Vlindrel:Sovereignty of the Negative Sun

Day 4, Late Afternoon
The Pyxis, Clearing on the Black Cliffs

Coty: And that's how I ended up here. **He uses the rocks in front of him to scratch his chin.**

Tate: So... **He finishes eating the leg of one of the large bunny-like things Kaali killed.** Let me get this straight. **He throws the large bone to Loki, and the little ferret quickly starts chomping on the scraps of meat hanging off of it.** Ahiga's stag spirit went and found some old indian woman and gave you that thing?

Coty: I believe *red skin*, is the politically correct term these days... **He clears his throat.**

Tate: ...And you entered into a contract with a demon to ensure you had enough power to survive down here? **He pulls off his beanie and scratches the back of his head.**

Coty: Yes, thanks for the episode recap. **He takes a moment and mentally notes that sounds like something Nemo would say.** I *just* told you all of this shit.

Barlowe: What of this Nemo, the powerful Warlock that arbitrated this deal? I want to know more about him.

Coty: Look you geezer, I told you everything that lead to this point, let me out of these fuck'n rocks, you're crush'n all my gear.

Barlowe: **He coughs loudly a few times.** I want to know if we have to deal with a Warlock, in addition to your *demon*.

Coty: Well he's not come'n down here because he's fuck'n busy, so you don't have to worry about him, alright? Unless of course you kill me, then he'll have to show up eventually... Or worse he'll send *his* demon, which makes mine look like a fuck'n gremlin, and then you'll *really* be up shit creak without a paddle.

Kaali: I believe his story. **She finishes the leg from the rabbit she was eating and tosses the bone aside.**

Tate: Oh well, you know, if *you* believe him... **He rolls his eyes as he says it in a painfully sarcastic voice.**

Kaali: He fought with truth enough. That's all that's needed. **She stands up and adjusts parts of her armor, then looks to Barlowe.** The more help we have, the more likely we are to succeed in getting the Eochair. **She says it sternly.**

Barlowe: **He looks to Kaali, his grey eyes scanning her expression. Not sure of her judgement.** ...Very well. **He taps his cane and the rocks around Coty quickly pull down into the ground and vanish entirely.**

Coty: **He falls forwards a bit and grabs at his shoulder. He cracks his neck, which had become stiff from being trapped for the last hour. After that he quickly starts to check his gear, pulling on his goggles and his breathing mask. When he speaks, his voice comes out deeper and distorted with static.** Seems like it's all working fine... **One of the eyes flickers a bit.** Enough...

Tate: So you spent hundreds of dollars and made a deal with a demon just because you were so worried about me? I didn't know you were such softy Coty.

Coty: **He checks a few of his straps and an ammo pouch.** I got a soft spot thicker than your thigh. So I got a big soft spot for you if you want it.

Tate: You're gay as fuck. **He flips his chakram around, then spins it on the tip of his finger.**

Coty: Says the water-fairy virgin that spent high school dancing around in a tiny speedo, while I was gripping tits and smashing cervixes. **He reaches over to his left shoulder and pulls at his armor, revealing a rippling back muscle through a fine cut in his equipment. A red line with a tiny amount of blood runs the length of the cut. Kaali's blade made a very shallow slice even into his stone hide.** That sword is sharp as fuck. **He looks to Kaali.**

Kaali: It is dull compared to the weapon of a true knight- **Loki squeaks loudly, then suddenly stands up and looks around, letting out a louder howling sound before darting across the clearing and up to the top rock. Kaali's eyes follow the little familiar and then narrow as she draws her sword.** -What is it?

Tate: **He stands up.** There's someone coming -The thing we were running from earlier...? **He looks to Barlowe.**

Barlowe: So he's caught up to us then... **He lets a quiet wheeze and looks to the flames in the distance thoughtfully.**

Kaali: Then we must leave. *Now*! **She spins her blade in her hand, then turns and heads to the cliff, she quickly looks out to the carved swathe of flame.** Sorcerer. **She looks to Barlowe.** You've inexplicably obtained a catalyst, does that mean you can you translocate us beyond that swathe of flames?

Barlowe: **He looks from the direction Loki is looking, then out toward the burning light beyond the cliff.** That's nearly ten leagues away... Assuming the flame is not caustic to such travel... Assuming we can move about space here so freely... Down in this old dark... **His old eyes dart back and forth seeming to scan more than the visible horizon.**

Kaali: **She turns and looks back at Barlowe.** If you can't spirit us there then we need to move, *now*, so can you perform the task or *not*?!

Barlowe: Give me a moment woman! **His old eyes dart around, the reddish hues of the light reflected in them.** I can't very well warp us into the landscape... The portal will need to be anchored...

