The Lurkers' Domain

In the ruins of the once Great Hall, the Alchemist sighs as he awaits communication from his Master. The darker voice returns, "Daniel, the Elder Lurker is strong. With Lady Lilian and Angelique behind him, you will have difficulty retrieving the maiden I need. But there is a way to weaken him, cast in him Achilles' Doubt. With that, even the greatest hero becomes a coward."

The Alchemist replies back, head down to not see the voice that speaks to him, "Yes, my master. What of Lilian and Angelique."

"There is no weakness in them, but they alone cannot stop us. The three of them are a threat, and in him is a weakness. Exploit it," the dark voice commands.

"As you wish," the Alchemist agrees, then searches through his ancient tome again to find the spell he will need...

The sound of a human female screaming breaks the reverent silence of the great hall. Only two of the three knights actually make it back. Though that is of little consequence. The two knights throw the terrified girl at the feet of there Master, and they both kneel and bow there heads low. Never looking up, one of the demons speaks in a voice dryer than cemetary dust, "We have succeeded for your victory my master. You were right, as always, the others were of little consequence." Michelle looks up and realizes she's in somekind of a different world all together. Before her about 8 ft up sits a thrown on black marble.

"This has got to be a dream." She whispers

A buzzing begins to ring through the once Great Hall. It seems the stone walls themselves are humming. The hums becomes almost deafening, but only to the Dark Ones, not to Michelle.

A growl then rises to fight back against the humming and becomes a word... one word...

Dddddd
Aaaaaaaa
Nnnnnn
Iiiiii
Eeeeee
Llllllllllll
!!!!!
!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A purple surge of energy throbs from Michelle and pushes her back through the hall, forcing the Dark Ones back to the portal they came.

The Dark Alchemist screams a horrible howl at the failure of his demons, but smiles as things play out away from the Hall...

A young gothic girl walks towards the hall and sees the events which are unfolding. She sences that the girl is in trouble and does not want to be here. Is the man she with helping her or holding her prisoner. Well when in doubt shoot first and ask questions later right. She walks up to where all the excitement is and whistles to get evreyones attention.

"Is this a private party or can anybody dance" She ask with a smirk.

The girl closes her eyes and a red energy surronds her. The air begins to heat up causing all in the area to sweet. Suddenly a line of flames burst from each of the girls hands heading straight for the one who is near the girl and the ancient alchemist within the hall.

She just hopes that the girl will have enough since to come with her.

"Michelle", She shouts,"Follow me and run...Unless you want to be grab up by the slavers. I will explain all later."...

A giant beast of a man rises up behind the young witch. Michelles eyes widen in terror but before she can warn her friend the man clubs her aside the head knocking the sences out of her.

He orders his men to grab the witch as he roughly takes Michelles arm and twist it behind her back. Then, promptly drags her back into the hall and thows her uncerimonously unto to the ground at the Alchemist's feet.

"You ought to keep better track of your slaves", he says groughly. "Oh, and I have a surprise for you. It seems we finnaly caught that little witch who has been giving you so much trouble."

His men drag in the girl's unconsious form and lay her before the evil mage.

"So how much will you give me for her" he ask, "Or should I take her to some other Master she is sure to bring a high price?"

"I'll pay you well, I assure you for both of them." The first one he thinks to himself, the witch, he could harness and draw that energy source right out of her and control it. He's done it before so he's no stranger to that magik. He needs the human to summon the one that will destroy all that needs to be "taken care of" in the other realm. Feeling very pleased, all you see if an old hand on the throans armrest holding a golden and jeweled studded goblet. He can feel Daniels death. It's not complete yet, which all who are sensitive enough can feel it. "I don't want them in the great hall all day Captain! Get them to there prearranged stations for training!" The largest of the demons bows and orders the others to remove the girls to where they are supposed to be. "Captain!" The alchamist calls, his powerful voice booming around the great hall. "Remember what I said. No special treatment!" "Yes, my master."

"Agreed, Tonight I will host a banquet! We shall celebrate our victory. And others to come!" All were dismissed, preparations were underway. Tables and chairs were brought in to the hall. Musicians were gathering their instruments. Tonight will be worth celebrating.

Just before they leave two more of his men come in dragging the unconsious form of the man who almost spoiled the old ones plans.

