Yay! More! More!

Curse the unbelievers! Conquests shall dominate all! Muhahaha!
Er, new chappie soon or I'll go insane.

Oh and by the way, I CLAIM 3RD PAGE!

*Hits defalcon* Iz MINE!
Anyway, nice sig, defalcon. Nightshade should be over the moon in delight any minute now.

Right, the part, the part. I was getting to that ...

Jassiv watched Firen recede, its' beautiful colors falling behind the Starblown. Goodbye, Firen, he thought, before heaving a sigh. It was a beautiful world, but he doubted that he'd be seeing it again. He would be busy searching for Wild Angel, and then he was going home to Keenrei. Then ... who knew? Maybe he'd see Carrotus, or Hellantra (he discarded that idea quickly), or Medivo. And he wanted to meet Coppertop again, and her friends. He'd heard that Tubelectric was nice, and Vanargala. It all depended ...

The Starblown vanished into the star-studded sky, taking with it a shred of Tsai's dreams. She watched until it dwindled to nothing, before turning back.
The Yeshi Suun was back under an able captain's command, but not, thankfully, hers. The Kiyan Saranai would hold her heart forever.
The velvet sky positively glowed with the coming of dawn, turning a faint aqua at the horizon. Tsai Rtyra, Captain of the Kiyan Saranai, prepared herself for a new day ...

Wild Angel, circling the Yelantra Sentry, eyed the impenetrable fortress. If she could somehow contrive to get them to open their bay doors unwittingly, she could slip out and tag the spot for future teleporting. Carefully staying out of reach of the immensely powerful tractor beam, Angel powered up her lasers. Picking a likely spot, she darted in close and fired, her lasers splatting on the mothership's shields. Instantly the Sentry retaliated, her shields dropping perilously low. As she evaded, she realized that she was too close and the beam had her.
The Yelantra Sentry was looming closer, and she panicked briefly as the seamless wet grey steel filled her vision. Fumbling to prepare a teleporting spell, she watched in shock as the wall parted, revealing an immaculate hangar filled with strange craft. Changing the spell, she prepared to tag the spot.
As her magic touched the sleek floor, something happened. It was like stroking something slimy, wet and entirely repulsive. It surged up around her, attempting to snare her, and she jerked away.
Just as she finished, two strange creatures entered the hangar. They were dog-like, with blunt spikes running the length of their spines, and with staring white eyes. She knew they were Kronans.
They were on the floor one minute. The next they were gone, and cold steel was at Wild Angel's throat.
"Move and die," rasped the one with the sword, his voice gargling and gutteral. The other one, holding a vibropike, grinned nastily.
"They said They wanted her alive, Koppa. They said nothing about being intact." He moved his vibropike towards her, switching it on so that the pike head vibrated intensely. She shrank back from it, her mind whirling as she tried to concoct a spell that would let her get out of this.
"Put it down, Ralvo. She has to be able to talk." Ralvo lowered his pike.
"She doesn't need her limbs to do that."
"You just want to see blood. Wait until They're done with her."
"Why? They just want to question her about that Copper rabbit, and then They'll kill her. I haven't killed in months."
"Kill, maybe. Torture? They might get angry. I wouldn't chance it, Ralvo." Koppa sounded nervous.
"Come on, just a ear or two? You could have a bit of fun, too."
"Well ... just one. She has to be able to hear, y'know?"
"I know." Ralvo moved his vibropike towards her again -

Thought I'd leave you hanging for now ... / /

(They don't have the right smiley, so I have to compromise)

I get it... run foo!

Cliff Hanger! NOT AGAIN!

Argh! Left hanging! Nooooooo!

Good chapter. Getting more mysterious and all.

Like my sig? Thanks.

I know. Sorry guys, but exam week an' all ... even for me Oh well.
Anyway, I'm here now, and here's the part, for what it's worth ... no cliffhangers here, Kaz


Something snapped. Angel hissed the words, and the Kronans vanished with short-lived yelps. Then her second spell teleported her and the Webmaster away to open space. Closing her eyes, Angel used a seeking spell, searching for Copper, and then teleported to Drant, although she knew that she was over-using her magic. No ships pursued her, although from what she had seen from the craft in the mothership, they didn't have hyperdrives. Which, indirectly, meant that whoever flew those ships had magic, too.
As she materialized on Drant, cold, watery light filtered in her cockpit. The boarding ramp lowered, and she stumbled out to see an empty shipyard. Concentrating, she found Copper again and teleported.

