Episodes

Eagle struggled to maintain balance in the midst of battle. He tried hard to open his eyes and all he could see were some black shadow things coming towards him; he couldn't even make out what they are, but he's assuming that those are the skavens. .....although now that the blinding effects were gone, he was still hurt pretty badly because of his keen eagle eye sight which is very sensitive. He felt diizzy and when he shakily stood up, blackness covered his eyes and he almost fell over again, but he forced himself to stand.
Still unable to figure out where the enemies are and where his allies stand, Eagle yelled "Get out of the way!!!!!" and shot out 3 bolts of his strongest wind blast in three different directions, hoping that it would be enough to defend himself with, 1 more hit from anything and he would be dead very soon, since he was all drenched in his own blood by falling on dead skavens' weapons. 1 bolt, flew directly towards vAldiCi, however, the early warning from Eagle provided vAldici enough time to dodge it with ease. the 2nd bolt, hit a wall that was about 3 feet to his right, so close was the wall that Eagle's fingers was almost touching it when he shot the blast, Eagle was sent flying towards the other side on the corridor.
"UPGH!!!" Eagle hit the other side and his health is now decrease to [28%]....... he slumped onto the ground uncousious, in the midst of battle...... those skavens are now about to jump on Eagle and tear him apart......

Now, whatever happened to the third bolt?? It flew out of Eagle's left hand when he was knocked towards the other wall, due to the 'backfire' of the 2nd bolt, his hands went flying as the 3rd bolt was shot to the ceiling, about 10 feet in front of where he was lying. Which was also directly above where the skavens were..... "CCRRRRRUUMMMM" sounds of falling rocks from the ceiling, as a few thousand pounds on solid rock fell directly on top of the 6 skavens that were heading for Eagle and Romulus.

"Squishhh....Pllat...." Now that the number of the enemies were diminished, the damned serpent prepared himself for battle, as the alliance will stand strong against the tide of darkness.

* * *

The serpent surveyed the carnage. Cool he addressed the WarAngels: "So... Young warriors, you have vanquished my latest recruits. Now you must face their master. And your maker."
"And who would this master be?" Drask replied, equally cooly.
"I have many names. But you may call me Sightblinder." Sightblinder strode forward, onto the middle of the pile of skaven casualties (those not buried under the rubble) and unleashed his primary weapon: the black lightning. It hit Drask square on in the chest, and he screamed as he was shoved back ten paces.[52% health] The scream caused more rock to fall on the pile of stone which served as a final blanket for many of the skaven.

When Drask shakily go to his feet, he was quite dizzy, but could see adequately to find his target. "Unfortunately for you, you did not live up to your name." Drask sank to his knees with the efforts of the spell he was casting, and got it off. He did not need to look at the results, for he couldn't see straight any more, but he knew what had happened: Sightblinder was running around, swatting at his burning clothes. Taking this time to escape, Drask floated up to the ceiling, and drifted off to sleep. The drafts up in the barrel vaulted ceiling surrounded Drask in a cloud of blood. Ishmael curled up on his chest, and pulled Drask's cloak about him for covers. He was speaking telepathically with the sleeping (now on the verge of unconsciousness) Drask.
"You are losing too much blood to stay trapped in this form for long. This body will die soon, if you stay in it. The other option you have is to merge us, your body will disappear into mine, and you can escape to heal thy wounds." Drask telepathically grunted his assent. As soon as he did so, a bright white light surrounded them both, lighting up the darkness of the high ceilings. It soon winked out, and naught could be seen. The cloud of blood dispersed, and showered the floor.
Drask swooped low. "Et maintainent, il faut que je parte."
His golden breath singed some words into the wall:

So now I must go away
Perhaps return tomorrow
Or else on some other day
Less filled with pain and sorrow

Drask disappeared from the battle field. Sinister Eagles wind blast had blown off Di'Ethe's cloak revealing him to the enemy.
"Hello my dark friend," it hissed and then grinned.
Di'Ethe aimed at the head of the 'serpent'? he made sure of his aim. THEN the serpents eyes flashed a deep crimson and Di'Ethe felt something in his mind. Di'Ethe tried to release the now well aimed shaft through the serpent head but found he couldn't release. His arms weren't obeying him, slowly, as if struggling to stop, Di'Ethe turned and pointed the arrow at vAldici. Di'Ethe tried to yell out a warning but found he couldn't open his mouth.
"Your dark side is ever so entertaining young one," the serpent hissed in Di'Ethe's mind. Di'Ethe released the arrow straight at vAldici not being able to stop his own actions. vAldici noticed the arrow just in time to dodge out of the way but the the aim was too good even though vAldici twisted out of the way.. it graved his already injured arm opening a new wound. vAldici on relflex cast a spell straight at the source of danger, flinging Di'Ethe into a nearby wall. Slowly Di'Ethe stood up, redrew a new arrow and prepared to finish off what he had already started. [mind controlled, 60% health]