Kaali: **She turns and pushes passed Tate before leaping to the top of the rock that Loki is sitting on. In the distance the Knight is running towards them in a full sprint** He's nearly here! **She holds her sword ready.**

Barlowe: **He clacks his cane into the ground, causing a rough stone wall to rise up at the edge of the cliff.** Poratah en mah-bre! **The stone trembles, and chunks of it are broken off and sent tumbling into the darkness below. Barlowe starts humming deeply, in a course tone. Tate can feel the very air bristle with power. The black stone slowly begins to shift in texture and shape, until it is a floating ring of smooth, polished, white marble.**

Coty: **His static voice booms from his mask, over Barlowe's humming.** Someone want to tell me what the fuck is going on? **He grabs his combination rifle and makes sure its loaded, checking some of his other gear.**

Kaali: A powerful Knight has been stalking us for the better part of this journey. We lingered here too long, and now he's caught up to us. **There's a thunderous crackle of white light in the distance, and both Loki and Kaali leap from the rock. She speaks quickly.** There's a ruined city beyond the swathe, take us there if you're able!

**After a moment the knight comes crashing down onto the rock they were on, slicing it down the middle with a streak of shimmering darkness radiating from his greatsword. Quickly afterwards he leaps to the top of the rock and gazes down at them, his black armor shimmering with sparks of white energy set against an aura of darkness. The blue cloth and cloak that decorated his armor before have been burned to rags, likely from Barlowe's summon.**

Kaali: Sorcerer?! **She keeps her eyes on the Knight.**

Barlowe: I need to stablize the portal! Buy me a few moments if you can! **Runes slowly carve themselves into the ring and begin to glow with purple energy.**

Kaali: **She lets out a growl as the Knight rushes her.** *Fight or die*! Every second we hold him off counts for our lives! **She leaps backwards as the Knight swings his massive blade horizontally. Even at a distance of eight feet the tip of his greatsword slices a fine groove into the lower part of her breastplate. She shimmers with darkness and quickly slides forwards, slashing several times, her shortsword glancing off of the Knight's dark armor with a hail of pale sparks. After the third strike Knight quickly backhands her in the chest with his off hand, and a pulse of black and white power ripples off of impact, sending her tumbling over the rubble to the cliff's edge.**

Coty: **He pulls something from his pack and turns to watch Kaali go flying. His nightvision flickers off just before firing a large barreled flare gun at the knight. The flare streaks through the air with a sizzling song before it collides with his helmet and sticks there, getting caught in the slightly open visor.**

Black Knight: **He quickly reaches up and grabs the flare, ripping it out of his helmet, before cleching it tightly in his hand.**

Coty: **As the knight clenches the flare it suddenly explodes in a flash of light. When the light clears his combination gun's four barrels are less than an inch from the Knight's face. Without saying anything his fires the shotgun barrels, firing two huge 10-gauge slugs simultaneously.**

Black Knight: **His head is blasted back from the impact as he's launched off his feet and then lands, not even stumbling. He hesitates for a moment, the shot at least stunning him.**

Coty: Why does every alternate world have an indestructible fucker in armor?! Carbon steel couldn't take a point blank shot like that! **He cracks open his shotgun and quickly begins reloading.** That helmet should've shredded like foil!

Tate: All that time to prepare and you didn't bring some fucking *grenades*?! **His chakram levitates in front of his hand and spins before firing a concentrated stream of glowing blue-green salt water from its center. The stream hits the Knight's helm and chest, and salt crystals growing outwards like hundreds of small spikes that quickly harden.**

Black Knight: **His movements become stiff as the salt builds up and hardens in the joints of his armor.**

Coty: You got him locked down?! **He raises his shotgun, unsure if it's even worth shooting.**

Tate: I don't know! **He keeps channeling the brine.**

Coty: How much longer old man?! **He turns to look back at Barlowe for a moment.**

Barlowe: **The center of the ring flickers purple a few times, and then suddenly flashes, as a portal to nothingness opens.** I've found the city! Only a moment more! **Dust and small rocks are suddenly pulled into the portal as it suddenly shifts to a vaccuum, opening to an empty vacuum. The runes embeded into the ring begin to light up with a purple light, one by one. An image is forming on the other side through the turbulant vacuum.**

Black Knight: **His head creaks, tilting slowly as he notices the portal stabilizing. He lets out a deep growl and then shimmers with darkness. The brine built up on his armor blasts off in a shower of powdered salt and then ripples out in a shockwave of shimmering darkness blasts Coty and Tate away, sending them bouncing to the ground. He breaks into a sprint and races towards Barlowe. Kaali dashes into the Knight's path and slams into him with her shoulder. She slashes at him, but the Knight grabs her sword and stares at her.**

Kaali: **Her deep blue eyes stare into the shimmering glare of the Knight's helmet. They smolder with a dark fury.** I will *destroy* you. **She pulls at her sword, but the Black Knight's strength is insurmountable, even for her.**

Black Knight: **In response he tightens his grip around her sword, and in the constricting grasp of his gauntlet it shatters. The hand then darts out and grabs onto her face, swinging her around and tossing her away like a rag doll. Kaali bounces off the ground and rolls into Tate as he's trying to get back up.**

