the gods but all were not a physical sound heard by others. It was the cry of so many dead, their souls calling to her to take them home. It was a sensation she hadn?t felt in a long while. To her, it was like a rare slice of normality, of belonging and purpose.

She watched as Aquil?s form suddenly moved lightning fast, blue and green spinning round before him as two became one of a turquoise hue. It was as if some normality returned to her vision, her sense of time.

And out of the mist something jumped at her, jarring her back into her tainted reality that all those voices were increasing and there was nothing she could do for them except try to coax them nearer to her, taking them into herself and consuming them to her purposes. This she did with a few, dark tendrils unseen snatched souls of the dead while twin blades where in her hands without a blink of her now once again amethyst hues.

Her form stepped to the side, spinning round while using the momentum to throw the target off of her before it had the chance to touch her. The blades sank deeply into it?s flesh and a searing of fire, ice, lightning and acid spread into the form while the keen edged blades cut not just in half but swiftly circled back cutting it into fourths. Something else jumped at her but it seemed that whatever it was dropped to the ground and shattered like an ice cube.

More souls cried out to her.

?Masks! Fall back!? whatever were left of the men around her pulled their gas masks and headed back to the barricade. ?Time to counter the cold. And this cursed joke of a Mist.?

Her thoughts reached out to her sister copy for some help while she moved in towards the cold. Warded as she was, whatever damage it was doing was, so far, being healed almost immediately.

Sha?uri Number Two, on the Western side, was thus far not met by too much opposition. A few of the mechanical toys came through and the cold had made most of the men uncomfortable shying away from that southern end. Even so, the mist was certainly something to take note of, in her opinion. Number Two was intrigued by the feel of it. It appealed her sense of research and spell manipulations.

Still, when the thought came immediately to her informing her of a need of help, she complied with swiftness.

Two beings were summoned one right after the other. The first was a huge fire elemental. It was sent in after the cold as both a protection for the southern side and a dire force of nature to combat the frozen nature. The second was a huge air elemental that twisted and spun round with the force of a tornado. It moved in with the intent to collect the mist into its funnel and trap it there.

Sha?uri Number Two then likewise had her men put on the breathing masks. Then they were ordered to shift a few men to the Southern side. Fifty headed that way. The rest banded together and headed inward. Three of the four sides had about 100 men pushing hard to get to the main building.

Troop count: 550

Jogging had become a regular thing for Leun. Her job kept her up late and so for all intents and purposes she'd become someone who ran in the night. Barret and Allie, her two special dogs, always went with her along with a phaser she'd picked up from one of the stores in town and several daggers she kept in various places. Her sword and the Uzi automatic were left at home being too bulky for her to take on a normal night run.

There were times when she lent aid to those in need, stopped a few thugs or tracking down a robber or killer when she came upon a scene. Tonight was no different except the killers were far more then she expected and the whole attack had gotten her by surprise as it did everyone else.

She'd been on the other side of the river, jogging west along the shore when the attacks began on the market area. There was no time to go back to get her gear, this is all she had. She knew people were getting hurt, and really what good would a sword or an uzi do against the beam of a ship in orbit?

Running faster with the dogs on either side, she headed west to the nearest bridge and moved across. Troops were on the ground attacking other and she fended them off as best she could, helping a few citizen's have time to run to safety across teh bridge to the south. As she moved further east, she saw the attacks thicken near the Academy.

"Oh my god... Artemus!"

She'd known Arte for some time now, had been working with him to design a lightsabre. What she wouldn't give to have it now.

The gleem of a blade caught her gaze as it lay on the ground near a dead man's body. It was a shortsword, thankfully, although no where near as crafted as her own. This one was just a typical weapon. She picked it up in one hand and drew phaser in the other. Her gaze went to her dogs.

"This might be too much for you two. You should go home but I won't stop you if you come. It's dangerous."

The odd thing about Barret and Allie is that most times not only did they shift their eyes and angle their heads, twitching their ears to every sound as if they were doing more then listening... sometimes they almost seemed as if they were answering. The two gave soft barks and tipped their noses in the direction of the school.

With a nod she took a cleansing breath and focused into the Force, feeling it's flow around her and using it to enhance her physically. Then down the street she moved, darting in and out of the shadows staying mostly out of the white armored men's way. And then she found herself on the south eastern edge of the comples.

She'd been in fights before, but nothing had prepared her for this. There were men everywhere. As she came near the southern most academy building, one of the chem labs, she realized that she had nothing to hide behind along the shor, there would be no room to manuever around all those men there.

Leuni quickly backtracked a few houses and ran north before attempting to head east again. She managed to pick off a few of the white suited shooters taking them out swiftly with her phaser. She got herself between the buildings and soon was moving along the north edge, stepping in between the dormatories to catch her breath. Children were running everywhere heading south. She followed them to the edge of the dorms and saw where they were headed. Right for the main building.

She also took a moment to take in the situation and realized she was way in over her head. One of the children warned her to get to the main building and in looking at the situation all around, she had to agree.

