Life. A word meaning so much yet fragile when death punctured it. Death. A word so complete and finite yet powerless when Life rose above it. Undead. The half-son/half-daughter of Life and Death. Neither heritage winning nor losing, a perpetual struggle in the darkness as the afflicted sought the normal and mundane. Normal. A convoluted word twisted and tortured by perspective and reality. Reality. Had by the sweat of the brow or a quick exchange of money allowing instant bliss in one swallow of something small and bitter.

Futility. A man standing amid a behemoth river expecting his twig of mortality to deflect it. Love. Forbidden to some, sought by many, hated by few yet slow poison to all until death. Death. Death. Death. Death.

~*~*~*~*~*

He woke with a scream of pain wrenched from his chest like a fowled sword in the rib cage. He was shrouded in deep gray, eyes refused to focus or stay open. The stench of mold, mildew, layers of decaying flesh and the faded scent of incriminating blood. He screamed in pain once more as living fire coursed through his veins and something wet pattered on the hard, cold stone beneath bare feet. He felt as if someone was peeling flesh from his ribs; setting his shoulders and thighs afire with gnawing.

"Hemlock. Call back the wraiths. He lives." A female voice spoke, cold, careless and hard.

The coursing pain abated and he felt something heavy sag, a rattle of chains and a sound that was his own ragged breath drawing in from relief.

"Thought fer sure that dart killed him, Lonni. Killed him dead dead." A second female voice spoke, youthful but tainted with something too used to sliding through blood like razor wire.

"That is why I disdain the use of chemicals and alchemy to kill an opponent. It should be done the proper and right way. Bone breaking beneath fingers, the gurgled please of mercy, the final light dimming out of pale, dying eyes." Lonni said.

The voices were louder, closer and he heard something cold and rigid collide with something connected to him. A hand span of heart beats and he felt that something hit what his mind told him was the left cheek with bruising, bone cracking cruelty. His mind reeled but his body found energy to lift the heavy boulder that was his head. Among the field of gray was a woman that may have been attractive once in better light and younger years. A flicker of motion and his right cheek was similarly rewarded with sensation. He spat blood from split lips and heard the woman curse.

"He's awake and alive. A thread of life at least. Nothing worse than a full vampire with an agenda taken to his grave. Irritatingly persistent until you grind them to dust for the gardens. Increase the daily blood transfusions Hemlock." Lonni said.

Lonni grew distant as she walked away from his vision. He lapsed back into dark rest. Hemlocks voice echoed about the dark confines.

"Lonni, yer gonna have to move him. Dimitri ain't a dumb boy. No one brought a head to him or a body and that old wolf of a man is gonna come sniffing around for blood to finish the fight."

"You are quite right Hemlock. The tomb of Tony Manisty will only be left alone if we stop the continued supply of medical supplies. I'll make arrangements to move him to my villa in the Old Temple District. Have you finished your task yet?"

Hemlock drew close to his vision for a long moment. "Quite mistress. The lair of Ivan vel Yoven is burnt to the ground and gutted like a disected corpse to rot in the Southern Glen. His motorcycle I kept. A little war trophy of mine. As to the whereabouts of his little tart of a dragon girl, I hear she vanished under Dimitri's nose. Guy's gotta be flippin' nuts about now." There was too much cheer in her voice.

"And the supplier of Ivan's little toys?" Lonni asked.

Hemlock poked at his bruised cheeks and ran a tongue over his split lips. She gave a head tilt in slight thought.

"His cargo reeked of dog and alchemy. You know that gagging smell when we walk by all the magic shops? Some of the girls did a little sniffing and found the scent the strongest at some little glass shop called the Alchemist's Fire. Want me to torch it boss? Break every thing I can touch? Drag the owner out and make her bleed?"

There was heavy silence in the tomb, allowing him to hear a storm kicking up outside. Lonni spoke, farther away now. "If you value remaining the way you are, I wouldn't advise tangling with that shop nor its owner. She commands respect about the city and I've seen to many of my clients vanish at her hands. I will deal with she-wolf personally. You remain and tend to him. I don't want to lose my prize before I can turn him into something useful to reclaim our territories."

The sound of heavy stone grinding shout echoed in the darkness. Soon followed by little giggles of glee as Hemlock fiddled with some humming machine near him.

"Oh, Ivy, Ivy, Ivy. You're going to wish the dart had killed you." Hemlock sang.

He could feel warmth circulating within him, a sense of energy starting to rise in his body like a starved engine being fed fuel. A sickening sensation wound through his veins as well and he felt the darkness deepen.