Coty: **He fires the rifle shot of his combo-gun, a solid steel bullet hits the side of the Knight's head.**

Black Knight: **He stares at Coty for a moment, the bullet doing absolutely nothing. His helm then immediately turns to look at the portal, and he breaks into a sprint, holding his massive blade ready. As he closes the distance a crackling darkness wreaths the Knight's sword, flashing with shimmering light.**

Tate: **As he's climbing back up onto the rock he sees the Knight.** He's going to destroy the portal! **He flips his chakram out of his hand and points. It floats in front of his hand with the center of it lining up with his index finger, and a light-blue beam of enchanted salt water races towards the knight, but the brine shatters off of him as quickly as it forms.** I can't stop him!

Barlowe: **He lets out a coughing wheeze that turns into an angry growl.** METTERL-AH CONSIEL! **The ground between the portal and the Knight bursts, launching the Black Knight a dozen feet away. The dust and debris then pulls back down and slams flat against the ground, forming into half of a chess board. A row of eight stone pawns with round shields and long spears rises up, and in the row behind two horse-headed soldiers, two tall thin bishops, and two castle-headed knights rise from the ground, and lastly a tall white Queen made of solid diamond. Barlowe himself is sitting in the King's space, still facing the portal as he tries to stabilize it.** DIFAND! -Everyone get to the portal! It's nearly open! **He breaks into a hacking cough.**

Kaali: **She stands up, watching the Knight as he lands and slides backwards. He looks up at the huge chess pieces and shimmers.** The constructs will not last long! **She runs towards the portal.** *Move*!

Coty: **His eyes go wide when he sees that even that explosive burst of rock does little to even stun the Knight.** That's so fucked- **He runs and grabs his backpack, putting a few things into it and then hauling it up.** Get my other bag! **He runs past the smaller pack as the portal flashes with violet light and opens fully, the runes around it shining brightly. He stops near the left-most pawn and fires a few pointless shots at the Black Knight.**

Tate: **He jumps from the rock and grabs the pack, pulling it up over his shoulder as best he can as he runs for the portal. Loki runs up and jumps onto the pack, then runs up and grabs onto Tate's beanie, looking back at the Knight.**

Black Knight: **Shimmering darkness flows from his form and pools on the ground around him. Flashes of white light suddenly ripple off of him and he charges fowards, shoulder first, dragging his dark ultra-greatsword behind him, causing a geyser of white sparks to rise from the rift it carves behind him. He slams through the pawns in his path with his shoulder, blasting them apart into stone rubble. He glares down at Barlowe and the small opennings in his visor suddenly glows with rays of white light. The Knight raises his sword and the dark shimmer gives way to a pure white energy.**

Queen: **The giant diamond queen's body deflects the light like a prism as she slams her huge scepter down onto the Knight before he can swing, pounding him flat on his back. She spins and quickly brings the huge weapon down a second time slamming him with enough strength to create an impact crater around him.**

Barlowe: Everyone through! I can't maintain the portal *and* the board pieces at once! **He watches as the Queen slams the Knight into the ground.**

Tate: **He flickers to the portal, and runs through it as he appears. He turns and looks back at them.**

Coty: **He runs through the portal right after Tate. He slides to a stop and spins. Keeping his eye on the battle on the other side.** Grab the old man!

Black Knight: **He lets out a deep echoing grunt as he's hit the second time and his hand darts up and grabs the mace, ripping it from the Queen's hands with impossible strength, and as he pulls the mace away he thrusts his huge blade fowards and up into the queen's face. The white energy flowing through it hums with a high-pitched ring as it intensifies and fills the area with light. When the light clears, the Queen's head has been blasted apart. The Knight then rolls to his feet and spins, cleaving the queen at the waist with his sword and then following the cleave with a slam from her own scepter, which launches her top half through the bishop, knight and rook to the left, quickly leveling nearly half of Barlowe's chessboard.**

Kaali: **She grabs Barlowe and drags him through the portal as she crosses through it.** Close it!

Barlowe: **He coughs and tries to catch his breath. Kaali dragging him catching him off guard.** F-fiareh- **He coughs again.** FIAREH! *MEHT*! **The portal flickers and quickly collapses behind them.**

**The Knight's sword pierces through a Rook, drives through the construct and just as the portal collapses the tip of the Knight's ultra greatsword pokes out and somehow preventing the portal from closing all the way. The purple outline flickers and spasms around the protruding blade before it's pushed through half an inch with an accompanying slam, cutting the portal back open slightly to widen it.**

Barlowe: **He gazes at the blade piercing through space.** ...That... That is *not* possible. **He lets out a hacking cough before yelling out in a voice booming with power.** FIAREH MEHHHHHHHHHT! **The space around the portal warps inwards, bending the light like a whirlpool of water as he attempts to force it closed.**

**The Knight's sword slips back through slightly, but doesn't vanish. It hangs in the air, motionless as the collapsing portal violently sparks around it. After a moment there's a louder slam, and half an inch of the blade pierces back through the portal.**

Barlowe: I... I don't understand... **He keeps looking back to the portal as he holds onto Kaali.** That's not possible...