"Barrett.. Allie.. go with them!" The two dogs complied offering a small group of children some protection while they ran towards the main building ...

Leun assessed the situation once again, spying Arte. She stuck to the building, trying to keep out of the way of the enemy... and enemy she didn't understand. As she got to the southeastern corner of the eastern dormatory, something tugged on her sense of the Force like so much wind.

There is, for just a moment, a flicker of a smile that tugs at the corners of his lips. Small, soft, peaceful as the world slows to a crawl around him.

The lightsaber whirls swiftly enough to turn the two blades into a single shade of turquoise as the lightning closes on his chest and catches it...but rather than deflecting it or dissipating it, the lightning seems to wrap itself around those blades as he turns.

The swift whirling motion combined with the spinning blades has a kinetically enhancing effect as he keeps the lightning wrapped around the twin blades by sheer power of the Force alone, turning a full circle as the blades transition from horizontal to vertical and move upwards over his head. Waiting for just the right moment, he reaches out to the Force to enhance his balance and senses...

...and one at a time he lets go of that hold on the bolts of lightning at the precise instant to send them back towards the Shauri that had sent them his way like balls of energy slipping from the blades by centrifugal force.

She'd never seen anything like this before. The feel of the Force and the way he moved, the command he held over it all had her frozen in wonder for a moment.

Blinking slowly, she felt her hand rise with the phaser aiming towards all of this as the man spun round. She saw the target and through the Force focused her aim on his hand. The phaser shot straight and true. Her aim was not at that man, but the white armored storm trooper on the other side of him who was about to shoot him in the head from behind. She watched the phaser streak across the small field past the dark haired woman that the red haired man was fighting, sail inbetween them and beyond striking the stormtrooper in the hand before he got his shot off.

For a moment she swore her dark brown gaze caught with the emerald hues of the red haired man.

And then she realized that her shot caught the attention of the stormtroopers she had snuck in behind and she knew her situation was dire.

She afforded one swift line of fire on the stormtroopers in front of her, knocking down a line of them with her one hand, used the Force to telekinetically knock back others coming at her from the eastern side of the barracks and spun round to run back the way she'd come... there was nothing for her to do but run!

The skeletal warrior moved to Rhaine's side, sending large globes of swirling multielemental spells towards the West and South. The being, supplied with energy from the Nine Hells directly, seemed to cast them quickly, efficiently and without much drain. A shower of destruction, a meteor storm created by the bony figure, rained on the figures in white - a mix of shock, acid, fire, and something causing quick decay.

...I could have tried to rift them away. But I am already overstepping my boundaries...

Unfeeling, blind to visible spectrum, gem-like eyes watched Shauri beings, watched the change in magical currents that led to the elemental appearing, while new and new hundreds of swarm beings sprung from the mist, fist-sized insectoids, palm-sized flying creatures resembling solifugae... They rushed faster than a normal insect ever could, and latched to more men in odd white armors. Seconds - and new ex-human cocoons were brewing a surprise. The Swarm spread towards East and West, chaotically, insanely.

Shauri's order for her troops to use gas masks had given Rhaine several extra moments to reach for more lives with mist tentacles. The mist effect wasn't a physical one - in fact, it was a visual reflection of magical matrix spread around the place. The mist contracted into a knee-high dense layer, clearing some view, but becoming more effective in draining lives. It had been visibly avoiding the antimagic zones, but hunted those in white armor with the persistence of a journalist, spreading from northern quarter of the campus towards the back, like white plague.

At the same time new swarm beings started to erupt from infected bodies and lunged at the nearest living ones, new generation taking 2-4 minutes to appear starting from initial infection. With the same insane speed, they were more abundant in number, pulling strength not only from the energy pumped into the initial creatures, but also from the lives of those they have previously consumed. The swarm was spreading - infecting, eating, bursting into new hungry lives.

Rhaine did not use any verbal or gesture phase to her spells. Had she launched the underground reaction at the same time as the one in the mist? There was no sign. More of the insectoids, new hundreds of leaping death just started springing out of the ground in every direction, every corner of the campus, even faster and sleeker than the aerial ones.

...It's going to get worse. I really need to change tactics before the Swarm gets out of control. Even if I'm at the side of those I do not know enough to side with.

A new something - invisible to normal eye - started spinning around the quasi-vampire.

As he watched the storm turn and barrel down upon him, he grinned and shook his head. "Oh no, it's not going to be that easy. You'll need to find something a little more creative than that." As he wagged a finger, he shifted into the ethereal realm, dodging the brunt of the cold. "Now, you going to play nicer or will I have to make an example of you?"

The storm wheeled about - catching another dozen or so troopers in its wake, freezing them into crystalline statuary, the sounds coming from its center like the gnashing of great fangs, as the Ice Mage hissed at where she thought Vinny had phased, thin tendrils of utter cold piercing and seeking him.