He had a name. Ivy. Ivan. Ivan vel Yoven. Futile man. Futile undead man. Futile undead man with life, with love and no reality. His mind echoed in melancholic amnesia as he fell further into normal darkness.

Ivy looked perplexed, the questions odd to his mind. Had he a reason for being here or strung up in that crypt to be subjected to pain? Had it been months since his last thought or years? His mind turned sluggishly in its thoughts. He knew he was a vampire yet not completely a full one; something to do with a strange birth perhaps? Vague memories of warm sun, the feel of sand under foot and pyramids stepped into a tango with the cold bite of winter cold and harsh Russian words. Strange letters and numbers paired together to form a variety of shaped chains wove in the background of memories. Was that chemistry? His mind, so used to cataloguing centuries of information and memories had been set to wander loosely without reason or direction.

Lonni watched him with the razor sharp eyes of a large predator ready to seize him by the throat should the need arise. Yet, Ivan appeared to be having troubles in thought. She gave a prompt to see what would grow. "Are you familiar with Brimstone? Perhaps you know Arland Rolo or Sten Velsp, maybe even Reginald and Dimitri Haliford?"

Her voice, small and electronic to his ears offered those words like poison in his ears. Would he die or would he wake? Brimstone sounded familiar, the word playing maestro to the chains of chemistry in his mind to form a beautiful picture of addiction and unfettered potential. Of the names spoken, he could only recall vaguely the face of Reginald, twisting and snarling as they had locked in a battle that seemed like a dream to him; the others felt familiar but any relation to them was lost upon him.

Ivy spoke. "Brimstone is a drug with heavy potential and useful in the right hands. Reginald seems to have died by my hands. I cannot recall why I should know the others you mention, but I feel I do. As to why I am in your company, Lonni, I assume I ran afoul of trouble and you were a good Samaritan to me."

Lonni's face erupted in sharp laughter and a smile that would've made Tony Manesti cringe had he survived Ivan's questioning. This is what she needed, a mind and a man with power to mold for her games. She regarded Ivan as if he was a new toy to play with.
"Rest easy then, Sir Ivan Vel Yovin, you are resting in the company of your mistress and queen Lonni Rouge. We shall talk again, when you are stronger, face to face. You were lucky to survive a mission poorly planned by a traitor to my court, Reginald Haliford. I will have much use of your services to make his court chaste and to remind those that appose me that I am the rightful queen of these streets." She spoke with words of honey laced with cold revenge.

The screen flicked off and the painting slid back up to cover it leaving Ivy to sit in the room, alone again. Had he been harmed serving her? Was he a knight to Queen Rouge? Who opposed her that had demanded his services? Thoughts, spun round and round as the mind followed misdirection and lies to new paths for Ivy.

Ivy delved into his masterwork. First, he had to know what had happened to the marvel he'd brought to Rhy'Din. He took the modified Brimstone and ran it through several spectral analyzers. His queen told him the drug was being called Whitestone. He began to laugh in the laboratory thinking on that name. A Whitestone with a black past and a cruel fate for humanity; it seemed like a perfect justice to the mortals of the realms. His hazed mind was clearer now yet his inner self was locked in the abyss of torment.

The analyzers twittered after five minutes. Ivy ripped the readouts off the printers and read over them. Oh, someone was good at this; really good but sloppy. They had taken the core formulae of Brimstone and forced an extra carbon chain from incubus blood and twisted a hydrogen cluster from succubus blood. That alone should not have made it effective on humans. Oh no, far from it as the very essence of Brimstone was magical offal from demons and Fae in the Never Never of Earth. To affect humans they had to sink to humanity. Spike traces of human chromosomes; dessicated DNA from human blood had been wedged between incubus and succubus creating a cycle of sinister synergy and overload.

The incompatibility of the carnal demons with the DNA of humans is what had turned Whitestone into white death. That much supernatural potential was like taking a super capacitor and shorting it out with a penny; human burns in the arc that is cast. So this was what he had to compete with? Child's play to a man alive for centuries studying every living nations accounts of alchemy, chemistry, herbology, pharmacology and apothecaries. He moved to a chalk board and began to write out chains, vallence shells and the structure for the next evolution of Brimstone. He'd removed the equation of Succubi and Inccubi as crude and pointless. The human chromosomes he allowed as a starting base into the human realm. Now what to bridge the gap between demon/Fae and humanity? What would conduct, catalyze and stabilize the release of the mythic without burning out the mortal vessel? He had theories in mind but to try most of them would take more time that he felt his queen would allow.

