Always Have a Back Up Plan

[Shae the Bat]

The state of the world, or rather views of that state, differ from Mobian to Mobian. Many of this planet's inhabitants are oblivious to the going's on around them. Many do not know of the terror on the charred island in the mid-eastern sea. Many do not know about the military take-over in Robortopolis by the warlord Legion. But there are some who know.. one in particular is about to make his grand return to the soils of Mobius to reclaim his territory.

A video message pops up on the screen of Lucian's transport ship.

"Lucian.. the time is upon us, I need you to use the shuttle you're in to gather up some of your undeadite forces and meet me at the following co-ordinates. I won't arrive there for some time, but I'd like to have at least some friendly forces defending this area until I do arrive. Do this for me, and I assure you a place of great stature in the New Eggman Empire."

The video message stops and a set of geographical co-ordinates display on the screen: "(09,89 w) (21,66 s)" followed by a command word "Scrambled Eggs"

Elsewhere on the planet, deep in the bowels of the Aegis Forest base.. the suspension chambers begin to drain the gel-like liquid. It would only be a matter of days now before the good Doctor's Horsemen were fully functional. In the mean time, diversionary tactics would be laid in motion to keep Legion occupied. All these things and more were being pondered in the electronic brain of Eggman as his flying fortess entered its cloaking mode to sift through the Mobian atmosphere undetected.

Still elsewhere, Shae shook his head in disappointment at the actions he'd seen taken in Casinopolis. Amon's reckless and vulgar display of arrogance got the Vanguard worried. He would keep an eye on the three mortal heroes as they entered their fugitive state. He would also, however, keep in check the actions of Stealth Greyblade. He could feel the once conquered darkness in the fox's heart rising to the surface again. All the work that the Vanguards and Mortals had done in the name of Aurora was coming unravelled. Shae stared out into the Chaos Realm and heaved a lonesome sigh.

"Please, dear Lady Aurora.. come back to us.. we are in need of your guiding light.."


[ooc: Okay, here's the skinny, most of you are still going to be where you were last chapter. Syth, when you get around, continue your walk through the Land of the Dead, and if possible wrap it up by the next thread. As well, keep up appearences with Lucian. Ash, Tayuu and Rick.. I'd like you to find your way to Robotropolis. Myst, when you get around, continue to follow Lucian. And lastly, I'd like for some Legion posts and to have Stealth make it his personal mission to catch the escaped fugitives. If that doesn't make up for pulling the admin card yesterday, then I'm afraid that's too bad.]

[CC]

Somehow, CC manages to keep herself calm with the reappearance of her husband and his quick and base apology. Inside thoguh she was a turmoil of emotions and close to a breaking point. This feline was patient, always had to be when dealing with the sort of things that she had to deal with, but recently she had been pushed quite far and her patience was wearing. The emotional strain, but she could calm herself using breathing techniques and keeping her mind as clear as possible, pushing all of her problems deep away in her heart, where not even the psionic Amon could reach them.

Holding back words that she would like to say, instead, the black cat tugs her backpack tighter against her shoulder and looks at both Amon and Tayuu seriously, "I've... I've had to deal with the Hunters before and have a pretty good idea of how they track. Amon, you should know as well as I that there is only one place that we can go that they will not be able to find us. We have to get there and we have to do it as quickly as possible... unless you did something to Stealth to actually stop him, which I do not think you had time to do, then they are going to be here in less than two minutes."

She does not bother to look around the area, knowing that she was finding it harder and harder to leave, even though she had already set her mind to it but she sighs, "We have to go to what was once Robotropolis..."

________

Kitsa forced herself to keep quiet, though there were parts of her that wanted to curse that damned psionic, Amon and his ability to teleport. He was making it more and more difficult for her to do anything and it was beginning to drive the shadow walker a bit nuts. On the upside, she was smart enough to be able to let the feelings of anger and the want to fight and destroy certain things go in exchange for the bright opportunity that she saw budding in front of her.

Stealth Greyblade.

She could feel the darkness drawing her to him, like a moth to flame, and she almost salivated with the taste of the shadow growing inside the fox. The shadow creature knew what to do and knew the best way to find all others who had fought against her dark Lord and Lady... she just had to follow the fox. Perhaps there would be an extra bonus, not only could she use him and manipulate him but she could convince him to let the darkness overwhelm.

