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Drakiera considered the letter before her, her fingers tap-tap-tapping softly on the desk. An invitation for undead dragons to fly in an orgy ... one much smaller than Shivran's own accidental Whirl. Unusual. She gazed at the letter for a moment longer before standing and stretching; she'd been sitting for far too long staring at the odd letter. The delivery creature was equally odd and she refused to allow it to leave until she'd snared a sample of its DNA. The blood was kept in a small vial, but she hadn't put it with the others; she stroked the vial absently, her gaze drifting across the room. Shivran Aerd held no undead dragons of its own; nor did Drakiera recall of any having ever existed on the whole of Mythicalae. However, to decline an invitation of any sort seemed rude and particularly one which seemed to be limited. Her fingers fell to the touchstone, a flat stone of alabaster that glowed when her fingers stroked it. Still. She would find two participants, irregardless of who or where they were. Besides, she needed more warriors ... perhaps she could tap them into her own units. Her thoughts drifted on possibilities and the stone awoke, going translucent as images began to spin across the surface. She sketched out siguls and emblems, connecting them with desires; in the end, two images emerged, conflicting creatures of death and flame. Names trickled into her mind and her eyes began to shimmer a muted purple. "Rubi Yurei and Ghora-bazh.", she whispered in her prismatic voice. Her other hand went to the stone and each hand touched an image. With her eyes shut, she began to exert her Influence, wordlessly directing them -- and their associated companions -- to the Ring of Fire. --- Ghora paused in mid-step, his head suddenly whipping around. He'd caught a glimpse of something ... something *powerful* and the sensation of it tingled his mind and sent chills through his body. An image emerged in his mind, one which was compelling and made moreso by the message that came with it. The message was wordless, but he felt a distinctive stirring within his loins. Females would be wherever the place was; Disaphresama would have his hide if he participated and the idea amused him deeply. "Reki.", his command was unexpected and blunt. The Dark Shaman stumbled and lifted his head. "Lord?" "Take us here.", Ghora hissed, the image of the place -- Ring of Fire, the name flowed to his mind easily -- imprinted clear on his own mind and telepathed to Reki's bond, Derej. Derej passed it further and Reki bit his lip, hesitating. Ghora looked expectantly at the Dark Shaman, his trident tail lifted dangerously. "You will take us, or you will die, Reki. No.", Ghora's jaw gaped in a death's-head grin. "I will simply remove your name and scrub your existance ... if you do not follow my orders!" Enraged, but unable to do anything, Reki bit his lip hard enough to bring blood. The thick fluid seeped down his chin, staining his robe as he began the slow Manipulation of the world. He decided not to question or even bother wondering what was going on. Indeed, the Dark Shaman was gradually growing more and more weary of Ghora's commands ... soon enough, he knew he would only be a shell of what he once was. Derej rumbled and was quickly silenced as Orak-mul turned and snapped. Soon enough, the lot of them found themselves at the Ring of Fire ... and Ghora was quickly admitted into the flight lists under a name that none of them had ever heard: Drakiera. --- Rubi Yurei paused for a moment, her wings slightly unfurled. A queer tingle had started up in her belly and her eyeridges drew together in concern. Glitter, one of a party that had melded in with the Angelics, flittered over to Rubi's head and perched merrily on it. The crystal dragon runt sniffed all around and finally decreed, "Glitter thinks Rubi's going into heat!" Embarrassing enough for the dragon, it was perhaps a thousand times worse for everyone else. Particularly Zyrphal, who emerged from his sword in an explosion of fire and fury. ~ You wretch! How dare you embarrass Rubi? She would surely have spoken to me, *privately*, before discussing such a matter with you. What have you to say?~ "Well, he ... she ... whatever. Glitter is right.", the phoenix-like dragon responded, her flickering wings seeming to dim. "And I'm ashamed for it. However. Something happened just now, an image, and I think that we should go there before I reach such an unusual state. Is that okay?" "Where do we have to go now?", Bresam drawled, one hand resting on the neck of his own opaline bond. The resemblence between Jas' and Glitter was eery, given their remarkably brilliant colourations, and most were downright relieved when the pseudo-opal dragon proved to be a bit more stable of a personality. "Ring of Fire.", Rubi replied, looking up sharply. "Here." She sent the image out to the others, with Glitter fairly soaking it up. Before anyone could respond, the crystal dragon shot out a Teleport spell. They all awoke at Ring of Fire. More importantly, they ended up behind someone they'd been looking a long time for. "Ghora-bazh!", Miro-syaess hissed. The dracolich turned slightly, his eyes burning with rage. "Miro-syaess. Sorai-kelam. I should have killed you when I had the opportunity.", he snarled, his band of hydragons and assorted hell-spawn turning with him to see what was going on. "You needn't bother. You'll die again and this time, you ain't coming back.", Loriaen spat, advancing slowly on the dark party. "Silence.", the word was spoken as if by thousands of voices, fragmented and harmonic, colourful almost. All of them stared, then tried to pick out where the voice came from. Though an image emerged in their minds, it wasn't anywhere near where they were; a hooded figure, clad in robes ... much like Reki, but with a nobility that the Shaman lacked. "Cooperate for now. The time for death is near, and I will not have need of you until then. Rubi Yurei, you must go to be signed up. After it has happened ... do as you will." The intrusion was strange and brief, but enough to stun all of them. Rubi was lead off to be signed up; Ghora considered the voice and the implications ... and decided to seek his own allies. On that, Miro seemed to agree with Ghora; the Angelics, too, would make their own allies before bringing war to this new land.
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