Ladislaus pushed his way through the forest vegetation, looking for a so called ruin. He had been hired by a young elven scholar to find a sacred gem, which supposedly resides in the alter of some ancient ruins that might be on the top of some mountain. Things weren't exactly guaranteed. Archeology never had been an interest to him, but unforunately, money had been. He had been in a dire need for gold, and the gentleman had approached him with a business 'proposition'. He had another agent working for him, whose name he had decided to not disclose, but this had not stopped Ladislaus from accepting the offer. He replayed the details in his head.....

Ladislaus walked down the streets of Lomedor, looking for anyone that might be hiring someone with combat expertise. He saw a narrow, dimly-lit alleyway leading to a pub. He instinctively turned into the alley, and approached the pub, aptly named "The Haven". He went here often, to relax, to find work, to learn about news of the war, or to just grab a drink. He pushed the heavy mahogany door open, was greeted with the familiar scent of ale and food. He moxied in, and was greeted the bartender. "Laddy! Wher've ya been, boy!?" Ladislaus couldn't help but smile at what he chose to call him. "Hey Grady. Been looking for work, not much luck though," Ladislaus replied, with the usual steely sharpness in his voice. He examined the bartender, and as usual, little had changed.

Grady was around sixty, with white hair, a white beard, and a very cheery demeanor that made you happy the moment you saw him. He had been like a father to Ladislaus, after he fled there when his true family was killed. The bartender had a celtic accent, and often slurred his words together, the way a drunk would.

Grady however, never drank on the job. He was always sober, alert, ready for anything. He motioned for Ladislaus to approach the counter. Ladislaus did so, and leaned in close. "Lis'n Laddy, theres a man 'ere ta see ya. Think he's an elf, person'ly, but I dunno. Said sumpin 'bout a ruin and needin ta see ye. 'Es at that table o'er there," the bartender exclaimed quietly, motioning towards a table in a darker section of the pub. "Right. Thanks Grady," Ladislaus said, patting the bartender on the shoulder, and setting off towards the table.

Ladislaus walked over to the man, and slid into a chair across from the elf. The elf seemed shocked for a moment, then composed himself. "I take it your Ladislaus?" the man said, in an extremely stuck-up way. "Correct. Now, who are you, and what's your business here?" Ladislaus questioned, trying to stay polite. "Thats of no concern to you," the elf said brazenly, "But as to what my business is, well, I'm in need of your assistance. You see, my father is a very prominent merchant, and I recently found a tome which exclaims the location of an artifact." The elf unveiled a dusty, ragged looking book from under his cloak, and gingerly put it on the table. "My father requires this artifact. If you get it, the rewards will be tremendous." The elf elaborated, obviously trying to convince Ladislaus to help him. "Supposedly, it's located in some ruins on the top of one of the Ered Annon mountains. This book," He held the tome up, his eyes bulging out from fascination "is the key to finding these ruins."

Ladislaus snatched the book from the elf's hand, and held it close to his face, much to the man's protest. It had no title, so he skimmed through it, and noticed several maps, drawings, and several pagefuls of writing. He tossed the book back to the elf, who scrambled to catch it, and after doing so, glared at Ladislaus. "As I was saying, you will have a partner, who has already departed to the ruins. He will be waiting for you." the man exclaimed, irratated. "And who will this partner of mine be?" Ladislaus interrogated. "I really must be going. My father is waiting. When you get the artifact, I'll be here," the elf said, rising from his seat, "Oh! Almost forgot! You'll need this," the elf said, handing Ladislaus the tome. And with that, the man left, leaving Ladislaus sitting there, wondering.

Ladislaus got up, and headed over to Grady. "Is it okay if I stay in one of your empty rooms tonight?" Ladislaus questioned. "Sure! Upstairs, third room on the right," Grady said, tossing a key to Ladislaus. "Thank you," Ladislaus chimed, as he ascended the stairs. He reached the top of the short flight of stairs, and started down the hall, until he reached his room. He unlocked the door, and walked in slowly. It was pretty simple, a small bed with a few blankets, a cabinet, a bureau, and a table. All of the furniture was made of oak, and appeared to be very old, though in truth most of it was brand new, only a few years old.

He took off his gear, and lay it on the table, and lay in the bed. He awoke several hours later, and started to put his gear on. Once he was sure he had his sword, his armour, and his shield, bow, quiver and bag, he left his room. He started down the stairs, and was soon on the ground floor. There was Grady, shining glasses that had been used the night before. "Grady, I'm leaving. I'll be back soon, within a few days," Ladislaus exclaimed, starting out the door. "See ya, Laddy!" The innkeeper chimed, as Ladislaus smiled, closing the door behind him.

Valerik had been roaming the streets of Lomedor, prey on his mind. He was walking down an empty ally, the dark shadows clinging to the walls. The moon was covered by a veil of clouds. The pale light emitted from it shone down on the cobble ground of the pathway, and reflected on the tan face of a passing elvish women.

Valerik knew this was his chance. As soon as the hungry vampire was directly next to the women, he struck, his long sleek fangs piercing her exposed flesh. Blood began to seep out of the wound, flowing down her neck and onto her shirt, and onto Valerik's face. The vampire began to suck blood out of her wound, ignoring her screams.

She was struggling, but no match for the growing strength of the vampire. After he had his fill, he pushed her to the ground. She began to crawl away, fleeing from him. Valerik drew his sword, whispering, "You'll thank me," and then swiftly walked to her dark form, plunging his sword into her back. She let out one final moan, and then was still.

Blood seeped into the cracks of the cobble, the moonlight now reflecting in the blood's crimson hue. Valerik quickly wiped his mouth. Swift footsteps echoed down the ally, and several armoured guards stopped and peered down the ally. Valerik put his hands on a nearby barrel, and lifted himself up, leaping onto the roof. Valerik smugged as he heard the puzzled comments of the guard, then the shocks of horror as they found the dead body of the vampire's prey.

After he landed back onto the ground, he went to a nearby inn, which was hidden in a dark ally similar to the one he killed his prey. 'The Haven,' was its name. A white haired bar tender greeted him. "Can I help ye sir?" he said gruffly, wiping a glass. A few patrons were in the place, sipping ale quietly. "Yes, may I have a room?" Valerik asked, handing over a few pieces of gold.

"Certainly! Last room on the left" he exclaimed, reaching for a key on a rack, then handing it over to Valerik. He thanked him, and walked up a set of stairs, and put his key in the door last on the left. A slight click echoed down the empty hallway. Valerik pushed open the door to reveal a room filled with oaken furniture. A bed, dresser, and an end table were the only furnishings, each located in different spots.

Valerik placed his gear on the ground, and locked the door. He laid upon the bed, and went into a deep sleep. He awoke the next morning, renewed with energy. He put his gear on, and opened the door. After walking down the stairs, he handed the key over back to the gruff man. But as he turned his back, he was interrupted, "Urh, wait! Theirs sompthin' I needs to tell ye," he proclaimed. "What," Valerik asked impatiently. "Theirs a feller lookin' fer ya," he said.

