[Eric/Lovvorn]

"Oh that's just lovely,"  sighed Lovvorn. "demons and dragons and gods
and... whatever else.    Is it too late to go back and get a few more
drinks?"

"Yes."

"Darn."

"There's some kind of opening over there."  Eric pointed to a dark spot
on one of the Citidel's remainng walls.   "Light it up for us."

Lovvorn cast a spell and a second floating light-globe appeared.   This
one was larger than the one above the mage's head.  It floated
over in the direction Eric pointed, growing steadily brighter as it went.

There was a huge crack in the Citidel wall, four times as tall as a man
and nearly three times as wide.  It looked as if something had
*exploded * outward, but the exposed bricks were old and worn.  The
damage had occured a long time ago.

"Yep.  Looks like an opening, all right."  said Lovvorn.

"And the footprints lead right up to it."

[Cari/Lawrince/Yals/Lucc]

Cari concentrated on scanning the interior, but the residual magic in the
area made it hard for her to sense very far beyond the opening. ::I don't
_think_ anyone's near the entrance,:: she sent, ::But I can't get a clear
reading...:: All she could do was strengthen the wardings around them.

She did note that Lucc and Yals had flanked the envoy.

The warding matrix even kept Cari's silk cloak from snagging on the rough
rocks, though she seemed unconcerned about her attire, as she stepped into
the darkness. The area smelt of dust and animal debris.

[Fillip]

Fillip found to his horror - an emotion that was increasing with the
seconds - that he could not keep a light spell activated within the
fluctuating currents of magic that eddied through the black ruins. So when
he could call forth a flicker of mage light he sought to locate a clear
hall - preferably one that led up, but the light was oft gone so quickly
that he found himself stumbling into rock-clogged halls.

During those times of utter blackness, when illusionary lights danced in
front of his eyes, he thought he saw Denlira's pale face before him. And
in that heartbeat when he wanted to run to her for comfort - but the
sickening smell of decay that permeated the area twisted his thoughts,
causing him to see damage he had inflicted on her staring eyes.

On occasion he caught himself whimpering.

[Eric/Lovvorn]

They entered the ruin with Eric in the lead, his small blade was still
twirling furiously in his hand.   Lovvorn's second, larger globe floated
just ahead of him, and the smaller one hovered above high above
the group.

"I don't like it,"  said Lovvorn from.  "Let's go home."

"No chance of that happening,"  replied Eric.  "Wait... look-"

There was a dark spot on the floor ahead of them.   As the light-globe
drew closer, the black area was revealed to be a large hole in
the floor.    Eric stooped and ran his fingers across the jagged
edges.

"Fresh break.  My guess is either our fellow made this hole to
throw us off... or he fell into it himself.    Throw some light down there
Lovvorn."

The light-globe dipped into the whole and descended into the level
below.    No sooner was the lower level revealed than the globe
suddenly dimmed, and fizzeled out.

"Damn." said Lovvorn.

"What was that?"

"Too much interference.  It'll be hard to sustain a spell down there.
I can try..."

"Save it.   Anybody bring a torch?"

[Cari/Yals/Lucc/Lawrince]

::No,:: Cari said, ::But there's enough wood around that we can make one
or two.::

"Hold on," Lucc said, "Let me out of the wardings and I'll get some."

The wardings that Cari held flickered long enough to let him step free and
head back outside the Citadel.

She pulled the hidden blade from her sash, but just as she started to
remove her cloak in order to cut strips from it she was stopped by the
envoy.

Lawrince said, as he removed his already torn vest, "Miss Dyer, there is
no need to ruin your clothes when mine are already worse for wear."

She shrugged and handed him the knife, and sent, ::The material in your
vest will probably burn longer than silk.::

Shortly Lucc returned with four sticks of wood, which he handed out once
he was back within Cari's wardings. And once the sticks were wrapped the
agent produced a small, colorful, stick, which when its top was clicked
shot up a small flame. Not large enough to light the way, but adequate to
give a stable fire in order to light the torches.