She was sharp, incessant and one who expected results as swift and sure as her rule. He narrowed his list of choices to four candidates: essence of the four elements from elementals, cursed blood from a Lycanthrope, essence of a shade or poltergeist, a Philosopher Stone. Ivy picked up a white phone receiver in the laboratory and called up Lonni directly.

"My queen. I have discovered what is needed to make your orders come true. I regret it is not possible with what is stocked here. The key elements I need are not chemicals but a tying of humanity to the immortal. May I have permission to roam your court and the lands beyond for what I seek?" Ivy said in a cool, cold voice that felt like silk wrapping around the neck to strangle.

"I see. So our preparations were still inadequate. Can you not tell me what you need and my girls will acquire it?" Lonni asked with a sultry voice.

"Could I lean upon their services, I would, but I need specific variants of these elements to test which is the best match for your wish. I will be hunting elementals, Lycans, shades, poltergeists and if possible the acquisition of a Philosopher's Stone." He said firmly.

He could hear Lonni tapping finger nails on a desk in long thought. "Very well, my Knight. A field test of your skills has been long overdue after your recovery. Meet with Hemlock. She will have orders to outfit you. Collect your list except the Philosopher Stone. I know someone with several. I will acquire that for you, my Knight."

Ivy bowed is head, unseen. "You do me great honor to allow me back into the field of combat and to grace me with such a rare gift. I will not fail you."

"You better not, Ivan Vel Yovin. Your soul and body are mine as a vassal. Serve well or I drink you dry, twice."

The receiver went dead. Ivy set the receiver down in its cradle. The laboratory door was unlocked and Hemlock stepped inside. She sat a crate on the floor and shoved it with the ease of a tennis ball with her toe. Then she tossed him keys which he snatched from the air. She left him to his devices, her mistress' orders absolute; arm him, mobilize him and step aside.

((Heartfelt thanks to Andu Kirost for helping in the battle, making it several notches epic against vampires. Heartfelt thanks to Pharlen, Night Trouble and the rest that I forget at the moment that patched up Ammy in the Inn during Inn play not shown here.))

As her loyal Dark Knight had gone about acquiring his needed elements for new Brimstone variants, Lonni had finally decided to pay an old nemesis a visit. She brought with her a fine assault group and a Watcher to record the events.

Watcher Review, Log 445:

It was a still hour around the Red Dragon Inn. Most patrons were either still toiling away or out on their endless tasks of pointless life. It was here, around the Inn that two were to meet, the Vampire and the Dog.

Ammy walked up the main street on her way to the Red Dragon Inn. She was in a mood and held in her fist a crumpled message written upon paper stained with blood. She was not in her relaxed attire tonight. Far from the comforts of jeans or t-shirt, she wore a rust colored cloak, and leather armor underneath. She wore a tall, thick collar rising from the hard leather cuirass and her hair was braided tight and tucked under her armor. Her rapier rode on her hip barely concealed.

From the roof tops, along the pathway to the Inn watched silent, dead eyes among the statuary and peaks. No breath was given for none existed in the lungs of the undead. They all watched their prey draw closer to her doom.

Ammy continued her march, golden eyes sparked. She heard nothing around her, but when one was as old as she was, undead were a presence easily sensed. She stopped in front of the Red Dragon Inn, but remained out on the street. "I am here. Show yourself, vampire and company. I know you are lurking about!"

The undead among the rooftops made no sound. They just watched. Their queen was their voice and they all looked from Ammy to the deepening purple of twilight. Lamp lights started to flare then explode in pairs from the opposite end of the street. The darkness started to devour Main Street. Behind Ammy would be heard and seen the same result of lamps bursting to bright deaths. Only one pair of lamps remained lit before the Inn.

Ammy saw the main street go dark leaving her in the pool of the twin lamps. She smirked. "A fool would think I couldn't see in the dark. I got your message, Lonni Rouge. Come out now or I'll finish my uncle?s task he started 5 years ago and wipe you all out."

"My, my, my. Throwing out threats like they mean something to me. What your uncle did years ago was monstrous and effective with so much dead wood in my court. Cleared of that rot, we are not so easily taken. Might we go in for a drink?" Lonni stepped out of the darkness into the pool of lamp light; pale, milky skin and spider silk white dress and robes. Her blond, nearly white hair in a riot of curls around her cold, frigid gray eyes.