"Oh, really," Valerik said surprised. He continued, without heeding his warning. He walked out of the ally, into a square filled with shops and vendors. As he turned into another ally to exit the city, he was stopped. An elf intercepted his path, clutching something tightly underneath his cloak. "Ummm, excuse me sir," he said shyly. "I need your help. Would you humble me so much as to speak with me in private?" he asked.

"Certainly," Valerik said. The man lead him to the same inn that he had been last night. The bartender watched them enter, not saying anything. The two sat down in a dark corner of the room. "What is it?" Valerik demanded. "I need some help," he said. "Why would I help the likes of you?" Valerik said, disgusted.

"Because I know what you are. If I tell the guards, you'll never be able to show your face in Lomedor. And I'll pay...... a little," the elf said, his confidence rising. "The task is great, so I'll be hiring another mercenary." the scholar said, raising his nose in cockiness. "You don't think I can handle what ever it is myself?" Valerik demanded.

"I'm certain you could, but I can't trust your kind," he said with a hint of disgust. Valerik began to strike him, but quickly stopped himself. Valerik would have to figure out someway to raise the pay, or get out of this job. He would NOT work for a small sum of money. He only wanted big jobs. "You know other people in Lomedor know what I am?" Valerik told him. It was the truth. But not a lot of people had the guts to turn in a vampire.

"That's why I'm talking to you in private. I don't want to be seen with your filth," Again Valerik held back a strike. He had no choice. "Ok, I'll do it. Whats the job?" he asked. The scholar pulled out an old musty tome, and opened the pages. "You must find an ancient ruin in the Mountains, and then find an artifact that my father needs for his studies," Valerik nodded, and began to get up. "Do it or else," The scholar said as his last warning.

Valerik left the city to were he had left Akor. He mounted the dragon, and began to fly north to the Ered Annon Mountains. He flew around each mountain, inspecting them from the air. He would meet his ally at the outside of the ruin, if he could not find him earlier.

Suddenly, he saw a speck of armor on the mountain. 'That must be my ally!' Valerik thought. He motioned for Akor to land. The dragon swooped towards the ground, landing on it with a thud. Valerik turned to face the wanderer, saying, "Were you hired by the elf?" but then he say his face. "Ladislaus!" he exclaimed, dismounting the dragon. He walked over towards him, his hand outstretched to shake the gladiator's.

Ladislaus pushed his way through the forest, deeply vexed by the resistance put up from the plants. He had been walking for several hours now, and was somewhat disoriented. The trees met above him, blocking out all but traces of the light, leaving scarce amounts of light on the floor below. It would have been amazing in other circumstances, the wildlife in the trees, the calmness of the forest, the beauty of the mountains all together. He stopped, observing around him.

Great..... Now where am I? Ladislaus had always had an innate way of telling what direction was which, but now he was stumped. Guess I'll just keep walking... Ladislaus started off again, and after a few minutes, stumbled into a clearing.

The clearing wasn't too large, about ten yards by ten yards. There was a small pond to the east, its blue shimmering water reflecting the sun and the trees in a beautiful mosaic. The trees formed a ragged line, surrounding the opening, towering over Ladislaus.

Ladislaus stood there for a moment, resting, and trying to find a way to locate the ruins. The mountains were to the northeast, but none showed any clues on where the ruin might be. What about that book? He reached into his satchel and pulled out the tome, quickly spinning through it's pages. He soon found a crude drawing on one of it's pages. The map had been drawn in a hurried fashion. After some difficulty of deciding whether or not a smudge was a river or just charcoal, he determined where the ruins were supposed to be.

He set off towards the mountains, once again in the forest. This forest wasn't as dense though, as the sunlight streamed through to the forest floor. Also, Ladislaus could see the exit, which proved as great motivation. Ladislaus continued through, soon bursting out of the exit. He was at the foothills of the mountain.

The foothills were a small series of hills that lead to the actual mountains, foreshadowing what was to come. Ladislaus walked slowly up the first hill, looking around, and quickly noticed something in the sky. It was moving remarkably fast, and within moments, Ladislaus knew what it was. It was a dragon, or wyvern, but most likely a dragon. He knew several people who had dragons, such as his long missing friend Saeborn, or Vencrest, one of his most trusted comrades, or maybe Valerik, a vampire who Ladislaus had aided, and become friends with.

The closer it got, he realized it wasn't Vencrest or Saeborn's, it was Valerik. Ladislaus smiled, as he hadn't seen Valerik in almost a month. Who knew, maybe he was the partner the scholar had picked out for him. Soon Valerik had landed, and walked up to Ladislaus, holding out his hand, and yelling his name. Ladislaus grabbed his friend's hand and shook it, greeting him as well, with a warm "Good to see you!"

"Let me guess... You got partnered with someone to find some ruins with an artifact in them, right?" Ladislaus asked rhetorically, already knowing the answer. "I think I know where they are," Ladislaus exclaimed, "according to a map I took from the scholar, the ruins are somewhat north of us"..................

Valerik chuckled, listening to his companion, "Let me guess... You got partnered with someone to find some ruins with an artifact in them, right?" Ladislaus asked rhetorically, already knowing the answer. "I think I know where they are," Valerik was puzzled, unsure of how the mercenary concluded this, but then understood with what followed, "according to a map I took from the scholar, the ruins are somewhat north of us"

Valerik spoke, his fangs shining in the sun, almost growing with his hunger of blood. He had feed earlier, but his hunger for blood was growing more and became more fierce recently. It seemed as the centuries progressed, his hunger grew exponentially. "Did the scholar talk about me? I assume not," Valerik said with a chuckle.

"Your kind does not appreciate what I am. My curse, no, blessing, is not accepted by the average mortal," Valerik spat. He was disgusted by the hatred of most mortals. Unaccepted of his nature, his unlife. Those swine in temples, blessing their grounds, banishing their own friends and family because of diseases like lyncaprothy and vampirism.

But then again, he couldn't blame them for their hatred. He was 'unnatural' in the eyes of the naive mortal. Valerik was suspended in life through death. He was a harbinger of death and decay, a plague on families and mortals. He brought suffering and death to the world. He was a spawn of shadow, creature of the night. But defiantly not an abomination. His curse was defiantly not worth dying for.

His curse, in his eyes, was a blessing. He could progress farther and earn more happiness in his 'dark' curse. And of course, happiness was always money. Gold. He would do anything for gold. Other than killing his companions. If his companions were worthless to him, he would kill his allies for gold. But for now, his companions were excellent providers of gold. And his friends.

"Thank you Ladislaus, for accepting me," Valerik said graciously after his long thoughts. "Not many mortals accept me. Vampires are shunned and hated amongst your kind. But you willingly adventure with me," Valerik said with a broad grin. "Sooooo, to the north?" he said after a long pause, sucking in air as he said it.