::Got that problem solved,:: Cari sent, ::But now we have to figure a
viable way down.::

[Eric/Lovvorn]

Eric snatched a large stone from the ground and tossed it into the hole.
It hit the bottom after only a few seconds.

Not deep enough to be fatal,"  said Eric.  "But we'll be risking twisted
ankle or two.   Plus who knows what kinda debris we got down there.
Lovvorn, this is your department."

"I see I just WON'T be getting my ale any time soon." The mage sighed.
"Okay, let the Lovvorn the Magnificent solve this little dilemma."

Lovvorn peered into the darkness of the hole, then he picked up
another rock and tossed it down so he could judge the depth for
himself.

"There was some wood laying about-"

"Rotten.  Won't hold us.  Espescially YOU."  said Eric.

"Hmmm..."   Lovvorn looked back the way they came, and then eyed
the crumbling walls that formed the corridor in which they stood.

"Okay everyone... stand back.   This is going to  be SO impressive!"

"What are you going to do?"  said Eric.  He was clearly  suspicious.

"Oh, nothing..."

Lovvorn reached into his robe and pulled out a folded sheet of paper.
He unfolded it, revealing a large red rune that had been carefully
drawn onto the page.   As he looked at it, the run began to glow.  He
quickly crumpled the paper into a little ball and stuffed it into a large
crack in the wall.

"Lovvorn!"  shouted Eric.  "What are you-  EVERYONE GET DOWN!"

The explosion rocked the entire corridor.  The group was showered
with loose rock and wooden planks knocked loose from the ceiling.
But just as the shaking stopped...

BOOOOM!!

A section of wall collapsed into the hole in the floor... creating
a stone walkway that lead down into the darkness.

"Voila!"  said Lovvorn.

Eric Hood picked himself off of the floor and glared insanely
at Lovvorn.

"What?"  said the mage.

"You could have brought this WHOLE PLACE down on us, and
you've CERTAINLY alerted our quarry about our presence here."

"Well, you said you wanted a way down!   You didnt't mention
anything about it being SAFE and QUIET!   Be more specific
next time!"

[Cari/Lawrince/Yals/Lucc]

The envoy had hit the floor, with his hands covering his head.

And Cari focused her entire concentration on her wardings - she was used
to surprise explosions, and watched as rock and debris bounced off the
invisible matrix. She decided she as going to need a good meal and a full
night's sleep in order to rest up from what was a "simple" manhunt.

Lucc had started to drop to the ground, but realized that for the moment
he was safe enough.

Yals bent to help the envoy back to his feet and said, "Our rabbit will
certainly be on the run. Hopefully he'll run himself right into a wall."

[Fillip]

A "boom" reverberated through the corridors and Fillip could easily
picture a dragon shaking itself awake, and bringing the walls down on a
poor mortal's head.

His heart boomed in his ears as he tried to summon up a light, but the
greenish mage-light on his finger tips flickered, sputtered, and went out.

The second belch of sound sent Fillips scurrying blindly down a
debris-clogged hall, wondering what demon had awakened and hunted him.

All around him the stench of decay got stronger.

---

[Eric/Lovvorn]

They descended into the darkness.

The path directly behind them was blocked, so they had only
one choice of direction.   They took it, and soon found themselves
in a maze of dark, crumbling corridors

The torchlight cast strange shadows on the jagged walls... jaws
snapped at them from every corner and long, inhuman talons
reached out from every dark place...

"Stop that, Lovvorn."

"Sorry,"  Lovvorn lowered his hands, and the shadow-puppets he
had been creating with his torch and pudgy fingers vanished.

At least most of them did.

Every few moments, Eric would stop to examine a dusty footprint
or a recently displaced brick.   The going was very slow indeed.

"He could be anywhere in here,"  said Lovvorn after a while.
"I wonder if he's got any ale with him..."

"Can you use your magic to track him any faster?"

"Sustaining a spell down here would be like whistling into a
hurricane.    Not that I can't DO it-"

"Well at least he won't be using any of his magic.   I think we've
got him trapped.   From the looks of things he's wandering
aimlessly.  Probably lost."

"Oh, you mean like us?"

[To be continued.]