Copper jumped as Wild Angel appeared in front of her, trembling and wild-eyed. Shinyso leapt forward to catch the black rabbit as she swayed dangerously, and Copper moved up to support her.
"Copper -"
"Angel, what happened? Are you all right?"
"I - no - They're after you!" Angel was almost incoherant.
"Who are after me? What happened?"
"I don't know - Kronans - questioning - I don't know!" The last was half wail, half sob, and Copper looked up, concerned.
"Something's going on here, but I don't know what. It looks almost mental. Can anybody help me here?"
Wild Angel, sobbing hysterically, was struggling against Copper and Shinyso as they supported her.
"Let me go! I don't know, I don't know! Leave me alone!"
Ducky came forward, her expression sad.
"I'll do what I can. It might not be enough." She touched Angel's forehead, and the rabbit suddenly slumped as sleep overcame her.
"Thank you. Now, let's move."

Unknown to her friends, Wild Angel's struggle didn't end there. They moved with her as she dreamt, and soon she found herself in that same dreamland as where she had met Kroys those few times. But this time, there was no one to help her.
Two black-cloaked figures stood before her, one half-hidden. The other looked directly at her.
"Where is Coppertop?"
"I don't know!" As she said it, illusionary pain racked her body.
"We know you know. Tell Us. Where is Coppertop?"
"No! I don't know!"
"Tell Us!" The hidden one made a movement with his hands, and the pain she had felt before seemed like nothing now.
- how can They do this - Kroys couldn't -
"We have changed the fabric of Here. You must obey!"
"No, no! I can't!" It hurt so bad ...
- help, somebody, anybody - I can't hold out much longer -
"We can help you. We'll take the pain away, if you'll just tell Us what we want to know." The Deathless One's voice was soothing now, and Angel was close to the point of breaking.
- tell Them -
- tell Us - there is no other way -
"Where is she?" Obediently Angel opened her mouth to say "Drant".
- hold on, Angel - don't tell Them - I'm coming - Claw's voice echoed distantly in her mind. Somehow Angel managed to say, "I don't know" instead of giving in.
The second Deathless One stirred, sensing something. Claw materialized in front of Angel, and hissing with rage, launched himself at the spellworker. Startled, the pair vanished, and with Them went the pain.
"Are you all right?" Claw asked as he helped her up.
"I will be. Thank you.
"Can you destroy this Place?"
"No. It's too unatural."
"Can you stand now?"
"Yes. They'll be back, you know."
"I know. I've alerted Ducky and Shinyso; they've been Here before. We'll watch out with you."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Come on." And the dreamland faded as Claw led her away to consciousness.

O.o

That's a good piece of story you got there...

Wow. Real nice Coppertop, you seriously gotta write more.

Oooh CT! I'm sorry I haven't replied in so long! These updates have been great though.
Thank yooou!!!!


`Ducky

I absolutely have to, defalcon?

Okay, I will desist. Here ya go.


"I really don't know what happened next, except that I somehow magically spaced the Kronans and teleported into space. Then I teleported to Drant, and then to here." Wild Angel sighed.
"So why do these Deathless Ones keep at you? How?" Copper asked.
"I think it was when I tagged Their mothership. I told you about that Presence? I think It marked my mind, tagging me, if you will."
"Can you remove it?"
"Not very easily, and not if I'm not the spellcaster. They would have to do it, or at least some outside force."
"So there's no way to get rid of it. Can you shield yourself?"
"Yes, and that's what I'm doing right now. It should hold Them off for a short time, at least." She rubbed her eyes wearily. "I hope we can find Emerald and Zanzibar quickly. They might have something."
"There's rumors that many Carrotans were trapped on Raxizil when Beren moved in. Emerald Dragon might have joined the freedom fighters there," Claw said.
"Raxizil? That place in the middle of nowhere, with all the trees?" Grath looked up quickly.
"That's it. Why?"
"I think I been there before. I could take us."
"No, I think we're relying entirely too much on magic," Copper declared. "If I used the hyperdrive, we could be there in two hours."
"Two hours?" Kaz moaned. "That long?"
"Hey, I've had two day-long flights before," Kovu chimed in. "Two hours isn't that long."
"True. Okay, let's load up and get ready to go."