Coty: Just be glad it aint me penetrating that hole. **He smirks and quickly follows them.** I've shoved a lot *bigger* through a lot *tighter*. **He adjusts the large pack on his back.**

**Another heavy slam echoes through the ruined city that they've arrived in, and the blade pierces another half inch through the portal, causing it to flash and spark with volatile energy.**

Kaali: **She stares at the blade.** We are wasting time. **She pulls Barlowe up and slings him onto her back for him to grab onto her and she quickly starts moving away from the portal at a brisk pace.**

**A short while later...**

**Kaali has been out ahead of them, quickly leading them through the back alleyways. Everything is stained with dark vertical trails of water damage and has deep blue moss growing from it. Since passing through the ruins there's been a constant light rain and mist has closed in around them, and even with the flashlights Coty brought, it's difficult to see much farther than a few feet.**

Kaali: **Before proceeding too far from the portal, Kaali used some of the broken straps on her armor, along with some ropes Coty gave her, to make a harness that allows her to carry Barlowe on her back, allowing the two of them to keep their hands free.** ...This is where Sir Torien was sent... His assignment was to purge the city... Or perhaps something within the city...

Barlowe: **He's facing in the opposite direction, his back to Kaali's. It almost looks like she's carrying a large, elderly, baby on her back.** What is the name of this place?

Kaali: Anmik. **She looks around, following the alleyway they're walking through closely.**

Barlowe: Why would Loyce wish to purge such a place? To leave a dead husk of a city like this...? **His beard and scraggly hair are starting to get damp and turn darker-grey.**

Kaali: The Suns decree it, and so it is.

Barlowe: ...Certain scholars hypothesized that Loyce was zealously adverse to foreign nations, how true would you say that notion is, in your experience? **He quietly dwells on how Kaali herself seems to speak down to everyone else, completely unimpressed with even Barlowe's magics.**

Kaali: It is the one purpose of Loyce to strive for a better, more perfect, nation. **Her tone makes it difficult for Barlowe to tell is she herself follows this sort of belief as well, or if she disproves of it.**

Barlowe: And the chasm threatens that belief? **He wheezes, the cold of the rain starting to get to him.**

Kaali: **She waits a long moment before responding.** No. the chasm is merely a pit, filled with horrors, and the legions of Loyce sharpened their wits, wills, and mettle one the flesh and bones of such things. Loyce became as it is because it *never* backed down from a powerful adversary, even if it had to make adversaries of its own... So when few earthly threats remained that were worth the test of their strength... The Sun's radiance turned to the dark chasm, and saw within it a myriad of horrors...

Barlowe: **He looks around.** Very little is known of you Chasm Knights in the modern age... Why would a group condemn themselves to a place such as this? Why slaughter everything in this lightless dark?

Kaali: To prove that they could. **She says it with a dry tone, and without a hint of remorse.**

Barlowe: I am beginning to understand why the Black Knight is so single minded in his quest to stop us. Loyce prides itself on strength and success, for you to return home... Means weakness and failure...

Kaali: Failure is unacceptable in the eyes of the Monarch Suns. **They come to a dead end, stone structures surround them. She looks around for a moment, before continuing to a door and simply kicking it down. The rusted hinges rip apart and Kaali continues into the structure. It looks like it was once a fairly large home. Water drips through cracks in the stones above, pooling in the kitchen and living area that they're walking through, and running in small streams throughout the house and along the base of the walls.**

Coty: **He yawns a little, getting bored.** So what's the deal with that guy's sword? How the hell can something cut through, what I assume is diamond? **He looks to Barlowe, and Barlowe nods silently in confirmation.** So easily?

Kaali: **She remains silent for a moment as they pass into a large hall, water running down the center of it. The blue moss outside has grown into the carpet here in large thick patches that make the floor springy as they walk over it.** ...The First Monarch tells the weapon to cut, and so it does.

Coty: ...What? Monarch? You mean your king? **He shrugs and shakes his head.** He has that kind of power?

Kaali: **She takes a moment to respond once again.** His word is law.

Barlowe: Law enough that if he tells a blade to cut, then it will *always* cut?

Kaali: Yes. The First Monarch tells armor to "protect" therefore whom-so-ever dons it will be protected as he sees fit. The First Monarch tells weapons to cut, therefore the weapon will cut what the Monarch wishes it to. The First Monarch utters the command and so it is. That is the nature of a *true* king.

Coty: Wait-wait, roll it back a little, did you say Sovereign Knight*s*, as in, there's *more* of them out there?