Ah, but she could not get ahead of herself, first she would have to stay as near to him as possible, but what better idea than to ride within his very own shadow. The simple plans set she moves quickly and quietly, the sensors upon the various hunter vehicles blipping for a vague moment with a slight upsurge of energy before going back to normal.

[Lucian]

Paladin Twilight looked curiously at the pirate lass and could understand her apprehension. While she was willing to go the distance with him it was a whole other thing to take on one of the three beings responsible for all of creation. What the vangard was so idly about to do was unpresidented to most mortals, though in his defense the holy deathog was far from akin to most mortals. With a deep bow the dark furred, red eyed one spoke solemly but with a certain levity to his words.

"Ah, I can understand your lacking a desire to confront my Father when you have no protection other than your charming good looks, that sharp blade, and that sharper wit. I appreciate you coming this far, you helped me maintain a bit more sanity and composure than I would have hoped to have had I made this journey alone, and for that I am truely thankful."

Turning away the deathog hid his smile andreached into his robes inner vestiments. He drew out an empty hand and with a flick in the air a golden key, ancient yet still well polished appeared in his ungloved digits. An idle toss that he knew would be caught by the treasure loving lass distracted her long enough for him to close the distance to the doorway where he stopped and peered at her one more time over his shoulder.

"That key will open up the Tranportation Orbs in the Treasury, find the one with an anchor on it and I think you'll appreciate my sense of gifts. Consider it payment for good times spent, services rendered, and the rounds I would have bought at the pub could I but join you. Good bye fine madam, may your seas be calm, I have a storm to settle with."

And with that the deathog crossed the threshold into the inner sanctum of Thanatos, Twilight God of Souls, and vanished from sight. Deep in the darkness a single point of green light radiated from a distance. Space was immaterial here, matter a need for the living, the mortal, and the normal. Thanatos Senior and Junior was none of those things and as the great Eye came closer the vanguard spoke with only malice in his voice. There would be no bowing or scraping this time or any other time. It was now down to business and neither was happy to see the other under these circumstances.

"Hello, Father."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lucian was in short, a little confused, he looked the coordinates on the map and it was the last place in the world he wanted to be. But orders were orders and he'd finally been given the AOK to mobilize what his little desert coop that had been started almost a year ago now. His minions slowly devouring the nomads of the Shifiting Sands Zone, taking the homeless and the street venders of the City, slowly building an army of neigh invincible monsters loyal to the tooth to Lucian himself. How he longed for his citadel in the sands. Clasping his hands together and setting the shuttle on it's course he radioed into his homeland and arranged for dinner to be ready when he arrived. Gaining altitude the bloodsucker hardly noticed the hunger rumbling in his belly, it was good to be on the way home again. . .

[Psychosis]

Amon made no vocal response to Ci Ci's plan at first. He merely nodded in agreement, pretending to be keeping his senses tuned to the hum of a Hunter's shuttle. Really, he was in turmoil, his actions just moments ago were not of his norm. Something had driven him, pushed him into strange state of mind. Seeing the Hunter Corps there, knowing their history with Templars, it was conflicting. Coupled with the knowledge that their former ally Stealth was so harshly turning against them, despite the epic struggle they all endured and the bond they formed.

His emotions were running away again. It occured to him that perhaps his training in the Chaos Realm was not sufficient enough. He still needed some from of control over his emotions to keep his powers in check. To control the ability, not the ability control the user. For now though, the hedgehog put these thoughts in the back of his mind. He turned to Ci Ci, smiling to quell any worries or doubts that could have entered her mind.

"Robotropolis it is.. it will be too risky to teleport though.. I can make a storm cell in the sky, that should create some turbulence for their shuttles.. in order to reach the City the fastest way possible we'll have to stay close to the Cratian River and follow it south to the Oilic Sea shores.. from there.. we'll have to attain a boat."

He looked to Tayuu and then to Ci Ci, waiting for a nod of agreement before moving on.