Selantrio hissed with fury. The Deathless One in the holo before him remained impassive.
"Just missed them? How?"
"They were taking off as I landed, Commander. They engaged their hyperdrive shortly after exiting the gravitational pull of the moon. We do not know where their destination lies."
"Is the spellcaster with them?"
"I believe so, Commander."
"Then we have an unexpected advantage. The Salenrytii of the Yelantra Sentry have marked her mind when she so impetuously entered that ship. Unfortunately she managed to tag the ship before we could stop her. Prevent her from using that tag, scout."
"Of course, Commander."
"Follow the traces she has left. Track her to the nether reigions of Hellantra if you must. But find her!"
"Yes, Commander." The holo flickered and vanished, leaving Selantrio alone with his thoughts.
"Mechanis," he said suddenly to the holo. The image of another Deathless One flickered into being.
"Commander?"
"Mechanis, have your workers captured one of those hyperdrive-fitted vessels yet?"
"No, Commander. We are working on it."
"Tell me when you have. See if you can replicate it. Hyperdrives would be most useful."
"Of course, Commander. We'll get right on it."
"See that you do." Once more the holo vanished.
"Milord will see you now," the repulsive voice of a Kronan said behind him. Selantrio turned to face the hideous creature.
"Very well. You are dismissed," he said frostily. The Kronan eyed him for a moment, before hefting its' vibrospear and wandering away. Selantrio headed for the command center, where Beren was sure to be, with not a little trepedation (sp?).

"Milord?"
The Commander's voice was not a surprise to Beren. He remained where he was.
"Enter." His voice, no more than a slight whisper, echoed loudly in the absolute silence of the center. Selantrio entered and stood silently, his black robe moving slightly from time to time.
"You have done what is required of you as yet, Commander," Beren said. Selantrio remained stationary. "But I want the spellweaver alive."
Selantrio stirred.
"Milord?"
"Yes."
"We will not let her escape, Beren."
"I know." Something subtle in Beren's voice told Selantrio that his leader wasn't finished yet.
"Bring the mercenary to me." Beren's voice strengthened as he spoke. "I will ... deal ... with her. Do not kill any if you can. Once they have been ... taken care of ... they will prove to be useful allies."
"Of course ... but they are stronger than we expected. The spellcaster arrived in time to warn them, and they have escaped from Drant. Unfortunately they did not use her abilities, but their hyperdrive, so we cannot find her yet ... but the mind traces the spellcaster left ... we will find them."
"Good." Beren's cloak fluttered in some unseen wind. Although they, unlike the Faders, remained in the material world, they retained the ability to move to other planes. Beren was the most skilled at both, and although he never aknowledged the distant blood-relation with the treacherous Faders, it was there.
"Do not fail me as Kroys did, Selantrio. He promised too much in too little time. Do not be impatient, for that leads to recklessness. Take your time. Coppertop will play herself into your hands."

Unfortunately, Coppertop seemed quite adept at not playing into Their hands. Somehow the spellcaster had shielded herself, and the Deathless Ones could not find her. Beren did not respond when Selantrio relayed this news to him, and the Commander couldn't feel his leader's cold anger, carefully kept in check. And this lack of outburst unsettled him even more ...

Hmph, you've already caught up with me ... now I'm working on the next part. D'you know how far ahead of you I was when I couldn't post? ...

hooray for seives!

Seives? What's seives got to do with it?

[persuading tone]
Okay, here's the deal. defalcon doesn't give me my page (yes I'm still mad about that) and I don't post. On the other hand, if defalcon gives me the page, I shall post more of my story. Does that make sense? Good. Thank you very much.
[/persuading tone]

K, defalcon, there it is. Comply or not comply?

Yes, I know I'm mean. Do I look like I care?



Okay, so maybe I do. Hand it over!

To comply or not to comply...

New chappie, hand it over!

*prods defalc* You giv'er the page ;P

Ehm, I'm a little confused as to what this page is, but erm...remind me and I'll give it.

So very funny, defalcon. This is page three, remember? (Actually, Conquerer got to six pages before it ended.)

I take it by your silence that you agree...
Therefore, I, Coppertop, do claim this 3rd page with all due pomp and gratefullness (cough, choke, splutter) from the gracious defalcon! Ha HA! I rule ALL!

