A younger looking gnome came in with leafy green hair and brown eyes. He wore a simple leather tunic, pants and boots. He placed another box of cards on the table. "Pinochle? Eh, maybe we should play UNO, guys and gal. I know Alyson was a master at Pinochle but seriously, we can have so much more fun with UNO. Also, I don't think the Bronze Man would want to be left out on a game of Pinochle either."

Maxim just sighed, "Well, if you were going to bring that deck, I wouldn't gotten winded explaining the rules of Pinochle, Spencer."

Serna giggled, "Either game would be fine with me. Although someone is NOW going to have to explain to me exactly what UNO is."

"UNO is a game of strategy and skill. Each player is dealt seven cards. There are four colors, blue, red, yellow, and green numbered cards. Two, there are special cards that say Reverse, Draw Two, or skip that are also blue, red, yellow, and green. Third, there is the Wild card that allows a players to change the color of the card in the discard pile when you run out of a color or can't change the color because you don't have the same number on the pile. Example: Say Sir Gonagle puts down a green six and its my turn. I don't have any more cards of that color, so I can either put down the same card of another color, place a Wild card down to change it, draw from the other deck until I find the same color, or my favorite put a Draw Four card down and change the color. That would make Maxim draw four more cards to add to his hand. Finally the goal of the game is to say UNO which means you have one card left in your hand. If the next player reverses it, skips you, or when the next round is your turn and you have the same color or Wild card. You win the game." Spencer explained the game to Serna showing her the different cards.

"Now THESE are rules I can understand!" Serna grinned from ear to ear, "And these cards are so colorful. Let's play!"

Spencer shuffled the cards and dealt each one including himself seven cards. When done, he placed the rest face down to one side and flipped the first card face up. A green, number three.

Maxim followed with a random numbered green card and waited to see what Serna would play.

Serna smiled as she played a green Reverse card.

*****

Captain Lion was already and reached down. The last remains of the blood trickled down the cracks in the cave floor to reveal a strange looking key with multiple prongs on it, "A puzzle key? I wasn't aware they existed in the Realm."

"Explain." Madeous asked bluntly.

"Puzzle keys were quite common on my Earth. It made vault thieves really work for time and effort. By the time they had figured out to actually unlock a vault, the authorities were already to arrest them. The rulers of the vampire houses often kept powerful artifacts in vaults that could opened with a puzzle key." Captain Lion wiped the blood and examined the markings on it. Then turned to the prince, "Your Highness do you know who ruled East Port before time? Was it in your wife's name?"

"Well, yes, I know who ruled East Port before I married Cauladra and came into my own here," Prince Birch replied proudly, "My wife's family name is Eventide, she hails from House Eventide to be precise. Her family is one of the oldest Elven royal families in these parts. Sadly, it is also a dying lineage. My union with her was designed to preserve their future, you know."

Prince Birch waved them off, "But I digress, I dare say her lineage predates my own--the House of Bark. As for who predated House Eventide's rule of East Port, it was the Melniboneans. Some say the Melniboneans are the progenitors of the Elven race. Others say that they came from another world and ruled this one for over a thousand years. Either way, this entire area in fact was a part of their Dragon Empire and it was last ruled by Emperor Elric VII, the 428th Emperor of Melnibone who was also a summoner and a sorcerer. Why do you ask, Captain Lion?"

"Perhaps we should do some research in the library afterwards. It could very well be that not all the history was recorded for some reason or another. Was this emperor elven or human?" Captain Lion studied the key more closely.

"Elven, methinks," Prince Birch replied after he thought about the question for a minute, "Or at least he came from a race that gave rise to us Elves. The Melniboneans were proto-Elves for want of a better way of putting it."

"Remember what happened in Storm Haven, Irzen. You know with the Legion of Evil bit and the Black Gate that buried underneath the city, well the Lady thought that some of the evil may have leeched out of it and made its way here." Quake added.

"From Storm Haven?!" Irzen shook his head in disbelief, "That's over a hundred leagues from here! How can that be possible? Especially since we closed the Black Gate before we left Storm Haven."

"Well, before we met you, the Lady and I stole the Eye of Saffron from the Dunamons and went back in time. One thousand years ago-back in time. The city didn't exist but we saw 'ole horn head and several others he associated with. We didn't stick around to get caught and when we surfaced, we met 'young' Gareth. That was cool and weird. Anyway, I'd say that evil had to have leeched in one direction or another. It makes total sense why we're dealing with 'Mr. Bloody' and the vampires." Quake informed the others.

"Wow!" Irzen shook his head in disbelief, "And I thought MY early adventures in The Realm were weird."

"Black Gate?!" Madeous grumbled loudly.

"LIBRARY?!" War Scribe popped up in the midst of the Adventurers with an evil smile upon her face, "Did someone say LIBRARY?!"

Quake sighed and pinched her nose upon the chronicler's arrival, "And the bad penny turns up again."

"Just to make your life a living hell, Rocks For Brains! Mwuaha! Ha! Ha! Ha!" War Scribe cackled with pure glee.

Madeous slung his great sword over his shoulder contemplating the questions he might ask.

Captain Lion raised an eye brow, "I see you're out of that ridiculous stupor you were in after the battle of Arbor Haven, Chronicler. However, I believe your knowledge on this matter would be quite helpful."

"Correction, Captain Lion," War Scribe beamed mischievously, "I was NOT in a stupor after the Battle of Arbor Haven. I was merely experiencing an orgasm!" The Drowling gave a far off look before she sighed longingly, "An orgasm of joy!"

"Hmm. Well then you have to experience it in my world then, Chronicler. The Blood Wars are still going on I believe. World Wars as humans call them, something for you to see in person and record at your leisure then." Captain Lion said quietly. His attention turned back to the blood rock and the river once more.

"Do tell!" The Chronicler leaned close with a look of great interest in her eyes, "Please, don't hold back. Sharing is caring after all!"

"Chronicler, would you agree with Quake's assessment of what she described in regards to recent history with Storm Haven? The evil here is a by product of the Black Gate?" Madeous finally inquired.

War Scribe turned to face Madeous and replied honestly, "Miss I-Want-To-Be-A-Real-Dragon-When-I-Grow-Up, is only half right! The evil here both is and is not a by-product of the Black Gate in Stormhaven. Let me explain! Throughout the Realm, there are twelve Black Gates which exist. All of them are linked. All of them are gateways to The Realm of Chaos. Some of them are open, some of them are closed. The one in Stormhaven was open for a very long time and attracted the Dunamons before your niece and her friends came and closed it. There is a Black Gate here that is still open beneath Eastport. That gate has attracted the vampire lords that you see. Each Black Gate attracts some form of evil in its own way. So the evil here both is and is not a by-product of the Black Gate. Close the gate, evil won't come here. Open the gate, evil will be drawn here like bees to honey. It's as simple as that!"