"What do we do with him?" Ask the Gorian Warlord

As the Dark Alchemist comes to hover over the weakened form of a man, the two who brought him in turn him over to see more clearly his prize.

The cruelest laughter spills into the room as it is the form of the Elder Lurker, Daniel. But on this plane, it is his celestial form that lays here. That spark of quintessence that remains left to be extinguished to Daniel to truly be dead. Final Death.

The evil alchemist is going to enjoy slowly destroying every heroic fiber of his being until there will be nothing left for those fools to save.

His plans are coming to fruition, and since he also has the child Michelle's transcendant form, he hardly cares what becomes of the body that Daniel's magic salvaged as well.

I have them both now Lilian, I can but taste my Master's victory. You have too many heroes, but no champions.

Daniel was picked up and thrown into the dungeon.

Coming too, he sees not much accept stone walls, ceiling and floor. ONe very large and heavy wooden door that was locked lay before him. Struggling to sit up, pain courses through his whole body. For a moment there was a sense of contentment, knowing what he did saved Lilian and there is hope for the others to defeat this monster. Knowing full well that Ray, Angelique and Lilian would never let anything happen to Michelle. She's safe right where she is.

A womans scream! "Get away from me! NO!" Another scream!

Daniel roles his eyes, "Oh sh==!" Guess where Michelle is. So much for nice and safe. Ray once I find you, I'm gonna kill ya.

Randall stands over Michelle with a smirk on his face. That was not a bad scream he thinks but I think we can do better. With that he picks up the branding Iron and moves it slowly towards her face relishing the look of terror in her eyes.

Her please for mercy just arouse him more as he presses the red hot Iron to her cheek and listens to her screams as the flesh sizzels.

It wasn't enough to just brand her inner thigh with a strange symbol. So far he's done her cheek, upper arm, and upper thigh. Spitting at him will only get her slugged really hard. Sweat pouring down her face, still holding exhausted defiance. She let's out another scream, this time it's a plea for mercy. Her legs give out on her, but she still tells Randall to go to hell.

Randall smiles again as he picks up his razor tipped scorge. He loves te fisty ones that is for damn sire.

"Listen child",he rasp,"All you need to do is agree to cooperate and it will all be okay."

With that he raises the whip and in one smooth motion bringes it crashing down across her chest leaving a large bleeding welt. He does this twelve more times for good measure enjoying he screams and whimpers.

"What do you say Michelle", he ask, "Will you cooperate?"

"Are you so sure?" the master questions Randall. "Bring him up and have her see him." Another of his demons heads not too far from the hall and brings Daniel up for them to see. For the most part Daniel is unharmed. His wounds are healing and the fire is in him now more than ever, especially what he heard not too long ago. He sees Michelle first, in that humiliating position and calls out to her. Snapping her eyes up she gets up immediately and runs towards him, choking herself with the colar pulling against it. Her hand wraps around the chain defiantly and gives it a sound and desperate pull. No yield from Randall. Daniel sees what is going on and hopes he comes up with something soon. -Where the hell did they put that witch? She's gotta be here somewhere.- he thinks to himself.
The master sees this display of disobediance from the both of them, though it is terribly entertaining. "Take them both back down. Have him warmed up for tonight. Randall, start over with the girl, if she does this again,,,,it'll be your head we serve for dinner tonight."
"Yes, my master." Well that went well he thought to himself.
No girl is ever going to make a fool of me again in front of the master. His rage builds, oh just wait til I get my hands on her. And I'm gonna have Daniel watch, that' ll make them both think twice.

The girl Michelle and Daniel are brought back down and chained to racks across from each other. Randall grins as he singles one of the others to work on daniel and orders his cart of tools brought to him.

"No woman makes a fool of me, "He spits at Michelle,"You will pay for this sweetie."

With that he picks up the prod and Puts it on medium level. It will not kill her or anything like that but it will hurt like hell. Ripping her pants off he puts the prod inside of her and hits the buttton cackleing as she watches he twitch and scream in absolute agony. After ten minutes of this when he notices her about to pass out he turns it off.

Daniel is screaming and crying in misery but has his own agony yo worry about as they have made a thousand tiny cuts in his body and rubbed salt into the wounds.

Randall was enjoying himself and the fun had only begun....

Lilian wonders right into the castle. Part of the shadows, an old trick taught to her by an old love, she follows Daniels energy signature as well as Michelle's. The scene was really too much too bear. Randall sends one of his minions out of the room to get something. He doesn't come back in.