He looked north. The foot hills lead high up into the mountain. Grey rocks hung dismally in place at the mountain, the peak draped with a layer of snow, high up touching the clouds. Valerik mounted Akor, sitting upon the saddle. "Ladislaus, get on!" Valerik said, giving him permission to ride the dragon, and a promise simultaneously. A promise of safety. Akor would not hurt him, not while Valerik and Ladislaus were allies.

Ladislaus chuckled at how they had managed to meet again. "Did the scholar talk about me? I assume not," Valerik said with a slight laugh in his voice, as Ladislaus stood there, still shocked about how they had managed to not only meet again, but have the good fortune of being partnered together. The mood of the chat quickly changed into a much somber feeling. "Your kind does not appreciate what I am. My curse, no, blessing, is not accepted by the average mortal," Valerik said quietly, gazing in a different direction.

Ladislaus had never thought of Valerik badly, and felt the pain that the vampire was suffering from. He had been discriminated against before, but it hadn't been for being a different race, it had been for being an orphan. He had not been the average orphan, dropped off on the steps of the home of a wealthy couple. No, he had been sixteen, and it had been the day of his first fight. He would have won surely, yet as his opponent lay upon the ground, Ladislaus had been unable to follow through killing him.

As Ladislaus had walked away, the town's alarm was raised, yet he hadn't known why. He instinctively had run home,and upon getting there, discovered him father, dead. His mother had met a similar fate, and out of fear, Ladislaus had grabbed the traditional Augustan sword, forged by his ancestors centurys ago. He had fled, and coming back a few days later, had discovered his town had been ravaged. He had heard it was easy to survive in a city, so he had decided he would make a new home in Lomedor.

He had arrived in Lomedor, and unfortunatly, was considered a reject. There were no fights for gold, the only fights being no-rules brawls for the random weapon or piece of armour. After a while, he had grown up, and thats where he was today, still poor, yet closer to vengeance than ever.

Ladislaus looked back at Valerik, who had begun talking again. "........Ladislaus, for accepting me. Not many mortals accept me. Vampires are shunned and hated amongst your kind. But you willingly adventure with me," Valerik said, starting to grin as he finished. "Sooooo, to the north?" Valerik asked, making sure Ladislaus knew what he was doing. Ladislaus smiled, and nodded his head in agreement.

Suddenly, Akor began to stir. Valerik mounted the dragon, yelling "Ladislaus, get on!" Wait..... He wants me.... to ride.... the dragon?!? Ladislaus was shocked, as he had never even ridden horseback before, much less on the back of a dragon. Gathering up his courage, he pulled himself onto the back of the dragon, and was surpised.

It wasn't too bad. He could actually get used to this, who knew, maybe if he got enough gold he could purchase on from one of the venders in Lomedor, though he doubted it. They were very expensive, and near impossible to find in the wild. Starting to get comfortable, Ladislaus began to relax. Suddenly, with an incredible burst of speed, the dragon pushed itself off of the ground, and they were flying.

The dragon was getting higher, now over fifty feet above the green landscape below them, the tallest trees not even being able to get them. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before, flying. The highest he had ever been above ground had been in the crow's nest of a ship, which as a mere thirty feet above ground, and they were still going up.

Getting an idea, he pulled his bow out from under his shield, and nooked an arrow. "Valerik, I'll try to keep watch for enemies!" Ladislaus yelled, trying to be heard over the roar of the wind. It was harder than he could have ever imagined, trying to stay balanced while holding a bow.

By now, the mountains had risen to meet them, and they were twenty feet off of the ground, going at breakneck speed. Akor was dodging the treetops, clearly having fun, when a tree skimmed Akor's stomach, causing Ladislaus to lose his balance, and before he knew it, he was falling....

He smashed into a tree, spraining his angle, and continued falling, crashing into the forest floor. He lay there, in pain, not able to gather the strength to rise. He fell unconsious................................

Akor rose into the sky, his wings flapping up and down, his momentum rising. The mighty ash dragon was getting higher and higher into the sky, touching the clouds. Ladislaus was amazed, in awe, shocked of the magnificent feeling of flight. Valerik smiled, knowing what it was like the first time he flew upon the back of Akor. The dragon had just reached adulthood, but was still as massive as any other dragon. With a mighty wingspan of fifteen feet and as tall as a two trees stacked up on themselves, the beast was defiantly threat to most creatures.

Valerik understood Ladislaus's sense of awe and wonder at flight. Wind rushing past his face, through his hair, over his entire body, bathing him in a sense of weightlessness. Flying through clouds and fogs was like bathing oneself in a pool of inseperated molecules, each little particle placing itself on his skin, condensing on his body. Flight was amazing.

Valerik still was awed by flight, loving its poweress and grace. Akor was Valerik's connection to sky, to air, to lightning. The vampire loved lightning, air, sky, wind. Flight. He loved the above sea level part of nature. Valerik could hear something in his ear, the sound traveling through the rushing wind, "....watch out for enemies!" Ladislaus said over the roar of the rushing wind.

Valerik merely nodded his head in agreement, not really listening to the mercenary's words. Akor began to glide, resting his wings momentarily, and then pumping them up again to begin ascent again. But Akor's belly slightly scraped up against the tips of a tree. His body vibrated slightly. Valerik held on, keeping his balance, but the inexperienced flyer fell off with a vicious thud.

Valerik heard Ladislaus crash through the branches, falling through mountain's forest canopy and onto the shadowy floor. Valerik gasped, "You fool!" The dragon rider guided the dragon with his knees, leading it to a clearing not to far away from Ladislaus's descent. He quickly dismounted off his steed, gesturing for Akor to stay at the place Valerik had left him.

He ran through the branches and briars, his foot falls echoeing through the forest, around the crevices and rocks of the mountain. Branches and bushes whipped against his face, cutting Valerik. He at last came upon the crumpled form of Ladislaus, unconscious on the forest floor. Valerik approached him.

As he bent down to shake Ladislaus, a drop of blood landed on his hand. Valerik was reminded of a dark and sinister craving; a craving for blood. He entered a frenzy, thinking only of his only present goal. Blood. He saw the unconscious form of his ally. He bent down, his fangs long and slim, each on directed towards the exposed neck of Ladislaus.

Ladislaus felt himself, yet again, floating through that blissful world that was sleep. He felt nothing, he heard nothing, and worst of all, he saw nothing. All that surrounded him was a white blanket of fog. He looked around himself, and stopped. There was a dark silouette that appeared through the fog, waiting ominously.

Ladislaus gazed at the shadow, trying to determine it's origins. It hadn't moved, even in the slightest bit. All of a sudden, the ground started to move under his feet, bringing him closer to the ghast at a startling speed. The apparition was getting closer every second, and Ladislausfound himself unable to move. The phantom was within 10 feet of him, when the ground stopped moving. Ladislaus could see the shade's face, and he knew who it was.