How best to combat the cold? A parka was out of the question. He didn't think they made one tough enough to withstand this. But he couldn't just stand here forever and let her dictate the pace of the fight. As he faded back into view, his eyes narrowed. A deep breath taken before tried something new. Digging his feet into the ground, he focused around him, using the cold and amplifying it, dragging the temperature down even further. "Let's see how cold you can take things. I bet even you have a limit."

A hint of a grin formed on her face - she seemed to be glowing from within, relishing in the dropping temperature, even accelerating it beyond what Vinny perhaps intended, her voice coming from within the center of the storm still pummeling the southern side of the school. I am one with the Ice - there is no cold I cannot withstand. But you... you are not of the Ice, murhaaja. (murderer)" The ground began to feel the effects, thin cracks radiating from her as the ice within the earth expanded, groaning from the stress upon it.

A cruel smile formed on his lips as she was taking the bait. "You're right. I'm not of the ice. But I do know a thing or two about ice and the science behind it." He kept bringing the temperature down further, which was made easier by the assistance she was giving him. "Like for instance, ice is solid, but the molecules within are still vibrating at a particular frequency. And if you bring the temperature down too far, and suddenly apply a large heat source, the rapid change in vibratory speeds can be quite......explosive." With a guttural yell, he channeled as much heat as he could bring in to a small space in front of her, letting it expand in a release of energy.

The resulting explosion when her ice storm hit that expanding heat sent a ball of superheated steam straight up, forcing the Ice Mage back a step - she was unhurt, but the storm would take a few moments to reform, even with the continuing plunging temperature, which was widening the cracks along the ground. Ice surged forth from the cracks, thick vine-like tendrils snaking for Vinny's ankles, tendrils that did not glitter with her usual Ice, but were black as the frosts that killed the autumn plants, black as the ice that laid travelers low in the dark winter's night - the streaks in her hair reflecting with a strange unlight as they danced in the constant screaming winds.

Looking down at the approaching ice tendrils, he floated up, looking to open up some space. "Not bad. But if you keep making it colder, there's another issue you might have to deal with. You familiar with the concept of absolute zero?"

Her voice still seemed to come from all around him, even as those darkness-laced tendrils snaked upwards, growing longer and longer in their quest to touch his flesh. "The Ice Plane is absolute zero at its very core, Vincent. It is a place I have walked unharmed, with the creatures within at my side - shall I introduce you to some of them?" She called out in that strange dialect once more, "Linnut j??, tule luokseni!" At once, a flock of skeletal hawk-like creatures flew for Vinny, talons wide, each cruel point tipped with that Black Ice, feathers razor-sharp, screeching to chill the very soul.

"Birds? I try to carry on an intelligent conversation while I distract you and you give me the bird? Ok, no more mister nice Vinny." He snapped his fingers, causing a sonic boom that shattered any ice within range. His face becoming darker, leveling a glare directly at her.

"If you get blasted over there, don't show your feline arse at home - I'll throttle you in best Kitty's manner!"

Hearing Rhaine's promise Artemus started laughing wildly as an idea struck him. With a whistle he summoned Atlas from where the large construct was having its fun. "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair" the words spoken with melodrama as he willed Atlas to put down his globe, the chain unfastening.

"I've been called a rat who thinks the world revolves around himself, might as well live up to it." Phasing inside of the hollowed out globe of mithril, he was still laughing. A quick incantation turned the whole interior surface into a viewing window, perfect three-hundred and sixty degree sight.

Hands on either side of the ball Artemus willed the metal to expand, barbed spikes covering a 3x3 area on either side. With some help from Atlas to get the ball rolling Artemus started sprinting inside, hands up for balance feeling bumps and jostles as the World spun on a brand new axis. "Ladies and gentlemen! Let the Dismemberment Derby begin!"

A display of gratuitous violence to say the least became Artemus's focus as his inhuman run mowed down white body after white body leaving a red-streak in it's wake. The whole time his mind was out and way, directing the Adepts, Arcanum's senior students (what remained yet) to finish getting as many students as they could to the main hall. Once done there, they were to scatter and start the next phase of defenses. With most of the conflict in the courtyard, the upper floors would turn this space into a killing field.

Ramming his shoulder against the inner surface made the globe twist in a near ninety-degrees, one barbed spike catching the ground to bring its twin around catching some unfortunate trooper behind the back of the head. The flash of blaster fire against the surfaces was disorienting at first. Specially the ones that collided in front of his face. "I need to fix something or I just might slip and fall on my face in here, that...would suck." Another focus of energy made the metal inside the ball ripple into ridges. "Much better..." Thoughts faded as he saw Briarius squaring off with one of the Shauri's. That wasn't good at all

Reacting quickly he twisted the focus off of the Gargoyles playing hacki-sack with whatever they could pick up and directed three of them to dive at that Shauri from opposing directions, each one spewing acid, fire, and lightning. He knew she'd destroy them, but that's the joy of diversions. Making the ground beneath his protective ball 'hiccup' set the world turning to continue the derby.

The blizzard spied across the southern expanse of campus had to belong to Wyheree however the Headmaster didn't have time to check on the Ice elemental, and he couldn't go back to figure out what Rhaine was up to. Students first. He'd have to trust the others to survive on their own a little while longer.