Kaali: I've only ever seen the Black Knight, but history tells us that each sun has an avatar, a christened knight of their radiance, made to enact their sovereignty unto the kingdoms of Loyce, its people, and the enemies of those people.

Barlowe: When we first met, you said that the Eochair was forged of "Divine Power", does that mean they were forged by these Monarch Suns? If so, why doesn't the Black Knight wield this weapon?

Kaali: Because it was given to the *Royal* Knights of Loyce, who are the First Monarch's chosen. The Sovereign Knights and the Suns they serve, though they are all at once an extension of the First Monarch's divine power, and of his will, are not the same. Each has their own standing army. Each has their own purpose. The Eochair would not be entrusted to the hands of a Sovereign Knight because that is not his place. Only a *Royal Knight*, like Sir Torien, is held in high enough regard by the First Monarch to wield it.

Coty: So it's like, different branches of the same government then? **He takes of his goggles and his breathing mask, the inside of his gear getting stuffy. He also wants to save his filters in case he really needs them later.** Back home our country has "nukes", powerful weapons that can flatten whole cities in the blink of an eye, but only the Commander in Chief can authorize their use, so only the executive branch can use them, other branches, like congress and the judicial system, or even national guard, can't. Is that what you mean?

Kaali: **She thinks for a moment about what he said, her dark blue eyes darting back and forth.** It sounds a similar enough comparison.

Tate: You talk about Loyce like it's some big killing machine or something. Caspian didn't come across that way at all. He's actually an *annoyingly* nice guy.

Kaali: If he is no squire as you say, then he is hardly an exemplar of Loyce. He sounds little more than a foolish boy. **She looks back at Tate with a glare, her insult at Caspian seeming to be aimed at him as well.**

Tate: **He whispers to himself.** Such a fucking bitch I swear... **He looks to Barlowe as Kaali face front once more, leading them through a large archway at the end of the hall and into a rotting den. The floor is covered in mud, and plants are growing around the old furniture and up the walls.** You even know where the fuck we're going?

Kaali: I do. **She leads them through the room without saying anymore. It's obvious that she doesn't want to bother speaking with them anymore, passing into a foyer and then out into the rainy darkness.**

Coty: **He looks at Tate and just whispers quietly.** *Women*... **He shrugs and makes a face like "What are you gonna do?"**

Tate: **He sighs and rolls his eyes. A moment passes and there's a dull crash somewhere outside in the distance, far behind them. Loki makes a loud squeak that almost sounds like squeaky dog howl.** ...That's the Knight.

Kaali: He must've pushed through the portal. **She breaks into a run.**

Coty: Fuck me if I didn't keep up my cardio, cause this bitch has some serious stamina. **He starts running after.**

Tate: **He doesn't run as fast as Coty or Kaali, but does his best to keep up.**

**Kaali eventually leads them down into the side of a large ruined fortress, into the underground depths of some long forgotten passage below the city. Eventually they come to a long stone bridge that spans a bottomless canyon.**

Kaali: **Specs of glowing dust dance in the air as they step onto the bridge, Tate and Barlowe can feel that the air is charge with power. Kaali pauses for a moment, then slowly begins to walk across the long bridge. It's about three hundred feet across, and twenty feet wide, with no guard rails or walls.** This is an equasitory... A kind of bridge constructed specifically for use by Royal Knights... **She looks ahead, and in the distance the glowing dust in the air provides just enough illumination to see a portcutlis, inlaid with gold and made from white metals, just beyond it is a tall white wall, likely a door of some kind, with a polished draconic crest.** If history is to be believed, none can defeat a Royal Knight when faced upon a bridge of these exact measurements... Even an army's number would fall... **She starts walking across the bridge.** Which means the Eochair lay beyond that door, in whatever sanctum the Knight constructed. **The entire cavern shakes, and small rocks fall from above them. The Knight is tearing his way down through the fortress and rock above.** Conserve your strength. We will need to open those doors.

Coty: Lucky for us, I've got strength to spare. **He smirks an does a double bicep flex.**

Barlowe: What did you do in your world? Are you a warrior?

Coty: **He shrugs.** Sure I guess. I hunt things, kill monsters, travel through time... Life's good.

Tate: You don't do any of that... You played football and roided out with Christ and the other jocks.

Coty: Not all of us like the Wednesday Addams look. **He looks back at Tate.** Some of us are actually strong because we put in the work. If I did roids I'd be way fuck'n bigger. **He clears his throat.** Chris is a different story, he's some kind of lizard monster that gets massive gains eating nothing but pizza bagles and fast food... **He looks back forwards.** Besides, I *do* hunt down and fight monsters, and when I'm not doing that I'm either grinding babes into a mattress or lifting big chunks of iron that weigh more than *you*.

Kaali: **There's another slam, and a few more rocks fall around them. Water from the rain in the city above starts to drip down around them.** Do women in your world find your diminished height acceptable?