"Father?" Ladislaus asked, stuttering, with a shocked look on his face. Thats not possible... He died! I saw him! He died defending Belfort! The apparition said nothing, nor even acknowledged Ladislaus' existance. His father merely rose his hand slowly, and displayed a small pendant in front of Ladislaus. Ladislaus made no motion to take the amulet, he only looked at his long-dead father's face, expecting him to say something.

His father had been a mercenary like Ladislaus, only a much better one. His father had always managed to provide for his family, and still had been able to spend time with them. His dad gazed into the distance with his silver eyes, a trait that every Augustan had. Standing there, Ladislaus remembered when he was a child. His father hadn't changed a bit, every trait of his physical appearance retained through the tempest of time, the eight years not changing a single part of him. However, Ladislaus' profound happiness from seeing his long-lost father was cut short, as he remembered this couldn't be real, the cruel veil of fate crashing down on his shoulders, misery once again begginning to flow through his veins.

Ladislaus turned away, snatching the pendant from his father's hand. The moment he did so, the white fog around him started to take shape into trees, rocks, animals, and other things. His father disappeared, into a whirlwind of dust, and left Ladislaus, standing there, holding the only reminder of the encounter.

As the fog morphed into the scenery around him, his knees buckled, and he found himself crumpled up on the floor, unable to move. His feeling was coming back, his ankle throbbing from the pain caused by his fall. His eyes drifted shut for a moment, and in that moment, the world had taken shape. His eyes reopened, and he saw a man leaning over him, displaying his elongated teeth. Valerik! He somersaulted backwards, away from Valerik, leaping to his feet in a way that was nearly identical to what happened last time he worked with Valerik. Looking at the startled look on Valerik's face, Ladislaus let out a chuckle, "Honestly, you can't even wait for me to die, can you?" Wait.... the pendant! Ladislaus opened his clenched fist, and the amulet was still there. Ladislaus noticed something different though, as his family crest was printed on it, in all of its glory. I will redeem myself, father. The Augustans are not gone yet.......

Valerik looked bent down, his elongated teeth exposed at Ladislaus' exposed neck. Just as he was about to pierce it, reach his goal and satisfy his hunger, the mercenary woke up, and jumped back, startled. He began chuckle, saying, "Honestly, you can't even wait for me to die, can you?" Valerik stood, his eyes bloodshot, his fangs gleaming, even in the shadows.

He began to chuckle, still thinking of blood and death, "Apparently, you don't want to achieve true strength. I understand, most mortals can't comprehend that I am granted life, through death. The thought..... scares them," he said coldly. The vampire was trying to deceive his ally.

Even though truly, Valerik would not hurt Ladislaus, but this was in a circumstance that he could not avoid. He was hungry for blood. A thirsty vampire could be a danger to any person within the area. And Ladislaus was a perfect candidate. But Valerik would try to stop a fight, and try to charm the clever mercenary. It would take some difficulty, but he was more than willing to try.

But what if the mercenary disagreed? Then what? Would Valerik fight him, forcing his unnatural gift upon Ladislaus. No, he would not. Valerik promised himself, any person he fed on had to die. He would not force vampirism upon any one. Only the willing would receive life through death from Valerik by one powerful bite.

But still, would Valerik attack Ladislaus if he disagreed. The vampire was unsure, his vision blur, his body shaking. His bloodshot red eyes glared at the mercenary. He was constantly shifting in and out of a blood craze, at war with his mind. He stopped, still thinking what he was going to do if he did not agree.

He clutched his head, and fell to his knees. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed an amulet the mercenary wasn't holding before. "Ladislaus! You deserve power!" he exclaimed, rising back up to his feet. "I need your blood, and you deserve my gift," he proclaimed. Valerik shook, falling back to his knees.

He crawled a bit towards Ladislaus' feet, motioning his hands at him. His elongated fangs protruded out of his mouth as he talked. The pearl white fangs seemed to grow with his hunger, reaching out to find some source of blood. "GIVE ME YOUR BLOOD!" he roared, starting to lunge. He caught himself and began to sob.

'I'm uncontrollable,' he thought pitifully. He began roared out in dismay, clutching his head. A bit of sun poked out of the canopy, landing on Valerik's exposed flesh. He hissed, rolling to the shadow, hiding out of the sun's lethal rays. He laid his back on the tree, seeing Ladislaus, sobbing. "EITHER LEAVE OR GIVE ME YOUR BLOOD!" he shouted viciously. He quickly changed moods again, "No, no, no!" he apologized, sobbing. The vampire was losing his mind, deprived of life force and thirsty for blood, even his friend's.

Ladislaus stood there, staring at the pendant in his palm, wondering what exactly was going on, where his dreams converged with reality, in a sloppy mixture thrown together hastily in an attempt to convince him that everything was okay. Ladislaus' mind ached as he tried to contemplate what was happening around him. His vampiric friend was standing across from him, with an look on his face that was unknown to Ladislaus. Almost a look of desperation, of hunger.

"Ladislaus! You deserve power! I need your blood, and you deserve my gift!" the vampire exclaimed, with the persuading tone of a religious zealot. Valerik's knees buckled, as he fell to the floor. Crawling towards the gladiator, the desperate vampire showed his teeth, howling for Ladislaus' blood. Ladislaus froze, not wanting to harm his friend, yet not willing to convert into vampirism. Ladislaus turned around, and fled.

Ladislaus ran through the brush, not caring which direction he headed in, as long as it was away from the vampire. He stumbled over a loose root, and fell flat onto his face right into the ground, slashing up his face on some of the soil. He lay there for a moment, his face stinging, and his campagna tilted back due to it's impact with the ground. Pulling himself off the ground, he leveled his helmet on his head, slightly flustered from his reunion with the earth.

He started running again, darting out of the way of several trees, and he soon was out of the forest. He saw Akor circling in the sky, over where Valerik was, and where he had fallen off of. Deciding it would be best to stay out of the dragon's sight, for fear it might construe this as him attacking it's master, he ducked behind a nearby rock. Looking over the rock, he determined that the dragon wasn't looking, so he started sprinting towards a different rock, and rolled behind it. Satisfied that he was safe, he stopped for a breather.

He looked around at the nearby hilltops, and noticed an anomaly. There was a structure on one of the crags, about a kilometer northwest of him. He started running towards it, and soon reached the base of the crag. The cliff above was a sheer drop, which meant Ladislaus would have to scale the wall. Ladislaus had little experience in climbing, but he did have a lot of strength in his arms, so he hoped that would make it easier. It didn't.

He started climbing, and soon realized that it was going to be very difficult, due to the extra weight of the equipment on his back. After several long minutes, he reached the top. The structure was large, about thirty feet tall, and very deep. It was very old, and was crumbling. Ladislaus walked through the threshold that was its arches.......

Valerik watched in horror as his ally fled away through the forest. He roared in agony and emotional pain. 'I am a monster!' he thought, 'I cannot even begin to not think about blood!' At the thought of this one substance, his mind again refocused its attention on the crimson liquid. Valerik shook his head in frustration.

