"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!"

"We're doing out best, Quake, but he's not all that eager to die!" The Swordsman charged forward and sliced off one of its three remaining arms.

Prince Birch finally got into the act but striking at the opposite arm Irzen had attacked and lopping it clean off of the monster's main body. "Begone, foul creature! You have no place in this realm or any other!"

The pride demon roared in frustration lashing out wildly with one of it claws and swept the feet out from under the platinum knight. Madeous hit the cavern floor hard and braced himself.

The demon tore into him breaching the finer parts of his armor, rending flesh and bone. It's maw opening up for a bite when it stopped suddenly. The sword of the platinum knight pierced its chest and out the back. Blood spewed from both areas making the ground slick with black blood.

"Everyone attack now. Strike at the same time!" Captain Lion fired off three more rounds with each shot opening up the hole bigger.

Quake fired off another shot that literally severed the entire right side of the pride demon.

Both Irzen and Birch coordinated their attacks with Elven efficiency slicing off the last of the creature's limbs.

Madeous rolled to one side and proceeded to cleave the chest of the demon in twain. The creature collapsed under the combine assault of the heroes leaving the area a blood soaked mess. Captain Lion and Quake made their way over to him and helped to his feet.

"No more demons, blood mages, or vampires here." Madeous wiped the blood from his sword and raised his visor.

******

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."

******

"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.

Serna began to snore peacefully.

******

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 quarterstaff, 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!"

"You're next, demon!" Sylvus turned towards the creature, "In the name of my god, I will smite thee once I have finished with this novice acolyte of Bahamut!"

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."

The princess was in pure shock at this sudden and brutal attack. Once Lazheros spoke to her directly; Princess Cauladra recovered her senses, positioned herself between the two Grand Clerics and cried out, "This is madness! Sylvus Kiltani, I order you to cease and desist your attack upon my guest! NOW!"

"Your Grace!" The Grand Cleric of Labelas Enoreth stopped his follow-up attack on Lazheros, "He is an affront to Labelas Enoreth himself! He is a threat to--"

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

Sylvus spun around to face Alyson, "Be silent, dragon, or be silenced by the power of Labelas Enoreth!"

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."

A look of abject horror came over Sylvus Kiltani's face when he saw Dungeon Master before him, "O, Great Dungeon Master, are these interlopers allied with you? I--I--I did not know. I merely thought them to be interlopers of Bahamut trying to worm their way into my diocese and lead Enoreth's faithful away by gaining favor with the crown."

"You are letting your vanity over ride your judgement, Sylvus." Dungeon Master shook a finger at him warningly, "Do not presume that you are in the right here. Do not forsake the freedom of your people because you deemed these heroes and allies of your kin, a threat. You were summoned by the princess because they sought your insight on the veiled menace."

"I--I understand!" Sylvus Kiltani responded in pure defeat, "And I am sorry for any harm that I have caused." The Grand Cleric of East Port raised his staff and fired off a blast of energy that coursed its way into Lazheros' body restoring him back to his original youthful age."

The bronze man feeling himself again joined Princess Cauladra's side with his shield in one hand and his warhammer in the other. There was the matter of the pride demon to deal with still.

"What must I do now, Great Dungeon Master?" The High Elf turned back towards the Gnome.

"Face the truth of what stands before you, Sylvus and confront the danger that lies beneath the city." Dungeon Master walked towards the throne again and vanished.

***RRRAAAAAUUGGGGHHH!!!***

The pride demon roared, charging straight for the princess when Lazheros instinctively raised his shield and held the creature at bay.

The elementalist invoked both pieces of the crimson dragon armor and unleashed a barrage of fire bolts into the backside of the demon. Then followed up with razor sharp dragon slashes dropping it one knee.

By this time, the royal guards entered and engaged the demon. Their long spears piercing the tough hide of it and then unleashed a barrage of arrows.