"Oh, a vampire with grace and a mortal thirst from the Gray Court? I decline your drinking invitation. I like not owing Panther for full replacements of his Inn should I find your request unappealing. So out with it, hag. What is so important that you invoke the breaking of the treaty you had me and my uncle sign to leave you alone? Your note is lacking in details." She tossed the crumpled paper on the ground to roll at Lonnis feet.

Lonni watched the paper roll to her booted feet and she simply squashed the paper flat. "Quick and to the point. So much like your uncle. Sad you are not related. I could have used that blood link to more effect. But I must be dallying by how you?re snorting fire through those cute, delicate pink nostrils. I want a Philosopher Stone."

Ammy blinked in surprise and soon a grimace of disbelief touched her muzzle. "Are you cracked in the head? Watching sunrises too long? Why would I hand you a Philosopher Stone?"

"You bartered with me once." Lonni said. "Or should I call the desperate need you had for reversing your uncles vampirism a simple, cloying patronage? What did I get out of the deal? Coins. Mere coins and a piece of paper stating you two would show honor and leave us be. You on the other hand got a copy of an ancient ritual my clerics never fully agreed to release. I put down eight priests in the uprising to keep them in line. So I say you owe me for blood spilled by you and your uncle."

"Last I recalled, back in those days, your vampires were a nuisance and abided by no laws civil or undead. The blood spilled was paid for by the King of the White Court. He felt the Gray Court was beneath their view as valuable; just a bunch of master less shades and wannabe vampires. So I will not be repaying that blood. If you can't control your court when taking over as the new queen, if fail to see that it is my problem."

"You really think you can deny me what I want, mongrel?" Lonni said. Her serene beauty was rapidly bruising to fury.

"Yes. I can do as I wish to you Lonni. You see, I have a vested interest in a few people and they've been dealing with a severe case of arson. A vampire was on the scene holding a gas can, all caught on security cameras. So I do not trust any vampires with a Philosopher Stone today, yesterday or in the future. Few are meant to have that kind of power and you are definitely not on the short list. And for your information, I know who both of my parents are." She grinned showing all teeth at Lonni.

Lonni smiled and it was a cruel, cold smile. "You don't realize the trouble you?re in. I was hoping to talk about this and arrange a trade. Perhaps keep your hide intact during the coming wars." As she spoke her vampire assassins were slowly moving in, crawling off the roof tops like quiet shadows. "But I suppose we could torture your children some more or throw your bloody body through the wards of your store. Your choice."

Ammy smirked and she touched a gps tracker on her sword belt. It beeped rapidly then stopped. "Want to try intimidation that isn't false? My family is all accounted for and taking down vampire bitches is what every pup is taught the day they can hold a knife. As to doing anything with my bloody body, bitch, please. Give it your best shot."

From the darkness rushed six vampire assassins behind Ammy. Each wielded scimitars soaked in poisoned blood. The only sound was the whistle of their blades as they rushed her, swinging into a myriad of motions. Lonni pulled back to the edge of lamp light and watched with amusement.

Ammy knew she was surrounded; a rear attack was no surprise. Her senses told her the undead presence was building behind her. She took five steps further into the light, turned abruptly and her rapier sang free of its sheath. ~Fuego Mitalla!~ The blade burst into life with a white hot mages fire. She intercepted the weave of the first vampire, his scimitar caught, melted and the hot blade piercing his chest. He made a silent scream and burst into ash.

The remaining five assassins fanned out around her as more vampires climbed the roof tops. The faint whistle of metal darts being thrown filled the night; then the five closed in on Ammy at once.

Close quarters were getting tighter and her ears picked up on inbound projectiles. They were trying to close off her options and pin her in to being over taken. As they closed in she pointed to the lead vampire. ~Repo!~ Ammy blasted the vampire backwards with invisible force. She spun in a high guard into the gap. The thrown darts flew away from the twirling parry; two vampires toppled and laid still, victims of the deflected projectiles. She stabbed the vampire she had knocked back through the face, setting him to ash as well.

The remaining two assassins were not two for long. More joined from the darkness. Now there were ten assassin vampires circling Ammy. The presence of the undead would grow painfully strong and bear down upon Ammy?s senses.

Lonni had brought an army to this fight. "Bravo Ammy. Bravo. You have moves and some tricks. How long can you last with the numbers I can throw at you?"

As Lonni spoke Ammy continued to move in a fencers dance. She parried and struck at the vampires that attacked her; combatants illuminated in the snick and snacks of blazing blade against dark metal scimitars. The ten vampire assassins against her were dusted as well. "Is this all? Gang up and die by my hand? At this rate I will complete uncles legacy."