Coty: Women in my world aren't as amazonian as you are Geena Davis. Tell you what though, after this, how about I show you just how big I can get? **A self-assured smirk spreads across the corner of his mouth.**

Kaali: Your confidence nearly makes up for your stature. **She starts walking faster. She speaks more quietly, addressing Barlowe.** I know you don't trust me, but know that when I obtain the Eochair, I *will* repay your deed in freeing me, and open a path to wherever it is you wish to go.

Barlowe: You're right, I don't put much trust in you. **He looks to Tate and then Coty.** ...But at this crossing I do not believe that you will betray us...

Kaali: **As they reach the portcullis she slows to a stop. She narrows her dark eyes and they dart back and forth. The polished metal it's made from is unrecognizable even to her, but she can sense that it's quite strong.** The only way to open this passage is with the Eochair, yet I am sure that it is beyond it... Sir Torien locked himself in. **She places her head against the bars. They're set quite wide from one another, but not enough that she could squeeze through without breaking something.**

Coty: **He turns around and looks up at the top of the cavern.** Don't fuck'n tell me that we came all this way for nothin. **He takes deep breath.**

Barlowe: The bars, do they appear to be resistant to magic? **He looks around the cavern, then across the bridge, waiting for the Black Knight.**

Kaali: Of all kinds. **He looks passed them.** The wall beyond is a descending slab. I've seen it's like before. **She looks to the polished dragon emblem, glowing with a faint golden glow in the dim light.** We may be able to lift it, but it is thick and exceedingly heavy... **She lets out a grim breath, her tone is cold and monotone, even for her.**

Barlowe: I didn't think you one to give up so easily.

Kaali: I have not given up. I am sure there's a way in. I am merely... This bridge and sanctum is made for a Knight to stand upon it and defend it from people like us... Yet there is no such knight, and I am left wondering why a Royal Knight would lock himself away... Perhaps to keep someone like me, from ever making it out of here.

Barlowe: Are you ruminating on the possibility that he knew he could not wait here forever? **He turns his head to look back a little, grabbing the strap that's fastening him to Kaali's back as he coughs quietly.** Perhaps he locked himself in to keep anyone from ever reporting back to Loyce... Someone like you.

Kaali: Can there be nobility in such profound spite? Can Sir Torien be venerated for his actions to ensure that the Chasm Knights would remain forever lost? Such a burden must've weighed heavily on him, as my quest does on me... **She sounds almost solemn, then her eyes dart to Loki as he runs through the bars, jumping to a spoked wheel that rises halfway out of the ground. He runs up it, trying to push it and pull it to raise the portcullis.** That rat has the right idea, but he is too small. **The ground shakes and pebbles and dust fall around them.**

Coty: **He walks up to the bars and looks around.** We're sitting ducks on this bridge.

Tate: **He drops the pack and was carrying and slowly squeezes between the bars. It's painful, but the opening between them is just large enough for Tate to fit if he pushes through sideways.**

Kaali: It seems that you've finally found a use for your tiny stature... **She watches him for a moment, before the cavern shakes with a deafening boom. She immediately turns.** Make haste! **The Black Knight lands at the opposite end of the bridge with a metal slam that resonates through the cave, the large diamond mace in his left hand and the huge metal sword in the other.** Raise the gate! Quickly!

Tate: **He exhales completely and pushes himself a little.** I'm stuck! **He struggles to take a deep breath** Can't... Bre... Th... **The Black Knight breaks into his full-on sprint.**

Coty: **He looks at the knight, then turns and runs up to Tate, grabbing him and pushing him.** If you can squeeze into that tiny ass speedo, you can fight through these bars!

Tate: Speedo... Wasn't tiny... **His ribs make a sound like that of cracking his knuckles, and he finally pops through the bars. He gasps loudly as he runs for the wheel, hunched and gripping his chest. When he reaches it he grabs it and begins pulling at it to rotate it. He pulls it with all his strength, and it slowly begins to rise.** This thing... Is fucking heavy! **He pulls it again and it raises a bit more, nearly two feet up.**

Kaali: **She pulls Barlowe off her back and lays him down, then quickly pushes him under the gate, slidding him over the floor on his back. She rolls under right afterwards.**

Coty: **He pulls of his large pack and quickly rolls under, pulling the pack over to him afterwards.** Let it drop!

Kaali: **She runs up and kicks the release, and the portcutlis slams down back into place. She looks to the Knight.**

Black Knight: **A moment after it drops he slams into the bars with a loud clang that booms through the cavern. His sword thrusts through the bars and the tip goes straight into Kaali's shoulder, just above the heart as she attempts to leap away.**

Kaali: **She lets out a gasp and grabs at it, stumbling backwards. She glares at the knight as blood sprays from between her fingers.** ...Get the... Next door open. **She turns and looks at stone door.** Don't worry about me...

