Edwin spat on the ground.

"No one is going to escort her home, she might run into a patrol and give us up, either she is staying here waiting for the slug to come and eat her or she comes with us and I think we all know what the answer will be..."

Edwin corrected his robes and left towards the other doors that they hadn`t searched, he pushed it open and looked in lighting the hallway. He went into the room and looked around, then the kender and dward entered talking about some pilar or some sort. Edwin looked around to see a huge chain hanging.

"We are in the chain room" Gilanthas spoke in excitement

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Suddenly there was a rumbling and a distant boom that shook the very foundations of Pax Tharkas. The rocks above their heads crumbled, then caught fire. The whole room began to fall apart above their heads.

"This is dwarven construction!" Flint moaned in anguish. "Dwarven construction withstands the Cataclysm!"

That was when the chain in the center of the room rumbled, bringing down the whole roof with it.

"SHUT UP ABOUT YOUR DWARVEN CONSTRUCTION AND MOVE!" Caramon roared.

They raced for the door at the end of the room.

"Wrong one!" Raistlin gasped. "The other one!"

They turned heel to wrench open the other door.

They never quite made it.

The body of an enormous red dragon crashed into the wall of the fortress, creating a massive whole in the entricate stonework. Other dragons dropped down from the skies outside to begin feasting on the fallen red's flesh.

And then they noticed the small band of warriors and mages that was standing in the room, pretrified by dragonfear. Annoyed at the interruption in their meal, intending to destroy this irritation quickly, they exhaled.

Dragonfire spread up and down the floor and ceiling, burning through stone. The dragonfear broke. With a strength borne of terror, the comrades ran.

"We'll never make it!" Eben shouted over the roar of the flames.

"I will stall it," Raistlin said. His soft voice pierced through the chaos.

"No!" Caramon bellowed.

"Caramon, shut up and run!" Tanis hollered.

Ghyreian also fell back, and, supporting Raistlin, staggered back to face the dragons.

_________________

Edwin shouted in slight panic"Run if your lives are dear to you!"

They began running towards the door and heard Raistlin speaking spell words, but of course Caramon couldn`t leave his brother and Edwin sighed to that fact. Edwin ran towards the door and got it open, he looked back as few others came in.

Edwin could only find one word to tell them what to do

"Flee!!"

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Ghyreian began chanting a spell. A blast of water hit the dragon in the face, dousing the fire for a few seconds. Lightning shot from Raistlin's fingers into the eye of another dragon.

The dragons growled in irritation and exhaled one last time. This breath would finish them -

A deathly chill, colder than ice, crueler than the deepest pits of evil, emanated from the recently opened door. It solidified into the form of a drow, the spirit of a tortured dark elf.

The dragons sensed a new threat. The chill doused the fire, plunged the whole room in icy darkness. The dragons screamed their frustration.

The drow opened her mouth to keen...

"The dam door won't open!" Sturm growled fiercely.

"Outside!" Ghyreian hissed.

"Outside? Are you mad? That's where the dragons - "

"Do it you fools!" Ghyreian snarled, and made a dash between the dragon's legs.

_________________

Edwin rushed outside with the others right behind him, they arrived to an open foeld of dirt and the voices of the dragons and drow behind them shouted on as they ran forwards. They were close to the castle, but they had to find cover quickly and Tanis took the lead with Gilanthas leading them into the castles dungeons where the women were kept and they got into an empty storage. Edwin didn`t know what they did there, but at least it provided a place to rest for all of them. Edwin sat down and shaked his head.

"They will be looking for us...we have to get out and do the plan as fast as we can or I mean you can because I am going after Verminaad tonight..."

Edwin looked around the room and got everyone`s attention with his words, some were happy and others thought he was crazy, the rest just didn`t care.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

"Let's face it, Tanis," Sturm began gloomily. "We'll never make it. Now that we're out of Sla Mori how do you suppose we'll get in there?"

Tanis growled an incoherent response.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Tas said brightly.

Ghyreian looked out the small window. "The women are being taken out to the mines."

Riverwind shook his head. "Without the children they'll never go."

Gilthanas looked. "The children are over there. Their chambers can be reached from the outside. We can make a dash for it."

"And what about the dragon?" Caramon growled.

"We can't turn back," Tanis said softly.

Ghyreian looked back out the window. "The coast is clear. If we act, we act now. Unless dying here appeals to you, of course."

"I think we'll be dying anyway," Caramon sighed. He looked at his stomach and patted it. "I don't want to die with an empty stomach."

Tika lay a reassuring arm on his shoulder. "Your stomach's big enough already."

"All right," Tanis said heavily. "Let's go and get this over with."

_________________

((hey!! Im gonna post my entrance, just whats happening to her as you all are doing your bit of a thing...see ya when you get to me! lol))

Thrashing helped none Fox discovered as she jerked about beneath her bonds. The gully dwarves stood around, looking at her in utter wonderment.
“Let me down!! You hear me?!â€

Edwin smiled when people talked about acting and stepped at the door

"If I act then that act will be to kill Verminaad, Ghy you coming?"

Edwin opened the door and stepped out.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

**Elwyn, can you post your character profile?

Ghyreian caught herself thinking ironic thoughts of her Dark Majesty and how she would react if one of her followers slew her beloved cleric. She found it both interesting and amusing in cynical way.

A rough hand grabbed her shoulder before she could step outside. She turned calmly to face the Solamnic Knight.

"Whatever it is you're up to, dark elf," he hissed menacingly. "I'm watching you. Don't think you can make a move to betray us. I would kill you now if it weren't for Tanis and that old wizard."

Ghyreian blinked, then laughed. "I doubt if you could even if you tried," she smirked.