Right, well. Now for the story ... short, I agree, but the original was too long to post all in one piece

Copper looked down, her face reflecting worry. The blip on the scanners was still quite small, but somehow she knew that it was going to get bigger before they reached it. A lot bigger.
"Copper, got a read on it," KRSplat offered. "Do tell," the pilot said sarcastically.
"All right. Nightdweller, unknown class of self-sufficient interstellar ship/base. Most probably used as a HQ of some sorts. Lifeforms detected; mostly rabbits, felines and squirrels, the occasional Kronan. Some unindentified species, probably the Deathless Ones. No breaches of the hull detected; craft has been sensed within. Hull made of an unknown material. It looks magical, Copper," he added. "Uh ... All known lifeforms on board are unhealthy, excepting the Kronans. That's all."
"Sounds like a prison vessel," Claw growled. Copper nodded her agreement. "How far away is it?"
"Uh ... twenty leagues away. The planet's closer. We can avoid it by coming in the night side, then skirting underneath the clouds. They're pretty low, though, so you're going to have to pilot well ..."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, KRSplat. Nice to know that someone thinks I can do it," Copper retorted. Maneuvering the Darkspray fighter lightly around the small pieces of space debris, she pushed the throttle to full and sat back.

I think you're stalling.

Aw come on Coppertop, we want a new chapter, not a new paragraph.

3rd page is mine! Ahahahahah!

wOOt! Yes! I'm so happee ... *gurgles and dies*

See, this page wouldn't load for me, so I had a lot of trouble posting. Kovey, y'don't have to post those parts for me now! That is, if the problem doesn't come back ...

The part. Right. The part ...

