The pride demon lashed out with a lightning lure snagging Irzen and Birch like Scorpion from Mortal Kombat, "GET OVER HERE!"

Both Irzen and Birch cried out in sudden pain as they felt the lethal sting of this brutal magical attack.

Captain Lion fired off three shots from his rifle one after another. Madeous charged forward in a wide arch slicing through the lightning lure and freed both Irzen and Birch.

Quake slammed her long tail down onto the hard cavern floor that sent a series of tremors down and underneath the demon. The demon side stepped easily enough and laughed, "Mwhaa! Ha! Ha! Ha! Is that all you got, elemental?"

"DON'T ENCOURAGE IT, QUAKE!" Irzen roared in pain, "JUST DROP IT LIKE A BAD HABIT! NOW!"

Quake slammed her tail onto the ground again and again and this time the cavern floor gave way. "Actually, now that you mention it, I've got lots more where that came from!"

"UH! A LITTLE HELP HERE!" The Swordsman cried out, "BEFORE WE ALL DIE!"




Madeous charged forward and the great sword came down in to powerful arcs across the torso of the demon. Without turning back to the others he moved sideways keeping the pride demon's full attention.

Captain Lion came over and helped both Birch and Irzen to the their feet, "Pain is what makes us stronger, gentlemen. You faced far worse at the battle of Arbor Haven, why do you falter now?"

"I am NOT faltering!" Irzen grabbed his ribs in pain before he pulled forth his sword and snarled, "I'm just getting warmed up!"

"I saw my wife. I saw my son. I saw my future. I saw--" Prince Birch wistfully declared with a distant look in his eyes.

The pride demon focused on the platinum knight, its sides and back exposed to attack. It roared again from Madeous's taunting.




"Birch has gone bye-bye! Captain Lion, what have you got?" Irzen turned towards the Victorian Rifleman.

Captain Lion merely walked over to Birch, placing a hand on his forehead, "Prince Birch of East Port, come to your senses and know that is an illusion! It is not real and should you fall, all will be lost!"

Prince Birch snapped to his senses as he shook his head, "Who? What? When? Where? How?"

"And don't forget 'Why?' Irzen quipped sarcastically, "Like 'Why are we here?' 'Why are we getting our heads handed to us by a tentacled creature that's a cross between a Kraken and The Honey Island Swamp Monster?' 'And why did we get out of bed this morning?'




Quake glanced over to them, "You know, you should just kiss him. That would definitely wake him up."

"Let's not and say we did!" Irzen snapped back, "Or, better yet, why don't you switch back to Human form and plant him one. War Scribe once told me that a kiss from you could wake the dead. Are you up for putting that theory to the test?"

"Fine!" Quake polymorphed back to her human form and walked over and gave Birch a kiss. "Done! Now why don't you get your sorry excuse for a swordsman over there and help the platinum knight!"

"Sorry excuse for a swordsman?" Irzen looked at her, "The last time I checked I could handle a sword FAR BETTER than you could handle magic."

"Lord Drow, we have a monster to kill!" The Prince pulled forth his sword.

"But I digress," Irzen moved to help Madeous, "We'll finish this little conversation of ours later, Quake! Bet on it!"

Madeous goaded the pride demon again with another two attacks from his great sword. This time cutting off one of the four arms.

Captain Lion fired off three rounds of radiant blasts from his rifle. Each shot made the same hole bigger than the first one.

Quake couldn't change back so quickly and instead pulled out her cannon and unloaded a round that shattered the right leg below the knee. "Can we hurry this up, guys! The lady is in trouble up top!"

+++++

A tall, regal, blonde, blue-eyed High Elf in very rich robes with a dismissive air about him strode into the room. Dropping to one knee before the princess, the Grand Cleric took her hand and kissed it. Raising his head, Sylvus looked into her eyes, "Please forgive the delay in my arrival, your Majesty, I was in the middle of vespers when I received word of your summons. And as you well know, my princess, the faith comes first--even before the crown."

"Of course, Grand Cleric," Princess Cauladra nodded, "Please rise! And before we converse on the purpose of your being here, Sylvus Kiltani of East Port, Grand Cleric of Labelas Enoreth, I would like to introduce you to one of your peers, Lazheros of Asylum, Grand Cleric of Bahmut!"

The Bronze Man immediately noticed how perturbed the resident Grand Cleric was.

"Forgive me for saying so, your Highness, but Labelas Enoreth has NO peer among the gods!" Sylvus regared Lazheros as though he were little more than a fly on a wall, "And neither do his Clerics and Grand Clerics across The Realm!"

"When I arrived here in East Port, Sylvus, I was in the company of Madeous Khyng and company. We are also allies of Prince Birch and Princess Cauladra upon coming to the aid of King Sunrider of Arbor Haven upon the eve of battle. Now, if you find that preposterous then you should be careful upon greeting another in the presence of royalty." The Bronze Man stated.

"I do not find it preposterous, Grand Cleric of Bahamut," Sylvus corrected Lazheros, "I find it merely disturbing that you would come into my diocese, offer aid to my lieges and avoid presenting yourself to your superior of another faith. And THAT is what grieves me the most!"

