"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.

He raised an eye brow and dropped a Draw Two card on Sir Gonagle.

The alchemist drew two more and placed a random green card down.

Serna dropped another green Reverse card and grinned.

Sir Gonagle placed a Skip card down and the round went to Spencer who dropped another Skip card of a blue this time making Serna draw two.

Serna drew two cards and grinned like a Cheshire Cat before she took one of the cards and dropped a Draw Two card on Sir Gonagle.

The alchemist grumbled a little picking up two more cards, only to drop a Wild card down and declare the color red.

Spencer shrugged and placed a Reverse card down.

Sir Gonagle silently placed a blue Draw Two down for Serna with a huff.

Serna picked two cards and played a blue Reverse card.

The alchemist placed down a random numbered card letting Spencer finally placed one down and then Maxim who said, "UNO!"

*****

"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!"

"When this issue with is properly dealt with, chronicler, I shall divulge one of those stories at your leisure." The airship captain added.

"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!"

Quake gaped, "W-w-what?!"

"D-d-d-did I stutter?" War Scribe turned on Quake, "I said that there are twelve Black Gates and this one here in Eastport is wide open."

"Twelve Black Gates?!" Prince Birch looked completely aghast, "Ye gods! Evil abounds everywhere!"

"Well then, our quest here has just gotten harder. Let's deal with the blood mage and get Alyson on the up and up." The platinum knight added.

"I agree!" The Swordsman frowned, "We take out the Blood Mage and then deal with the Black Gate. Thanks, Scribe, you're helpful as always."

"You're welcome, Irzen!" War Scribe beamed from ear to ear, "Does anyone else have any questions they would like to ask?"

"We're good here but you may want to head up and see the Bronze Man," Quake said to the Chronicler, "...the Lady she's been...poisoned by the blood mage."

"WHAT?!" War Scribe snapped in complete disbelief, "Someone poisoned Alyson?! No one does that to my fifth best friend in the whole wide Realm and gets away with it." The Drowling started shadow boxing, "Let me at 'em! Let me at 'em! I'll murder them!"

"I advise caution, chronicler. The tension in the palace is on high alert from the attack last night. Perhaps, your knowledge might help the princess greatly." Madeous told War Scribe.

"Caution is my middle name!" War Scribe grinned from ear to ear, "I will be as cautious and as subtle as a mouse in a house full of cats! Trust me!" With that said, the Drowling teleported away in the blink of an eye.

Quake just shook her head, "Caution is NOT her middle name."

"You ain't never lied!" The Swordsman quipped.

Captain Lion took the puzzle key and walked right up to the blood rock where the blood flowing reacted instantly. The flow parted to reveal a strange keyhole when he inserted the puzzle key. With a careful turn to the left, right, and then left again, a series of gears were heard in the cavern. The outer surface of the blood rock split into five separate sections in a spiral pattern. One of many symbols of chaos revealed a dimly lit passage.

"Why am I getting a bad feeling about this?" Irzen asked no one in particular.

"I see you and raise it by two, Irzen." Madeous followed the elemental when she took point.

"Is it too late for me to fold before I lose more than my shirt?" The Swordsman deadpanned rhetorically before he turned towards Prince Birch, "Have no fear, your Highness, I will not abandon you nor your people in your time of need."

Prince Birch laughed, "I know you will not, Lord Drow. You did not abandon us when we stared down those invading Orcs and I know you will not do so now. Besides, I have your back. So you cannont run even if you wanted to."

Irzen smiled, "Touche, Elven Prince, touche."

An ancient voice hissed from the darkness beyond the eerie reddish glow, "Ahhhh. Uninvited guests, you've found the first of nine puzzle keys. Touche. Here let's play a game."

Another voice coming the side near the swordsman blurted, "Ohhh! I love games! Let's bet on how long these blood bags can keep their wits about them!"

A third voice, deep and sinister spoke up, "Come now, only one of them is pure, and one of them isn't even an actually human. Age makes the blood taste so much better!"

Madeous grasped his sword in one hand and his holy symbol in the other speaking the dogma of the platinum dragon. Quietly at first and then repeated it louder and louder until a spectral dragon appeared. It's roar shout out in a three hundred sixty degree radius silencing the enemy and blanketing the entire party. Even Irzen and
Captain Lion glowed in the dark tunnel as the light pushed back the sickening feeling that had crept into their minds.

++++
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Without warning or ceremony, War Scribe reappeared right behind Princess Cauladra raised her arms high and boldly sang, "HERE I AM TO SAVE THE DAYYYYYYY!"

Acting on pure instinct alone and with the aid of her Elven reflexes; Princess Cauladra drew her sword from its sheath, drove her blade backward through War Scribe's heart, twisted the blade for good measure and yanked it free of the Drowling's body.

War Scribe's face had a sickly smile of glee upon it as she dropped to her knees and then collapsed upon the floor flat on her face and dead as a door nail.

Turning around to see her attacker, the Elven Princess dropped her sword, covered her mouth and gasped, "Oh gods! She is one of Lord Irzen's kin! What have I done?!"

The loud commotion out in the throne room drew out the Bronze Man who stopped in the doorway. He muttered under his breath when he saw the drowling and came over to see her now recently dead body laying on the floor. Lazheros stood next to the princess, "Your highness, you need not worry about her. For she is a Chronicler of Validor and her death is only temporary. Also, you may want to plug your ears when she returns to life."

"Really?!" Princess Cauladra was visibly relieved as she picked up her sword and sheathed it, "Thank the gods! For a minute I thought I had slain one of Lord Irzen's kinfolk sent here to aid us. I have heard of these Chroniclers, Grand Cleric, my sister-in-law, Prince Yew's wife, has had dealings with them in the past. They are both knowledgeable and wise beyond even Elven standards."

War Scribe's eyes snapped open right before she cut loose with a blood-curdling scream that forced Princess Cauladra to cover her ears and back away from the Drowling.

Lazheros held out his hand and cast, silence to drown out the blood curdling scream from blasting everyone's sharp hearing. He waited a few more minutes and dispelled it. "I wondered how long it would take you to show up, chronicler. I am quite certain your arrival here has brought news and/or information that may help our situation, yes?"