The sudden excitement in the inn woke Sivak from his healing trance. In the darkened room he felt the reassurance of his sword lying beside him on the ground. He felt a growing unneasiness and recognizeed what it was. Death would soon pay a visit to the city. * * * Sevrina watched Jinn and the sorceresses working outside through the windows. She casually sipped at a glass of spiced wine, sitting crosslegged on her chair. When the magic users outside proved to be not very interesting and quite capable of handling themselves, she looked around at the people at the table. "Well, I have yet to be introduced to some of you," she said, looking at Terin and Nipa more directly. She also hoped someone may tell her a little about the two sorceresses. Nipa just grinned, "Oh My Dark Lady, I was not paying attention to when you got here. Pardon my carelessness, I am Nipa," he said bowing towards her. "Cha Za has been kind to me to allow me to meet so many in such a short time." "What part of this tale can you tell me? We don't get much news about Lodoss in my hometown, except that which the traders bring and that has been scarce lately." Sevrina smiled at the grassrunner. "Well Nipa, my name is Sevrina," she replied. "I've played a role in the story, so I can tell you much of the beginning." She explained, then turned her ruby eyes to the hooded light elf. "Who might you be?" she asked. There was a familiarity about him, those ice blue eyes, the shape of his face, the light brown bangs that were visible from beneath his hood. Naclia...that's who he reminded her of. That elf from the Mirror Forest with the thing for that knight Talen, the dragon-kin. Terin looked up at the dark elf. He didn't like dark elves much, like most of his kind, and this one didn't seem trustworthy, but she hadn't threatened him. "My name is Terin of the Mirror Forest," he said. The steps creaked slightly as Sivak made his way downstairs. The health potion was starting to take affect and his mind was starting to clear up and the wounds were beginning to numb. As Terin told her his home forest, Sevrina grew even more suspicious of his relation. "You're from the Mirror Forest?" she asked. "Then do you know a woman named Naclia?" She glanced over to the stairwell when she heard a soft creaking. Sivak had come back. Suddenly reminded of her nausea, she shot him an icy glare. That little potion was hopefully not the cause. Sevrina smirked slightly, "Well then Terin, the last time I saw her she was fine. But that was about 2 months ago," she explained simply, not caring to spare feelings. "It is a war after all...." A tingle of foreboding ran up Sevrina's spine and cut her short. Something was coming. She shrugged it off though. "Well...you people want to know the story," she started, focusing on the group. "It started about 6 months ago. I recall an earthquake wracked Lodoss, in my travels since, I have seen and heard of it from Kanon to here in Raiden," Of course, she would leave out the parts of meeting Cray and helping him bring down the Holy Shield that protected Roid. "The undead rose. Everything that had a body to raise. Humans, birds, beasts. Anything and everything. They are still roaming Lodoss to this day. Raiden is protected from that however. There are wards about the city set by sorcerors, priests, shamans and other magicians to keep out the undead," Sevrina explained. Terin likely knew of this, but Nipa did not. "I made my way to Roid from where I was in Kannon. The city was protected by a holy shield and the powers of the dark force that rose the dead was blocked. Roid was a safe haven until into the night when the priests of Marfa, Falis, and Myrii holding up the shield were killed." The tingling sensation grew worse. "To make a long story short, the Holy City of Roid, capitol of all that is holy in Lodoss was utterly destroyed. In fact, all that remains is the Great Delta blasted flat. Next came the Mirror Forest. Now Kai knows the rest, and I need to go...take care of something." The tingling was more than she could handle and Sevrina bounded out of her chair and sped upstairs to her room. Not more than five minutes later, Sevrina returned, Now she had her boots on, as well as a black leather top and dark ash colored cloak that seemed to blend perfectly in the shadow of the stairwell. She was belting on her sword beld as she entered the common room again. "I suggest you all get ready, something's coming." Sevrina was armed to the teeth with all she could carry on her person. A rapier on her belt as well as the pair of claws and quiver of arrows made for a small bow, which was slung over her shoulder. At the top of her boots, dagger hilts poked out. Aiyanna moved her feet, opened the door after entering the shield and repaired it again after she teared. She glanced just once at the table but moved fast towards her room and when she came back out she was towing her cloak, and her bag full of ingridients and set them out on the table next to the one she was sitting before, assesing the things she bought with her in a hurry. Her head snapped up, she sure felt sudden increase in dark energy. Aiyanna's senses suddenly registered, larger amount of evil appearing. Then her visions came back to her. Aiyanna could not help say aloud " Wyverns!" Forget about getting ingredients together right now, she needed to cast even stronger protection spell. Aiyanna sighed and took out her small moonstone bottle it shone in shimmery moonglow like light, she opened the stopper and let small drop of the essence inside and let it float first and cast her circle of elements. That done, she closed her eyes and chanted very lowly, "May the light that shines darkst night, protect and preserve us." The light shone from the small drop of the essence that was shining in silver light, then it spilled over, as the west quarter of the circle responded then it shot a brilliant sky blue beam towards the silver light then it burst into a blazing silvery blue light then it finally spilled over outside the circle, out of the inn, surrounding area and it became invisible again. Aiyanna let her shoulder slump a little as she uncast the elemental circle. She looked towards the hoping Alera and Jinn have come in by now. "Arghh Wyverns are coming, there is a terrible battle ahead and someone will fall." Aiyanna said to the table where others were gathered, her own face starting look worried. After seeing Sevrina leave quickly in the middle of her explanation Nipa listened to the spirits and was