Walking behind Randall when he was alone with the two of them, she cups his head and with a snap of his neck he falls to the floor. Materializing, "Hello Daniel." She walks up to him and touches her lips on his for a moment. Undoing the bindings, they help Michelle out of hers and dresses her. Daniel tries putting a shirt on, with out screaming in pain.

Daniel cloaks the three of them into the shadows. "Do you have any idea where the others are? What's going on with the other realm?" She stops running and looks at him, "what do I look like to you a newspaper? I've been separated from everyone right after you saved me. By the way thank you. But if you do anything like that again.......nevermind." Why even bother? He will just do it again, and she knew it.
"You've been here longer? How do you get out of the castle at least?"

Cloaked in the shadows, no one can see the three, but they can each see their own silver thread. It glows with in internal light that makes finding their way to a fork in the road, where their threads diverge.

Daniel smiles at Lilian and says, "I guess we are just destined to save each other. So, I thank you. From here, we must each find our way back. Once in the physical, we can regroup and decide what to do next."

Michelle and Lilian hug as they each reassure the other they are all right, for now.

WHOOSH!

Rendall stands up, crinks his neck. Looks around and sees his "friends" missing. Notifying all through the castle there escape.

Kneeling before his Lord, he has been given one last chance to redeem himself. No exceptions to this one. No mockery will be dismissed under any conditions. Bring them back dead or alive. If he should succeed exceptionally and redeems himself in his Masters eyes he shall be greatly rewarded. That all he wishes if for him to choose.

"Don't disappoint me Rendall. Not again. Go."
My biggest pet peeve, Rendall thinks to himself, someone coming up behind me and cracking my neck!

The young witch looks out the tower window where she is being held and sees the fleeing figures of the out worlders. At least they are safe, but what am I going to do. She had tried to use her magick several times but for some reason it would not work up here. She knew that without her magick or some type of weapontry she was helpless in the face of her captures and with the others gone it would notbe long before they came for her. She shruddered at the thought and prayed that one of them would remimber her.....

Michelle knows she has big problems. Unable to use her Magick she is pretty definceless against her enemies and now she was in there clutches. She heres the sound of someone comming down the hall and trembles. The door swings open to reveal the Guard who brought her here.

The guard puts shackles on her hands and feet which humm with energy then leads her out of the tower towards the main hall and the Ancient Alchemist. What were they going to do with her. All the young which knew is that whatever it was it would not be good.

Candlelight fills the great hall with ablaze. Smells of freshly cooked meats and breads mix with the smell of wax candles. Stringed and wind instruments are played by women in silk dresses. Hundreds of warriors are seated at the massive tables eating and drinking. Ale is spilt everywhere as the men tell excessive tales of their great battles and victories. Weapons are everywhere.

Michelle is brought out a side door where a monk is awaiting for her arrival. "All is ready. We're just waiting for the others. Put her into her place." Pushing her into a corner and made to kneel down, looking down. She stays in this position until she's further told otherwise. What will happen to them and me? She asks herself silently.

Michelle had no idea what they were planing on doing with her, but she knew one thing for damned shore. There was no way in hell that she was going to kneel like some slave, she would not be degraded like this. Defiently she stand up before the men,looking menincingly in each of there eyes before her gaze locks on the monk. She makes contact, her eyes blazing in fury.

The sound of a snap and seering white pain gets her attention. Another
snap fills the hall, then another, and another. Shaking, she still defiantly
stands. The guard walks up to her, whose been whipping her, pulls her by the
back of her hair and pulls her down upon her knees. Commanded to stay.
She fights more, giving him the nastiest look she can. Another guard approaches
with more shackles. Binding her feet to her hands which are behind her.
"That's where you will be for the rest of your life, learn to like it and the
shackles will be down graded to ropes." Laughing at her, more degradation.
Three more times the whip lands upon her back. She sobs out loud, head
bowed down in pain. Tears well up.

Now for the others.....

Michelle grits her teeth. The pain is overwhelming but she refuses to pass out, refuses to break. Her magick is obviously useless but she needs to do something. An idea passes through her mind. It is a desperate one but it must work. Focusing her mind on the girl she had helped to rescue from all this she sends with all her might a desperate scream.