The huge, white moon loomed above Raxizil, making the Nightdwelller a small black shape against its' light. The Saravzan were silently moving through the shifting shadows, making their way unerringly towards where the next ship would land to gather its' prisoners. Scimitar intended to disable the ship or destroy it, and to free whatever prisoners were already on it. Venomarin was back at HQ, in case they needed reinforcements. She wasn't happy about it, and made sure everybody knew it, too. Emerald Dragon was beginning to wonder if they'd ever win the war.
Scimitar glanced back at them, his sword glinting.
"You know what to do?" he asked. The Sarav nodded. "You are aware of what the Deathless Ones will do to you if you are caught?" More nods. "You are aware of what Venomarin will do if you fail?" Nods, a lot more, this time. Scimitar grinned cryptically. "Do not fail me. Do not fail the prisoners. Most of all, do not fail Raxizil." He turned away, ready to kill, and the Sarav looked nervously at each other. Emerald was wondering by now if life couldn't have been a lot simpler if she'd stayed on Carrotus, set up a little china shop, gotten married, and eventually die in bed, instead of this. Many of her fellow rebels seemed to be having similar thoughts.
The prison freighter was waiting on the landing pad, the myriad guards arguing loudly about the loading process.
"I loaded yesterday, can't I have a day off? He hasn't done it yet."
"You blind, deaf, mute idiot! It's the other way round! Seems t'me you've been doing a lot more sitting on your duff than helping out!"
"Sitting on my - ! Why you ... you ... you'll pay for that!"
"Yeah? I'd like to see you try. Go on, try it!"
"Just see if I don't! When I get my hands on you, I'll ... "
"You'll what? Fall over? I'd like to see it!"
"Why you! I'm gonna - "
"Just what is going on here?" The authoritave voice of their superior rang out over the compound. Scimitar looked dryly at Emerald, who shook her head and shrugged. The arguing turtles cringed and tried to look innocent.
"Who, sir? Not us, sir!"
"Good. You, Datra, and you, Sigol, start loading those prisoners in. The rest of you, start rounding up the rest. Got it?"
"Yeah, yeah, we got it ... sir," muttered the guard. The commander started to say something, then thought better of it and nodded curtly instead. Turning on his heel, he stalked away.
As soon as he was out of sight, the two guards began grumbling again.
"Why do you always get your way? He never listens to me!"
"Look who's talking! Say, Sigol, maybe that Gondo was talking to him again ... he always gets his way."
"Yeah ... he's really getting into Callon's inner circle, isn't he?"
"Mmm hmm. Here, why don't you take these guys, and I'll take these."
"Okay. Say, Datra? What are we goin' to do about Gondo?"
"Waddaya mean, goin' to do?"
"Well ... say he just happened to have an unfortunate accident, or something."
"Or something!" Datra's grin was visible even from where Emerald was.
"Yeah, like he just happened to get in the way when we were target practicing ... " Emerald caught Scimitar's slight movement, and inched forward. One of the other Sarav slipped into the milling prisoners to take out the far guard.
"Naw ... something more subtle than that. More like he's caught by enemy fire or left behind when we leave."
"Yeah."
By now Emerald was just behind Datra, and caught sight of her fellow Sarav, Ferran, about to be herded up by Sigol. Inching her dagger out of its' scabbard, she waited briefly until Ferran was just in front of Sigol before pushing it home. At the same time Sigol suddenly collapsed, Ferran dancing back skillfully. Waiting until she was sure that Datra was dead, she turned and signalled the rest of the Sarav. At Scimitar's questioning look, she lifted a hand, and he nodded and slunk away towards where the remaining captives were. A moment later, one startled yelp, and he was back.
"Quickly. There are more on the way."
He signalled several Sarav to follow him, Ferran and Emerald among them. Slipping into the buildings, they followed him swiftly to where a second compound was.
"Swiftly. Ferran and I will stand guard. Get these into the buildings ... you know what I mean."
With brusque, curt nods, the Sarav split up and began working their way through the group of prisoners.
Emerald had a pleasant surprise. This bunch were the members of another urban gang ... in the wrong place at the wrong time, she guessed. Their weapons had been consficated, but many of them had managed to hide their bootknives and daggers from the careless guards. They moved quickly and calmly when Emerald indentified herself, moving smoothly towards the city and scattering expertly. Very shortly their number was a quarter of what it had been.
Emerald heard a cry from where Scimitar was standing guard. Dropping the rope she'd been holding, she leapt to her feet, to see Scimitar standing over a dead guard, scarlet stained sword drawn, a bloody slash on his leg showing that the guard had gotten some of his own back. At the same time, Ferran let out a wild warcry, and the rest of the turtles were on them.
It wasn't all turtles. Emerald cut down one, slashed at a lizard. It ducked, its' lithe body slinking with impossible speed around her blade, face filled with condencending scorn. At the last moment, she jerked up when it went down, and caught it in the throat. It fell, its' place being taken by a sneering Kronan.
This was what Emerald loved, the rush of adrenalin as she cut and sliced at her opponent. This was why she had chosen to be a warrior, why she hadn't stayed on Carrotus. This was why she was Sarav.
She twisted her saber at the Kronan, who caught it on his vibroblade. He began applying his strength, and Emerald strained to keep her blade up. The two weapons sang discordantly against each other as their wielders matched strengths, then Emerald cut down and skipped aside. The Kronan, with an outraged expression, found himself spitted on her saber. She jerked it out and turned to catch a downsweeping blade.
Then Ferran was beside her. They fought like demons, but sheer numbers gave the enemy an edge. Emerald wondered detatchedly if the prisoners had escaped.
"We must withdraw! They have escaped; our job here is done!" Scimitar called, appearing beside her. His scimitar was dripping and his face was bloody, though if the blood was his or some vanquished foe she could not tell.
Nodding to show that she had heard, Emerald slung a dagger over Scimitar's shoulder to take out a guard who was sneaking up behind the wildcat. Scimitar's sword sliced low, killing another super-agile lizard that Emerald hadn't seen with a blow that it hadn't seen, and he turned to start covering her retreat.

AGH! COPPER! That's simply solved by using a download program to download the source code of the thread, displaying it as a local file, and then using it!

And I thought I asked... Well written chapter anyways =P

Woo! COPPERTOP POSTED! Yaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

I CLAIM THE 100th post!!!

Been a while, but the story is still excellent.

You're so kind, Kaz.
I'm on the school computer, so I can't post my part right now. The last time I tried (the end of the battle w/Emerald) it wouldn't do it ... I was so mad
But there'll be more, I promise!

Coppertop! Yer back!

Indeed.

Yayness to backness!
More story I say!

I am so sorry, guys, but this story's going to have to wait. I hate myself for this *kicks self*
See, Shade explained this very point form in Slate, but that doesn't explain it all ... The main thing is this:
My family and I are moving down to Ontario so that my dad can learn to be a teacher (don't ask me why), and we're going to be moving very very slowly. At least two months before we're there, and then there's the problem of finding a place to live, etc., etc.
Also, we are selling our computers, so unless I miraculously am given a laptop I will not be able to access Internet ... that means no more JCF, no more Jazz *cries*
I will miss you guys so much while I'm gone. Mom figures on two years, but I think that's a major exaggeration You know how moms are.
Don't anyone leave during my temporary displacement, I WILL be back.
I promise ....

