Thorn transforms to better follow shard and pam...moving through the chaos of battle...she follows her friends scent...looking back she sees darkos and luna following.

Pausing at the base of the stairs she growls and begins the long ascent.....she feels lunas presence and is comforted by her nearness...tail twitching she quickly reaches a platform, here she sits and waits for darkos and luna.

 [ send green star]

PAM: Moving quickly through the chaos, blasting in all directions heart pounding...your fear for your lost friends well being over comes you...You find yourself face down on the ground...with your sences returning you see this before your face...

as you gain clarity.....you see also that this symbol is the hilt of a sword and attached to that hilt is a long white slender hand.

Lunas prescence comforts u...though she is nowhere to be seen

Looking about you see to your left shard is chained and bound to a pillar with a jackalmans knife at his throat...ben is to the right chained and bound with a knife at his throat.

The owner of the sword steps away from u.....

"I'm glad to see you have come to your scenses" as she walks away from you...

So where are your friends? They have something I want!

 [ send green star]

MUSIC FOR THE MOOD>>>>

Hope you enjoy....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a92DUwxU6E&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBl_1A63TU0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uCzok3Z-_c&feature=related

 [ send green star]

Darkos reaches the stairs ,while somwhere overhead luna follows."No sound from here on",his thoughts send to his friend. Outstretched wings take him to the landing where a slightly startled Thorn awaits her friends.

 [ send green star]

Darkos glances about the empty room.

 [ send green star]

 Pam is somewhere just ahead....we must be quick and silent.....

Moving up the stair you find yourselves in a foyer ahead are two doors one to the right the other left. Overhead is a domed ceiling of glass....night has fallen and a strange redish haze fills the sky.

Somewhere down below a strange eerie melody is filtering through the halls....listening it seems to be moving closer.... 

 [ send green star]

What is that....music!

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0-o I dont know but I dont like it!    Ears laid back thorn turns to look down the stairs....

The music grows closer and seem to be everywhere and nowhere.....

Thorn backs toward Darkos snarling...It makes my head ache...

We should go find the others...quickly!

 [ send green star]

Pam...Ben.....Shard:

Moving toward ben she draws a small knife from her sleeve,

I'd talk if I were you...otherwise your friend here might get...

(Staring ben in the eyes) HURT! (She thrusts the knife in bens shoulder) Then turns and smiles at you (Pam) 

Now tell me where they are!

 [ send green star]

Our friends need us NOW! "I pity the demons if any harm has befallen  any of them"!,darkos murmurs,eyes glowing as they approach the doorway.

 [ send green star]

Steadily onward,driven by the image of his friends and their captor,Darkos strides quicken.He must not worry Thorn or Luna with what he sees.Only his friends safety matters. We shall see how the demons like my new "abilities".

 [ send green star]

Darkos fury grows with each step as he feels Ben,s pain and his friends suffering.She will pay dearly,his thoughts echos. "We must hurry!"

 [ send green star]

As we round the corner.... HEY COOL my wave has frozen her, she is dazed & confused, frozen in time & space.

Kill her Darkos!!! Use your new powers!!!

 [ send green star]

"SHE IS MINE"! Darkos roars as he nears his friends tormentor. Light radiating from the warrior intensifies ,enveloping her suspended form.The demon unable to move ,glances at Darkos.  Tortured screams echo thru the chamber as darkos form fades from view with the light ever growing.

 [ send green star]

Darkos outline vanishes as the pulse  rips away at the demons body,screams fill the hallways till nothing remains but the echoes. Darkos,nowhere to be seen,all is deathly still.

 [ send green star]

 Thorn quickly bounds across the room

using her weight to take down one of the anubis guards, she tears out his throat in anger...and turns to reguard her next victim. With a low growl she slowly aproaches....

 [ send green star]

Thorn continues forward,as the intended victim starts vibrating more intensely as if something is tearing apart his very being.

 [ send green star]

The fiends body rips apart as light bursts from inside slowly vaporizing the guard into dust. Nearby,another is taken down by Thorn,s rage. 

 [ send green star]

Pam,slowly lifts herself as she watches the chains holding ben and  shard fall,disolving to the ground. Ben,s wound from the knife begins to glow till their is no trace of it,as if it had never happened.

 [ send green star]

Thankyou my friends...now we must plan a better stradegy..we must stay close and watch over each other this could very well have been out doom...let us find a place to gain our strength and rest..

 [ send green star]

"Follow the light,to rest and nourihment".

 [ send green star]

Thorn Follows...Tired and hungry, she pads quietly along after the light.

 [ send green star]

Thank you so much for saving me my friends

 [ send green star]

You come upon a strange area... The light dissapates.

Tired and Hungry You look on in wonder and awe...Hoping yet again that this is not a trap.....

 [ send green star]

Thorn moves in slowly Looking about for enemies...But finds none!

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Strange yet familiar.As they tread on they find food and water awaiting them.

