Raven opened the door of the inn. It creaked slightly as she stepped inside. Aegis, her familiar, followed her in. The inn was moderately rundown, but she was tired, and needed a place to stay for the night. She walked over to the innkeeper.

"Hi," she said, "Do you have a room?"

The innkeeper, an old lady, looked up at her.

"Well, there's always room. Always room here," she said, "Come along, come along."

Are you sure? asked the wolf, looking up at her.

"Sheesh, don't be so paranoid," she said.

Her familiar didn't respond, but merely sniffed the air tentatively.

I sense something..., it said.

"Oh yeah," said Raven, "The little old lady is gonna murder us in our sleep. Come on, give it a rest already."

Little old lady approaching,said Aegis, sniffing the air again and falling silent. Raven rolled her eyes.

"Well, there's a room here," said the old lady, showing it to her, "You can stay here for the night."

"Thank you," said Raven.

It was a full moon and Kithara went down the stairs and went to the old lady.
"Excuse me." she called, "i would like my windows to be open in my room but it's lock. Do you happen to have the key?"
She sensed something not very far from her. it was something she have seen before. She looked at her left and saw Raven with the wolf.
"R...Raven?!?!?" she called.

Raven turned around.

"Ki--Kithara?" she asked, "Well, well, this is a surprise! What brings you here?"

Sense trouble..., said the wolf.

"Paranoid," muttered Raven, underneath her breath.

Kithara looked surprise. She stared at Raven then to the wolf.
"It's him." she thought, remembering the first time she saw it, bloodied and wounded, "Something is different about this wolf."
She snapped out of it and concentrated to Raven.
"you got a room here?" she asked, "what number? I'm in number 16."

Takoda moved silently down the hall and followed the sound of people talking.

"What is going on?" she asked sleepily. "Raven? Kithara? Is that you? Its really late you know."

She smiled at them.

"Number 17," muttered Raven to Kithara.

She then turned to Takoda.

"Oh, Takoda, hey!" she said, "Nice to see you here! You go a room too? Which one?"

"Huh?" Kithara looked at tokaoda, "Nice to see you here."
she looked at both of them and gave a grin.
"Well, it looks like the three of us are gonna stay here for tonight so tell me what rooms you guys got."

"Umm..." Takoda had to think for a minute. "Number 3."

She looked down the hallway she had come and counted the doors.

"Yep, number three! I agree! I'm also glad I'm not alone here." she said with a smile.

Kithara was speechless for a moment, then she found her voice.
"Were beside each other" she said, looking at Raven, "I hope i don't hear howls during the rest of the night.
She grinned at Raven and turned to Takoda.
"Well, I guess we'll see ya Takoda." she added, "make sure to keep in touch from room 3."

"Night," said Raven.

She turned to Aegis.

"You heard what Kithara said! No howling."

Something is going to happen here, I just know it..., murmured the wolf.

"The paranoid act is getting old very fast." said Raven, sighing.

Outside he was looking up at the sky. He was making out a small object that was coming down to the earth, though slow, he knew it was going to crash down next to the in. He wanted to be here when it happened. he walked into the inn and signed for a room. he looked at raven and sighed. Finally, sombody that he knew. "Hi raven." he walked over to the window and continued to watch the object. he could make out the blue fire that shrouded the large object.

"Oh, hi Chrono," said Raven, "What brings you here?"

She turned to Chrono. The half-dragon was staring out of the window, as if he was waiting for something.

"What are you looking at?" she asked.

he remained silent as he watched it fall ever slowly to the ground. he finaly said somthing about five minutes later. "I'm watching a star fall to the earth. Its not every day you get to witness somthing like this." he turned around. "fancy meeting the other two here as well."

"A star, huh?" she asked, looking out of the window as well. She spotted it, falling gently towards them.

"I see it!" she exclaimed, "It's not gonna hit us, is it?"

"I...I don't know." This was the first time he was unsure of himself for a very long time
"I guess we'll know when the time comes." He looked up to the star, it was picking up speed. He guessed that at the rate it was going it would hit the earth in thirty minutes.
He continued to watch it fall, ever slowly, in twenty minutes you could see it just outside the inn. "Wow that things huge. I knew it was big, but I never thought it would be this big." Within the next five minutes he figured it would hit right next to the inn. *BOOM* It hit. he ran out to see it for him self. A blue fire shrouded the star barly. Going up to see what it was made of, he soon was meet with an unexpected wake up call. A monsterus figure, ten times the size of a fully grown dragon, transformed from the star and kicked him into the inn.

Kithara was talking to the other people in the inn and was heading to her room when Chrono went flying in. She raised an eyebrow then she turned outside--she saw the monstrous figure standing outside and waiting for it's next victim.
"even in a place like this I can't get any rest." she sighed.
The monster smashed the inn and some people were screaming, some died. She ran to Raven and Takoda.
"guys! trouble" she yelled, then she ran to Chrono and shook him, "Hey...um...uuh...Chrono!! Please wake up!!!"
The monster went closer and he was even bigger than the building itself.
"were in trouble." she frowned, looking up.