Noo! *cries* Coppie, don't leave!

*cries* Coppiiieeee!!!

I'll be here when you get back at least... and we'll still be waiting for the story... AND HAUNT J00!!!!!

Hi guys! I'm back for half an hour, and I'm using my aunt's laptop
I'm in Nova Scotia now, a long way from the Yukon! We've been travelling for about 9-10 hours a day in a crammed supercab pickup, with our cat and two rats in there with us. On the back is a huge box Dad built, and we're pulling a trailer with the dog in that. Very cramped, we're sleeping in tents at night. I share a tent with Shade, my brother gets a tent all to himself. Not fair, but what can you do? The cat sleeps in our tent too, making it three, but my bro shares his tent with two rats, so I guess that makes it even.
I feel like I've been everywhere ... d'you really want to hear about my travels, or am I boring you yet? The only provinces I haven't seen yet are P. E. I., Northwest Territory and Nunavut. Verrry interesting especially the Vancouver Aquarium and West Edmonton Mall. Niagara Falls was cool too- literally! Those have been the main points of our trip, the other provinces etc. were just flybys.
However, it hasn't ALL been good. A month before we left, my grandfather died while mowing the lawn, and in the spring my cousin died of unknown causes. One of my extremely distant relations (he was Grandpa's sister's grandson) suicided while we were in Ontario, and my uncle seemed to have a heart attack which turned out to be severe something or other. Not good.

I missed you all very much while we were travelling and will some more while we find a place to live, etc. I had hoped to have an update on Conquests for you, but I packed the disk it was on *kicks self again* very annoying.
Keep this story alive! I WILL be back, don't give up hope! Meanwhile, have fun.
-Coppertop

Tell us more about either! Your writing is great and the war tavern has been sort of empty (I blame Kovu XD). ><... shame about all teh deaths. Hope you reach your destination soon and find a computer.

We're here waiting.

Kaz: Yesh! It's Kovu!

Hi y'all, Coppertop, Nightshade (now Yazz) and me, a new friend, are back. This means that Conquests will be continued, sadly, Shade will not be writing Slate anymore.
Expect to see more of them and especially me in the future.

Coppertop:
What is this?!? I said to keep this topic ALIVE!!!!!!
Oh well, I'm back with my awesome grammar. Hope to enrage you in the future.

WE ARE SO GLAD TO BE BACK!!!!!!

ARK! Efil topic reviver spam guy!



*...takes a sec to actually read the above post*

y'wha?

I know it says Nightshade but it's really me, Coppertop. If you don't believe me, well, maybe more of my story will prove it? Unless you don't want me to.
The reason I'm Shade right now is because "Coppertop" doesn't work. It will log me in (This goes for Zazz too) but it will not recognize that I actually AM logged in, if you get the gist. I can't log out or post or anything, so I'm open to suggestions.
Right.
The story.

