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."

"Hey now! Wait your turn lass." Sir Gonagle eyed her suspiciously, "It's our turn then yours less one of us decides to put down a Reverse card like so."

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

Maxim grumbled again and picked up four more cards and dropped a Skip card down.

"Oh, I see how it is." Spencer rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "that can't be good. Watch your hand everyone. Maxim always finds a way to win at this game."

"We'll see!" Serna gave a mischievous grin as she studied her cards, "Heh! Heh! Heh!" The Shield Maiden then pulled out a Reverse card.

Sir Gonagle dropped down a random blue card.

Then Spencer grinned and dropped a Skip card down, "Let's see if you beat Maxim, Serna, who I might add is undefeated."

"Not for long!" Serna played a Blue Reverse card before she held up a single card, "UNO!"

*****

"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 straightest path to victory."

"Need I remind you there are NINE puzzle keys to acquire, your highness. We have one, the blood mage has three which will make four. The rest I'm guessing will be with the other two masters." Quake told the prince.

"You need not, Lady Quake," Prince Birch replied, "I was merely hoping aloud and in vain that the retrieval of the puzzle keys would be easier than I thought."

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

"We need a Victous Candle to mask our presence to the undead which I believe you are able to acquire one, Chronicler." The platinum knight stated a matter of factually.

"And I need to be flayed alive but I don't see any of you stepping up to do it!" War Scribe replied back in pure consternation, "Damn it, Madeous! I'm a Chronicler not an Archaeologist! I retrieve INFORMATION in the form of books, scrolls and tomes for people who seek KNOWLEDGE not items of power for greedy Adventurers. Try again!"

"For someone who can travel among the planes and other worlds at will, Chronicler," Madeous brought his sword up with the blade pointed at her, "DEATH is the only one who can give you a Victous Candle. It will appear with you upon your return."

"But that would mean that I would have to die!" War Scribe replied in glee.

The platinum knight swung his sword around in a fluid arc suddenly and cleaved War Scribe's head from her shoulders.

Both Quake and Captain Lion remained silent as they watched the platinum knight take off the Chronicler's head in a blink of an eye.

"--THE HELL?!" Irzen turned towards The Platinum Knight, "Madeous, I didn't know you had it in you!"

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Prince Birch exclaimed in pure disbelief, "You slew one of our allies IN COLD BLOOD! You slew one of Irzen's kin IN COLD BLOOD! THIS IS MURDER MOST FOUL! By what right do you spill innocent blood, sir?!"

"Stake me!" The elder vampire shrieked in terror as the platinum knight dropped the Chronicler, "Stake me now, mortals! PLEEAASSssssssssseeee!"

"SHUT UP!" Both Irzen and Prince Birch snapped at the elder vampire in unison.

++++
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"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.

The holy aura pulsed out from Lazheros in a three hundred sixty degree radius like a heart beat.

"It is so beautiful! So warm! So wondrous!" Princess Cauladra spoke in a distant tone of voice, transfixed by the holy aura which encompassed all around her.

Lazheros walked over and stood behind Alyson's head where she lay on the table. His armor was dragon like in appearance rather than that of Madeous's armor of the platinum knight. The metal was a mix of platinum with blue hews and bronze. "This armor was given to me by Grand Cleric, Seraxiosazzai the Radiant. It was once his before he passed on from the Prime Material to join Bahamut in Mt. Celestia. It is said that light of this armor can pierce the skies of the Seven Heavens to the edge of the Nine Hells. For the moment, though it is keeping out the corruption and darkness within her soul at bay, Princess Cauladra."

"Thank goodness, Grand Cleric, I hate to imagine whatever harm Lady Alyson could do were you not here to check her and whatever harm she could do to herself." The princess replied evenly.