Lonni began to laugh. "Oh silly no. This was a simple diversion until the real fun starts. Men! Take aim and fire at will. Don't fill her with too many holes, I want her fur for a coat." She hopped onto the porch and grinned.

The clatter of hard wood and iron on the street was heard rumbling up ahead of Ammy. Four, wheeled Gatling cannons rolled up by vampires were followed by twenty vampire marksmen with various fire arms.

Ammy took in the firepower and knew this was not good. She didn't have the speed casting like she used to. Still, she tried her luck. Her left hand darted out and signed rapidly an explosive array. ~Deco!~ She pointed and one Gatling cannon; gun and crew exploded into various raw components.

The Gatling cannon exploded but the undead fear not for their lives. The three remaining were cranked up to speed by hand and the sound of hell was unleashed. Rounds soaked with oil blessed by Lonnis evil clerics ripped out into the night, gouging the street and building sides.

Ammy gasped and dove for cover behind the side of the porch. One or two rounds caught her left leg and she hissed in pain. She felt her body starting to chill a little and her magic start to weaken. "Frak!"

Lonni melted into the shadows and appeared on the roof of the porch. The sounds of Gatling fire shifted as the paths from the street chewing bore down on the porch of the Inn chewing up wood and dirt, heading for Ammy.

"Frackin' hells. Vamipires with Gatling cannons should be outlawed in the cosmic sense of things." She muttered and heard the wood shattering behind her. "Great. I'm still going to owe Panther." She breathed a quick word ~Min~ and her leg felt less pain. It was a crutch spell to let her move but it was going to be hell later when it wears off. She darted from behind the porch trying to keep a steady pace and weaving. Multiple gun fire was ringing out now as the twenty other vampires started taking shots.

Lonni laughed more and clapped her hands to the beat of the firing guns. "Now this is entertainment. But it needs some heavy bass to balance the baritone with the tenor." She snapped her fingers and loud sounds of undead were tigers were heard in the darkness.

Ammy heard those rumbling deep snarls as she lined up the trailing path of one Gatling cannon with five of the vampire marksmen and two vampire assassins trying to stab her. They didn't have a good day and she darted into a nearby alley, panting. Why did she forget that vampires these days were more modern? A loud snarl behind her had her turn and an undead were tiger in plate armor slammed into her and took her to the ground. She lit up in pain from the tackle of 700lbs of rotting flesh and metal and breathed in a summons. "Andu. Andu. Andu." She raked at the beasts decaying face her with claws blunted by human design; her rapier had been knocked from her hand.

The were tiger snarled at Ammy. It didn't feel her claws rake dead flesh from its face, left open by the lack of a helmet. It bore more of its body and armor weight on her, trying to crush her chest, its snapping, drooling yellow green fangs inching closer to her throat.

The Gatling cannons had quieted. Sounds of rapid reload and cleaning were happening. The fifteen vampire marksmen were spreading out to maximize the kill zone should the dog dart from the alley. The vampire assassins had taken to the rooftops, being held in reserve again. Ten more were tigers were emerging in the darkness of the street.

~Wa-Bam!!~ Andu appeared in a blast of golden firefly sparkles. He was armored head to toe in a sort of metal mesh armor with metal plates. The entire thing engraved and laced with silver circuitry designs. His naginata is tucked under the haversack on his back, and his Tommy gun, now golden with silver circuitry inlays of its own was in his hands. ?What!!! The heck is going on here?! Andu's roared words shake the street lamps, and trees within 30 feet of where he stands.

The were tiger atop Ammy rears up its head seeing the burst of sparks from Andu's arrival. Roaring, it bounded off of Ammy, the pop or two of broken ribs audible and launched right at Andu from the dark alley. It was plated in heavy, ebony armor.

Lonni noted the appearance of a guest and grinned. "More fun. You men circle and cut the minotaur down." She told the assassins. They all slithered into the darkness to shift over to the new center of attention.

Ammy gasped and wheezed. One moment she was fighting from having a new face and voice, the next she was breathing in pain but was were tiger free. She heard Andu's booming voice and she felt relief. Finally. Backup.

Andu spins to face the springing were tiger, growling himself. Andu drops his firearm, and reaches out to grab the were tiger aiming to use its own momentum, as well as his own incredible strength to flip the tiger and slam it into the ground.

The were tiger was caught, roaring and then went silent as it was smashed into the ground from its own redirected momentum. The ebony plates deformed and caged the were tiger, still active but pinned in place by its own armor. The Gatling cannon crew, seeing the new target, finished their preparations, wheel about and now the three started cranking out blessed death at Andu. Snipers from the alleys and bushes started to take aim and fire at the minotaur.