"MICHELLE",The voice echoes in the young humans mind."I HELPED YOU BEFORE NOW I NEED THE HELP OF YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS. PLEASE,HELP ME I DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER I CAN HOLD OUT."

With that the young witch crosses her fingers hoping the outworlders will come to her rescue.

The head guard walks up slowly to the alchemists throan. Bows and kneels down upon one knee lowering his head. "My Lord, we have them. What are you next orders? We await them with anticipation."

"Prepare them for what I have planned. Warm up the magickal ones for me, I don't want any mistakes on this."

"Yes, MY Lord." Standing up still with head bowed, he turns to take care of his captors. Funny, he thought to himself with an evil grin, He didn't give me a limit. Huge smile now. Oh the fun he's going to have.

As the young witch waits hopefully for her friends arrival a gaurd comes into her sell and lears at her. he comes over to her and begins laying his hands all over her body. Michelle cringes back not liking where this is leading. Soon his hands get more insistant. You can here the girls screams of protest through out the hole building before they finnaly give way to surrender.

Daniel and Michelle are in their cell. Michelle under Daniels trenchcoat like a small cold bird. He keeps her warm and comforts her the best he can. A guard walks by with a monk at his side. Daniels arm that holds her turns to marble as he sees that they're coming in. "It's time for the preparation. I've come for the lamb." Making a jesture to Michelle, the monk walks closer. Daniel's not about to give her up without incident, but he's already heard so much from the other cells already that if he does fight, she may be even more hurt than necessary.

Does he let her go willingly or does he fight?

Daniel is overwhelmed as he hears the last cries from Ray and Angelique. Then drops to his knees as he feels something horrible has happened to Donovan. If Donovan is dead, then Stefan probably is as well.

That's it then... all dead... All Dead... all My fault... all for Michelle... he starts rocking on his knees as the unimaginable sorrow grips him. Shaking him to his core.

this!

He stands between Michelle and their captors... they picked the wrong cell to walk into. Daniel, turns to kiss Michelle on the cheek then hugs her underneath his trenchcoat that she wears.

The guard and monk watch in surprise as the two begin to spin and lift off the ground. Before their eyes, the trenchcoat is empty and falls to the floor. When it does, the guard walks over to inspect it.

K-A-B-O-O-M!!!

The cell is rocked by a massive purple explosion... the force of which melts the guard and throws the monk against the cell, killing him instantly.

As the dust settles, and the cell threatens to collapse, Michelle and Daniel reappear and spin back down to the floor. "We must hurry," are the only words Daiel speaks as he rushes Michelle along, holding her hand, but not forcing her or pulling her. Fear is what compells her now.

The Witch Michelle picks up on Dans thoughts. She can since his hurt but also knows it is not true. When she closes her eyes she can see that many of the outworlders are still alive.

"Not all dead", she sends at him despertly,"HELP ME"

The Alchemist is in his lab within the bowls of the castle. His ceremonial circle is prepared with great care for what he has planned for it. Monks flow in, making their way to their places against the walls chanting their proper texts. He gives the orders to one of the guardmen to get the witch Michelle and Stefan for this rite. The only way you can get in this part of the castle is by clearance. No sneaking in, this is already planned for a while now. Even Mages walk the halls peering into the shadows, watching.

Stefan and Michelle are brought in wearing their perspective collars and chains. Though exhausted from their ordeals and beatings, they still show a touch of fight in them. Michelle is sat in a seat and chained to it completely. Stefan is brought over to a block with an axe next to it. Stefan turns sheet white when he sees this.

The Alchemist now walks over to his table and leans into an ancient book. Reading intently, he reaches for some special herbs and mixes them together. Mixing that with wine, he holds it above his head to bless it. Walking over to the girl he motions for the guards to assist. The guard grabs her head and pulls it back, making her drink the special elixer. Closing her mouth, her throat is gently stroked which makes her swallow. Chanting begins from the monks in a tongue which she doesn't even recognize. "What are you going to do with us?" Michelle finally chokes the question out. "Put the boy into place." Barks the Alchemist. Stefan gets pushed down upon his knees. Gulping he closes his eyes and a look of peace fills his face. Finally accepting his fate. The Alchemist looks at Michelle and says as the guard raises the axe above Stefans neck, "I'm going to make you mad." Look of terror on her face and a smile from his.