* * *

Romulus was still kneeling on one leg. He watched helpless as several explosive events had been executed within ten meters of himself. "Shit, this whole team is going to hell...." he thought to himself. Darkness was begining to creep inwards from the edges of his vision. he knew that it would be a matter of minutes before he lost conciousness from his blood loss. His heart was pounding dully, exhausted, against his chest. His breaths came in ragged slurps. The blood was begining to congeal in the pool around him, making his boots stick to the granite floor.

He surveyed his surroundings from his post underneath the doorway. Eagle lay in a crumpled heap against the nearest wall due to the recoil from his air blast. Ahead of Rom the remaining skaven were dying under a pile of rock rubble. Above him soft droplets of blood rained down from some unknown anomaly. And for some bizarre reason D'ithe had just shot Val. And to top it off, there was a very big, very dangerous, very aggressive serpent slithering it's way toward Rom's party.
"GOD DAMMIT!" he swore, and then mustering up any and all of his last reserves, he forced himself to his feet. Lightning shot through his injured quadricep like oily fire, electrocuting his nervous system with arcing, spasming pain. But he willed himself to take a step towards Eagle, then another...then another. He was only ten feet away, if Rom could reach him... Yes, he had to. He must. Romulus trugged forward, step after grueling step. He collapsed on top of Eagles feathered form, gasping for breath. Pin pricks of light exploded in his vision, he shook his head to rattle them away, but felt dizzy from his further blood loss. Nevertheless, he reached down, grabbed Eagle by the waist and neck, and hoisted him up in his arms. Throwing him over his shoulder in a firemans carry, Romulus forced himself up to his feet. Unsteadily, he limped over to Val. He had no time. D'ithe was stringing another arrow and Rom didn't know who it was for. Besides a huge serpent was bearing down on them, less than twenty meters from the rubble pile.

Luckily Rom, Eagle and Val were in the far end of the room, with a semi effective barrier blocking at least line of sight from the snake. Val was in the opposite corner from Rom and Eagle. D'ithe had now strung the arrow and was drawing his bow,
"Shit!" romulus swore, "He's gonna go for Val again..." whether or not this was true, Romulus doubled and tripled his efforts. He ACTUALLY RAN towards Val with Eagle bouncing on his shoulder, he hit Valdici with his entire body blocking him from what might have been a lethal arrow shot. All three lay in a heap on the ground. Rom was unsure if the shot had actually been fired, but in either case, the Serpent was getting closer...Rom quickly checked his friends for further injuries. It was probably unwise to move Eagle, his wounds looked almost lethal... Valdici was also hurt, his arms were sickenly lacerated by two wounds.
"Oh well, he can handle himself, at least I've gotten him out of harms way...for the time being." Rom thought to himself. His energy was being impossibly taxed...He was running on bare fumes. Pure adrenaline pumped furiously through his veins, spurring his body to continue working dispite his rapidly decreasing health nevertheless Romulus still managed to hobble to his feet, draw his sword and defend his team.

* * *

The shot had not been fired. Di'ethe was waiting for vAl to stand up..and when he did- twang! vAldiCi now had his full attention diverted to the arrow streaming towards him (the 2nd so far) and decided to hastily! put up a reflect barrier.

[reflect][redirects particles]

The arrow bounced off almost harmlessly but vAl couldn't get the barrier up quick enough so he suffered a loss of 10% health.,, so he is now at [70%]... and then he focused on Di'ethe. [dispelmagic][dispels magick][di'ethe] the result ending in a failure, all he could do was to put an aether stasis on Di'ethes muscles, slowing him down to the point that he could no longer use his bow. The serpent hissed his disapproval, and red/dark energies began melting (or dispelling) the stasis on di'ethe. vAl increased the power on his spell, and threw a counterspell at the serpent for a good measure. (which resulted in another dispell from the creature). The three were now locked in an arcane duel of intensifying magickal energies...

* * *

Bal'Cruz'Ir looks around. Rom is no longer standing next to him in the door. D'ithe is pointing an arrow at... Val? Drask is being attacked by a magic weilding snake, which suddenly bursts into flames. Eagle, slumped against a wall, is picked up by a wounded Rom. D'ithe is pointing another arrow... at the good guys?