"Magnus! Have you activated the key nodes yet? His mind brushed against the head Adept, feeling her jump at the sudden intrusion.

"Y..yes, Headmaster. I followed your instructions. Main is keyed to go to Bahamut's realm, the potions labs will go to Limbo, everything else is keyed to planar shift to the demon realm of Nessus, home to Asmodeus." her response filled with worry and excitement all bundled together.

Good. We'll make them regret this folly yet. Leaving Magnus to finish her work Artemus cast a look around, not even noticing the bumps from crushed cadavers. "I'm missing something... And that's when it hit him. There had been four Shauri's. One was with Brarius, one was with the strange man and his energy staff. That left two uncontested. This wouldn't do at all.

From his mobile fortress Artemus set out planning the next step to quickly unify the Academy's defenses.

As Briarius stood there leaning on his scythe, she quick casted a cube of force around them, cutting them off from the rest of the world. The attacks coming their way bounced off the invulnerable shield. Some of Arte's attacks exploded upon impact showering her men outside of it with a spray of acid, wave of fire from the gargoyles wings and shot of lightning from their talons, killing another handful of Sha'uri's men.

The taunts from Bri had her sneering deeper with every insult. She jumped high over his attack with a backwards summersault, landing to just jump again with his second attack. Now it was her turn.

"Why, do you think you could do better? Is being a better villain what you really want me to do? You always told me that it takes one to know one, so what does that make you? After all, you taught me much, Headmaster Briarius... Here's a lesson for you."

Such harsh sarcasm dripped from her words all the while the blades moved slowly in a seemingly threat less circular motion.. but the tentacles she moved for a prime attack, coming in behind him, and from the sides ten, twenty of them simultaneously struck him only showing themselves a mere inch from him. They were not of the material, nor ethereal yet they existed in both and beyond, penetrating his skin and into his soul while her blade in her hands both thrust forward, one straight and true and the other to fend off his scythe...

He came to the stark realization that his taunts worked too well. She wasn't playing any more, however she wasn't paying attention to anything else and that's what he wanted.

This was Sha'uri, the one that could consume his soul if she wanted. He prepared to cast wards against that when another epiphany hit him. All he did was alter an already cast contingency. It was silent and the gestures minute.

"Mistress, you didn't exactly learn anything", he continued his taunting. "You will lose. No matter what you do now, you will fail and I will still be here." That hopefully was enough.

It was no small amount of pain that resonated through him as the tentacles tore at his soul, pulling and stretching, tearing bits of it like sharp talons or teeth sinking in and ripping his soul from his body, jerking it back and away while her blade sunk into his torso and the other knocked into his hand cutting his hold on his own weapon.

"Will I? Yeah, You'll be here.. IN ME!"

Ash pooled into the air before her as her blades sank into his flesh, burning, electrifying, boiling and acidifying his skin. The thick plumes of dust fell to the ground at her feet. Sha'uri merely took a step forward into them to steady her stance from the blow she?d just delivered suddenly being met with no resistance.

From here what happened was beyond normal view and senses.

His soul was another matter and regardless of any contingency, it was being ripped and mixed with all the other souls in the well of their existence within her. He could feel himself stretching, separating into pieces only tethered together by the thinnest of magical threads, and touching other remnants of souls that were once whole. He himself was becoming unwove. Whatever he thought would keep him together was about to become undone.... even the fabric of magic itself was becoming undone, torn and remixed, renewed into more malleable portions, fitting to something else?..

Briarius began to realize that light was fading and darkness became overwhelming while it sought the recesses of his darkest thoughts pulling from him his worst nightmares and his most alluring temptations and teasing his senses with those things?.

Somewhere out of the darkness something grabbed a hold of him, a part of him, pulling it down even further until suddenly he was surrounded by a sapphire light. The darkness seemed so far away from it as he realized he was standing in one piece looking into the blue orbs of Sha?uri.

This clearly wasn?t the evil side, but what was left of her good side. Concern lace the very core of her dark sapphire hues. Pain and woe filled her countenance. Every part of her seemed real, including the tears that seemed to mist her gaze, as if she always had tears there.

?You brave fool. You can?t stay here.? She said to him. ?Don?t allow yourself to stay longer then you would normally, for even you would surely die here. It is only because of what my mother taught me that I am able to pull you here.?

He could feel it, the way that the magic worked within her was unlike anything he ever felt before. ?The longer you stay, the easier it?ll be for her to break down the magic and destroy you with it. But you were hoping for this, no? I can feel that in you. You planned this. You hoped I would come back here and do something and you were going to be ready. And you were. You just didn?t realize how powerful?.?


His old contingency was kicking in stronger, pulling for him to go yet the evil one fought harder to keep him in. This Sha?uri looked at a loss. ?Those children.. you? all of them.. how do I.. How ? to let go?? It was a strained plea of help.

He reganed his wits and handed Sha'uri a bone needle and ghostly thread. "Rescue those children and sew them to me. With enough luck, the power of Noledor will begin to strengthen my protections and I will be pulled from this miasma."