deeply troubled by them. "Cha Za be merciful," he said before the girl could return. With her warning he yanked his cloak about him and reached for his daggers. Finding much to his dismay that he had left them in the room. "Father would have my head if I lost them," he muttered. "You are right the spirits are ill at ease," he told her before going to retrieve his things. He was gone for only a moment, but upon returning he had found that the patrons had been moved to a cellar leaving the room practically empty. Sevrina and few others remained. Alera stayed just outside the building waiting. But that dark energy wave caught her attention. Her head went up in the direction. There was a presence...She threw up her staff and held it up before her. "Oh great Everqueen of spirits, let your eyes divine cross the world unto me. Let your powerful eyes of spirits show me forth of which I cannot see. Oh Great Everqueen of spirits, let your eyes divine across the world unto me. Let your eyes of spirits show me forth of which I cannot see. I am a vessel for your power. Do not allow this presence to go unseen..." Magic swirled around the woman, lifting her cloak and flailing it around her. Her staff stood strong before her. Slowly, a clear sight of where the wave originated was formed, showing it's true form. "A very well done display of magic, Aiyanna," Alera said as she pulled her to her feet. "You should sit and rest. I may be able to do something about the Wyverns for now. When they come, that is." Alera put Aiyanna into a chair, which was more like letting her fall into the seat. "Jinn...Take care of her..." " Thank you..." Aiyanna said quietly as she let herself fold her arms and let her head rest at least for awhile. She haven't done anything like this for some time and forgotten how it tired her a lot. But she got up again, and let her hand close around her pendent and relax her muscles at least or tried to, but her mind keep going back to the battles ahead. Sevrina fingered the hilt of her sword, feeling anxious for battle. The group had yet to do anything about the rain and she could go no where. "Well?" she looked at the sorceresses and Jinn with her head cocked to the side. "What are we going to do about this rain?" she asked impatiently. Jinn was the first to act. "Alright... have some spells ready." Jinn raised his hands towards the sky and began the enchantment. "Lord Garuda of the Sky..." Jinn closed his eyes and called to his god. "I summon the power of the sky!" Jinn spread his fingers open and began drawing them together, as if he were moving an invisible force. An enchanged circular wind began swirling above the city and slowly closing in on itself. The wyverns were jolted slightly but the acid clouds were beign dragged by the current to finally form into a small ball over the town center contained by the rapid winds."Hurry..." Aiyanna jolted upright on hearing a spell being cast or of enchantment. She felt large amount of air elemental magic at work. What could she do? She didn't want to cast the wrong spell and and enhance the power of the acid cloud. Aiyanna decided to do a powerful cleansing spell and hoped Alera would also have hers ready. She got up and this will really leave her like a rag doll but hell, she will live. She walked or rather ran if she could to the door and yelled across , instead of using her own magic. " Alera! have that chemical ready and your own magick too, I will cast a purging spell and it should be reinforced by your combination." Aiyanna held out her hand and she gathered almost every single drop of her magick available and formed into a ball on her left hand, then sent it over to her staff,which now was pulsing madly with silver magic. " Great Light that guides us in our dark path,may it purge the evil that threatens the world and I call to power of the Moon!" She slammed her staff down on the floor, then the single ball of magic split into millions of points of pale silvery Moon light and shot towards acid clouds that has been formed into ball by Jinn, Like if suddenly dark sky have become daylight, it was lit by the millions of Moon magic. Aiyanna held onto the purging spell, she had to, but her magic was low, she felt her self almost fall down and she finally let go of the spell and hoped Alera would be in time to reinforce her purging spell. She had just enough to maybe if allowed to fight the coming hoard of Wyverns. Alera dashed here and there with her vial stuffing things in. Finally, the last ingredient! She grabbed a pale and dashed outside. Alera hooked it up to a rope and let the pale drop into an old well. She pulled it up again, with only a little water. No mater. Alera held her hand out and concentrated. Slowly, any sediments and traces of anything other than water pulled out of it and to the ground next to her. Next, the now purified water floated from it's container and into it's new one, the vial. Alera's thumb landed on the open side of the vial and she dashed in, chanting to the concotion. With a quick slap of the top she had seemed to lose track of, she began the cleansing spell on the new focal point. "Great spirits of goodness, give forth your heavenly powers. Let me throw away these soiled robes I sight before myself. Use me as your weapon against this tainted existance!" As she said her chant, she held out the potion, it began to glow, then float, and on the final word, now flaring with blue energy almost as big as Aiyanna, It shot. It fired away from them like a cannon. It almost blew alera from her feet. The great gust of wind smashed into everything behin her. Alera fell to one knee, but held her head up, to see if her theoy worked. She watched the heavenly orb hit the clouds, and disappear inside them. A brilliant explosion of blue magic waved through the clouds. But the clouds didn't disappear. But they did change. They turned more natural looking. Although from that far away, it was hard to tell what was the clouds were letting out, it was now water. Simple, clear, water. Aiyanna had shielded her eyes as Alera's spell knocked her off her feet totally and she managed hold onto a chair. But she smiled as she finally saw clear water, raining down on Raiden. But there was always that battle ahead, and lot more too. But right now she felt tired, she reached out for her vial which still shimmered, she needed more magic then this to fight. She finally let one drop out and murmured a simple spell then it shot towards her and merged into her. She felt better, but she wasn't