Articuno is sitting in a corner picking his nose or bottling monster brains, or something. It makes him sick. This is no place for wimps. Eagle and Rom are lying in a pile on the floor. Drask has dissapeared. A simple troll brain cannot handle this many things going on. What it does know, however, is that a big serpent is headed towards them. He can understand that the badguy needs to be killed. Bal'Cruz'Ir fires some blakk energies at the snake, but they appear to have no effect, so he charges it with troll tusks raised. Blakk energies are fired back at the phreator-troll, but it seems to be immune to its own magic. The snake begins casting another spell. Bal'Cruz'Ir's clothing and exposed skin begins to dissintegrate. Soon his flesh is flying off in hunks. When he reaches the serpent, his skin is gone, and all his muscles are left exposed. He is dying. The elder rune reagen can only heal, not create a whole new skin. He knows he is dying. Bal'Cruz'Ir thrusts his troll tusks up through the body of the snake. The snake reels in pain, In his pain, he releases a storm of every kind of magik at the phreator-troll, literally tearing him limb from limb. Bal'Cruz'Ir has never lost a fight before, and does not know how. He continues stabbing the snake with his troll tusks, untill his whole body has ceased to exist, and all that remains are the troll tusks, which clatter to the floor, and the serpent slithers on towards the rest of the party, the wounds that would soon kill him appearently not effecting him at the moment.

* * *

Romulus was not in good health. Nor was he a happy camper. In fact he was downright miserable.... Molten rock shot overhead and collided with the thick scaly skin of the Giant Serpent. The beast roared in agony from multiple tusken wounds and scorch marks from the lava bursts. The room filled with sick oily smoke of burning flesh. The snake writhed in pain and anger, scattering the bones and the mutilated carcass of Bal in all directions. Romulus lay unconscious next to Eagle, also still and unmoving. Valdici stood above them locked in magikcal battle with the snarling beast. Soon it would be dead from it's superfluous wounds, but apparently it's magikcal aura was still strong. Romulus continued to bleed. His life was slipping away and forming a soft bed around him. The puddle had soaked his clothes, stained his skin, and surrounded his body in a near perfect circle. Fitting. His legs sprawled and arms askew, his body was limp and lifeless. His skin was turning black. His fingernails, blue. There would be no zombie-form for him now.

Tangible life was moments away from disappearing forever from his closed ice-blue eyes. A journey lay ahead of him. A journey of sorrow, pain, and helplessness. Romulus would be leaving his comrades. Again. The Angel sat at Romulus's head, untouched by the blood, unaffected by the carnage and events surrounding. She cradled his head softly in her lap, gently stroking his long blonde hair that had come undone from his usually leather tied pony-tail, and now lay natty and tangled in the blood pool. She bent her translucent face down, looking at his blood spattered face. Rom's eyes fluttered and opened as he partially woke from his delirious unconsciousness. He saw the angel and recognized her instantly.
"My lady!"
"Yes, my lord." Romulus closed his eyes again, and his body spasmed as his wounds began to take there final toll. He gasped as his back shook forward and backwards, his arms flailed. The angel gently, yet firmly held his head still, and with a wave of her hand across his face, eased the contortions.
Romulus gasped again, taking in perhaps his final breath. "My lady," he spoke, "it hurts so much."
"Yes my lord, I know. But like all things it will soon pass. I cannot take the pain away, but you may take comfort in this. I am with you and will not leave your side. Ever."

Romulus's body jerked again, he hacked up a mouthful of blood. The angel gently wiped his mouth clean with her hand and then waved it in the air in the same fluid graceful motion. The stain disappeared from her soft fingers.
"Are you scared my lord?"
"Terrified!" said Romulus as he looked into the angels green eyes. She bent down and kissed him upon the forehead, gently, softly. Then she rose and continued to hold his head as his body jerked back and forth, his face contorting, until he stopped. And became motionless. His body sank to the ground, his chest caved in, his arms fell to his side. His last shallow breath, gently forced from his lungs as his chest muscles relaxed permanently, pushed forth a misty nebulous cloud. His soul lifted up into the air and hovered at eye height. A soft blue light sparked and his original form appeared, exact in every detail, if not transparent and cloud like. The angel rose from her sitting position and walked across the blood stained granite floor towards her lover. They embraced and tears streamed down both their faces. As they hugged, destruction and carnage raged around them. The serpent continued to writhe in it's death throes, and as it spasmed back and forth it smashed into walls, and sent rubble flying through the air. The hole in the ceiling where Drask had made his exit began to widen as the ceiling began to collapse. The doorway too began to buckle and rocks and mortar fell through the air crashing into the ground. Dust clouded the air as more of the castles stone masonry tumbled from the sky. From Romulus's and his angels embrace a bright sphere of light formed around all of the parties members, with Rom and his angel at the epicenter. Rock bounced off the white globe, and the war angels hung suspended in air, safely trapped in the light as the floor beneath them fell away. The castles structure, no longer supported by the magikal energies of the Serpent, crumbled. Walls fell away and the ceilings and floors they once supported toppled to the ground, a huge boom, roaring thunder as thousands of metric tons of granite, marble, and obsidian crashed to the ground, hundreds of feet below them.