'My craving is becoming powerful, stronger, and its taking control of me faster!' Valerik exclaimed in his head. True, his cravings for blood had begun to grow more and more recent. But only recently did a thirsty beast began to take over his mind. He lost all thought processes, all decision making abilities. All he could think about was blood, when this beast took over his mind.

But the part that terrified Valerik the worst was the identity of this beast. The best was Valerik. Himself, he was the beast without thought, without planning or logic. Valerik was loosing himself in blood, in his unnatural cravings. Valerik chose to ignore it, until late. He needed to compose himself for Ladislaus.

He had to retrieve Ladislaus. He needed to complete the task. Without Ladislaus, he could fail his mission, and not receive his payment. Or worse, the mercenary completed the quest on his own, retrieving the artifact on his own. Valerik scowled, 'He would never do that,' he thought, convincing himself that he was right. But truly, he did not know the answer to that.

He rose from underneath the tree, and edged carefully around the shadows, avoiding sunlight at all costs. He needed to find Ladislaus. He needed to complete the mission. Valerik at last came to the edge of the forest, now to the foothills of the mountain. Hills rolled over the mountain, and rocks jutted out of it, creating many obstacles.

Valerik would have to dash across this, trying not to get scarred and burned along the way. Carefully, he observed were any shadows might be, for him to rest. No shadows were present, until a cliff. Due to the position of the sun, a long, wide shadow of the over hang spread across the grass. Valerik plotted his course, and then began his dash.

He ran through this expanse of sunlight, heading to the cliff. He avoided rocks and ran over hills, his skin beginning to peel within seconds of exposure to the sunlight. His hands began to burn, and his flesh on his knuckles turned a deep black. He dashed, roaring in pain and fury. At last, he came across the shadow.

His face was guarded from the sunlight due to his hair, luckily. The burns were not bad. His hands were charred and black, and he could feel the skin on his back stuck and burnt onto his shirt. He sighed, and began to climb up the cliff. He placed his hands on the holds and rocks, climbing up the out cropping quickly. He came across a rock, and quickly huddled in its shadow.

Valerik came across an enormous building, its arches casting large and huge shadows. Walking down the dark passage into the depths of the ancient structure was Ladislaus. Valerik ran, quickly passing the sunlight, catching up to his fellow mercenary. He was out of breath, panting, putting his hand on Ladislaus' shoulder, only managing to murmur, "I'm sorry!"

Ladislaus stood there, in awe of the ancient structure before him. The stone was crumbling, and the entire building was in need of repair. The ceilings were dipping to the ground, the bricks gradually falling out of place. Suddenly, a hand fell on his shoulder, making Ladislaus jump. "I'm sorry," a voice said behind him, and he already knew who it was. Valerik.

"Good to have you back," Ladislaus greeted, not meaning location, but meaning state of mind. He knew the man he had seen back there had not been Valerik, but the desperate side of his heart, the one that only wished for survival. "This temple looks very intricate. We should split up, I'll take the next floor," Ladislaus exclaimed, pointing to a flight of stairs, "and you can take this floor. This temple doesn't look too large, probably not more than two floors."

Ladislaus started towards the stairs, and jogged up them, the sound of the his feet crashing on the ground and the gear clanking on his back to the rhythm of his climbing. Soon, he reached the top, and saw he was in a hallway. It was 'U' shaped, and had a few arches leading into other rooms. He started by going to his left, and going through a nearby arch. As he proceded through, he noticed a small altar, with a large crimson rug leading up to it. Part of the ceiling was completely gone, giving a wonderful view of the sky, it's blue glory soaring above him.

He slowly approached the altar, and was disappointed when he saw there was nothing on it. He jogged out back into the hallway, and proceded to the next room. The was a small worn-out cot in the room, as well as a bookshelf. He snatched a random book off of the shelf, and opened it. It's pages were a yellowish colour, and were ripped on the edges. The title in the book read 'Alchemy and the making of poisons'. Ladislaus had no interest in it, so he placed it back on the shelf. Seeing nothing else of interest, he started back out the door...

With a smile, Valerik stood up straight, and heading into the magnificent foyer of the ancient temple. Two staircases proceeded into the temple, on to the left, and another to the right. Valerik nodded in agreement as Ladislaus headed up the stairs to the left. 'I guess I go right, then,' Valerik thought, starting up the stair case.

His footfalls boomed around him. He had to carefully navigate his way up the stair case, avoiding chunks of fallen rocks from the ceiling and walls. The holes in the structure provided light, but also was a hazard to Valerik. When he came a space of light, he had to carefully maneuver around it, avoiding the dreadful burning sensation that followed exposure to sunlight.

He at last reached the top of the staircase. He entered into a spacious room, a few splotches of sunlight shining upon the various rubble that littered the room. Rocks, stones, bricks, and a few leaves were scattered about the entire room. The entire room was deserted, no other living creature in the area. An arch was at the right of Valerik, a 'U' shaped passageway curving off towards the direction of the foyer.

Valerik stepped forward, carefully navigating his way around sunlight and rubble. He was halfway across the room when he caught his foot on something. He tripped, his body creating a large bam. The room echoed, and several bricks fell to the ground. Unknown to Valerik, something was awoken in the room. Dangerous, deadly, a protector of this temple. Valerik stood up, unaware of the coming fight.

He proceeded on, reaching the end of the room, only to see that it was empty. 'Hmmm, if I am guessing correctly, this temple is elven. Secret doors are common in elven architecture,' he thought. He began to walk around the outer area of the room, running his hand on the walls, dragging his fingers across the bricks.

Suddenly, Valerik was thrown to the ground. Valerik turned around to face his perpetrator, which was holding him down. With much struggle, Valerik managed to face his foe. It was a naga, a half man, half snake creature. It was reaching for its scimitar, which was placed on the lower, snake half of his body. Valerik squirmed, trying to break free. He would have to resort on a new, unknown spell that he had not tried before.

He began to focus his energy to his hand. It gathered in a orb, and a gathering of electric energy began to form. He launched the bolt, piercing the naga on its bare chest. Valerik stood, drawing his sword. The naga was dead, but more had come. They had entered from a secret door at the end of the room. "HELP!" roared Valerik. Seven naga stood in the mercenaries way to the secret treasure beyond the newly opened secret passage.

An echo rang out through the temple, a scream of desperation. Valerik! Looking around, all he saw was the hallway, and a rather weak looking spot in the ground. Realizing it would take to long to get to Valerik if he took the stairs, he ran to the place in the floor where the bricks looked most ready to crumble, and jumped. He used all of his strength to push away from the floor, then curled up in midair, and slammed into the bricks, shield first. The floor collapsed...

Ladislaus fell, the ground under him crashing into the first floor. He drew his blade, and looked around. There was Valerik, along with six snake-people, standing there, dumbstruck. He also noticed a tail sticking out from under the brick platform he stood on. How unfortunate for them... Ladislaus jumped to his feet, and roared "Prepare yourself, Valerik!" Ladislaus lunged at a naga, blocking what would have been a crippling blow from another naga with his shield.