Andu snatches his firearm from the ground and stands, giving a laughing roar as the cursed ammo flattens itself against his armor.

The slugs did flatten, but the blessed cleric oil on them was spattering. Andu may feel a slight chill of a curse starting; something nipping at his power. Four were tigers were fanning out to take on Andu, each ready to spring.

Ammy gathered her senses. ~Min~ and the broken ribs mute in pain. One more thing she'll pay for later and let her body rise, the pain of broken things no longer registering on her nerves or mind. She retrieved her rapier and sorely wished she brought her Chimera Pistol but that went missing in a Kraken fight. A roar from the roof top and she looked up. "Not now. I am not in the mood to play with kittens!" She flung her rapier and watched the were tiger stare as the entire blade slide between its eyes. The were tiger burst into ash.

Not hearing imminent death around her, Ammy leaned against the alley wall, breathing hard. She really hated vampires; right up there with squid, Spam, and glitter. The overwhelming presence of undead railed on her magical senses. Lonni must have brought her whole friggin? army and another court as well. She watched Andu a moment, shrugging off things in such a cool fashion.

Andu isn't feeling nice tonight. The Tommy gun style grenade launcher is settled into his hip, and the entire sixteen round drum magazine was emptied in less than half a second toward the noisy Gatling cannons. High Explosive, incendiary rounds on proximity fuses aimed to explode above their heads. The problem with using cursed/blessed Ammo against Andu... his chaotic nature really isn't susceptible to either. A bit of a chill, and that is all he would notice.

Lonni flinched from her perch on the roof as the Gatling cannons exploded and their crews turned to ash. This was not going so well. She knew she should have gotten leverage on the mongrel but these days it was easier for her to sun bathe than take anyone Ammy knew. She started to chant and drew violet flames around her. She'd start casting necrotic rays at Andu. Should they contact, maybe they'd wither things, maybe not, since he was something else.

Ammy felt the necrotic magic being slung and she thought for a moment. This encounter was getting a bit too hot. She had an idea though; the vampire wanted a Philosopher's Stone? She'll get one. Ammy knelt and started working out an array and grabbed a handful of rock, sand and a red brick or two.

Yes, Andu was something else, but he was live, and necrotic stuff could still hurt. But... Lonni gets to learn why tracers and ray guns are bad ideas. Andu lets loose a growl of pain as the necrotic rays hit, releases the drum magazine already on his Tommy gun and grabs another, multicolored magazine from his haversack. A spin and he is aiming back along the rays to their source. Holding his gun on that one point of aim, he releases the entire mixed magazine of 16 grenades. Glue, high explosive, incendiary, ultra-violet, fragmentation, phosphorescent paint, another glue, high explosive, incendiary, ultraviolet. glue, high explosive, followed by fire suppressant rounds and the last round being a black globe grenade.

Lonni did indeed learn as she saw the grenades streak forward. Several of the roof top assassins intercepted the initial blasts, but the high explosives knocked them away and sent her off the roof and into the alley way behind the porch.

The four were tigers took this moment of Andu being distracted by their queen and pounced onto Andu. The marksmen vampires realized their firearms were useless and withdrew to seek out their queen and aide her.

Andu was buying Ammy time. She created a fake Philosopher?s stone and checked it over. It was a perfect imitation. She spent some energy into it to give it the feel of energy and to be tracked but it'd shatter once used. She stood and darted out of the alleyway when Andu started firing at the roof. She moved for the alley behind it where she saw Lonni fall. Her target was the queen herself. Several vampires with machine guns fired at her. Holding up her hand she spoke. ~Flekito~ a shield of hard air deflected the incoming rounds.

?Ooof.? Even Andu staggers, a little, when he is hit by over a ton of metal and rotting flesh. But the were tigers would find his armor as hard to get through as the bullets did, and Andu dropped his gun to try grabbing the were tigers, one by one and body slamming them into the ground with enough force to create were tiger shaped holes a couple feet deep in the ground.

Lonni picked herself up from the ground, bruised and dishelved with glue in her hair and splinters all through her silks. Next time would be better. Next time would be better for sure. Her men had come to her but the rear guard was firing already. She turned to see the dog coming for her. She snarled.

The wear tigers were not having a good day and joined the other were tiger pancake that Andu made. Several of the assassins tried their hand at the big guy with scimitars and darts. The darts would be thrown at this face. Both weapons are coated in blood poison.