 [ send green star]

 "Rest,

regain your strength,noone can find you here!" you still have a journey ahead,rest my friends."

 [ send green star]

Ben and Shard along with the others regain their strength and needed rest,while Pam shakes off the lingering effects of battle.Luna keeps a weary eye open.Thorn looks about the room,aware of a prescence yet senses no danger just .........someone or something familiar!

 [ send green star]

Pain sears Through your being....A vile presence can be felt by all.... As if all the pain and agony of many life times has been placed upon your being....Death and anguish are felt...and hopelessness begins to seep through you....

Shard attempts to shut out the pain...in order to focus....

Weaving a veil Of Infinity,,,, Some of the power is disspersed away.....

chanting  Shard continues his veil awaiting...for the others to recover and aid him in disspelling this: 

 [ send green star]

Thorn attempts to quell the mind numbing agony and hopelessness with a calming wave of sound....

The spell seems to diminish the effects to bearabilty but it does nothing against the pain and remorselessness of loss...and sorrow.

 [ send green star]

"Use the power within you,combine together,i shall help when i can."   "I AM ...........

 [ send green star]

Thorn slows her breathing to concentrate....Reaching out mentally for her companions...Finding their strengths she send her strengths out to them and draws theirs to her.....

Power begins to pulse and radiate outward from their combined strengths....

 [ send green star]

A serene warmth surrounds the group as another,s energy is added,amplifying their combined strengths......

the pain begins to diminish as the force grows....

 [ send green star]

The pain receeds.....leaving all exhaused but well....

Looking about you find theres is plenty of food and water to replenish your supplies....and rest while you gather your inner strengths for the final journey.

Thorn stretches and looks around...seeing all her companions are well she smiles....gathering food and water she begins to

repack her things prepareing for the journey ahead....

softly she humms to herself....

 [ send green star]

 soft whispers come to Thorn

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Ears twitching she listens...and continues to hum...

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"What,,,,who are you?",reaches for her staff.. "I Am,a friend,you knew me in a nother form. I AM "DARKOS"!

 [ send green star]

It is why i was sent here,my purpose.That is all i can say,,,for now! We have a new journey that awaits.

 [ send green star]

Looking about....

Thorn gathers her belongings...

"Then so be it, Lets Get this done"

Moving to the back of the room...Thorn presses against the wall

and a passage way opens....A flight of stair winds down into the dark depths....Turning thorn gazes upon you.

Are we ready? "To whatever fate awaits us...I believe it is time."

With that she turns and descends into the darkness...

 [ send green star]

We go my friends.........Darkos emits a glow that penetrates the blakness,lighting their way.

 [ send green star]

The stairwell winds downward in an infinate spiral...your footsteps echo within.... What awaits at the bottom?

You try to listen past the footfalls of your companions but to no avail...Alas all you can do is wait and see. 

 [ send green star]

Floating effortlessly you drift down the stairway thru the inky blackness.You feel the thoughts of those behind you trying to consol your friends nervousness as to what  may await them.Finally bottom is reached as the glow sends out illuminating a corridor.

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 o-0....I wonder where this goes? Darkos your still following right?    Are the others coming.....

Twitching her ears thorn awaits the replies......as she slowly wanders down the hall. Right or left, right or left she whispers under her breath.

 [ send green star]

I AM HERE........ (darkos transforms to a bodily form)The others will follow as they are able.I feel either way will lead to adventure.

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 Hmmmm, True! Tail twitching thorn looks right then left.....My curiosity says left but my instincts say go right...

After deliberating thorn meanders to the right....

I hope the others find there way......

 [ send green star]

Pam is not far behind the others. She can hear their foot steps to the right. But she feels that she must turn left. She knows that she must protect and help her friends. She turns to the right and follows her friends. Pam thinks to herself, "What is that smell?" 

 [ send green star]

These caverns are ancient,maybe just the lingering scent of decay and evil. Maybe.........

Careful my friends!!!

 [ send green star]

O0000hhh!

I smell an awful smell. Teeth barred thorn moves cautiously along the path.

The ornate stone path is littered with body parts...all seem fresh...puddles of blood seep between the stonework...creating an all out sadistic procession of death and waste....

Hopping across the body parts and avoiding the bloody puddles thorn slowly works her way along the path...ears at alert...tail twitching...she whispers

"What do you guys make of this?"

"Seems rather extravagant for us...Who do you think could be ahead?"

Looking about thorn looks for footprints amongst the carnage.....

 [ send green star]

Something(s) either has messy eating habits or cared not of how they disposed of these unsuspecting souls.On your guard my friends,,,,,,Darkos form fades .

 [ send green star]

Darkos becomes one within the shadows,gliding over the remains,ever searching,ever aware of any motion or sound.Something catches his eye.