fully restored but at least felt if half of her magic has been returned. She turned towards Alera, " We have done it right?" Kitsa stared in amazment as all sorts of magics were worked. And when it was all finished, she stood and headed over to the door, looking at the rain pouring down. No longer did it hiss and pit the pavement. Cautiously, she stuck her hand out, trembling as the liquid hit her hand, but relaxed when it did no harm. "It's water!" she anounced happily. "Alright... phase 2." Jinn grinned weakly and drew his white-steel sword. "Darned flying lizards..." The air around whirled around his body and to his sword, the wind swirling around the weapon to create a fine edge. Jinn took to the air and fortified himself on the inn's roof, waiting. "Yes...It did..." she muttered as she pulled herself up with her staff, the blade beginning to go into the wooden floor. "The acid...is done with..." She said between breaths. "As for the wyverns...everyone get out there...We need all we can to defeat them. Spare magic as much as possible. If we can engage them in melee, perhaps we can conserve strength!" Sevrina looked around the common room. Terin, Kai, Zatch, Sivak and Nipa had yet to move. "Well get up all ready!" she ordered to the others. "Or are you going to cower under the roof like scared little children? If that's what you want to do get DOWN THE BLOODY BASEMENT!" Sevrina strode outside, pushing past Kitsa who was distracted by the rain. "Make use of that blade you carry girl," she growled to the foriegn woman before moving on. With her eye on the sky, watching the wyverns circle overhead, she slipped along the wall, debateing how to attack. Nipa grinned when he heard about the rain being back to normal. "Cha Za is with us today!" He declared then bounded out the doors to see what was going on, he's heard talk of something in the shy, and if there was to be some fun he wanted to be a part of it. Aiyanna nodded and and took off the heavily layered shield and felt more of her own magick return to herself and placed less heavily layered shield in the area. She took out both of her daggers and smiled seeing the light shimmer radiating of this precious gold and silver alloy daggers which she usually if ever used was ever so responsive to her magick.Took off her hooded cloak she has been wearing. "I am ready if we have to fight by hand." Well she called them daggers, but more like short sword, she wasn't much versed in weapons so she didn't know the proper name for such weapons. Aiyanna let her sense run all over nearst city bloack picking any nicely sharp rusted metal bits or anything good enough pierce a tough flesh efficiently. Murmured lightly, "Come to me, the power of my magic calls to you." She lifted off into the air and they flew all over and heaped into a slightly high pile of sharp metals, mostly rusted scraps. "I guess we are ready well in short notice." Aiyanna looked grimly at the approaching clawed beasts, the nightmareish creatures she saw in her vision. Sivak moved with no more haste than usual as he stepped outside in the midst of the chaos of spotting the approaching enemy. The sky was filleed with clusters of wyverns that at some points, you could see nothing but inky blotches of darkness. Sivak stepped into the shadows of the alley's. These airborne enemies he could do nothing against unless they came down low enough. He would save his strength for those on foot. He saw the others frantically look this way and that as the enemy circled up overhead. As he scanned the surroundings he saw a large raised platform over to one side away from the inn. Perhaps he would be able to fight the wyverns afterall he thought as he made his way over to the platform. The platform looked like the beginnings of a guard tower which had most of its shoring and structure finished except for the walls. Perfect he thought as he made his way up the tower thru the small ladder on one side. He scanneed the horizon, The tower was set against a larger building and connected with a catwalk. He was about a seventy paces from the inn. Perfect he thought, he would be not have to be responsible for protecting others. Calm seeped into him as he prepared for battle, his sword resting easily by his side as he brought it to a guarding position. "Spirits of darkness and invisibility...prepare me for battle..." * * * Slowly finish getting his harden leather on Edwin yawned slightly with a stretch I wonder what is going on here it has been very odd lately, he was only glad it had stopped raining as he picked up his long bow and strapped it over his shoulder. Walking over to the window Edwin blinked seeing shapes of wyverns in the sky "Alright that doesn't look good." Moving to head down stairs Edwin looked around seeing people starting to go outside ready for battle and blinks. "Alright I think I have missed something but if you all are going to fight then I am guessing it would be in my best interest to fight as well," he said assuming with all the strange events it was only going to get worst at the moment. Grabbing his bow off his shoulder he strung it quickly as he moved toward the door. * * * Aiyanna tensed, she wasn't a warrior, she was a sorceress with moderate skills in fighting.She had put on a harsh shield over the inn, so if anybody trying to get out, without some magick will be knocked unconscious or will be hurt. She didn't want so many hurt in fighting. To her suprise the Wyverns were coming lower, maybe it's easier fight them when they are lower then, when they are in air, no..but that means she won't able to use objects and use them efficiently without hitting someone fighting to save Raiden and perhaps Lodoss as well. She checked hre vambraces to keep off her hem of the tunic sleeves. She sighed, they were much more clearly visible she readied her self, fight or nothing it was. Kitsa was utterly taken off guard by Sevrina's harsh words. But she looked up at the sky to see even more wyverns than she would have suspected. She bit her lip, realizing how immature she was acting. Coming to a new city and meeting so many new people had made her lose control of her emotions. Kitsa steeled herself internally and stared up at the wyverns. Her eyes shifted from the bright gold they had been to a neutral shade of orange. Kitsa drew her rapier and looked to the others for some sort of guidance. The others had the idea of fighting the monsters head on by climbing up high. Jinn rose up in the air to the rooftop, the male dark elf climbed