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

"Rats!" Serna dropped her cards and smiled, "Can we go again?"

"Hold on, young miss. The round isn't done yet. I've still got one card left. Let's see if you outwit me, eh." Maxim smirked.

"Oh, that's right! You're right!" Serna eagerly snapped up her cards and went through them, "I do have one chance to stop you. And this is how I'm going to do it." The Shield Maiden through down a "Wild" card and proudly declared, "The color is now green."

Spencer placed a skip card down making Sir Gonagle scowl. Maxim silently drew another card, dropping a red Draw Two on Serna, and repeated, "UNO."

"Rats again!" Serna picked up two more cards, looked at them, smiled and then played a Reverse card moving the action away from Maxim and towards Sir Gonagle.

The alchemist placed a Wild Card down changing the color to yellow.

Spencer grinned and dropped a Draw Two down for Maxim. "You know kids are fast learners, mate."

"We sure are!" Serna grinned as she reinforced Spencer's statement.

The first officer grimaced as he picked up two more cards. Then another and another until he found a yellow card and placed it down. "Why thank you for that astute observation, Spencer."

Serna giggled as she placed a Wild Card Draw Four on Maxim.

*****

"The blood mage is gonna be a D.E.A.D dead mage when I get through with'em!" Quake stomped the ground ahead of her. The floor cracked sending ripples of dust and rock shards to either side. A shriek from one of them could be heard not too far ahead. "Just like skipping stones over water."

Captain Lion held up his hand suddenly for everyone to be quiet when he reached into the magical darkness and pulled out a screaming, snarling vampire. The creature was definitely much older than any of the vampires they've encountered so far as it shriveled limbs tried in vain to break free of the airship captain. "Now, you may ask your questions before he meets his end, gentlemen."

"Beauty before age, Madeous," Irzen looked over to the Platinum Knight, "Ask him what you will."

"Where is the Blood Mage?" Madeous's vorporal sword gleamed in the eerily lit cavern. His voice stern and forceful.

The elder vampire sneered at him, "A self righteous human, bah! Your blood is well aged but you're not my type! I prefer young blood. Very young blood! Hehehehe!"

Quake walked up to the vamp with a red hot glowing hand and seared the chest of him. "You're gonna' tell us where the blood mage is, or you're gonna' burn reallllll slow like."

"YEEARRGGGHHH!! IT BURNS! IT BURNS US!" The elder shrieked in pain.

Captain Lion dug his nails into the neck of the elder vampire speaking in the Carpathian language, "Where is the Blood Mage and the Black Gate?"

The elder responded in Carpathian, "You'll find them ahead in the next chamber, you will face them and your mind shall be tested. All paths lead to death, for none of the living can cross the threshold."

"He says the Blood Mage is ahead and refers itself in plural. That you will be tested to see who is the strongest among you. As for the Black Gate," Captain Lion paused, "only the dead can cross the threshold."

"Who wants to cross it?" Irzen asked rhetorically, "We just want to close it!"

"So how do we close The Black Gate, foul knave?" Prince Birch asked the elder vampire, "Speak truthfully, choose your words carefully and I will promise you a quick and painless death! If not, then your demise will be painful, agonizing and over many, many days!"

The elder vampire laughed, "Poor. Poor little elf prince has lost his way, or has he? Elves are long lived but not always bright. What you seek is before you and ahead of you if you dare. Heheheehee!"

"There is a way to cross the threshold as the living masquerading as the dead," Madeous blurted out suddenly, "Rumors, I heard in my early days about a black candle that gave off green flame. It creates a twenty foot radius of illusionary dead and someone of the Chronicler's position might be able to get it for us. Irzen, summon the Chronicler back here if you would."

"Anyone can summon her, Madeous, all you have to do is ask her to return and call her name aloud, like so." Irzen looked upward and cried out, "War Scribe, heed my call, I have need for information."

"A Victous Candle." Captain Lion pondered the idea still holding the elder vampire, "Oh, one more thing, he says the blood mage has three more puzzle keys. Keys that are part of the Black Gate."

"Are they in his possession or hidden away?" Prince Birch asked Captain Lion, "Twould be easier to retrieve them if they were on his person as opposed to us searching this darkness for them.

"In the blood mage's possession." The captain deadpanned. "It's the puzzle keys, Prince Birch. We just need to get all nine of them to close the gate."