The sphere remained, softly encasing the remaining war angels, Bal's tusks, Eagles motionless form, Valdici, D'iethe, and all the rest. The epicenter slowly drifted away from the wreckage of the once tall towering castle, six hundred feet below, and with it the sphere followed, to touch down softly at a safe distance from the mountain of crumbled rock that had formed with the demolition of the skaven castle. All members touched down softly on the barren dirt ground. At this point they could not see what was in the distance because all was pitch night. The moon and stars were covered with clouds. Only the immediate area surrounding them (perhaps a diameter of twenty feet) was illuminated by the soft glow of Rom's ghost and that of his significant other. Each member was positioned as they had been in the castle during the battle. There were Bal's tusks, lying on the dirt. Eagle was still lying face down. Val was standing and looked about him quizzically. Rom separated himself from his angel. He looked about him. He know stood in his original armor complete with sword. However he was a ghost, so no such physical things mattered. He was pure spirit now. Could the others see him? Yes, he decided, if he wished it so. A whole new world had been spread out before him. Rom moved to check his friends for injuries, as they blinked and stammered at each other, but he was stopped by her hand closing around his.
"My lord, we must go now. But we may come back later. You have an appointment with Him." She whispered, subtlety pointing to the sky.
"Can't it wait? My friends may be hurt-"
"No." she cut him off "You do not do that to Him, or Her."
"Her?"
"You will see." She held his hand as they faded from sight, traveling to the heavens and leaving behind only sparkles of dust. The sun began to rise over the horizon and bathed the band in a red glow. As Rom rushed through time and space he spoke to his dear friend vAl.
"It has happened brikari. I'm a true War Angel now."
"Romulus, you are not ready."
"Yes I know, but I will learn."
"How could you do this to me? Have I taught you nothing? Who gave you permission to die!" he said in a cracking voice. Rom could picture the tears falling from his friends soft angular elven face.
"I am not gone Val," said Romulus in a soothing tone "I will be with you and the others always. I promise."

* * *

They arrived at the gates. Funny how there actually were gates. Romulus soon learned that here, as well as everywhere, things existed as each saw fit, such was the blessing and curse of heaven. So in Romulus's mind there were gates. They opened as he and his angel walked towards them. The walk towards Him was swift, for he thought it to be so. They strode up to a large dais. Romulus stepped forward, alone, and was addressed.
"Your time has come." He said. Romulus nodded. "You will soon learn our ways."
"But I want to go back." interjected Romulus.
"You can not go back."
"But I will. Nothing will stop me, it is something I HAVE to do."
"If you go back your journey back here will be longer and harder than you can ever imagine."
Romulus took a deep breath. "I am prepared to take that punishment."
"Are you sure?" the being of light questioned, a look of amusement on his brow.
Romulus nodded. "Then so be it." Romulus turned and walked away from heaven, out of the receiving chambers, down the corridor they had passed through, and out the gates, his foot steps echoing loudly down the infinite halls. Back, to his comrades. In the chambers, his angel still stood. From behind the Being of Light who sat majestically in his throne, stood another Being of Light, arguably brighter. She stepped forward and addressed the angel.
"Are you prepared to follow him? Guide him? Love him? Until your return?" With tears in her eyes she nodded her head solemnly. She lifted her hanging head and looked right into the blinding light.
"Yes." She said with conviction. "Then so be it." The throne room, the hall, the gates, everything disappeared. Black cold void, infinite in all directions. And in the middle, suspended, floating in midair was the angel. Her feathery expansive wings, encompassing her lithe body to keep out the piercing cold of emptiness. She cried a single tear and then dissolved into the void.
"Two must walk the paths of darkness to reach the night."

The prophecy had always been, and will forever be, until fulfilled. They arrived amongst their friends together. And stood on either side of Val, invisible to all except him. The dawn had risen. A time for a new reckoning had come. The alliance now stood one more member strong, in the rays of a new morning.
"Do not be afraid." whispered Romulus to his comrades. "Do not be afraid."