When he hit the wall, he slumped to the ground like a broken doll. His eyes were dull and his breathing had stoped. He thought this was the end, never to see reign again, never to smell the flowers in the spring time. He saw somthing then that he would never have believed until then. A vast sea, plentiful of all manners of sea creatures, and beyond that, a rich green countyside, his parents were awaiting him to come. With open armes the were saying "welcome son." But in his heart he knew what he had to do. He said "I'm sorry, but I still have much to do...so I can't die just yet." his parents just looked at him and said. "Thats ok." on the earth he awoke to see the monster raging across the inn. getting up in a flash he unsheathed his sword attacked.

Kithara jumped up, surprised to see Chrono standing and unsheathing his sword like nothing had just happened and like the monster didn't hit him. She guessed he wouldn't allow himself to die especially since the wedding is coming, Reign is waiting for him.
"ok...finally..." she grinned, taking out her daggers, "I'll back you up."
She glared at the huge creature, approaching.

"Alright then...lets go!" he charged at the monster. Dodging a punch that the monster threw he jumped onto its arm and sliced it in the face. The monster didn't even flinch and the wound regenerated. "stuff. what are we going to do?" He hacked at the monsters leg, severing it in the process. But it just came back. This was going to be a harder battle than he expected, and he was going to need all the help he could get. the monsters severd leg morphed into dozens of little monsters. Each one replicating their master. "For the love of the gods, how are we supposed to beat this thing?"

Kithara jumped from behind the monster and plunged a knife onto it's head... but it's head was to thick, the knife did nothing. The monster noticed her and grabbed her, throwing her away--she hit the broken walls and now her head was bleeding.
"I...I'm bleeding?" she examined her head, "Darn that thing! You'll pay for that!!!"
She rapidly stood up and charged for it but the "mini" monsters stopped her and began biting her.
"Ahhhh!!!" she yelled, "What?!?!?"
She sliced each one of them and moved back.
"What now?" she asked, panting, "Is it possible to defeat this thing?"

Raven looked from Chrono to Kithara. While Chrono was dealing with the bigger monster, Kithara was getting attacked by all the little ones. She fitted arrows to her crossbows, picking off the smaller monsters around Kithara.

"You okay?" she asked, as Aegis sprung forward, fangs bared.

She looked up.
"I'm fine." she said, licking the blood of her lips, "This is getting fun."
She charged for the big monster, hitting it with every thing she had while Raven attacked with her bow. she sensed that Aegis wants to fight too and now since they had more help, it will be easier.

Raven stared at her.

"All--all right," she said, scanning the monster for weak spots. However, everytime she fired, the arrows just popped back out.

"How are we supposed to beat this thing?" she asked.

Kithara scanned the monsters for weak spot and the only spot she found was...the neck.
"Got it!" she jumped, plunging two knives in the neck of the beast. It cried but pulled it out, it was bleeding now but still standing. It summoned the mini monsters again and they mobbed Kithara, biting her in all spots: legs, arms, stomach... She tried to move but she was mobbed and somehow, a bit paralyzed.
"Go for the neck guys!!!" she yelled.

Raven heard what Kithara said, but she also saw Kithara getting attacked at once. She looked around, wondering what to do.

"Aegis!" she called to the wolf.

It jumped into the fray, attacking the smaller monsters around Kithara. Raven grabbed her bow and took aim, firing an arrow into the monster's neck, followed by another, and another. It cried out in obvious rage, sending a blow towards her. It hit, slamming her against the ground. Dimly, as if through a curtain, she heard something crack. As she fought to keep conciousness, one thought entered her mind.

"How am I supposed to fire with only one arm?"

Kithara covered herself as the monsters bit her skin--Blood came out and as soon as she smelled it, she got aggressive. She stood up, plunged her knives at the monsters, threw them to each corner of the broken walls, and she almost hit Aegis. Luckily, she controlled herself. The wolf helped too and suddenly, she noticed there were no more arrows flying. she looked at Raven and she saw her lying on the floor with a broken arm.
"Raven!!!" she ran across the room to her, "Can you still stand up?"
she checked Raven's arm and she really wished she knew how to fix a broken bone.
"Shoot!" she said, "What do we do now? We need more help."

The battle wasn't fairing well. From what he could see the only option was to retreat. He would get them out but he would stay. He dodged another kick and smashed the monster in the arm. He looked over in Raven and Kitharas direction. "Girls get of here!" Getting smashed into a wall he looked over to them. blood dripping from his mouth. "Don't worrie about me, just go." A thick miasma was spewing from the monster. Fighting to remain conscience he grabed hold of Raven and Kithara he teleported with them. "everyone alright?"

Takoda had just stood there watching them all fight this huge monster that had appeared out of nowhere. She did not know anything about fighting, had never bothered learning. She was a bard, what use was a weapon to her? They were all exhausted and bleeding, the monster still alive.

She sort out her harp. The only comfort she had and began to play to herself to keep back her fear. She played and played, the sound washing over the Inn and drowning out all other noise. Tears ran down her cheeks as she sang and she dove into the music and hid from the world outside in its comforting folds. She closed herself off from the world around her and let go to the music.