His sword collided with the hybrid, digging into it's snake-like body. The beast shrieked, before falling to the ground, dead. Odd... didn't expect that to be a mortal blow... Ladislaus spun around nimbly, attempting to decapitate another, but not getting any luck. Ladislaus was soon caught up in the heat of the battle, and was not able to keep any tabs on his ally's progress.

He managed to sever the arm of another snake-man, as the limb fell to the arm, refusing to relax it's grip on it's weapon, even after being declared 'useless'. The one-armed naga fled, fearing for it's life now that it could not defend itself. Somehow, only two enemies were left, attempting to hold their ground against the human intruders. They were soon overrun, as Ladislaus used his 'signature' move against one, throwing his targe at the enemy, his shield slicing through the throat of one, then holding it's position, refusing to budge from under the creature's head.

Ladislaus looked at Valerik, and saw that all of the nagas were dead. Laughing, Ladislaus bragged "Did you see that kill? He won't be getting up soon!"

Valerik was regaining his composure, gathering himself. Suddenly, a crashing sound echoed throughout the entire building. The ceiling crashed, and Ladislaus landed on near Valerik, sword drawn, ready to fight. The ceiling had fell on a poor naga, its tail squirming slightly. Valerik drew his long sword tentatively, somewhat awe struck, although he did not quite understand.

Ladislaus began to attack a cluster of naga, his sword slashing, blood spraying. The mercenary's gladiatorial heritage began to show as his ferocious sword slashed open the hybrid, then attempting a decapitation attack immediately following, but only resulting in failure, his blade singing through the air, not connecting with any flesh. The former gladiator severed a naga's arm. Valerik shook his head, watching the cowardice of the useless warrior.

Valerik focused back on the combat. A naga was charging, its broad bladed sword aimed for Valerik's throat. He ducked quickly, then swung his sword upward in an uppercut. Blood sprayed from the naga as the sword cut from the naga's torso all the way to its chin. It was launched in the air, landing a few feet away. Valerik faced a second naga.

It to was charging, its sword aimed at Valerik's torso. He moved quickly, hoping he could strike first. The naga parried, the two swords clashing, the metal's vibrations echoing throughout the entire cavern. The two pulled their swords back, both fighters attempting to get the next hit in. Already, Valerik realized that the naga's side strike was nearing his thigh. He spun around, avoiding the blade narrowly. He then plunged the sword deep in the naga's chest.

It let out a final gasp, then as Valerik yanked his sword out, it fell, colliding with the rocks and rubble. Ladislaus was finishing a kill with his shield, saying in a bragging tone, "Did you see that kill? He won't be getting up soon!" Valerik began to respond, only to catch something in the corner of his eye.

At the end of the trail of the blood, back to the secret passageway was a group of three more naga. 'That one Ladislaus incapitated sent reinforcements!' Valerik thought. He reacted quickly, focusing all the energy in him. The mana swelled out of his chest, rushing into his arm. It began to materialize at his fist, forming into lightning.

The three naga hissed, and started to charge. Valerik released the cackling energy, and the lightning sprung forth from his palm. It struck the first naga, burning its scales and flesh. Then, a second beam bounced off the first naga and pierced the one behind it, completely skewering it. Finally, the leftover energy struck the weakest runt in back. Each of the three shook, electricity zapping all over them.

Valerik clutched his side. What was this energy? What force of nature could a vampire wield that was so powerful? It was lightning, a destructive, dangerous force. A force Valerik could wield. It created fire, burns, death. 'I-I can wield this force! Its, its so powerful. Lightning,' He thought, staring off in the distance. He stood up, facing Ladislaus, regaining himself.

"Did you see that!" he exclaimed excitedly. "In all of Arda, nothing is that powerful!" he proclaimed, still in awe at this magnificent force.

Ladislaus stood for a moment, proud of his most recent kill. He slowly wandered over to the naga, and dislodged his shield from it's corpse, leaving a disgusting smear of the naga's blood on it. I'll have to clean that later... Ladislaus turned towards the passage the naga had fled into, and noticed three hybrids heading up the path towards them. Ladislaus quickly slung his shield over his back, and pulled out his bow, aiming for the nagas.

A loud crackling burst of noise filled the air, originating from somewhere near Valerik. What in the name of Ita?!? He observed, dumbstruck, as a bolt of electricity leaped forth from the vampire's hand, colliding with the one naga, before bouncing off at the other two, leaving a smoldering hole in each of them. The nagas were dead, that was sure, but what had Valerik just done? He had never seen him do that before, and was shocked that he had never taken advantage an ability that useful before.

"I can wield this force! Its, its so powerful. Lightning" Valerik said, stuttering, obviously surprised about this as well. Perhaps he couldn't use this spell before... maybe he didn't really mean to do that... "Did you see that!? In all of Arda, nothing is that powerful!" the amazed vampire exclaimed. "How did you....?" Ladislaus started, before stopping in disbelief.

In a mere slight of his hand, Valerik had killed three different individuals. This was obviously a force that should not be tampered with, something that should be used sparsely, if at all. "Valerik... be careful with your power... I sense a lot of strength in you, but please... try to keep control over it. That ability just killed three different enemies, and could have possibly caused the death of more! Just please, try to keep control over your power, and not have your power control you..." Ladislaus asked somberly. He had seen people abuse power before, and hoped that his friend would not fall upon the same blight they had.

Valerik looked at his palms, wondering whether or not lightning would spring out of them at any moment. A wide grin was plastered on the face, and by the looks of it, the smile would never leave. He constantly looked at the dead bodies, as if to see if this was all some fluke, that he never actually killed all three at once. He turned to Ladislaus, seeing a look of shock on his fellow mercenaries face. Valerik was proud; Ladislaus probably never excepted such powerful magic from the vampire. Valerik had never really cast such powerful magic before.

"How did you..." started Ladislaus. Valerik nearly shook his head, only saying, "I don't know! But it was," he searched for the correct words, "It was amazing!" he said, choosing that word, deciding that it should suffice his purpose. Valerik just shook his head again, looking at his palms. He stuttered, beginning to say something, but just stopping. 'This energy,' Valerik thought, 'Its so, powerful!' his smile widened, reaching to the corner of his mouth, 'I could do so much with it. Wielding this power, I could achieve greatness,' He suddenly thought of an amazing concept.

'I could rule the skies of Arda. Atop Akor, bringing lightning to my foes, conquering the air shall be simple!' Valerik thought, oversimplifying the entire concept. Of course it would take an incredibly long time. But for the time being, Valerik was on top of the world, able to rule anything with this unconquerable force. He turned back towards Ladislaus, who began to speak, "Valerik... be careful with your power... I sense a lot of strength in you, but please... try to keep control over it. That ability just killed three different enemies, and could have possibly caused the death of more! Just please, try to keep control over your power, and not have your power control you..." Ladislaus asked.