up a structure, then disappeared. Up was the best place to start. Kitsa glanced back in the inn. "Come on Terin!" she called, then dashed out on the street, searching for something to climb up on. "Right then." said Kai with a grin at Sevrina's declaration, he was hoping he'd get to kill something today. The knight rushed outside to see a horde of creatures flying overhead. The Flaim knight looked over to his brother. "Crassus, look for any refugees and get them to safety, you seem to know this city best." Zatch stood his ground in and open his mouth to defy Kai, but was cut off before he could even say anything. "Dammit boy! Do it you'll have me to deal with too!" Sevrina found an easy to climb wall of another high building, then sheathed her sword and quickly scaled the wall. She pulled herself up on the roof and climbed to the peak. "Spirits of invisibility, let thy form become my own," she said softly and faded from sight. However, if one focused on where she was, they would see the rain rolling off her form. She wasn't counting on the wyverns looking for that however. She pulled her whip from her belt and readied herself to break some wyverns. Jinn took to the air and leapt over the snapping jaws of a wyvern that had swept down at him. Jinn quickly kicked down into the wyvern's spine and gained his bearings, riding the wyvern as it thrashed. He took his sword into both hands and aimed its tip down and thrust. The magically enhanced blade struck through the thick hide of the lizard and broke into its nerves. With a shrill cry the beast struck into a store-wall, smashing its skull as it fell with Jinn on top. Jinn hopped off the falling beast and threw his head up at the aerial horde. "Blast it... where are you Cray?" The speed and ferocity of which the wyverns attacked almsot caught Sivak off guard...almost as Sivak neatly sidestepped a diving attacker. His blade trailing behind him rewarded him with a shriek from the monster as a large tear opened up on its wing. Sivak ignored the the creature as it slowly fluttered to the ground with its remaining good wing. Looking back up he counted five more circling around him, getting ready to attack from all sides. As he followed the movements of the wyverns he began muttering a prayer to the spirits. "Spirits of darkness...curse the sight of the enemy and let my blade swing true..." Terin jumped from his seat, following after Kitsa. As he headed out the door, someone from upstairs walked by with a bow. "Hey, good luck," Terin said to the man. Terin then ran outside and followed Kitsa. Edwin nodded to Terin and nodded to him before heading outside with the others and tooked a deep breath as he saw the fighting skill of the people form the in. He was impressed but knew that he had to stay focus or die. Raising his bow up as he nocked an arrow he waited for moments before firing at the first wyvern he saw until he could see its wings. Letting loss the arrow Edwin didn't wait to see if it it the wyvern before starting to fire at the wyvern's wing with two other arrows. Nipa was surprised at first to see the things in the sky, "This doesn't look good," he muttered. One then banked and swooped for a dark elf nearby. Glancing to see that the elf was doing on he looked back up to see one of the beasts heading for him. "Gnome, Spirit of the earth, come to me... Rise up your fingers to the sky..." he chanted quickly as the beast swooped down on him expecting an easy snack. Just seconds before the beast was upon him Nipa close his eyes as a rumble was heard from in front of him. The screech heard from the beast was enough to knock him on his backside, but he knew he would live for a moment longer. Opening his eyes he saw that the wyvern had not been able to stop as the stone spike had shot up to meet it. The resulting effect from the force of the stone going up and the beast coming down was that it was now impaled. "Wow..." He smirked. The creature suddenly shook as the last bit of life left it, but the sudden movement sent Nipa falling over himself backwards to get away from the thing. "AHHH!! It moved!" Aiyanna was on the ground, unlike others, for she could not waste magic by lifting herself, if she fought she was built for speed not strength. She easily dodged first as two wyverns attacked swooping low, she sent both of her daggers infused with magic that would shock the wyverns and the daggers magically moved with tearing impact went cleanly through the wyverns then both screamed as she released magic. She returned the daggers to her hand, she looked around frantically then with more magic lifted the whole heap of metal scraps she had gathered and using a motion that stirred into a tornedo of sharp metal scraps it gathered in a whirl wind around her, it will be raining blood soon, they won't be defeated yet but soon they will be with everyone fighting ferociously. She sent with forced impact to everyone's head a message, she could not shout out so this was most effective way, " I am raising a whirlwind of metals protect your self!" Alera sighed as they struck first. They needed disipline. Never strike first unless you know not only you can win, but that the other's intention is definately to strike at you. Even alera knew that, and she never fought. She was skilled in combat, but she never did really fight. Alera tightened her grip on the silver handle of her hardwood staff. Never had she seen so many gung-ho people that weren't muscle bound in her whole life. Although she hadn't completely recovered from the blast of magic, her magical endurance was very high. She had spent many a year on endurance alone. Alera held forth her staff and closed her eyes. "Dear Everqueen, goddess of the spirits. I summon thy strong and swift arms. Gift us with thy divine presence and hold our enemies at bay. Grasp them with your swiftest auras!" Wyvern after wyvern seemed to lose control of their flight. Their wings wrapped around themselves, and they floated in air, as if struggling from invisible rope. Alera's staff angle matched that of the wyverns, even though her eyes were closed. Slowly, she brought them down to the ground. They struggled feircely against their bonds that Alera held together. Her concentration was hard, but the spell seemed to take little more than her concentration. "I...don't suppose...anyone speaks...wyvern tongues...or can understand them..." She called out from the inn she stood near. "I can't hold them forever." She held six. Two she had missed, but they had risen high, waiting