[CC]

The pirate lass stands with the key gripped in her hand as she watches Paladin Twilight step through the door, which closes behind him with a thud that is dulled by the very essence of the place. Feelings of guilt wash over her and threaten to take over, never being one to abandon crew and especially not good companions who meant as much to her as the once-deathog did. She looks down at the key and tightens in her grip before she takes her hat off and bows towards the door, silent words being said, Me good friend, I would have followed ye to the most fearful a' places and stood up to the most dangerous foes, I would have gone with ye anywhere that ye asked. I feel saddened that ye did not ask me, but I understand fully. This is not a place for an ol' salty dog like meself, this is business of yer own... and so, till next we meet whether it be this unlife of the next, I bid ye adieu.

Standing up straight and tall, the handsome woman grins as she looks once more at the key within her grasp, "Now, fer the part that I always like best, time to find me some treasure!"

____________

CC grins and winks at Amon, not even bothering to nod to the hedgehog, "Don't you worry about a boat, I know this area like the back of my paw and have quite a few contacts. Getting out of here should not be a problem as long as you feel up to the challenge of creating a nice little diversion for our foxy friend and his hunter friends!"

With that simply said looks at Tayuu, "This is going to be a lot more fun that being arrested, but tell me, how much do you weigh boy?" She tilts her head to the side as she curiously weighs up the young feline, her eyes seeming to take in every inch of the cat. "I think that I may actually be able to manage it... Amon dear, think you can keep up with me? Even hurt, I think that I can carry Tayuu and run... and I will not go as fast as I can because of the weight, so you should be able to keep up. What do you think?"

All harshness and anger seems to be forgotten as the cat gets down to business, concentrating more on the need to escape than her own emotional problems and issues. It was not like she had not buried stuff before and deep inside, she promised herself that she would not let it get to her till they were safe. That was probably not going to be for a long time....

________________


Stealth had orderred for a temporary command tent to be set up to make tracking the three runaways and criminals more easily, not to mention the piles of paperwork that had to be filled out due to the murderred CPD officers, destroyed property and arrival and destruction of an enormous creature from a different realm. He was going to be here for a while and he was NOT happy about it, any of it.

The shadow feline could not read minds, but she was adept at reading emotions and body language and knew that Stealth was not impressed. That he was angry ... anger was fun. Anger was easily manipulated.

The tent was dark, already the sun was setting on the city and the 'command centre' was lit only by a hastily strung up light system. Curling around the shadows that lines his very body, the Walker gets close to his ears, nothing more than a breeze ruffling his fur in the late evening.

"They really are fools, aren't they? Running away. It only shows how guilty they truly are, doesn't it? It is insanity that they were allowed to roam around free, happy in their little lives, safe from persecution... together in happiness. In fact, they are probably gloating right now about how they got away from you, that Templar and his powers...power to kill, not for good, not used ever for good. Just continually mocking you..."

She silences herself, tempted to continue on, but wanting to wait for his reaction before she continues. This was a difficult and tenuous process and she had to take much care in how she did this, else she could lose him, or worse, be discoverred.

[Lucian]

The atmosphere was intense, the arid desert air could flay the flesh from the bone if exposed too long. Wavering lines of rising heat rose from the ever moving sands that the land was named after. Sandblast City never noticed the Robotnik Issue Shuttle skim the granulated landscape dangerously low to avoid any paremeter radar. Certainly no sane driver would fly in such away, especially with the re-entry blast shields over the windshield, literally flying blind. But as no mortal, living or dead was piloting it mattered little. The precision of machines to routinely perform iwth perfection was a marvel Lucian had never quite gotten over. Confident that he could indeed survive an accident provided the wreckage was burried enough for him not to be exposed to the harsh sun that rained it's 12 hours of hurt down upon the cursed horizon of the Shifting Sands Zone.

Folks often pondered why a creature so accustomed in legend and myth to the mist shrouded mountains or deep arctic climes that bore no affect on undead flesh why a creature of the night would choose a land filled with so many hazzards to the bloodsucker. Indeed, through out the realms Lucian had always made his abode in the ruins of what remained of the Vampiric Civilization amongst the dead desert land. Right before killing the impertinant knave for inquiring something of his actions he would answer.