Valerik took an aggressive step towards the mercenary, his hand drifting towards his side, landing on his hilt. "You don't want me to have power?!?!" he said hysterically. "I could achieve so much, do amazing things. Conquer, rule, command," Valerik said with a scowl. "You want to kill me!?!?" he said. Paranoia filled his mind. A sharp pain jabbed his chest. He clutched his chest. That spell took a lot out of him. He was low on mana. Valerik caught movement at the corner of his eye.

As if some cruel joke of the gods, the three nagas rose. Valerik turned, still clutching his chest and sword. 'How can this be!??!" he thought, his mouth agape. Holes were in each of their chest. Then, his mind swirled back into reality. "Their animated!" He yelled, drawing his sword. "There must be some necromancer or lich!" Then, as if on cue, a figure in dark robes walked out, accompanied by seven more naga. He clutched a book in his right hand, its dark cover barely visible in the dark shadows the necromancer hid in. Valerik growled, a large scowl from side to side of his face, replacing the same spot his cheerful grin had previously been. He quickly murmured to Ladislaus, "I'm sorry. But this is more serious," he told him, entering a defensive stance.

The three undead naga's came after the two, each one only armed with claws and teeth. Valerik ducked one charging him, countering with a uppercut, his sword slanted slightly in the motion, nearly slicing the naga in half. As soon as Valerik rose, he quickly rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding an arrow. Three of the live naga were equipped with bows and arrows. Valerik rose, only to be pounced by an zombie snake/hybrid. Valerik's sword slide several feet away, in an unoccupied area of the room. He struggled, not able to muster the strength to throw the beast off. "HELP!" he roared helplessly, flailing, avoiding claws and teeth

Valerik lunged violently at Ladislaus, getting ready to draw his blade. "You don't want me to have power?!?! I could achieve so much, do amazing things. Conquer, rule, command You want to kill me!?!?" the vampire screeched furiously, no doubt in a fit of rage similar to the one the had happened in the forest. The vampire's hand moved, but Ladislaus noticed it was not holding his sword. Instead, it had positioned itself over his chest, the reason so was still somewhat clouded to Ladislaus though.

"How can this be!??! They're animated!" Valerik said in disbelief, baffling Ladislaus, who slowly turned around, peeking to see what the cause of his comrade's shock was. The nagas were... alive? How could it be? They had just been killed! He quickly unsheathed his sword, and counted his foes. All three of them... "There must be some necromancer or lich!" Valerik yelled, helping to disperse some of the confusion caused by the resurrected nagas.

Ladislaus was inexperienced when it came to fighting the undead, since after all, he was just a gladiator. But when he saw a dark, robed figure proceed slowly from down the passage, he realized he had something human he could fight. Humans were after all, what he had been trained to fight. The figure was holding a book, no doubt full of witchcraft and unholy spells, designed to make the most out of evil and shadows.

Wait a moment... Perhaps if I destroy the book, the nagas will be destroyed as well! He probably summoned them with that tome, so they might be magically linked to the book! Ladislaus pulled his shield from it's place on his back, and grabbed it with his left hand. He could end this a lot faster if he just ran down and destroyed the book, so why bother fighting?

He burst down the passage, and payed little attention to the seven nagas that stood near the mage. As long as he killed the wizard, he wouldn't have to worry about them. The was almost to the summoner, when he heard a raspy cry for help eminate through the corridor. It was Valerik. He knew that if he did not help Valerik, he might end up doing this alone, with the corpse of a vampire laying near the numerou bodies of the nagas. That was not how this would end.

He turned back, and sprinted up the passageway, desperate to get to his comrade in time. He soon saw his teammate, lying on the ground, with a zombie naga attempting to maul him. Suddenly, an arrow peirced into his back, severing it's way into his flesh. With a yell Ladislaus fell to his knees. Thinking quickly, he slid his blade across the ground to Valerik. "Quick, use my blade! I want it back, though!" Ladislaus said, quickly jumping behing a nearby rock formation. He then began the painful process of pulling the arrow from his back. It was dangerously close to his heart, and Ladislaus knew he would have to sit this fight out...

Some of the naga's dead and charred skin fell into Valerik's open mouth, the ashes bitter taste intruding upon his tongue. He avoided another claw, the sharp claws barely scrapping past Valerik's cheek. He was forced to move his head again, to avoid the naga's plunging head, its teeth aimed for his neck. The struggled continued, teeth and claws scathing past Valerik.

He was amazed at what he saw next. Ladislaus ran through the room and down the corridor, towards the direction of the dark figure. Again, the paranoia flooded his thoughts. 'That cowards abandoning me!' he thought, in shock of what was happening. But soon, Ladislaus returned back the direction of Valerik, perhaps deciding to save him. But as if some ploy from the heavens to destroy the vampire's unnatural life, the mercenary was struck with an arrow from one of the three archer naga.

Ladislaus slid his sword over to Valerik, shouting "Quick, use my blade! I want it back, though!" and retreated behind a rock to tend his wound. The vampire could hear his cries of pain as he retrieved the arrow from his flesh, detaching it out of his body. He quickly ignored it, avoiding another claw falling towards his face. He stretched his arm out, reaching for the blade. His fingers touched the hilt, bringing it closer to him.

At last, his fingers clasped around the cold hilt. He brought the sword to his other side, cleaving the naga clear in half. The two portions of the undead snake spilled over Valerik's body, covering him in blood. He quickly rose, retreating behind a pile of rubble. He heard an arrow whizz by him as the took cover. His eye caught a glint. His sword was a few inches away. He retrieved it, peering over the debris. Ladislaus was on the opposite side of a rock formation. It would be risky, but Valerik couldn't be hindered by the second blade. He tossed Ladislaus' blade. The sword twirled, its point aimed to the wall, away from Ladislaus.

Before Valerik could have a chance to see whether or not his toss succeeded, he was forced to dodge. He spun around, avoiding a claw. But unfortunately, he came directly into the path of the remaining undead naga. Its teeth sunk deep into Valerik's nondominant arm. He roared in pain, swiftly bringing his blade into the air. It came into direct contact to the undeads head, decapitating it. He quickly turned around, ducking to avoid the naga lunging at him. It did not stop, tripping over Valerik's stooped figure. It fell upon the ground. Valerik took advantage of the opportunity and stabbed it, his sword piercing it in the back.

But now, two of the four melee naga had swarmed towards Valerik's location. He was not sure were the other two warriors were, but assumed that they were headed Ladislaus' direction. He didn't have time to worry about him. He brought his sword up, deflecting the naga's blade. Swiftly, he ducked, avoiding a side swipe by the other naga's scimitar. He rose, and used an upward cleave to one of the naga, but only to have it blocked by its sword. Valerik scowled, not only in pain from his hurt arm, but also knowing that the fight was going to be an incredibly difficult one.

Ladislaus sat behind the pile of debris, slowly beginning to work the arrow out of his flesh, letting out a cry of pain in the process. The arrow had gone in about three inches, and seemed to have barbs on it. Letting out a yell, he carefully began to slide the arrow outwards, harder than one could imagine, since it was in his back. Soon, the arrow had exited the wound, and Ladislaus threw the blood-covered projectile away from himself, trying to forget the pain he was in, but to little avail.