"Furthermore, it was my friends and I that encountered the vampire threat here in East Port. How is it that it went unnoticed by someone of your caliber?" Lazheros gave Sylvus a hard stare.

Sylvus returned Lazheros hard stare with one of his own, "Please forgive me, Lazheros of Asylum, you must have mistaken me for one of your acolytes. I do not answer to The Lord of the North Wind and I CERTAINLY do not answer to one of his peons!"

Lazheros merely smiled and stepped back ushering Princess Cauladra behind him, *yth re ir vur wer diieson. ulnaus.*

Princess Cauladra took note of this growing 'holy war' between the two Grand Clerics but said nothing at all believing this to be a religious matter more than anything else.

Translation:: "We are one and the same. Together."

******

Back down at the cavern's entrance the pride demon waited knowing the elementalist would be back. It was a shame she wasn't alone, it would be so much easier to overwhelm her. All of his kindred were drawn to the power of the elementalist upon sensing the arrival of her and her friends. She was the one they wanted most of all. Such power in the possession of the great one.

Suddenly there was a flash of gold and the pain of teeth and claws as the elementalist tore into the demon. Lashing out with a lightning lure, it wrapped around the neck of the dragon with force, pulling itself free.

Sudestren ran helter skelter through the streets of East Port towards the palace to alert the others.

With a firm grip on the pride demon, the elementalist muttered the words, *yth re ir vur wer diieson. ulnaus.*

Translation:: "We are one and the same. Together."

******

Spencer got up and poured himself a drink and one for the girl, "Here. I can't imagine what your friend did to expend so much magic. That's gotta take a toll."

"Thank you, Spencer," Serna took the drink and gulped it down eagerly, "I don't know what she did either, but I do know this, a little rest could do her a realm of good."

The young gnome poured another for Serna, "Well to be honest, I will be glad to head back to Asylum after all of this."

"Oh, so you're from Asylum," Serna smiled, "It would be good to return there. I would love to see how my friend, Neven, is doing now that he has settled down there."

Spencer adjusted his shirt a bit and looked at her, "You're welcome to come with us, Serna. I'm sure the captain would be delighted to have you aboard."

"Captain Lion wants to adopt me as his daughter!" Serna replied honestly, "He likes me and I like him. But I am not ready to give up life on the road or the company of my friends. Do you have any family, Spencer?"

"I have four brothers and five sisters. We gnomes either come from large families or small ones." The young gnome replied.

"That's a pretty big family," Serna replied, "But I'm curious what would you do if faced with the same choice that Captain Lion laid out for me?"

Spencer looked over at her, "Won't happen, Serna. You see, the captain and his wife tried for a girl and failed. She bore him sons, no daughters and so they opted to adopt. I heard from some of the mates say that the captain asked Alyson but she had family so-to-speak. Now he focused on orphan girls with the chance that one might say yes to his proposal, something to do with his wife. I don't know anymore than that, sorry."

"That's alright, Spencer," Serna added, "You told me quite a bit already! Thanks! I have a lot to think over now."

"Your welcome." He replied taking another sip of his drink.

Serna merely sighed as she comforted Caliaphy who was stretched out on her lap.

"You can take a nap if you want, Serna. I will keep watch." Spencer got up, grabbed a book and sat back down, "Besides, you look like you need to sleep."

"That's not a bad idea, Spencer," Serna yawned, "And it has been a long day. I think I will." It did not take long for the Shield Maiden to fall asleep with the Kurori still in her lap.

******

Back in the throne room, a rift appeared in front of Princess Cauladra, Lazheros and Sylvus. Out of it came a large gold dragon fighting with the same pride demon she and Sudestren encountered at the cave entrance. The demon rolled over and threw the dragon off itself looming over the trio.

"What caused this?!" Princess Cauladra drew forth her sword and took a defensive stance.

"WHAT IN THE REALM?!" Sylvus Kiltani cried out in pure surprise as he seized his talisman around his neck, the symbol of a setting sun, and cried out, "ENORETH PRESERVE US!"

In a flash of light gray light; Sylvus Kiltani stood before the gathering donned in light gray leather armor, armed with an ornate quarterstaff covered with runes and glyphs. "You forced my hand, fool! Now taste the power of The Lord of The Continuum!"

The Grand Cleric of Labelas Enoreth swung his quaterstaff, nailed Lazheros in the jaw and sent him flying into a nearby wall. However, the quarterstaff also had a magical effect, with a single touch it aged the Grand Cleric of Asylum by a thousand years!

The pride demon just starts laughing, "That's right, kill each other! Do it! Finish it, you pompous excuse for a mortal elf!"

The bronze man sailed backwards feeling ancient now, "Princess Cauladra, is this worth all of this suffering? What I asked for was advice and yet you stand idly aside while Sylvus spouts racism towards your allies."

Alyson shook off the daze and got back up, "We asked her for help and this is how you repay us, with your bigotry?!?"

Time stopped as Dungeon Master walked out of from behind the throne, "Sylvus, Grand Cleric of Labelos Enoreth, stay your hand and return the Guardian of Asylum to his original state, or it is you that shall suffer the fate of all."