to see the result of their friends, or waiting for a chance that no one would be watching them. Perhaps they were thinking of the situation. Or just scared. "If not...we shall try and scare them off. No need...to spill more blood than nessicary..." Nipa hearing her request decided it did not sound like a bad idea, now if only he knew someone that spoke that language... As for the spilling of blood, he was always against it, especially if it was his own. "Scare them any way you like, I know of no one that speak their language." * * * Granite had fallen asleep on the sacks of grain near Dralock. She didn't wake until a sudden flutter of wings brushed her face. One of the family's chickens had climbed up the sacks and jumped down by her. She sat up fast and with a loud gasp. Mostly everyone else had fallen asleep. It took her a few moments to realize the sounds outside. It was still raining, but she didn't hear the tell-tale hissing of the acid drops. "Is it over?" she asked herself quietly. She couldn't be sure, but she decided to test it. Snatching the chicken, she hurried up the stairs and opened the door, then tossed the bird out into the rain. The chicken scrambled around in shock, but the rain did nothing but get it wet. Granite followed after the bird, walking in the rain, feeling it harmlessly roll off her face. After a moment in the rain, she picked up the chicken and ran back down to the basement. "It stopped! It stopped!" she annouced. Dralock woke with a start. It took him a minute to recall where he was. Granite was waking her family, saying that the rain had stoped. When he tried to sit up, a sharp pain in his sides and back reminded him he was hurt. He tried a second time, being more careful this time. "Granite," he called, "could you give me a hand up the stairs?" When he was finally on the main floor of the shop, he looked around the place. He shuddered slightly at the sight that lay before him. Everything--the counters, the shields, even the stone that made up the lower half of the wall--all looked akin to snow that had been melting in a springtime sun. "I think," we whispered to Granite as they servayed the damage, "It might be an idea to go see how that group at the inn fared this mess. If they made it through all in one piece, they may know how this happened." He looked at her and wished he could undo the damage to her family, wishing with all his might. He only allowed his weariness to show in his face, though. Granite helped Dralock upstairs, then wandered out to where she could see the sky. It was still raining and high up, there were dark forms flying. "What in the world...?" she said softly. :Thunder and Lightning.... the power of God: The unhurt and unbound Wyverns all raised their wings and shot up to a higher altitude and hovered in formation as storm clouds began to gather. Thunder clapped as lightning lapped across the grey clouds. :The one who controls lighting is God: The center of the cloud opened in a circle as a man began floating down. Wrapped in violet and gold armor with eye closed he decended. Light violet hair the length of his frame was being swirled in all directions by the winds. The man seemed serene amidst the storm winds. Vesper, the SkyLord raised hsi right hand as his eyes opened, also a light violet. "My Power." It was that single command that forced the Wyverns jaws open and aim their heads towards the ground. All at the same moment a lightning bolt erupted from each of their throats and struck at Raiden... Sivak watched the shining spear of destruction arch towards him from all sides. He had no choice but to jump as the lighting bolts smashed into the half-built tower. The tower went ablaze and shook as it began to collapse. Though he rolled with the impact of the landing, the ground stunned him and jarred his sword from him as he landed in the road like a ragged doll. Sevrina clenched her teeth, instantly realizing who it was decending from the sky. Falis...not yet! she thought desperately. The others hadn't arrived yet. With nothing else she could do, Sevrina jumped back from the roof just before a bolt of lighting hit it. Aiyanna shielded herself and stood with her staff dug firmly into the ground. She looked up after sending a tornedo of metal through a horde of wyverns coming through, but to her there was something of more of a dread coming, huge surge of evil was felt. Aiyanna desperatly looked to the sky and nearly lost her composure, "By Falis! No! We don't have enough strength!" Aiyanna yelled into the air, but it seemed to drown in the noise. Was this the end of Lodoss? the world she have known? Kai was nearly half soaked in the Wyvern blood when the beasts were 'recalled' back to the sky, adrenaline still coursed through his veins and his eyes still burned with fury. "Bloody hell, now what?" he said to himself just as lightning hailed from the sky. The tower he was standing directly under began to collapse. The knight made a quick roll out of the way, dodging a large rock by mere inches. Edwin was able to ground one of the wyverns through seeing the numbers was not truly happy with the result "I need to do better then that next shot.." As he ready another arrow when a bolt of lighting slammed into the building to his back. The force from the bolt was more then enough to send Edwin down to the ground, shaking his head he looked up and blinked "Oh great what else can go wrong today.." "The hand of God is not required to crush these rodents..." Vesper finally opened his eyes and gave the command with a wave o fhis arm. The fleet of Wyverns swept down at the humans that had decided to fight back. The one that were too cowardly or weak to raise arms would be picked off later. Nipa was not sure if it was his speed or the Luck of the Gods but somehow he had managed to dodge the lightening bolts. As he panted for breath in the calm after the attack Nipa looked up at the still floating man and wyverns. "How are we supposed to fight that?! We can't even touch him!" Not but a moment after the words left his mouth did the wyverns began their assault again. "Oh man." he tried to think of something, anything. "They won't fall for that again." "Quick someone cast a spell on them making them heavier!" he shouted to those around him. 