She nodded slowly. ?If I can find all the pieces. The longer they are in here, the less they become themselves and the more they are added to her. But the children??

She nodded again with renewed hope. ?The children may be saved. You don?t give me much time, do you old friend?But I will do my best to attach them to you. If I do not get them wholly, then they will not be able to leave. You?re going to have to help me find them.?

There for a moment she afforded a slight smirk. Yet she didn?t take the needle from him. Instead she moved round behind him, taking control of the hand he held the needle in with her own hand. The other arm she wrapped round him, holding his spirit there to hers, molding them together as she stepped into him as if they were one. He could feel this light, this hope in the middle of all this darkness.

They began to move and it felt like flying, the light around her becoming a beacon unto the dead. Remnants, pieces of souls screaming from one side to the other, tainted echoes in the heart of her pressed from all sides while Sha?uri took Briarius through her own netherland within, sparks of pieces of the children?s souls alighting their way. She moved his/their hand and plunged the needle into the morsel of soul letting it thread and trail behind like a beacon of light beckoning to the other parts of itself. With his help, more pieces were added, some of the same soul, some of another while they moved through the trial of children that had just been devoured.

Wings seemed to just be there upon her/their back beating with great effort pushing them through the murk faster while they collected more and soul pieces. But it was soon apparent that they were not going faster. Something slowed them down, something that almost felt hopeless, becoming harder and harder to move through the murk and darkness pressing in like so much thickness, a dark syrup weighing them down, pressing in on them with great force ?.

It was the pull of his contingency that she was fighting against, the weight of it slowing her down. Still she pressed harder until it threatened even this part of her soul, pulling to rip her into pieces.

Would she? could she go with him? To live as half a soul?

The thought was tempting her and yet she knew she couldn?t go. To leave the rest of her behind was like signing so many death warrants, more then what would potentially be signed now if she stayed. And still, the temptation of relief was strong. It paled in comparison to the small bit of soul up ahead, yet she couldn?t pull any more strength in her wings, the pressure was getting too strong for her. Yet the small bit of the girl was right there almost within arms reach?.

?I can?t? can?t do this. Have to stay. One more.. up ahead. See it? Just? up there? one more ? that little girl? it?s all of them and more. Can you see it, Bri? Can you save her too? I can?t find the strength, I just can?t .. maintain? it? maybe if.. if?. swing.. you!?

The idea came to her in a rush and she spun with all of the remainder of her strength as if to fling Briarius at that small bit of soul. It was the only chance they had to save just one more. She?d gotten eighteen of the twenty children from Arcanum but two were still missing parts of their souls; fifty two of the dead storm troopers were also fully attached, and even some of the Exodian people from the last war on Exodii, including this one last little girl. If Sha'uri didn?t swing Bri towards her, if she didn?t let go, there would be no chance of saving her.

Sha'uri had to stay....

She let go of him at the right moment, letting his soul fling away towards the last remaining bit of the girl's soul. All she could do was hope he?d make it somehow and save one more.

Her strength was gone and she fell back into the murky darkness, swallowed and lost to Briarius while he flew on his own with the pull of his contingencies working hard upon him.

All this occurred beyond normal vision, locked within herself away from the normal world's view. All they saw was Sha'uri hitting Bri with her swords and he turning to so much ash and dust. She stepped forward adn for a moment it seemed she was stunned... then pain filled her visage, Amethyst hues flickered between shades of sapphire.

Then she dropped to one knee, gaze flaring with Amethyst flame and her mouth opened with a silent scream. She lurched forward to all fours with a motion that appeared to have her vomit. Yet no vomit was spewed but something far, far different....

((thus basically endeth Sha and Bri's little excersion. I'll have to deal with the other Sha's at a later date. Hope you enjoyed))

Two twists of the seductive frame made the first of Aquilonius? salvo pass harmlessly by. The third would be problematic.

Have to time this just so... Cain's thoughts raced briefly unchecked.

The movement was pure instinct, she .. or rather he... spun the twin longswords in alternating rotations bringing them both together in a cross-cut, much the way Sha'uri had demonstrated was her style. The momentum and angle of blades dissecting the third blast clean down the middle, halves flashing in opposite directions.

Smiling sweetly she blew him a kiss followed by a come hither motion while her hands kept their grasp on her swords. Body set smooth as silk into a combat pose. That brow raised into an alluring arch.

More troopers rushed forward filling the air with blaster fire, one even overhands a grenade for variety. A specific troop was dispatched by the pointing sword of her left hand, directing them for the closest class building.

Then she strode forward calmly, gaze still daring Aquil to engage her one-on-one while her swords were kept at the ready. A bit of a sultry tone purred in her voice with a taunt.

"Come on, Lover... come dance with me, if you can. I want to play, all through the night. I've seen your moves, now let's see if you got what it takes to keep up with mine. Stamina check, darlin. I wanna know how long you can last!"