"All right," Tanis said quietly. "We make a dash for the childrens' chambers and hope the dragon's asleep."

Raistlin coughed. "I will do my best, but I doubt if I'll make it."

"You'll make it, all right, if I can help it," Caramon returned fiercely, and slung his brother bodily over his broad shoulder.

"NOW!" Tanis shouted.

The comrades ran for it across the open field to the fortress of Pax Tharkas.

The draconians manning the walls suddenly noticed all too soon their small band tearing across the grass. They made quite tempting targets.

A stream of arrows rained down on them. Gilthanas nocked his own arrow and fired. Ghyreian spoke words of magic and shot a lightning bolt at the nearest archer.

Their destination was still very far away.

_________________

((But of course I can!))

Fox Thistleswitch - 22 years old
3'2"/ 83Lbs/ Green Eyes/ Red Hair worn in typical Kender topknot
Hometown - Hylo
Equipment - Hoopak/Backpack

Personality...small in stature yet big in heart, bubbly and couragous, like all kender knows no fear and is extremely curious about all things around her.
Appearance...long red hair set in a topknot, she has many braids, feathers, and beads woven into bits of her hair. She wears brightly colored clothing, making her very easily seen. There is oodles of pockets sewn into everything she had on, including her boots.

and if Curunir hasn't told you yet or if you haven't figured out, Ghyreian and Edwin, sent by Par-Salian, have just met the companions of the lance and they are trying to get into Pax Tharkas.

_________________

The ground began trembling and Edwin fell down as the huge red dragon brusted out of it`s lair within the castle with it`s wing thightly against it`s body and a man on it`s back. The man wore a horifying dragon helmet, which shined in the sun and the man looked down to the courtyard at the group of mages and warriors.

Edwin got up and looked at Ghyreian" This could be our chance to blow him off that dradon together or burn him on him, if you decide to do so I will follow your spell with my own..."

Edwin looked at the fleeing companions and sighed realising that they all were doomed unless they didn`t try to figh Verminaad.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

A few moments later the children burst from their chambers, followed by their frantic mothers. Tanis was leading them. Perhaps the *beep* half-elf was good for something after all.

"I will kill your wives!" Verminaard boomed from atop Ember. "I will kill your children!"

The slaves began fleeing for the distant mountains, the companions guarding their retreating backs.

A crimson streak erupted from the childrens' chambers, bursting like a fireball into the skies.

Ghyreian, determinedly fighting the dragonfear, looked up to see an ancient red dragon, her scales broken, her teeth cracked with age, rise up to meet Ember. In the fading twilight she shone like a drop of blood, magnificent and powerful, her feebleness masked by her rage.

The slaves screamed, broke into disorder. They moved like slugs across the barren field where they provided perfect targets for dragonfire.

"Stay together!" Tanis screamed in vain.

Draconians leered and laughed as they fired from the walls of Pax Tharkas at their leisure. To them this was like a party, a tempting break from their monotonous day's events.

That was when the ancient dragon Metafleur struck Ember with incredible force borne solely of fury and desperation. Ember rolled over to avoid her attack, in his panic to get away completely forgetting his rider.

Verminaard dropped to the ground, then slowly rose like a fallen god. His eyes glowed with uncanny fire from the slits of his forbidding dragonhelm. In his hand he held his huge iron mace (**it is a mace right?), Nightbringer, blessed by Queen Takhisis herself. His shrouded eyes fell upon the small band of heroes that defied him.

Ghyreian laid a hand on Edwin's shoulder. "We will defeat him together, my friend."

They advanced.

_________________

Edwin nodded with a big smile for the fact that their target was only about hundred feet away from them in the open.

"I wouldn`t have it any other way my friend..."

Edwin began to approach the dragonlord who inspecyed Edwin and Ghyreian with great intrest, Edwin spat on the ground and prepared to blow Verminaad to the stars if asked.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

The six remaining companions of the lance surrounded him. A half-elf, two Red Robes, a knight, a dark elf, a warrior. They exchanged a wordless warning. Suddenly they all lunged.

Verminaard, leaping forward, swung Nightbringer high. His touch colder than death, he grabbed Raistlin's shoulder. The mage dropped to the ground, writhing in agony.

Caramon, roaring a challenge, charged. He fell back midway, blinded by a sudden darkness that had nothing to do with the sun. "I can't see! Tanis, help me!"

Ghyreian began chanting her spell, and she saw Edwin do the same.

Verminaard spun and sent Nightbringer crashing down.

The dark elf jumped out of the way, her concentration broken. Verminaard's mace came down again, striking her to the ground. Blood poured from a wound on her side.

Out of her pain-hazed vision she saw Tanis make a leap.

Verminaard easily, if not lazily, hurled Tanis aside.

Now the knight and Edwin were the only ones left. The knight shouted his Solamnic salute, but it cost him dearly. Nightbringer swung in an arc, bearing Sturm to the ground.

_________________

Edwin was slightly terrified as the others were taken down and took a step back beginning to speak words, Verminaad charged forwards in return and grabbed Edwin by the throat saying something. To his own suprise Edwin got a touch of his medallion and Verminaad`s shoulder as he strugled. Edwin began whispering the words and tried to suck Verminaad`s soul into the medallion. Few thoughts ran trough his head and those were.

"You fool how did you think to win a man that has a god by his side!"

After a moment of strugle Edwin fell down on the ground pierced by the dark priest`s spell, Edwin spat blood thinking that this was the end and was suprised when he looked up as Verminaad was going to finnish him. He saw Goldmoon stading there and looking at Verminaad with her hand gripping his hand. Then Verminaad threw her away, but knew that his connection`s with his goddess were broken. Few of the warriors got and a Riverwind joined the battle to protect his beloved.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!