'If they get too heavy to fly then they will fall!' He thought happily, now if only someone can do it. Aiyanna's own eyes went wide, they didn't have enough strength now but if this was to be they had to throw everything they had. Aiyanna did a double circle of elements, first the primaries then the seconbdary elemental circle. This spell was dangerous but it would she hoped at least get rid of most of the wyverns, it won't kill her at least. "Alera, or actually anyone with magick do something I don't have enough!" She took out several droplets it was pulsing with blazing silver light a response to the amount of evil present. "Here me, for my voice reaches out to you, my power calls to you, let the power of Moon and the Stars become the salvation of light!" The droplets immediatly grew into blazing ball of energy it was brilliant, like if the moon have suddenly been born, and the stars were angry . Aiyanna was floating lightly off the ground, all of the elements responding to to the power she have summoned. She felt a tremendous amount of power passing through, being menifested in to her magick, it made her shiver. Then Aiyanna finally pointed her staff towards the sky, she hoped this will burn the wyverns away, most of them, so it will buy them time to recover. Large but furious thick beam of silvery light short from her then it split into thinner tendrill then it shot faster to wyverns ensnaring the oncoming wyverns, those behind immediatly stopped. Those trapped in a net of light were being burnt away, their scream was being heard, it was almost like shrill of darkness. Aiyanna felt faint, but managed to hold on to the power that she have summoned, she won't die but might not be conscious after this spell is done. * * * Elsewhere in Raiden, Zatch continued his search for survivors. Using a spell to cloak himself in the shadows he was able to keep form being a target to the flying creatures. Lightning streaked the sky and wyverns darted in and out of the buildings before taking back into the sky. Orion drew out his redwood bow and took aim at one of the wyverns as it passed overhead. His arrow struck the wyvern in in the right wing and it crashed to the ground thrashing wildly. Orion knew that even though he had hit his mark it was not even a dent in the number of wyverns that still flocked the skies above Raiden. * * * "Tch!" Jinn struck down only his second lizard, who had slashed his left arm on its descent. A second growl escaped him as he descended down to a lower level as a spell from their side ensnared the air-lizards. Cushioning himself in a tumble he rolled onto his feet near the caster. Jinn fell into a low crouch as he watched her back. A smarter wyvern circled around the radius of the spell and began a dive towards the woman killing his bretheren. The wind around them gather into his sword as Jinn cocked his sword back. "Ku-ga!" Jinn swung his weapon towards to the creature, the air began swirling round his sword and left on a trajectory at the creature. The swirling wind made a direct connection and began spinning and tearing at the wyvern's hide. After a moment with broken wings the torn wyvern slammed into the street near them. "How many are left?" He growled under his breath, his eyes counting the skies. Kitsa had climbed onto the roof of a one story house and had her bow ready. She loosed a few shots at any wyverns who came near, but very few managed to hit a good place. Wyvern hides were tough. Kitsa aimed for softer areas like the eyes, under the chin and jowls, as well as where the wings conected to the body. As one beast flew almost straight toward her, she fired an arrow right at that point where the wing connected and the arrow stuck, causing the wyvern to veer aside and crash into another building. "We should take this somewhere else or we'll destroy the town ourselves!" Kitsa called out. * * * The sky, still thick with wyverns was suddenly pierced by a bright, silvery light. What was that? Orion thought as he stared into the sky. "Does the strangness ever end?" he shouted aloud. As Zatch looked up to the sky he witnessed the sight of more beasts circeling above him, and at a lower altitude. The spell which blended him into the shadows would not hide him much longer. One of the creatures then made a sharp dive in his general direction, at first Zatch thought he had been spotted until the Wyvern simply passed over him and slammed into the ground about 20 yards away. Zatch raised his hands and began an incantation: "Shadow of all darkness, shade of all oblivion. Strike down mine enemy with thy warcry." A large black bolt of energy left his hands and an gave a shrill wistle as it sailed through the air. It then struck the monster dead in the chest as it still struggled to getback in the air, killing it instantly and leaving a gaping hole in it's torso. "Good, now if only I can get the rest of them to hold still long enough for me to do that." The young scholar mused to himself. * * * Terin didn't have a bow, all he had was a sword and a few daggers. He stood with his back to Kitsa, ready to defend her if anything came to close. Sevrina had pulled herself back on the roof of the building she was on earlier. Now she had her horn bow with some vicious arrows in her quiver and was shooting at any wyvern she got in range, always aiming for the eye. Her little bow pack alot of punch and some of her arrows were tough enough to peirce armor and tear up the insides of her victim. Certainly, most of those arrow's found their way into the beasts' brains. Kitsa called something about them destroying the city by dropping the wyverns out of the sky. It was only one patch, and likely, hopefully, the focal of the battle. They could sacrifice that much. Alera was already chanting again as the magic came down. "By the spirits. Let us become as transparent as thy, and let that which is made to fell us touch us not!" Suddenly, everyone seemed to fade into a state of half life were they stood, and the magics that hadn't already hit anyone crashed through people, as if everyone was a ghost. The magic quickly faded and Alera stared up at her enemy. "So powerful...If a high Preist can summon great power, and a Master Sorcerer can, then I too must!" she declared more to herself than anyone else. Alera held her ironwood staff before her, the crested glue crystal globe held strong in place by three claws. "I call forth the energies life and spirit. I call for strength in this time of need! Gift me power, all those of life!" Magical energies, visible to the eye, began to fill the air as little sparkles, with the most concentrated at people. These tiny blue stars shimmered almost violently, orbitting around everything, even the man that had come down from the clouds and herself. "Magical