"You had to travel thousands of miles through the most inhosipitable territory you little hunters have ever had to endure. Over the centuries your kind grew accustomed to the lofty peaks and cold lands that my ancestors chose as their homes. Places close to valleys filled with the cattle we consider your kind to be. Why would I choose a place so harmful to my defiled offspring, with food so scarce and protection few and far inbetween? Yhe answer there is simple my friend, defense!

To take a fortress one must do four things: the last is hang your flag above the fallen keep, the next is kill the previous master of the house, after that is slaying the guards and protectors, but the first and most important is this. Cross the moat. And as your sun baked flesh can attest, my moat a thousand miles wide is one bitch of an obstacle to cross. Now try not to bleed too much on the carpets when in your deathroes. Your commander was not so gracious a guest. . ."

And even through the protective shielding of the shuttle Lucian Ostrum could feel the thrumming power of his homeland. Bittersweet indeed, but still a welcome feeling, like a third eye above him he saw the dunes raced by at a frightening pace. The slow decrease in speed told him the coordinates had been reached and when they came to a halt the shuttle decended seemingly into the sands whipping about at deadly speeds. Like a hungry maw the desert consumed the silvery bullet and no more was seen of it again. In the dark, barely lit by computer console nodes a pair of red eyes glowed, hungry. Ah yes, it was so good to be home

[Tayuu]

Tayuu didn’t want to ask CC about any of her previous meetings with these Hunter guys before, he just decided to trust her and Amon and go along with it all. The last hour had been beyond words, and despite being battle worn and rather confused about matters, he was still full of vivacity.
For some reason he felt something familiar again as he pondered over it all, something he felt that night on his rooftop as it began to rain. As if this was all meant to happen, as if…
The cat shook his head.

“Robotropolis?” blinked Tayuu, “Now, I haven’t exactly gone that far out of the Casino Zone, but even I know about that place and what’s been happening there. Are you guys serious?”
It was clear that they were and it was the only choice right now.
Tayuu gritted his teeth in worry but gave nervous smile and nodded in agreement with the plans.

He agreed that this would indeed be much more fun than trying to escape a prison. He had always been on the run anyway, this was natural to him. The boat however was less natural… boats meant water…

That’s when CC asked him a rather odd question.
“Huh? Weigh? What you mean carry me? I’m pretty fast you know. You don’t need to carry me.”
This didn’t make any sense… unless she had some sort of super speed or something.


(ooc: gah, sorry, in a hurry, gotta gooooo)

[Myst the Hedgie]

Myst was following her subject very closely. Keeping just out of scanning range as they crossed the vast waters. Flying into the harsh sun rays of the SHifting Sands zone. She watched his craft weave and carene over and around the dunes. Almost touching the ground as it whipped through. She figured he was doing it to avoid radar, but she had no need for such tactic. Her shuttle was registered as a merchant shuttle, and thereby was granted freedom in all airspace.

She kept at par with the craft's speed, but much more distanced behind. When she saw his ship begin to slow, she too reduced speed. She nearly fell out of the pilot's seat when she saw the ship dive straight into the sand. But then she remembered that the Temple she'd been brought to was hidden underground, this told he that it was indeed the same person, or at least someone of his sect. But something wasn't right about it all.. she landed her craft beside a nearby dune large enough to shade it. She threw on a cloak to protect herself from the blowing sands.

Exiting the craft she crept along the sand, keeping low in case of any sort of surveilence equipment. She made her way over to where the skidmarks of her subject's craft had disappeared. Sure enough, there was a hatchway here. Judging by the way the craft so suddenly disappeared, she assumed that it was a holographic projector cloak, and one that was probably secured through the teeth. She would have to find another way in. She wandered around the immediate area for a few minutes until she found what she had been looking for. A worn out old access chute, miltary grade steel construction.

She opened the rusted and sand blasted hatch and climbed down the long steel ladder into the abyss. Keeping her cloak tight against her, using her Glacialkenesis to lower her body temperature in case of any heat sensors. She finally reached the bottom and found herself in a very dimly lit hallway encased in brick and dust that lead to a secure steel door. She huffed to herself for a moment, then froze the latch on the door just enough so that the slightest nudge would crack the seal and she could gain entry. Once inside she stuck to the shadows, of which, there were plenty.

The place was like a labrynth, a never ending collection of twists and turns. Endless hallways.. then she heard voices.