Barlowe: **Coty helps him sit up and turns him to look at the door.** It's made of stone, of that much I'm sure. **He clears his throat.** Ar-ehk-cend-eh! **He points his cane at the door and a crackle of green energy rushes up it. His face turns red and beads of sweat quickly form across his brow. He struggles not to cough and lose his focus.** Come on you bastard...

**The entire cavern shakes, and the door starts to slowly raise up off the ground. Behind them, the knight pulls his sword back through and slashes at the bars. The black blade sparks with blinding white light as the polished bars somehow withstand the weapon.**

Coty: Fuck I thought he was going to chop through those like everything else. **He lets out a gasp of relief, holding his useless rifle ready.**

Barlowe: I... Need some... Assistance. **The large stone door begins to slowly fall, not even half foot off the ground.** The stone... Is resisting... My power...

Kaali: **She moves to the door and grabs under it, pulling at it, but as injured as she is struggles to help, even with her strength.**

Coty: **He sets his rifle down and pulls off his goggles and breathing mask, along with his helmet, throwing them to the side. He also undoes his kevlar vest and throws it on top of the other equipment. He runs for the door and reaches his fingers under it, pulling it up. He lets out a deep yell of exertion, like when he's at the gym trying to break a personal lifting record. Suddenly, his eyes turn blood red. The muscles in his arms spasm and then bulge larger as black horns pierce out of his forehead and coil around his head into large ram's horns. His skin darkens to pitch black and his voice deepens as he yells, the slab begins to rise as he exerts himself well beyond his human limit.**

Barlowe: Ready yourself blue knight! **The stone door rises another few inches and then stops, some mechanism within it preventing it from rising any higher.** It's... **He strains to raise it higher, but it doesn't move at all.**

Coty: **His voice booms around, deep with demonic potency.** ...Caught on something! **He continues to grow larger until he's nearly two feet taller than he was, his clothes and pants stretching and ripping in some places. He yells out louder as he pours all of his strength into it, but the door won't budge any higher. The opening is hardly large enough for even Kaali to fit through.**

Tate: **He looks back at the black knight, who has continually been striking the bars with his huge blade. The bars already have grooves cut into them. At this rate the Black Knight will be through the gate in minutes.** Hurry up, he's getting through!

Kaali: **She gets down on her chest and looks under the door. She might be able to fit, but the slab is a good four feet thick. She lets out a groan of annoyance as she still grips her shoulder.** With this injury it will take me minutes to crawl through there. **She turns and sits up.** Witch boy... Crawl under the door and get the Eochair and press it against the other side of this door!

Tate: Fuck'n *seriously*!? **His eyes go wide and he looks around. His chest still hurts from squeezing through the bars.**

Coty: **His voice roars out.** *GO*! We can't hold this fucker forever!

Tate: **He runs over to the door and starts crawling under the huge slab.** This is... So fucked... **He barely fits. Even if Kaali weren't injured she wouldn't be able to make this, and the tight space makes it difficult to breath.** I... Can't see... **He coughs and then tries to take a deep breath, but his chest can't expand all the way.** ...I... **Loki crawls around in front of him, sniffing around. All that lay ahead is darkness.** ...I can't... I can't BREATH! It's falling on me!

Barlowe: **He closes his eyes and enters a meditative mode while his body channels the power to keep the door from falling. He concentrates and suddenly his astral voice echoes through Tate's mind.** *[Keep crawling. One hand after the other. One motion at a time. You will make it to the end.]*

Tate: **Barlowe's voice calms him slightly and he starts to pull himself forward, one motion at a time.** I can't... I don't see the end... **Loki grabs his hand and pulls it up, allowing Tate to feel the other side of the huge door with his fingertips. A moment of relief fills Tate, and though still panicking at the claustrophobic passage, he starts to pull himself out into the next chamber. After a bit of a struggle he pulls his legs out and calls under the slab.** I'm through!

Coty: **He groans loudly and then lets go. The door slams shut as Barlowe too releases his hold.**

Barlowe: **He takes a deep breath, patting his forehead with the back of his hand. His eyes are still closed.** ...Tate merely needs to get the weapon and bring it to Kaali, and we will be free of this place.

**There's a loud clang that breaks the silence as the Knight slams his sword into the gate.**

Coty: We might be dead by the time he gets it. **His demonic form fades, and he shrinks back down to his normal size, his shirt ripped in tatters that hang from his arms and shoulders. He grabs his pants to keep them from falling all the way down and pulls them back up, tying his belt in a knot to secure them.** ...This fucker... **He watches the Knight.** Is relentless... **He opens one of the pouches on his backpack and pulls out a medical kit, walking over to Kaali.** Let me see your shoulder.

Kaali: **She looks at Coty for a moment, then raises her arm, undoing the armor on it. The silvery steel that makes up the pauldron has been cut straight through. The wound isn't too deep, but it cut into the muscle where her chest meets her left shoulder.** You've really come prepared as best you could for all this, haven't you?