 [ send green star]

Hmmm,a key or a weapon? Must have been discarded in haste.....something about the markings...(picking up a sound ahead,he again molds with the shadows,moving in its direction,unseen)

 [ send green star]

"I am closer than you think,little one"! ......the thoughts penetrate Thorn as she feels his presence near by. "Quietly now,...just ahead......

 [ send green star]

Thorn bumps into something as she moves amongst the death. "Owww",she murmurs to herself tho there is nothing to be seen.Darkos turns ,as he materializes."Sorry, I forgot to change back." Something is ahead,,,,,,,where is Pam?

 [ send green star]

She was just behind me ...I thought!

What do you make of all this? I'm surprised the smell hasn't attracted Vermin to feed.... I wonder why that is?

Tail twitching....she looks about....Even flys are not present in this morrass of decay.....Why?

 [ send green star]

Even the scavangers want nothing to do with this place. Maybe they feel its prescence.That may be the reason,......IT/they are still here!!!!We will need our friends for what awaits,ALL OF THEM!

 [ send green star]

Hmmm, I agree.  But how shall we gather them....So that they might find us? We have traveled far and lost some along the way! Thorn looks about pondering the situation....A summoning perhaps? But Which will work best?

 [ send green star]

Which ever you choose my energies will aid ,amplifying yours to reach all our friends.(no matter where they be.)

 [ send green star]

Close your eyes,relax...clear your mind..it will come to you......

 [ send green star]

I am Trying but something is blocking my summoning..... I cant hear our friends thoughts anymore....only yours, perhaps because you are close....I dont know!

 [ send green star]

I will go down the corridor to find Pam,try again,,clear your mind..........darkos words echo as he disappears from site,"BE CAREFUL"......

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gliding over dismembered bodies,searching for Pam ,Darkos hears a faint noise ......"Pam"?....no response to his thoughts.He fades from site slowly moving towards the sound,unseen,he nears closer to a form crouching over one of the bodies.........

 [ send green star]

seemingly unnoticed,Darkos draws nearer,trying to discern who or what this creature may be and what it is doing.

 [ send green star]

As he nears,the creature raises it,s head as if it knows someone is near.Darkos stops as the form looks around and down the hallway.Turning,it drops something as it flees suddenly down the corridor.

 [ send green star]

"That thing was eating at the corpse!" Darkos sails after the fleeing fiend,wondering if it knows what happened? It shouldn,t be hard to catch.

 [ send green star]

O0000 Darkos wait for me.....

 [ send green star]

"I will wait,"  darkos stops,becoming one with his surroundings.Slow as you near...quietly now.(he puts himself between thorn and the creature,so it will not see her.

 [ send green star]

Darkos braces as thorn almost runs into him."SHHHHH" it doesn,t see you yet.

 [ send green star]

"Why does its form look so familiar???????",  darkos thoughts send to his friend.What say you,,,thorn?  (a slight thud into his body tells him that thorn has arrived.),,,,,,,,Careful now......

 [ send green star]

Thorn,,,,,,,,,Do you know this one????

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 She is that creature of wind we saw on the plains...she...it....o-0  warned us of bens capture ...and dissipated!

What does it want? Thorn stands behind darkos...tail twitching.

 [ send green star]

 you shall get your revenge...(The whisper of wind is soft on your ears)

The semi corporeal whisp....moves erratically as if aggitated...

With an ear peircing scream she dissapates in a fury of lightning and wind.....Clattering to theground at your feet....

Is..

A weapon of brilliant Dark Fire...Runes glow upon its blade and a green light pulses just beneath  the venier of the blade...

 [ send green star]

Darkos moves forward cautiously,shielding thorn behind him as they near the glowing object. "Seems we have an ally in this strange place".

 [ send green star]

Seems we do....I wonder why?

Still...Happy its on our side so far.

What do you make of it Darkos...theres alot of power emanating from it... I wonder what it is that it will do?

 [ send green star]

It,s power is beyond comprehension. "This ....could well be the answer to the end of the demon lord and his minions." The fates may well have shined upon us.We may soon find out its potential

 [ send green star]

We must gather our friends.WHERE ARE THEY?????

 [ send green star]

THORN ?????.....WHAT,,,,Where ..IS..WHAT HAS HAPPENED???? darkos finds himself no longer in the corridor but in a strange room.(must have been the sword,he thinks to himself)Must find my way back!!!!!

 [ send green star]

o-0 Darkos...Darkos where are youuuuuu?....

After Darkos grasped the weapon he faded from the room.

Thorn looks puzzled and perplexed...

looking about she decides to wait a bit and see if he reappears...

 [ send green star]

Darkos stops for a moment,silence fills the corridor.His eyes close,slowing his breathing ,his heartbeat slowing.In his mind he searches out thru the labyrinth,onward,hallway upon hallway till ...he sees thorn ,reaching out to her in his thoughts. "THORN!"....."

 [ send green star]

"Be not alarmed my friend !"as darkos appears suddenly behind her.

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