"Quickly you fools, Master Lucian has returned, make ready for him a meal! He is surely famished!"

The voice was cracked and crepid. Aged, yet heavy and energetic. Though she could not see the person speaking she could tell that there was something off about him. The whole place reaked of a vile stench. Decay and death, dried blood and other such odors.

"Can this really be the same place? Something's definate out of the norm here.."

She thought to herself. After waiting for a pair of shadowed figures to slip by her, she crept along the darkened walls, following them. Maybe she could get her answers this way and find out just exactly what was going on..

[Lucian]

The very sands themselves seemed to stir to unlife as Lucian walked through one of the many labarythian hallways of his sandy citadel. The Nightmare King had returned and the years of evil, hate, and bloodshed absorbed into the sands pulsed with an energy all their own, sentiently knowing that the Master was at last here. Running a gloved hand along the wall the once solid form rippled to the touch, as if the sandstone it's self was his own will to form and sculpt as he chose. In truth it was his bond with Crucio, deep in the throne room that gave him this ability but not even his most competent generals knew that, some secrets you take to the grave.

Green torches of smokeless light flare to life as he enters their range and go out again as he passes. It was so nice to be amonst the ethreal again, the machinery of Robotnik's transports and bases a stark reminder that he was a left over of a bygone era and yet even now there existed places like this were magic was still common, powerful, and hungry.

Lucian took lefts and right at seemingly random, sometimes keeping his eyes closed as he twisted through the acending and decending tunnels. Part of the mystery of his abode was the while the tunnels never changed their destination, their gradients and twists did at random. Disorienting those that needed mechanical means to give them direction or maps to show them the way. The Master of the House needed no such things, and the undead he commanded followed orders to the blood soaked letter. They would not question him if ordered to walk off a cliff, in broad daylight, into a vat of holy water, let alone if the tunnel they traveled appeared to double back on it's self when in reality it allowed them progress through the fell fortress.

His stomach growling the bloodsucker finally made it to the Feedign Aclove. In acient times when communal feeding was necessary to feed a vast legion of undead monsters twenty vampires in the floor above would slaughter prey for an hour to well up enough life liquid and slowly let it flow down into a large vat where a twisted version of bartender would dole out portions of blood in ornate bowls of stone, bronze, silver, or gold depending on their status with in the clan. The scant hundreds Lucian now had required no such service but he still liked to observe the old ways. Bound to a wall of the room was a woman, some where in her late twenties, and an overlander no less. Such a rare treat indeed for Lucian in a world in which the Furred-Ones had taken over.

Her eyes alit with an inner fire that knew both fear and hate. She did not know what a vampire was, let alone that she was in a den of them, but that a monster had her in his lair and that he was about to do something most painful and probably fatal to her. The sandy wall's restraints would not budge, the granulated manacles not moving an inch until Lucian snapped his fingers and spoke.

"Crucio, let our guest go. I wish to eat on the road!"

And sure enough the binding sands fell to the floor and she was freed, she stared at the man before her wearily. An unatural air flowed about him like a cloak would shield a man from the elements. But this protective article would shield him from all that was good and light in the world. If she believed in demons she felt that one stood before her now.

"Tell you what, I'll give you a sporting chance being of the same species and all. If you can make it out of this room you can go home to where ever you were stolen from. Now run little girl, and run fast!"

She knew it was a trick, even if she got out of this chamber intact she still had to navigate the tunnels she had been drug through and then survive the desert all the way back to Sand Blast City in nothing but her underwear and her wits. Suicide at best, but still the survival instinct drives us all on even in creatures that no longer resemble animals. She bolted to the left, then the right, trying to psyche out Lucian to get around him and to the only exit out of the room. He fell back in surprise but had she looked at his eyes the shock of her move never made it there. To him she moved in slow motion, like a deer about to be caught by a tiger. Muscles slowly flexing as they dug into the soft ground, arms pumping like pistons in a molases filled world.

The door approached and a glimmer of hope flashed through the young woman's mind. She was going to make it!
To freedom!
To the open!
To her family!
To her business!
To life!