Bringing the world to a halt on it's axis, Artemus surveyed the field, noting the blizzard to the south, advancing troops to the north and east. Wast seemed to be under control between Briarius and Rhaine but for how long? Still the North and East remained unopposed. Good, they were falling for it.

Magnus...is everything ready? Are the Adepts in position?

He waited, almost fearing the advancing soldiers had breached deeper than anticipated. A momentary look around showed the enemy starting to surround his mobile fortress, their weapons raised as a handful held heavier objects, probably mortar of some sort. If they were that stupid...

"Headmaster? Sorry for the delay, the invaders have started trying to secure the stairwells of the Library, Dormitory A, and are advancing on the Main Building. We're still getting a headcount but so far it seems the majority are getting to the Chemical Labs as per evacuation procedures. We've lost seven Adepts, almost a hundred students. The Elric Brothers are coordinating efforts in the Library and Dormitory. We're holding the high ground, summoned monsters filling in where we need the numbers.

Well there was a surprise. Who knew those two were the sort to step up in a crisis? Good work Magnus. Once the last student is secured, open up with everything we've got. Stick and stone can be rebuilt. Don't hold back at all.

But what about you, Mistress Rhaine, Lady Wyheree, and Headmaster Briarius? The concern coming through her thoughts brought a smile to Artemus' face.

Don't worry about us. We don't die that easily. As if to demonstrate his point, the Atlas Globe encasing him shattered outward in an explotion soft shrapnel scattering the circle of white armored figures. Levitating above the mist, Artemus looked around for someone specific.

"Rhaine! Turn your manifestations to the North and East. Wyheree has secured the south. West is defended. Any students left are collateral damage. It hurt him to make that statement, but they needed to end this, and now.

?Loon? Loon, this is Raven. Which building at Arcanum are you on??

The voice through the intercom was a welcome comfort.

?Oh Thank God! Yeah, we are on top of the dorm? the western one next to the main building. I?ve got a little girl with me. I don?t know if I can jump across to the next building with her. I??

The girl tugged on Leuni?s shirt. She said nothing except to point to the huge canvas, then made a bouncing motion with her hand, followed by pointing to the main building. Leun couldn?t believe what the girl was suggesting.

?.. uh..you want me to jump on that canvas?? Leun asked her. She forgot to take her finger off the button and it was transmitted.

The girl nodded. Leun glanced back to what was going on below. Charges were being set and almost done with what appeared to be the last one. Somehow she sensed they only had less then a minute. Her finger let go of the transmission finally realizing she?d left it open. What could she do? Her gaze shifted to the rising figure above the mist. She almost called out to Arte, but something made her hesitate.

"Rhaine! Turn your manifestations to the North and East. Wyheree has secured the south. West is defended. Any students left are collateral damage.

The fog and swarm of grotesque things seemed to be coming their way almost immediately. What surprised her the most were the words coming from Arte. In that moment, she didn?t realize she?d heard it with the Force. All she knew was that it was his voice and the words spelled certain doom for them all this direction. They had to get out of there fast.

?Loon, if you can, give us the building or a land mark, we?ll get someone to you!?

The voice from the badge brought her attention back to it. Once again her finger pressed the badge again.

?Raven..? her voice was nearly choked with anger and determination. ?We?re gonna jump to the main building, try to find a way in there. There?s no time to wait. Wish me luck!?

This time she remembered to let go of the button.

They were at the south end of the roof. The canvas was near the northern end on the western edge. Jumping it to the next building would be tricky. She would have to pull a twist to the side in order to make that jump, or land in the street below on the north side of the building. It would be more like a crash to the street. She glanced down once more only to confirm the lack of time they had.

Quickly squatting down, she motioned the girl to her back. The girl got on, tucking her penguin down the shirt of her pajamas and held tightly round Leun?s neck, trying not to choke her would-be savior, while her legs wrapped even tighter around Leuni?s waist.

Leun then stood slowly, focusing herself in the Force as she moved. She tuned out everything from that point, zeroing her concentration on her strength and agility and the trajectory she would need in order to make that jump.

And then everything went quiet as she began to run??

In the South with Number One?. While the Enemy attacked.


The group had split with their retreat. Most went West with Number One, the rest moved East to join the Original.

The Fire Elemental in the south was unopposed and continued to throw fireballs in the south melting the ice and still trying to distract Wyhree into more combat. With an infernal word and clap of its molten hands, the huge fire elemental made twenty more of itself with smaller versions. They began to do what the big one was doing, throwing more fiery globs of death. Fog thickened in the area until it obscured all vision beyond five feet.

Number One had taken the rest of her men northward along the western edge. AT the sight of the first crossbow, she knew who it was.

?Kegan.? She cursed under her breath and set about fighting off Kegan?s men as they moved. Crossbow bolts were traded with phaser fire.

From her vantage she could see the two buildings where the children were running from the main building into the chem lab. And the students were summoning monsters. These were of no consequence, if they were even able to reach the troopers before being blasted by their weapons. However, they did pose as obstacles to overcome. So the troopers movements to and around the buildings were slowed.

And then the other Sha?uri?s knew.