"Excellent news!" Prince Birch reaffirmed, "All we need to do now is kill two birds with one stone. We defeat the Blood Mage, we retrieve the puzzle keys, we close The Black Gate. One follows the other."

"But it will be far from being a piece of cake," The Swordsman added.

"I never said it would be easy, Lord Drow," The Prince corrected Irzen, "Just that the way forward is the straigthest path to victory."

"IIIIII'MMMM BBBBAAACCCKKK!" War Scribe reappeared in their midst, "Who seeks knowledge from the ALL wise, ALL powerful, CHIEF Chronicler of the Realm?!"

++++
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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?"

"Thank you, Grand Cleric," Princess Cauladra removed her hands from her ears, "That was most welcome!"

"That depends upon how well you ask your questions, Lazheros," War Scribe did a kick-up to get back onto her feet, "I am geased to tell the truth but the quality of my answers depend upon the quality of your questions."

"How are the others down below us? Have they made any progress, chronicler?" The bronze man inquired.

"It's true, Grand Cleric," Princess Cauladra added, "My sister-in-law once told me the Chroniclers of Validor offer up nothing on their own. But they are geased to answer any and all questions put to them."

He crossed his arms in a huff, "Yes. Yes, this I know of, ladies. However, since there is a blood mage about, caution is ever prevalent when this fiend can manipulate any of the living with a heart beat."

"Correct, your Highness!" War Scribe smiled at the Princess, "Nice stab by the way! You drove your blade straight through my heart, twisted it cleanly in my wound and pulled it free effortlessly. You should be proud about committing such a good clean kill."

Princess Cauladra looked at War Scribe warily, "Thank you--I think?"

Lazheros just rolled his eyes waiting for War Scribe to answer him.

"But to answer your question, Grand Cleric," War Scribe mused, "I will tell you everything that has transpired with them and then I will let you draw your own judgments as to how they are doing and if they are making any progress. Fair enough?"

The Bronze Man waited patiently.

War Scribe promptly relayed to them all that she had seen and heard without any omissions and in fact went into quite a bit of gory detail when little to none were required. While the Drowling did indeed tell the truth, her embellishments betrayed her death-loving nature.

For the Bronze Man who's skin was a light bronze color, he looked rather pale suddenly. There were very, very few things that would affect on such a level and the mention of a black gate mortified him. Immediately he grasped his holy symbol of Bahamut and summoned his legendary armor. He said nothing to either of them as he turned around and went back to guard his companion.

"You know, Princess, this is the first time that I've ever seen Lazheros like this," War Scribe stared at The Grand Cleric in pure disbelief.

"Like what?" Princess Cauladra asked innocently.

"Scared."

The Bronze Man wanted to take Alyson far away from here more than ever but he could not in good conscious leave the others behind either. All he could do was pray that the others would succeed against the blood mage.

"Poor Alyson!" The Drowling sadly shook her head, "What has that Blood Mage done to her?"

"You know, he is listening, Lazheros," War Scribe approached the Bronze Man with the princess in tow, "But the Lord of the North Wind is preoccupied at the moment with intrigues from--Wait a minute!" The Drowling stopped in mid-sentence and appeared to be listening for something that only she could hear, "I'm being summoned! I have to go! TOOTLES!"

Lazheros said nothing to the Chronicler's consoling words but she was right about the platinum dragon watching from on high. He could sense it but he could also sense the darkness creeping back in.

~Let me out to play with these insignificant undead, dragon and I might let her go. I will even go back to sleep...~ The dreaded voice of the Black Witch tempted him in his mind.

~ NO! You shall not awake while I still breathe, abberation!~ The bronze man stood up and spoke aloud the dogma of Bahamut.

"Justice and Good above all.
Honor and Fealty to the King.
Honor and Respect to Righteous Innocence.
Honor and Duty to the Balancer (Lendys), to Her Mercy (Tamara), and to the Justicemaker (Bahamut).
Honor and Protection to the Lesser Races.
Honor and Correction to the Enemies of Justice and Good.
Honor and Forbearance for oneself."

The dreadful feeling he sensed was gone as the room filled with a radiant light.

The Chronicler teleported away from the trio.

While Princess Cauladra bathed in the radiant light though she shielded her eyes to avoid its more powerful and blinding effects.