Well, Andu has his usual protection on under his armor, so the darts just plink off his face. The scimitars are another problem, those would get a couple good strikes in, that actually even draw a bit of blood on each of their first strikes, but then it is his turn as his naginata is drawn, and put into play in a single, swirling spin. The blade forming the last 4 feet of its 16 foot length is aimed at about hip height for those attacking him.

The attacking vampire assassins on Andu were parted here, and there and everywhere by his naginata. More were tigers came at him as well as more assassins. It was now a distract tactic from their queen.

Andu keeps spinning, unknowingly drawing on his new divine powers to essentially become like the blade at the bottom of a blender, spinning so fast, even he loses track of where exactly he is, instead just following the wrongness of the undead surrounding him as he twirls into them.

Andu made a very fine, fine spray of undead ash and rotting flesh and bits of ebony armor as he blended through the on comers.

Ammy charged into the rear ranks and started using the power word ~Suna~ to incinerate the vampires left and right. She was after Lonni and wanted to make her fight look good before spilling out the fake stone.

Lonni snarled at her remaining rear guard. "Leave the bitch to me. Fall back." Her vampires scattered and she strolled up to Ammy. She could sense the power of the fake stone on the dog. "Time to settle this for good. The stone. NOW!" she snarled and blasted at Ammy with five bolts of necrotic energy.

Ammy flinched. This was no longer a planned fight but a suicide. She raised another shield but the distance was too close to diffuse the impact and she was slammed back into the building across the street, trailing purple flames of necrotic energy.

Lonni followed Ammy with the speed only an undead vampire could manage. She had steely fingers locked around Ammy's throat. "I'll kill you and your family. The bloodshed won?t stop until you give me that stone. I'll drag your head to the shop if I have to."

Ammy felt her air being shut off as Lonni squeezed her neck tighter. She was going to give Lonni the stone, but now the vampire had to drag threats to her family into it. She slugged Lonni hard, with an open palm, raking claws over her face.

Lonni hissed as her beautiful face was wrecked. She pummeled Ammy's head two or three times with her strength and drove punches into her gut as well.

Ammy wuffled in pain and shortness of breath. She was bleeding from her mouth, one eye swollen shut and more ribs broken. The philosopher stone tumbled from her belt pouch, rattled loose from the pummeling and clattered on the cement. The bullets in her leg were icing her up fierce and she felt her power sucked away more, even with her links. She was hitting empty quick.

Lonni saw the stone and grinned, her face slashed up and oozing black blood hideously. "I have the stone and now I can have your death as well. Eliminate two problems in one shot. Any words for your family when I turn them, mutt?"

Thoughts on her family and this crazy vampire getting to them burned Ammy deeper than any physical injury. She snarled weakly. She wanted the vampire to be ash. She wanted to just go home. She wanted to get a shower and bathe in the sunlight. Sunlight would feel warm now. Her air was almost out. She was hallucinating. She didn't want to go down here to a vampire. She looked to the sky and wished she'd die under a sunny sky.

Lonni raised her fist and contacted again with Ammy's face, breaking her muzzle then began to scream. "Hot. Hot. Hot!" Her fist smoking and charring.

Ammy was starting to glow, her gray fur was starting to whiten as dim sunlight wafted off of her fur. Lonnis fingers were felt releasing from her throat and she took in deep breaths of sweet, sweet air.

Lonni pulled smoking, burned fingers from the mutt?s throat. Her exposed, white flesh was blistering as if she was in front of a sunrise. She'd stumble back from the natural cleansing of the sun light. Fumbling she grabbed the Philosopher?s stone and retreated for the alley way.

Ammy spat out blood from her messed up face and muzzle and saw Lonni retreating. She didn't waste pain on a snarl. Raising her hand she pointed a finger at the vampire. A word came to her mind, warm, hot and bright like a sunbeam through a window. ~Sola.~ Sunlight, tight and precise like a laser speared out at Lonni.

Lonni screamed as she left a leg behind, it turned to ash dropping from her body. She tumbled headfirst into the shadows and vanished.

The reserve muscle was now brought out to play, slow, hulking but intended to slow down the minotaur. Ogres and a few hill giants that were tainted by mind control and curses. They were armored and all bore cruel ebony war hammers and shields, each one mailed in Ebony. They came at Andu and would attack him in pairs. There were four giants and four ogres.