On the West side?..

Number Two had most of the troops and an air elemental still engaging with its tornado like winds since nothing seemed to be trying to stop it It was targeting Rhaine. Inside and near the air elemental it would be hard not to notice debris flying everywhere since the biomage was the target. The debris was like so many blades. It would certainly be, or should be, at least distracting.

Number Two also had her hands full with now getting attacked from both sides. It was a relief to have Number One come join her side. They also knew what the children were doing.

Have the men finish setting charges on chemlabs and main building. Meanwhile they can blow the hell of both dorms. The rest of my men can fight off the crossbowman. You and I need to do something with that swarm before there?s nothing left of yours.. Number One relayed this to Number Two as she moved north with her men.

Of the 300 troops that headed in to the center, 50 were either devoured by Rhaine?s swarm, frozen by Wyhree, burned by the Fire elementals in the south, run over by Arte or picked on by his mechanical watch dogs, made into pin cushions by Kegan?s crossbowman, or thrown back and/or crushed severely (splat) by the telekinetic blast from Aquil.

Troops remaining were 500.

It was their turn now?..

The men on the dorms were done setting bombs and they immediately took off running west, north or east to get away, hiding behind shield barriers that others had triangulated and set up as part of their barricade defenses.

As Leuni began to run, the switch was activated and the high end explosives laced with magical spell like properties such as rock to mud and disintegration strewn like so much sprayed caustic debris, tore at the foundation of the building ?.

Meanwhile, Number Two set up walls of force to completely surround and cut off the advance of the swarm and block their spreading. This included the Summoner?s Circle where the swarm originated from.

Number One leapt into the air and transformed into a huge 100 foot dragon. She hovered over the swarm, wings beating to keep her in place and fuel the fire she breathed over every inch inside of that walled in area. And more of her own men died though none of them felt it. Their souls being devoured before the flames touched their skins. It was a price worth paying to stop the swarm.

The men on the west continued to fight off Kegan?s Men while some tried to finish setting charges around the chemlabs and main buildings.

Meanwhile, On the North and Eastern fronts ?.

The Original finally got control again. Anger and frustration marred her visage as she picked up her blades and stood once again. Hatred filled her as she let out a growl of rage. Though she had killed Briarius and was upset that he got away and with so many souls ripped from her, she was more frustrated with her other self who had helped him do so.

The internal struggle within her was increasing as time went on. If she could?ve ripped that part of herself out, she would?ve done it. Insanity was a welcome thought and an acceptable consequence to her. However, insanity was the result of her soul split.

The reports were filtering into her mind as her gaze took in the display that her Number One and Number Two were beginning to wreak upon those in the middle. She let Number One have some fun with that.

As for the other, the Original gave the silent order. Number Two, check the main building. Make sure to snatch any strays but I want them alive. Number One, when you?re done with the barbeque, Check the chemlabs and do the same. When both are checked, take the rest of the children hostage. Transport them to the Citadel and blow up the buildings..

The Original swiftly sent the rest of her men North.

At the sight of Cain and Aquil, a grin formed. With the loss of Bri escaping her grasp, there was still a chance to get another.

It was a dangerous thing to do. She knew how her other self just kept getting in the way. Yet if she could kill off this next nemesis, it would surely kill that part of herself as well. It would be one less thing for her to be conflicted over.

She knew she needed to kill him anyway, before he killed her.. Though she was sure he wouldn?t dare kill her here. He knew the consequences. She could use that to her advantage because she knew he wouldn?t let anyone else do it either.

In some ways it was almost a shame to her to have to think about wasting Aquil. The man was a huge attraction for her and for once she agreed with the other. The man had moves.

You know I'm hurt... you two are about to dance and neither of you invited me. So selfish! Come on, don't be so cruel. Care for a little battle M?nage a? trois my darlings? Share and share alike? The French accent poked fun at Aquil's thoughts while she moved North. Cain could hear them as well.

Melody, Briarius' assistant, seemed to be overcome with grim determination after Briarius was slain by Sha'uri. After the last wounded where she was at was healed, she took a step towards the door and began her attempts to dispel all of the unnatural elements, which was mainly the Elementals. It was often overlooked that Melody was a Arch-Druid where she came from as she almost never showed her powers, but this was not the time for humility. As she moved from Elemental to Elemental attempting to send them back to the peace of their home, she also produced a wand and put on a pair of spectacles. When she came across a soul or body of an innocent, she touched the wand to them and they vanished.

Meanwhile, without his control over them, Briarius' few remaining undead began to rampage. Fortunately for the defenders, they seemed to still grasp what side they were on. Unfortunately, they did not much but distract the attackers. After the explosions rocked the grounds however, ghouls and ghasts began to appear from the ground through tunnels they burrowed when Briarius made his original summons. They were outraged at the fall of their lord and began to tear apart any attackers they came across.

Melody found that her dispelling only worked a few times. Five of the smaller fire elementals were dispelled of the summoning and vanished because of the Druid.