The gladiator groaned from the pain of moving, attempting to muster his strength enough to get up off the floor, and surprisingly, he got to his feet. Suddenly, his blade came spinning through the air, revolving in a deadly cycle that rivaled the power of a guillotine. The sword hit the wall, digging in several inches, and generating a gasp from Ladislaus. The blade that had been passed down through his family for six generations had just been treated as a piece of scrap metal, chucked away like some useless piece of garbage. This served to outrage Ladislaus, as well as cause the pain in his back to flare again.

He peeked over the rubble, ensuring that none of the archers were keeping tabs on him, and, satisfied, he made his way to his blade and withdrew it from it's place in the wall. He then quickly retreated behind the debris, attempting to ensure his safety. Apparently, some of the nagas had noticed him, and began slithering towards him, attempting to get him while he least expected it. Ladislaus was not to be taken as a fool.

The nagas quickly made thier way to the debris, and were attempting to simultaneously strike Ladislaus, that way he would have no chance of defending himself. Ladislaus, unaware of their presence, pulled out his bow, as well as his arrows, deciding it was best if he stayed off of the main fight, but still helping out. He nooked an arrow, and aimed at a naga, trying to factor in the affects of gravity on the projectile.

His missile never his it's target. The two nagas sprung out, and, out of shock, Ladislaus let go of the arrow. Through some stroke of luck, the arrow went right into one of the naga's skulls, it's head obliterating upon contact with the arrow. The other one managed to hold it's own for a while, as Ladislaus attempted to defend himself, injured and weak...

Valerik peered over towards Ladislaus' direction to see whether or not he retrieved his sword, or how he was faring against his two nagas. From the looks of it, he had recovered his sword, but now was using his long bow. Valerik's worry about his companion disappeared, and he quickly returned his attention to the fight at hand.

Quickly, he ducked from the naga's counter attack, the sword barely skimming over his head. He rose, turning his body as he did so. At the end of this maneuver, the naga's back was turned to Valerik. 'Never let your opponent behind you,' He thought, remembering the most important rule of combat. Next, he plunged his sword deep into the naga's chest.

The snake creature let out a final hiss as Valerik pulled his sword out. The creatures blood stained the sword, the steel turning into a deep crimson. The blood slid down the sword, dripping on the ground, staining it the same color of the blade. Valerik saw the liquid, concentrating hard to ignore it.

He managed to pull his mind away, just in time to avoid an arrow, retreating behind a rock. He panted, gathering his energy behind the cover. 'I have to kill the necromancer!' Valerik thought, peering over the cover. From the looks of it, if he charged the necromancer, he would be filled with arrows. 'My only chance to hurt him is magic,' Valerik thought. He pressed his back hard against the rubble. He held his hand away from his face.

He focused his energy from his core, gathering the energy. He fluctuated his mana, sending it down his arm. The energy formed into a orb, the electric energies zapping slightly in the air. The crisp lightning smell permeated the air, causing his nostrils to flare. Finally, after the orb had grew a good portion, he jumped up, and launched the orb. A stream of electricity flew towards the necromancer, hitting him directly in the chest.

The beam branched out, hitting all of the archers. Luckily, the archers were weak, and the two inner archers closest to the mage died. The mage himself fell, his body falling limp to the cold floor. The two outer naga archers remained alive, but were to shocked to launch arrows in time, for Valerik had already crouched back down beneath cover. He was exhausted, his heavy breathing echoing throughout the room.

Ladislaus defended against a hit from the naga, using all of his strength to move his shield in time. The naga was trying to claw the gladiator, it's persistance unrivaled by other enemies. The brawl had been going on for three or four minutes now, with no signs of stopping. Suddenly, the naga lunged at Ladislaus, and taking advantage of the situation, Ladislaus, swung his balde down, severing the enemy's head from it's body.

Relieved, Ladislaus turned his attention to his comrade. Valerik was gathering a large, crackling sphere of energy in his hand, no doubt that new spell. Deciding that he would simply wait and observe the effects of the spell, Ladislaus hid behind the pile of debris. A large crack emanated from his comrade's position, and was followed by several yells, no doubt the yells of the nagas and the necromancer.

Ladislaus stood, observing the carnage around him. One naga next to him lay there, giblets of it's head scattered nearby, along with several dead archers and zombie nagas. It was very disturbing, the results of a rampage. However, Ladislaus had no more time to think about this, as an arrow smashed into the wall next to him.

Ladislaus ducked behind the rock, and pulled out his bow again, trying to discern where the arrow had originated from. He did not see the nagas, and he saw no more foes, so he assumed they had fled. Then, a strange blue light began to shine in the passage from which the necromancer had come from. "Maybe the artifact we came for is down there!" Ladislaus yelled to Valerik, relieved that the mission might finally be over. He slowly walked down the passage, alert for any hiding enemies.

Valerik's mindset still remained at a combat state even after the fight. He peered over the rubble, quickly ducking after only receiving a glance of the landscape. "It's clear, calm down," whispered the vampire to himself. "Maybe the artifact we came for is down there!" Ladislaus yelled to Valerik. The vampire rose, cautiously standing up.

He scanned the room, seeing if there was any remaining nagas. Valerik checked twice to make sure that none of the beast's would rise a second time. The entire room was stained with blood, gory chunk's of the unlucky nagas spread all around. The air was filled with the stench of burnt skin, but was slightly masked by the fresh scent of the crisp lightning that had recently been launched.

The fight had lasted a good four or five minutes, a long time for Valerik's standards. The odds had been against the two mercenaries, yet they both managed to prevail. Valerik relaxed, walking calmly down the passageway the necromancer had came from, and where the new blue light shone. Valerik covered his eyes, shielding himself from the bright light.

As he continued down the passageway, the light became even more intense, until it came to the point where Valerik could barely see. He held his sleeve in front of his face, trying his hardest to maintain at least some of his vision, in case of another attack. The passage was in a 'U' formation, bending around the room that the fight had previously occurred. At last, Valerik came to the room at the end of the passage. The blue light was magnificent, shining so brightly Valerik had to squint and shield his eye's, barely able to make out the feature's of the room.

This portion of the ruins was virtually untouched by time. Other than a few minor blemishes, it was clear of rubble, in the state of magnificence that it was in thousands of years ago. Valerik was able to conclude that this room was exactly parallel to the main chamber that so many nagas attacked. In comparison to its sister room, this chamber was in a perfect state.

The rock floor did have minor blemishes. Some of the stone had scorch marks or even blood stain. In the middle of the chamber was a pedestal. Valerik was unable to see the what was atop the pedestal, but was able to conclude that it was the artifact, and the source of the blue light. The light began to pulse, shining bright and then dim. 'Something must be activating!' thought Valerik. He drew his sword, shielding his eye's with arm, the blade in the other. "Come quick!" Valerik roared to Ladislaus, expecting the worst.