And all it all disapeared in a flash, like a deflating baloon the feeling of ellation turned from hopeful glee to a carnal lust as she felt two pin pricks pierce her exposed neck. Fighting the urge she could do nothing but adjust her had and see the grinning face of Lucian just below her chin, fanged maw already digging deeper into her neck. Then the feelings of the feeding took over and what ever resistance the woman might have had in reserved washed away in a blood drenched eroticism that no mortal could match. Many thought that being fed upon was not unlike the very best sex one could have.

In truth, this was simple a connection shared by the one feeding upon them. Their feelings of complete domination over their prey leaking into their host while they were fed upon. A twisted treasure indeed as the drained husk fell to the sands. Sightless. Motionless. Lifeless. Whiping his mouth with his sleeve, not caring as the uniform needed to be laundered anyway Lucian sighed a contented sigh.

"Ah, I needed that!"

[Psychosis]

"One diversion coming right up dear.. would you like some fries with that?"

Amon chuckled to himself to ease the last of whatever tension remained. To stave off confrontation between lovers until such an appropriate time. He then took on a more stern look upon his face, his eyes glowing a bright cyan blue, his hands clenched in a fist. The clouds in the sky turned a deep black and winds began to pick up. Thunder began to clap and bang, lightning beginning to flash and flicker. And of course, to attempt to confuse any sensors the Hunters had, a clone Amon was set hovering amidst the storm to look as if it were controling the stormy weather.

"Your diversion is ready dear, ready to leave whenever you are..."

Amon stood smiling softly, awaiting a response from his feline love. He sighed in relief, silently and unnoticed. Happy that his vision had come to pass for the slightly better, in that they were still alive. Though, he knew that next time they may not be so fortunate and that his visions have been becoming less and less exact. Coupled with his emotions once again starting to barrel out of control.. he thought to himself a moment;

"Maybe once this all passes.. I can return to the Chaos Realm for some further training.. to better understand and control my powers.. my emotions.. so that I don't make any more foolish mistakes.."

[CC]

CC holds back a laugh at Tayuu's words, instead just keeping the bemused grin upon her face. "Well my young furred friend, while I do not doubt that you have a goodly amount of speed and ability in you... I do doubt that you can run as fast as myself, even on a good day. Unless you could match the speed of the fabled Sonic himself!" She winks and moves quickly towards the cat and before he knows it she has grabbed his arm and tossed him over her shoulders in a perfect emulation of a firefighter's hold.

Looking towards Amon her grin falters only for a second and then grows stronger at his joke, "no fries my dear, have to watch my diet... and by the feel of it, so should Tayuu!"

Her words are partially lost as a clap of riotous thunder sounds from above followed by a bright flash of lightning. She nods seriously at Amon, "you better keep up!" she manages to yell over the storm before taking a deep breath in, exhaling slowly as she quickly formulates a plan of where she is going in her mind, memories of the land thoroughly etched in her brain after years and years of wandering throughout this and surrounding areas. With nary a sound she takes off, even without using a large amount of energy she already runs faster than Tayuu could have ever imagined possible, the land going past in a hurried blur.

She dodges bushes, trees and things before he even gets a chance to see them and if he only knew that it was only through years of practice and running in this area that was keeping her going without a problem, he probably would have been a bit more worried. Still, CC runs quickly and seemingly effortlessly, though the pain of her wounds and the tiredness within is a constant reminder to herself that she is in no state to be doing this to herself.

But that is what you get with such a stubborn cat...

[Lucian]

All around the base Myst saw that it was buzzing with activity. T'would seem that there were so many more creatures here of darkness than the last time she was lured here. Blending into the dark both in sight and heat it mattered little to the unthinking monsters that plod on with out so much as a look to the left or right. She did notice how ever that most seemed to be moving in the same direction regardless of what hallway she chose to investigate. The reasoning for which became startlingly clear if she followed such a contingent. Down, down, down the army of undead marched through the Citadel of Sand. A great vaulted anterchamber giving way from the crampt tunnels that made up the tomb of Lucian's abode.

Like army ranks slouching at attention varrious 20 by 20 creature squares of the monsters formed up with a more sentient version of the breed at the head like a military comanding officer in front of his grunts. You could tell they were the on the spot thinkers for when Ostrum couldn't be there to direct himself. They were the spies, the assassins, the reason why with out a source of communication the unthinking masses didn't get destroyed out of their unthinking nature. Their eyes still showed an inner fire that was missing from the zombie horde. And as bloodsuckers poured in by the truckload a spectacle began to form at the far end of the chamber.