Coty: **He quickly cleans the wound and then begins wrapping her shoulder in gauze.** The last time I went to another world I had to help kill a dragon. After it died, a knight, bigger than that fucker, crawled out of it after we killed it. **He looks to the Black Knight.** I can't tell if this is worse, or better.

Kaali: You really did hunt a dragon then? **She looks to Coty, her dark eyes meeting his.**

Coty: You didn't believe me? **He smirks.** What happened to all that "though speaketh truthful" crap?

Kaali: **She looks away from him.** Avoiding conflict and arguments. We didn't have time to waste debating who stays and who goes. You seemed useful, with means you were better travelling with us than arguing over.. **Her eyes flash as the Black Knight slams his sword into the bars once again.** Staying ahead of that knight is the only thing that mattered...

Coty: Sounds like your sweet on me. **He smirks and finishes dressing her wound.** Happens to every girl I meet. **He starts putting everything back into the medkit.** So don't feel too embarrassed. **He throws the medkit onto his pack.** So what the hell are we going to do?

Kaali: **She looks around the interior. The slam of the Knight's blade against the bars resounding in her ears.** We can only wait for the boy to retrieve the Eochair. **Her eyes dart to the last slam. The cuts in the bars are weakening them, and one has bent inwards with the last hit.** ...What is taking him so long?!

Barlowe: **He lets out a long wheezing sigh.** I will buy us time. When I give the word, lift the gate so that I may meet him in *direct* combat. **He looks to Kaali and Coty.** Understand?

Kaali: **She makes her way over the spoked wheel, grabbing onto it.** On your word, Sorcerer. **Her eyes flash with reflected light as another loud crash echoes through the cavern as the Black Knight slams his sword into the portcullis.**

Coty: **He runs over to the wheel and grabs onto it with her.** Ready when you are!

Barlowe: **He looks to Kaali, his old grey eyes look solemn and serious.** ...Promise me that you will send the boy and his friend from this place, even if something should happen to me.

Kaali: You have my word old man. **She looks from the knight to Barlowe, and her eyes flash again as sparks of power crackle from the Knight's sword as it hits the portcullis again.**

Barlowe: **He nods and wheezes a loud breath, putting his right hand, trembling with age, to his forehead.** Thank you... Blue knight. **He clears his throat, then drops his hand to his side. Without warning he floats up into the air and an aura of green and golden energy flashes around him along with four motes of power that orbit his body in streaks of yellow, blue, red, and green. He slowly rotates in a circle as he levitates, his ragged robes shifting and changing to an earthen green, with silver-green scaled leather draping down the front. A similar hued hood pulls over his head and a sharp purple and black amulet appears resting on his chest. His old bronze cane extends into a long black staff that splinters at both ends with three curved spikes. As he settles back down onto the ground, the aura of power fading away, he speaks in a gravelled, but also resolute voice, calling out to the Black Knight.** I am Ahrim Barlowe! Master Sorcerer of the Ancient Pyramid! Eldest brother of the six conquerors! And with the last of my strength I will *resist* you, Sovereign Knight of Loyce!

Black Knight: **He pauses mid-swing and slowly looks to Barlowe. The inside of his visor begins to shine like it did earlier, and he tosses away the diamond scepter, sending it rolling to the edge of the bridge. He spins his sword in his hand and darkness consumes it, a shimmering light dancing at its edges as the sword comes to rest in a pointed stance.**

Barlowe: Open it!

Coty: **He grabs one of the spokes and pulls, quickly lifting the gate along with Kaali.**

Black Knight: **As the gate rises his form shimmers, and he launches forwards in a powerful lunge.**

Barlowe: **As the gate opens he quickly swings his staff and a huge bolt of grey smoke races out and slams into the Black Knight, exploding on impact and sending the knight flying backwards, giving Barlowe a chance to run out onto the bridge.** Let it fall!

Kaali: **She quickly kicks the release, and the portcullis falls back into place.** Fight well old man!

Black Knight: **The knight flips backwards in mid-air and lands on his feet, then quickly breaks into another sprint and closes the gap with Barlowe.**

Barlowe: **He grips his staff tightly.** Let's see how you handle magicks that are more ancient than even *you*. **A barrage of ice shards rain down onto the knight as he gets close to Barlowe. Each shard that hits the knight explodes and expands into a heavy chunk of ice, very quickly slowing him as his joins freeze solid with hardened ice. In seconds the Black Knight is encased in a huge block of ice.** Hmmph...

Black Knight: **A crack darts outwards from the Knight's sword all the way to the outside of the block of ice. A second one quickly follows from his chest, and the inside of the his helmet begins to glow with power.**

Barlowe: **He raises a bushy eyebrow. He not surprised that the knight can break free, but there's an obvious look of concern in his eyes.** Well... I suppose this wouldn't be nearly as interesting had that been a permanent solution...