Night Falls

[lilyrose]

Things were happening fast and Lily was still a bit groggy from the spiked drink Melacham had given her. When Narym ran off down the corridor, she hesitated and the two guards mistook that for fear. Big mistake as it happened. They took their time climbing up the stairs, grinning and nudging each other. Lily tipped her head to one side considering them. Then raised her crossbow that Narym had previously armed for her and shot one through the heart. His partner had barely enough time to register the falling body before Lily was upon him, biting his throat. Without a sound, he fell to the floor, drained of blood.
" Thought you'd have fun with me did you?" she said softly.
She heard the sound of fighting nearby and ran towards it, feeling strong and exhilarated. She had almost forgotten what it was like to kill this way. She would have to be careful she didn't get to like it too much, but she couldn't worry about it now, there was too much going on.
She rounded a corner at full pelt and ran straight into Cassandra, Narym and Fiona.
" Oh," she gasped, " there you are!"

[narym]

" Lily!" Narym almost cried with relief." I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking, leaving you with two like that!" She looked at her friend more closely. " Um, praps I didn't need to worry so much, " she added, " you look er, um. Hmm, any way, we're on our way to find Kaden."
She pulled Lily along beside her, almost running to keep up with Cass.
" Looks like we'll be getting a pop at the sorceror pretty soon!"

[lilyrose]

"What's going on with Cass?" Lily whispered, running now to keep up with her friends.
" She looks different."

[narym]

" Bit of a story," Narym answered, breathlessly. " Something to do with the necklace round her neck."
She was running hard now, down stairs and down long corrridors. Cass obviously knew her way around very well, all the corridors looked the same to her.
She was listening to Fallow, who was sweeping low over the castle, this time firing icy bolts at the guards below, freezing them on the spot.
She was tiring rapidly now and struggling to keep up.

[lilyrose]

It was Lilys turn now to be concerned for her friend. She could see that Narym was having trouble keeping up, whilst she herself hadn't felt so good in a long time. She put her arm round Naryms waist and helped her along, trying to impart some of her strength to her friend through sheer will.
" Not far," she encouraged. " Nearly there!"

[cassandra]

Cassandra ran towards Kaden with a confidence she had never felt before....maybe even...an arrogance...She skimmed over the floor lightly almost giddy in her haste to reach Kaden.....and Melacham!

[Eli]

Eli strode into the room with Cassiel and the king. "Hey, kingsey, I give you to the count of three to get out, before I smash you into an unrecognizable paste," Eli said smugly as he twirled his staff around expertly. "3," he said, taking a vicious swing toward the king.

[narym]

" Cass!" Narym gasped. " My strength is failing." She touched Cassandras arm, somehow knowing she could help. " Please help me, or I'll be no use to you."

[cassandra]

Cassandra stopped and looked at Narym in confusion for a moment. Why did her friend think she could help? Then a knowledge that came from outside herself took over, and Cassandra reached out her hand and touched Narym over her heart. Instantly, stength flowed out of Cassandra and into Narym, yet it didn't drain Cassandra at all! "Better?" She asked her friend.

[narym]

Narym had been healed by Mystic Warriors many times in her past, but this was so very different. She felt a warm glow steal from Cass's hand into her chest and rapidly radiate thru the rest of her body. Her lungs filled with air, her muscles stopped aching, even the hairs on her arms tingled.
She looked into her friends eyes and saw eternity there. And was awed.
" Yes," she managed. " Hell yes!"
She grinned, feeling wonderfully enervated and drew her sword. " Let's go get 'im!"

[Cecil]

More than a little bit surprised at the kiss in the first place, he almost had a heart attack at the sudden appearance of yet another intruder. Not taking too long to wonder how he might have gotten in, Cecil stumbled back, just barely missing getting brained by the staff.

He realized quickly that this man definitely had something to do with the din outside. And if he came in to get her, then she did too. It was all starting to make sense now. "Wh-Who are you people?" The king asked.

[Kaden]

Cursing under his breath at the sorcerer's disappearance, Kaden looked around the hallway they were in. There wasn't anyplace for Melacham to be hiding, so that had to mean he was...."Damn." The wizard cursed again, realizing that the dark mage could turn invisible. "He didn't go anywhere. He's still here somewhere." Kaden told Merlin. Outstretching his arms to either side of him, he started to fill the room with a thick, cold mist. "Look around for anything moving in the mist."

[narym]

They could feel the cold as they moved down the next corridor.
" We must be near Kaden and Merlin," Narym grinned fiercely. As she spoke, her breath came out in a mist.
" This is it guys!".
She called up her orb and sent it to surround Lily, to give her extra protection, blessing the strength surging thru her.Then she turned the short sword around in her left hand, getting comfortable with the unfamiliar weapon and looked at her companions.
" Tally ho!"

[melacham]

Melacham watched the two ice wizards hunting for him with sadistic amusement. They have no idea of my true power! he thought to himself with glee. Watching them stumble around hunting for him in vain for a few moments longer, just because it amused him, he sensed his true target getting closer...and left to deal with her. "I should have killed that shifting brat years ago! he thought. But she'll pay for this! Slowly and painfully!

As he started to turn and go after Cassandra another thought hit him. "Maybe the most painful thing of all would be for her to live...without her ice maker!" And with that thought the evil wizard lifted his hands and hurled a dark bolt of magic straight at Kaden, hitting him squarely in the chest!

[Alledyra]

Strolling relentlessly through hallways and rooms, Dyra smiled as she wandered the castle looking for people to kill. Her gift had long since spiraled out of control, and she no longer saw the people she was killing...instead, she only felt their energy tingling on her senses. Her soul fractured and shattered with each death, and she started speaking to herself in gibberish as she wandered. Finding herself in a strangely cold room, she paused, feeling the energy around her as it tingled. Feeling almost as though she recognized something about it, she slid the blue dagger from her waist, trying to find comfort in the blade, although her gift was surely much more dangerous...

Following the power, she turned down a hallway, unfeeling of the ice mist clinging on her skin. Two shadows, barely visible to her in the mist, were only a few feet in front of her, and she pulled the steel dagger as well, stepping closer to them without a sound. She didn't recognize Kaden, his arms spread to release the mist with his back towards her, or Merlin who stood just past him, gazing into the thick mist.

Her hand felt hot from the blue dagger, but she couldn't figure out why...maybe it was drawing the cold from the air, but her mind wasn't working on that problem...instead it was working on the two people before her...Slicing the blue dagger at the person nearest her, Kaden, Dyra was aiming for a kill when he was struck by magic, instead she felt the hot blue dagger slice through flesh and bite deep into bone...and she turned her darkened eyes towards the source of magic...

Her voice a soft eerie singsong, she giggled with what sounded like madness, speaking to Melacham, "I see you, now..."