Andu stops spinning, shaking his great head and staggering. Looking around he spots the Ogres and hill giants, grinning as the rather simple minded brutes charge in 2 by 2, not being smart enough to really work together. He decides to have some fun. Twirling his naginata like a baton, he settles himself to take them on as they come. Stepping to the side at the last instant, the war hammers of the first two are allowed to smash into the ground, as a black globe grenade is slammed into each of them. Andu poofs in a cloud of golden firefly sparkles as the grenades burst, enclosing the first two giants in solid black globes.

Another burst of golden firefly sparkles marks his return, right between the first pair of ogres. ?Hey, Boys, want to party?? Each ogre reacts instinctively to smash the taunting foe, but Andu poofs in another burst of golden firefly sparkles, leaving the two to strike each other, and anger at being struck to guide them in each trying to have the last blow.

A fourth burst of golden firefly sparkles and Andu appears above the last pair of hill giants, just floating there, grinning. ?Yo, big boys. Looking for someone?? Andu grins as the two stumble apart trying to look up at him and turning at the same time. As they stumble, Andu drops and does a split kick, planting armored foot in the face of each giant to hasten their fall. Landing, Andu rolls and slams a fist into the chest of the giant to the right, literally, into his chest to grasp his spine and draw it out. Andu springs, and uses the spine of the first of the pair to wrap the neck of the other just as he is trying to get up, and rip his head off.

That leaves two ogres. Not particularly smart to begin with, controlled as they are, the pair continue to advance on Andu. Andu grins and flexes his now empty hands and grins. When the pair get in range, and swing their weapons, he simply reaches out and snags each war hammer and rips it from their grips, toppling each forward. Tossing the weapons behind him, he rears back and smashes one armored fist down onto the... shield of each ogre, who had foolishly raised those shields to protect their heads. Unfortunately, all that serves to do is allow Andu to smash the shields down onto their skulls, which crackle as they are smashed down towards their shoulders, the bones of their necks snapping and splitting as the force applied remains too great for even their muscular necks to stop.

After that last blow, Andu slowly turns and looks around for more targets.

The vampires were now fully retreating from the scene. Their queen injured and their brutes subdued. Several vampires wanted to get a stab into Ammy as she lay prone in the rubble and closed in on her.

Ammy saw doom falling on her and she sighed. She almost didn't care anymore. She raised her hand in surrender and a phrase came to her. ~Suna Sola~ She felt like she was on the rocks at the lake in the glen sunbathing. An orb of pure sunlight appeared between her hands and flared out filling the street with pure sunlight.

The vampires vaporized and anything undead still in the street both directions would turn to immediate ash.

Ammy lowered her hands and lay still just breathing. "Really getting too old for this." Her muzzle broken and bloody, her words moist and slurred from other injuries. She noticed her fur was white again and the hinting of red marks coming in again. That was new.

Andu nods, relaxes, and lumbers back up the alley, collecting his own weapons and magazines as he goes, till he returns to the two globes, and stand pondering them.

Ammy rolled on her side and groaned; every part of her hurt. Thankfully her shield caught the necrotic blasts saving her hide. Touching a piece broken timber she fashioned a sturdy wood staff and she painfully inched up it until she stood. Her face was swollen and she could only see out of one eye. She must be a looker. Small chuckle at her mental joke.

Nodding to himself, Andu concentrates... And after a few moments, each globe is surrounded by a thin, whirling sphere of golden firefly sparkles. With another nod, Andu turns and goes in search of the one that had called him in the first place.

Ammy limped for the Inn's steps. She needed a hard drink and aspirin. Her chest was on fire and her leg was ice cold. She won?t think about the head that felt five times its size.

Andu quickly catches up to Ammy. ?Yo..? winces, his own head not feeling that great. ?Ammy.? He speaks the last softly.

Ammy paused, near the steps. The porch was a shattered mess. Panther was getting a really big check in the morning. She looked to Andu. "Yo..." Her words wet with blood and tense from pain. "You came." She'd lean into him if he was close, glad it was over.

Andu steps forward quickly when he sees Ammy's condition. When she leans into him, she would find herself scooped up into his arms.

"I need a drink, aspirin, and a medic. No hospitals. Last thing I want is family hearing this...." She rattled wetly. In his arms she did ask. "Do... do I look different?"

Andu chuckles softly. ?Well, it's hard to tell under all the blood and ash, but I think you might.? He would carefully kick the door open to enter the Inn with Ammy in his arms. Even as he does, Ammy would feel a restrained power flowing through the arms holding her. Power just waiting for someone willing to call on it.

And Andu would feel like he was holding in his arms a new sunrise on a summer day.