As for Briarius' undead rampage, they were quickly met by flame throwers as Sha's men were pulling them out and using them on the swarm. Unfortunately, some of the men were caught behing the wall of force and trapped within while Number One breathed fire on the area. The others on the outside continued to attack the undead with fire.

Number Two, being the powerful being that she was.... let the boys play with the creatures summoned by the students for a few rounds. Only a few of her men died from the creatures. Considering the boys were far from being students, the creatures were being met head on and destroyed well enough without her help. But she was a cruel thing and so she simply dispelled the summonings without much of a thought, putting the students in their places.

"Child's play ..."

Then Number Two headed into the main building with fifty of her men.....

The rest of her men were a bit more busy fighting off Kegan's crossbowman. Several more of her men died from their bolts.

Number One, however, blew molten fire into the squared off area made up of walls of forces, which were blocking the swarm from advancing. More of her men died in that, burned to death in an instant.. but they weren't going to be the only ones.

Troop count: 475

As Artemus came down on her, she was not oblivious oblivious to his moves. She sensed them, felt them and her tail swooped up to hit him as she shifted her stance, twisting and beating powerful wings to shift out of the way. Her breath weapon was diverted his direction while she flew in reverse and upwards at an angle.

So you want to dance, too, eh?

She watched Melody, noticing her dispelling elementals. Another witness... Rhaine would have attempted to eliminate her, knowing how druids tended to dislike her kin-and-colleagues, but this was neither the time nor place for paranoia. Leaving the insectoids to be eliminated by Sha'uri, she added more energy into spell matrix of chain reactions tearing into the troopers, spreading the effect further towards North, East, and those heading towards the main building.

Sha'uri seemed not to notice the resonating chain-spells that tore into her troops, or possibly disregarded the odd effect turning dozens upon dozens into lifeless slime pouring out of white armors. Some shards from the air elemental hit the thin black "living metal" layer of Rhaine's armor, but quasi-vampiress seemed to be oblivious to them. One even managed to break the skin on her cheek, unprotected by the mentari alloy, leaving a dark crimson mark. She knew how brittle bones of skeletal assistant were crushed by debris, and kept the fact in the background, knowing how disposable these beings were. Breaking a focus of someone trained by Eldritch himself... that wasn't such an easy task.

...It's a mere physical annoyance. For now, this weird woman is wasting energy on eliminating the swarm I would have had to shutdown myself...

There was something much more important that she sensed. A growing connection to something familiar, loved, refreshing. Time seemed to grow short. Connection to something expecting a sacrifice greedily.

Rhaine's voice seemed to resonate through the air, unnaturally, clear even in the havoc of combat and spellcasting, as she moved northward, turning about five or six troopers into lifeless dust to feed a sparkling, odd matrix gaining energy in front of her, mixing cyan and crimson.

"Wyheree, get these dhoine sheep into a flock if you can!"

She has seen combat sacrifice only several times, when Moridin, previous leader of Crystal combat priests, joined the Knights for an especially difficult encounter. Intercepting the souls of dying - to prevent the soul dragon from feeding, creating a buffer zone for those not intended to suffer the planar shift - this was a task that brought a brief shadow of a smile to her lips. It was a task for someone of her kin-and-colleagues to make the sacrifice a mass effect - a task to be done perfectly. A task to be proud of, as she weaved the spell matrix and added the sounds of classical Baatorian ritual verse to the chain reaction. The reaction to be launched as soon as Wyh can drag the cannon fodder together.

The druid, fell to her knees as something seemed to happen to her. She thrust the wand she was holding into the ground and a small crystal pyramid, no bigger than a cat, took it's place. The souls of the fallen were drawn to it and absorbed into it. It was unbreakable and unmovable.

As the pyramid formed, Melody vanished.

Kegan pushed his men to the attempt of coraling the now obvious opposition to the north, moving his own men along that direction away from the ice and fire in the south. Although he was still not in a postion to see all of the enemy or what was going on further east, he knew in an instant Sha'uri was involved and it was best to stay out of the middle. Yet the middle was trying to reach out to destroy everything... he knew it was best to stay away.

The wierd matrix and it's abomination upon nature and those caught in it was just as much of a threat to the enemy's men as it was to his own. A few of his men got caught in it. Deciding to let the abominations push the enemy, Kegan pulled his men more west and north around the enemy in that area to push them in. However, the sudden disappearance of the enemy and a few more explosions made the point quite mute. Still, it was a relief, if only for a time. He could tell the enemy left before the charges were set properly and weren't as effective as they'd been on the other buildings. He knew from the reports coming to him that this group was not the only threats.

"Magic!" the dwarf spat, knowing he wasn't going to try and breech that line of abomination. "Dern thing's gonna kill their own if they don't stop it.

"All right Men! Main threat in this area's over! We got orders to regroup and head back!"

He looked up at one of the kids. "Hey you! Boy! Tell yer headmaster the whole town is under siege! They got control over the skies too! Best to get outta town and regroup! Jumpgate 'll be open fer a bit but nae long. We're headed there now!"

Kegan and his men then left...