"I'll be back." he teleported back to the inn. The monster was advancing onto a girl. He cut off the monster, teleported the girl out and transformed. He still wasn't the same size of it, but then again...that doesn't really matter. Using his claws he attacked the monsters torso, with no avail, then he attacked the monster with his powerful tail, knocking the monster down he pounced upon it. Its little minions were attacking him, bitting, scratching, whatever possible way to harm him they were doing it. getting tossed off the monster he hit a wall. Moving on all fours to get up the monster grabed him and continuesly smashed him against a wall. Breathing fire into the monsters face it revealed an opening. The monsters skin wasn't regenerating where he had breathed, and it revealed its skull which had a magic crystle in it. The monster then attacked him with his feet. Getting kicked numorus times he fought to remain conscience. He detransformed and ran up the monsters arm. dodging the hand that was swating at him he jumped onto the monsters head and stabed his sword through the crystle. Darkness then enveloped the room, infecting everyting that it touched. But he keeped the light burning strong.

Kithara, Raven and Takoda sat up in one corner, all wounded and exhausted. Chrono teleported them there and left to finish the battle...He did Teleport them but not really that far from the inn...If they stood up, they could see the inn from a distance. Kithara balanced herself and stood up.
"Shoot!!" She cried, "How can he just leave us here and fight alone!?!?!?!?"
shouting made her wounds hurt more so she fell back down again. Suddenly, they saw the inn being filled with darkness and at the middle, light.
"It must be Chrono." she said, trying to stand up again, "I don't know about the two of you but I'm going back."
She started running, heading towards the inn...She didn't want to run away froma a battle. not now, not ever.

Raven cursed softly, wincing as pain shot up her injured arm. She turned to Chrono, who was busy fighting the monster.

I'm useless, she thought, looking up at the monster, I wasn't any help at all...

She clenched her teeth as more pain shot up her arm.

Kithara went back and saw that Chrono had managed to crack the monsters skull and plunge a knife onto some crystal.
"He made it." she said, "looking around and seeing Raven.
"Raven, anything wrong?" she asked, "good battle tonight...but Chrono had to take all the fun..."
She pouted.
"I wanted to crack that beasts skull." she grinned, "by the way, thanks for wolfy over there...."
She went to the others.

Raven stared at Kithara.

"Huh? Oh, you're welcome," she said, struggling to get up. Her right arm was hanging limp at her side. She winced again as another dose of pain shot through her injured arm.

Kithara stopped, looking back at Raven, trying to help herself. she smiled, walking back.
"um...Rae..." she said, "about your broken arm....Um..."
Her cheeks turned a bit pink.
"Unfortunately, i don't kow how to "Twist" is back or something." she looked down at the floor, thinking that this was another embarrasing moment.
"Why don't we get someone to check that arm out." she said, grabbing Raven.

"Um...yeah...sure," said Raven, looking around. The inn was wrecked, debris scattered everywhere from the havoc caused by the monster. The innkeeper would really have a hard time fixing this.

The innkeeper!

She mentally slapped herself. How could she have forgotten.

"Kit!" she shouted, "What about the innkeeper? Is she all right?"

kithara gulped...
"the innkeeper was here?" she asked, "Oops?"
She bit her lip. Suddenly, she realized that her body was numb and she was sure, Raven felt the same.
"Let's look for her and..." she stared at the surroundings, "hope she's alive?"
Before she started looking, she investigated about the crystal in the monsters head but...it was full of blood clots...she had to clean it up first...
"What a watse of blood..." she thought, "Well, he deserved it...Hehehehe"

he appeared from a ruined room with a frightend innkeeper. Limping to the room where the others were pain shot from his head, all the way down to his legs. he looked at raven and kithara. "hey Raven...let me see that arm" taking hold of ravens arm he warned her "this is going to hurt." Giving her a momnts notice he twisted the arm back into place. "Other than that...is everybody all right?" he fell to his knees exausted. a pot fell and shatered in the distance "what was that...stuff!" The small monsters...he had forgoten about them. he ran over to the room where they were and found that they had morphed into one large monster. Not as large as the one he destroyed and without the ability to regenrate. running back he told everyone the bad news.

Raven cried out as Chrono twisted her arm back in place. She clenched her teeth. Pain was spreading from the site like a wave. Then Chrono disappeared, and came back telling them that the small monsters had morphed into a bigger monster.

"Oh, great," said Raven, "Just what we need..."

Takoda had followed the others after she had been teleported by some guy out of the Inn. They were all exhausted by the looks of it and didn't seem up for another battle with more monsters.

"I don't know what I could do to help, I'm afraid. I never needed to learn how to fight, I'm only a bard. But if theres anything I could do... just ask." she said.

She took hold of the innkeeper and led her outside, soothing the old ladies nerves with a soft lullaby. After making sure she was safe, and able to sit by herself, she returned to the others.

Raven turned to Takoda.

"Stay with her," she said, gesturing at the old woman. She grabbed her crossbow, wondering how she was going to help with an injured arm. Putting the thought out of her mind, she ran over to Kithara.

"We should help," she said.