forces of nature. I call thee from him who is my foe! Arise to my command, and striketh against the forces who wish to destroy the living!" The wyverns and the mage in the sky would begin to feel strange. No magic that Alera knew of could stop it. Because this spell never came from anywhere outside of her enemies. The wyverns began to struggle to keep in flight as waves of intense pain hit them. They struggled and contorted to hold their altitude, and most failed. They fell to the ground, all alive for the most part, moaning in horrific pain as their own life was ripping at them. this spell, out of the many she had created on her own, was one of the most grueling to overcome. But it worked better on magic users. The pain would be stronger on the enemy. It would feel as if something inside him was trying to rip him in half. As long as she held her staff, he was sure to feel more pain than he ever had in his whole life. At the same time, his magical powers would be severely weakened, since most of his power was fueling her attack on him. As long as Alera held her staff at him, the magic would be grinding into him. The sparkles of life she had gathered pushed into him as well, adding more force to her spell. The life sparkles around her friends had varied from person to person. To some, it created a barrier to protect. To others, they absorbed it, temporarily making their magic or strength more powerful. Sivak lay on the ground, though he was no longer stunned as he watched several of the wyverns circle overhead. His blade was could not be seen from his position but he felt it emnating, telling him that someone was working magic nearby. Suddenly he felt the ripple of wind in the air and he strained his eyes as from the corners he saw one of the wyverns screaming triumphantly as it closed in on his prone body. As it hurtled towards him, Sivak wouund himself up like a spring and at the last possible second pushed himself into a somesault. The wyvern was caught off guard by this weird movement and it lost control as it hit the grouund. Instantly as Sivak landed on its back, his two daggers were started plunging into the sides of the wyvern. Seconds past as the wyvern, in its last moments tried desperately to get air but all that happened was a pathetic flop as Sivak jumped from the fatally wounded wyvern and dived towards his sword. Normally Edwin would be in complete awe at all the magic going on but this wasn't the time to watch because one could get killed. Getting up not bothing with the mud that covered his harden Studded Leather, for once he was glad he wore that and not something made of metal, and ran over to a corner of a building out of the sight of the wyverns. Looking at his hands he blinked seeing them ghost like but then faded "What kind of magic is was that well if it didn't hurt me then I don't mind," through then strange sparkles appear around him and the others fighting and he blinked as most of the Wyverns started to fall "Ok what have I gotten myself into." Drawing his bow string back Edwin started to shot arrows toward the falling Wyverns to hopeful cripple them or kill through he couldn't be sure but he felt slightly stronger not sure why. * * * "Take it," Granite's mother said. "I'm going out there too," her father rumbled, heading for a giant axe on the wall. "No you're not!" His wife replied. "You ain't leavin' me alone with this brood while you go play hero!" He turned to look at his daughter. Granite stood there with Dralock, holding her mace. He sighed deeply. "Go on Granite, you're a grown woman. You can make your own choices," he said. "Make me proud?" Granite nodded grimly. She didn't think anything more needed to be said. Her family waved goodbye and her mother hurried them all out the backdoor, likely going to join the rest of the dwarven community to figure out a plan. Left alone, she stood still waiting for Dralock to get everything he wanted. "Thank you," Dralock said as Granite's mother ushered her family out the door. He quickly gathered what useful items he could find. Looking at Granite, he nodded to her and they set out. As soon as they were in the street, he stoped. "Uh... maybe you should take the lead. We should head to the inn and see if the other folks know what's going on. Just be ready in case one of those things," he pointed to the creatures flying overhead, "desides we look apetizing." * * * With a snap of his fingers the wyverns were no more. Once the sound from Vesper's fingertips his their flesh they shattered into dust from whence they came. From then with the barrier of wind still swirling violently around him Vesper began his descent. Slowly the violet eyes came open, they quickly searched for the source of the spell that had crippled his air force. The spell seemed to have little effect on the general himself as the particles only acted as a visual obstruction. The light purple brows furrowed breifly as Vesper becan a bolt of white energy and streaked across the sky and struck at Alera. Two meters before the sorceress the lightning stopped and formed back into the form of the general. "Sorceress..." He addressed her with a whisper that carried his voice directly to her ear. "Do you know the consequences of striking a god?" Vesper's toes floated just above the ground as he slowly approached her. Blue streaks of lightning crackled over his arms and chest as he gathered hsi strength to his right hand. "Where are the spirits of Lodoss now?" At first the sudden disappearance of the wyverns had him confused, but hearing the man speaking to that girl Nipa feared for not only his life but hers. Thinking quickly he decided the best thing was to put up a barrier between them to protect her. Hopefully it would hold out long enough. "Gnome, Spirit of the earth, come to me... Rise up a wall before her! Gnome, Spirit of the earth, come to me... Rise up a wall before her!" He chants and he thanks the gods when a wall of stone and rock rises up between this guy Vesper and Alera. "Oh gods I hope this helps..." he says as he is still too far away to do much else. Aiyanna dropped to her knees as she stopped her spell and she asked for forgiveness as she withdrew the last of her magick which was used in the shield that protected the area around them from being blown to pieces by using of their own magick. She slowly realised with horror that Chaos general wasn't in the sky anymore, where was he? In fact where was the purple haired knight she saw in her vision? The dark elf who fell? And more