On the dias, no more than a five foot tall raised platform of some average sandstone there was a throne, obvious this is where the Master of the House told his minions how to do his bidding. As the last stragglers hobbled in a miraculous thing happened. Slamming his palms down on the arms of the chair, Lucian uncrossed his leg and and stood on the seat. Slowly but purposefully the sandstone throne broke down into blocks, as if it were a creation of man and not some odd nature crafted formation compressed sand. First the arm formed, a massive limb lifting the standing vampire high into the air. Then the head, the massive green gem in the center of it's face a cruel looking and emotionless eye. The body and the stout legs followed.

Lifted a full twenty feet into the air now the dias was gone and there stood a monster of massive porportions, and one wouldn't necessarily mean the vampire. Legends told in the ancient times before Aurora and Syntaru had sentient creatures to do their bidding that they used the elements themselves, infused with their own power both raw and potent to wage their holy/unholy war. Aurora chose the Wind and Air, loftier sources with which to do her bidding, Syntaru ofcourse had fire and earth. With the birth of thinking creature the pawns were abandoned, unsentiently awaiting orders from their long lost host. It was no simple task binding the Golem to himself so many years ago, convincing an unthinking creature to do his will was not overly hard for the bloodsucker though. And standing firm and confident on the normally irratic beast was proof enough that Crucio indeed believe him to be his Master to the core.

Slowly, Lucian raised his hand to the air, a pair of clutched fists angry with the heavens. Not that any of the new fodder down below could recall and perhaps not even the Master Vampire himself remembered in his addled mind that this was an ancient symbol for war for the darker races. Whether he did or nor his army stopped shuffling and everything froze, the unliving have no issue with remaining still. No lungs to breath, no muscles to get tired, and an attention span as infinite as time it's self. When he finally spoke the rich tenor voice of Ostrum rang out through the chamber, echoing strangely clear off the high ceiling and wide spread walls. Despite the fact that you could march Apophis through here with head room to spare his call was strong and bewitching.

"Children, Followers, Minions! Heed my dark call for we have need to take to the surface once more!

Too long we have crept and crawled like some fell worm burrowing through these light cursed lands. Too long it has been since we have felt the sweet kiss of the bright full moon or the sweet bite of flesh not drained of softness by the wrath of the Day Star. And far too long has it been that you all have had a chance to do what you were born to do, created to do, and thirst to do. Which is destroy all that lives and drain it dry!

But this intermission of Fate is at an end my vile offspring! No more shall we dwell in the depth, no! For now we take to the surface, and at an associates bidding we strike out to tear apart man, beast and machine in the only way that True Master's of War can accomplish such a task.

WITH COMPLETE AND TOTAL ANIHILATION!
MARCH FORTH MY CHILDREN, FOR TONIGHT WE FEED!"

[Myst the Hedgie]

Myst hid herself behind a corner just outside the anterchamber, observing the strange creatures file in line. Watching the large stone creature rising up and then the man she'd thought was the monk reveal himself as a Vampire. She was awestricken, she couldn't believe that she had been in the presence of a Vampire and not even known it. But after a moment, it clued in to her mind that that's what the fiend had intended. He must have had a form of hypnosis, common among Vampires.

She gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to simply grab the torch next to her, rush through the hoard of undeadite creatures, freeze the dirtball in its tracks and burn the victorian looking Vampire to a smouldery crisp. But she quickly quelled that idea, she would probably not even make it halfway through the mass of rotting minions. Still, she had to do something. by th esounds of it they were ready to march out across Mobius and wreak havoc. She pondered what he meant by the orders of another.. she knew it couldn't be The Great Shadow, Syntaru..

This Vampire didn't seem like the type to obey anyone.. even if only using them for his own personal gain. He was a strange one indeed, she leaned in closer to get a better glimpse and in the process, knocked over the torch pole she had thought to use as a weapon.

"..Damnit."

She said softly to herself, why she whispered instead of talking normally was beyond her. She'd been discovered due to the noise.. her only options now were to try and fend them off with a blizzard of ice.. or to run through the twisting Labrynth..