over where was the former chaos general of fire? Where was all the people who suppose to fight chaos general of air? Was her vision just something she hoped? Surely can not be! She did not study the moon and the stars and tune to their rythm for nothing! It took her years to find that rythm, they could not be wrong! "Alera?" she turned to see a wall of earth rise between Alera and the general. Aiyanna watched in horror and managed stand leaning heavily on her staff, she took out her small bottle still even more furiosly beating with intense silver light since the source of darkness was even nearer. Aiyanna turned to see Jinn standing behind, probably watched her back whilst she have performed the spell. " I need the Moon, the Stars..." Aiyanna whispered preparing a special ancient ring of protection, it was large, almost 2 meters across in every direction. It shone soft silver it was Ring of the Stars, it was hardly used, but she had begged her mentor to teach it and help her find to tune in with the night sky loved so much. Aiyanna had to help Alera but how? how can she when she doesn't have enough strength? Her thought went out to her brother Erias and to her sister Ciel, where ever they maybe. Please help me, somehow in anyways to strengthen her and her will, Please! she screamed in her mind, they desperatly needed help but unknown to her, her silver pendent glowed briefly brighter a pendent that contain a small amount of each of the sibling's life force. She glared at the scene, waiting but to her dismay realised she have included Jinn in her circle. She closed her eyes, she felt herself visioning the wonderful night sky, the star's wonderful rythem they sang, like music it was wonderful. Each of the several thin rings that made up the final ring glowed as she tuned her self more and more to the stars.This was her final and the best she could do, by tuning into the power of the stars, it was her last resort and this was her first time of performing such spell, she knew the process but never actually performed it. That scared her, Erias! Ciel please! Oh anyone out their who is willing to fight! hear me! her mind kept screaming a deperate plea, though she knew not many will hear that please unless some how they were sensitive to what minds spoke. Where were all the people she saw in her vision? "I see no god here." Kai shouted from a distance of about 30 yards. The knight had no idea exactly how powerful this Vesper was, but if it was anywhere near as great as Cray constantly ranted then Alera certainly wouldn't want to be in his path. "I see only a fool with far too much time on his hands." With that Kai drew the large knife from his belt and with deadly accuracy he hurled it toward the sky lord's heart. "You may be powerful," Alera stated calmly, afeared not of the powerful being. "But a God? Even if it is true, even gods can be defeated. And as for penalties, I do. But just like those who have stood in the past against powers and Gods, I too shall take those consequences, or stop them. And, to finish your inquisition, The Spirits of Lodoss are all around you. Those you have defeated await your demise. They await your defeat, wishing they could do it themselves I suggest you leave. Gods are not invincible, no matter how thick your ego." Alera stood tall, feeling magic all around her, and secretly drawing more and more power by the second from everything around her, even him. She stood tall, as if she herself could be a match for this man. Perhaps she couldn't under normal circumstances. But she had some new spells that needed feild testing, and he seemed like a perfect target to the more powerful ones. "Let me tell you something. A God is not as fool-hardy as you. A god is not as unprepared as you. Every God of any worth would have thought out this first. No...Your moves this day have been without consideration. Or poor planning. You wasted your wyverns. Then you just stand in front of possibly one of the most powerful people in this city and decide to chat, attempting to intimidate. If you unleashed the acid cloud, you must learn to fortify yourself better then. I only used a moderate cleansing spell." Secretly, she had already casted two spells in her head. As Sivak reached his sword, he saw to his alarm the skylord change to a bolt of energy streaking towards one of the female spell casters. Retrieving his sword, he saw the bolt reform into the massive shape of the chaos general within a hands space of the female. "Fool." he whispered as she stood without fear of the dark lord. She had obviously no idea what she was up against. However he had to credit her courage. We are here elf...at your command, a voice spoke in his mind. Instantly, Sivak saw a chance to strike at the skylord and possibly distract him from the human. "Spirits of invisibility and darkness...take me..." Shadows swirled around him and suddenly he disappeared from the view of others as he sprinted towards the human facing the skylord. The distance was nothing to him with the enhanced powers of the dark spirits and time seemed to stand still as he rushed to attack the skylord's back. As he was ten meters away from the duo, he vaulted into the air above the two as he let the shadows dissapate from around him as he positioned himself to drop directly ontop of the skylord... Sevrina crouched on a rooftop, watching the group below. Vesper was now directly challenging the older sorceress. Where in the hell was Cray? Sivak was suddenly over the Skylord and Sevrina cringed. As a master of air, it was not unlikely that Vesper had a shield of it. "Fools....Cray, you told us to let you handle him...now where are you?" she hissed. The wall of wind wrapped around Vesper threw the knife and the assailant violently off course as he continued towards the sorceress. A smile slowly curled over his lips. "You will be disapointed if you think those lizards and a bit of cloud are my forces. And your spells." Vesper made a fist, exploding his magic around him, destroying the web of the spell that Alera had cast to sap his powers. "Worthless." The general cast the same hand into the heavens and spread his fingers, obeying his command the dark clouds completely parted over Raiden, but no light came. Above the city was a swirling gateway of power. Dark energy crackled over the surface and within a thousand stars swirled in the Chaos. "The Chaos Gate." Vesper began ascending slowly. "In three days," he chuckled. "Lodoss will become the new Hell beginning with this mortal city."