It was too late. There were too many; Emerald was forced to back towards Scimitar. Soon they were back-to-back, fighting desperately as the guards swarmed in.
Yet another lizard faced Emerald. She wondered what kind they were. This one was slipping around her blade, easily avoiding her thrusts. He was big and black, his yellow eyes glittering as he evaded another slash, his feral grin vicious and utterly merciless.
Emerald was tiring. She should have known that there would be more guards than those four. They must have been bait, they and the prisoners, to catch a bigger fish. And like fools, the Sarav had bitten. Hard.
She swiped at the lizard's belly, and he darted away. She used the slight time she was given to slide her dagger out of its' sheath. The lizard bounded back in, sliding under the blade and coming in close, where her long saber was useless. He grinned at her, triumph lighting his face.
"Sso sswift," he jeered. "Sso fasst. You are hardesst yet to kill."
"You haven't won yet," Emerald gasped, sweat running into her eyes. The lizard hissed.
"Sso confident. I will triumph, rebel sscum. Wait, ssee." He ducked lithely as she reversed her grip and brought the pommel of her saber into action. A quick twist and her saber skidded away.
"Sso foolissh. I never losse a fight, sstupid rabbit. I am alwayss victoriouss."
"Oh yeah?" Emerald growled, and slammed her spiked wristlet into his face. The lizard recoiled sharply, but there was blood on her wristlet. But even now he was not within range of her knife yet.
So she threw her dagger. It drove through the lizard's eye, and he fell to the ground with a stunned look of realization on his face.
Emerald grabbed her last two daggers, as her sword was out of reach, and slashed at her new opponent, a hulking turtle. She caught him a lucky one in the midriff, and he jumped back and went looking for an easier opponent.
Now she was faced by a new sort of foe. A sneering female lynx faced her, whip at the ready, dagger in hand. Emerald knew better than to throw her dagger - she only had two. So she went for the whip, feeling it coil around her ankle and stretch taut. Holding her leg firm, she reached down and slashed the whip in two.
She had forgotten the dagger. A slice of icy fire in her shoulder made her gasp and straighten. The lynx wore a look of bitter anger, and then Emerald saw - her saber.
Leaping forward, Emerald dodged the dagger and dove for her sword. Grabbing the hilt in both hands, she ducked a swipe and backpedalled to Scimitar.
She felt better with the familiar hilt of her sword in her hands, as she knocked the dagger out of the lynx's hands and slew the wielder.
Now a big black shadow loomed over her. She turned to deal with this new foe, to see another, larger male lynx carrying a black sword. He looked from Emerald's desperate face to the slain female, and his look now had some element of caged fury. The black sword came to his hand faster than she could follow it, and she felt Scimitar behind her.
A mercenary pair. Things just got a lot worse.
The black sword came in at her, and she knocked it out of trajectory with her dagger. The lynx had good armor. No hope of a thrown steel ending, then.
Blow after blow smashed at her defenses, and Emerald desperately parried each of them. Finally, she was driven to her knees, the lynx looming over her, his sword coming down at her. She lifted her saber to block the blow -
And her saber snapped.
She could not believe it at first, but there it was; the broken blade lying on the floor like a pooled streak of silver, and the jagged end of it in her hand. She looked up at him, looming over her, sneer once more in place, and knew, without a doubt, that she was going to die ...

Shall I leave you hanging, or shall I continue on? I wonder

I decided to continue.

Crystal clear and right there in front of her, Death beckoned to Emerald Dragon. Knowing that she was about to die, she forced herself to think clearly and look up at her enemy.
The male lynx with the black sword prepared to finish her off, and Emerald knew that he was about to administer his kind of veangance for his slain companion.
He didn't have time.
As that terrible look crossed the lynx's face and Emerald prepared herself to die, the lynx hesitated. Then he fell bonelessly, landing in a crumpled heap.
Scimitar bent over him, extracting his blood-smeared scimitar from the lynx's body. Looking up at Emerald, who stared at him with shock, he rasped, "you had better find a new saber, Dragon."
"How did you get behind him? I thought you were behind me!"
"I was ... until Ferran took over. I knew you would get into trouble, Dragon."
"You're not so great yourself, boss," she retorted, prising the black sword out of the lynx's deathgrip. It was superbly balanced, but Emerald was wary even so.
"We cannot win this fight, and we cannot lose it. We cannot press forward or retreat. We are, in effect, dead."
"Not yet, boss. We've still got our trump to play, remember."
"Yesss ... refresh me. I am still prepared -" he turned and slew another ill-fated turtle "- to fight, not to think."
"Venomarin and her half of the Sarav are waiting to help out, remember?"
"Aye ... cover me."
"Sure, boss," Emerald said dutifully, and took up her stand beside Scimitar, who closed his eyes. Emerald saw a slight shimmering around him, and the leaves that littered the compoud stirred slightly. Then Scimitar opened his eyes.
"Venom is coming. She said that she had assumed that we needed help ... and set up an ambush. They will be here," and he paused to listen to the wild yells and warcries that now issued from the Sarav, "shortly."
No sooner said than done, for Venomarin materialized just as Scimitar finished. With a short nod of her cowled head, she began to work.
Chilling death-winds, icy cold, did their work in installing a sense of dread and defeat. Growing darkness and gathering clouds spelled doom, and half-heard unintelligible whispers gabbled on tendrils of silent, creeping shadow. Emerald shook of the chills and prepared to fight ... yet another lizard.
"You know, Scimitar, I have a feeling that these guys are extremely intelligent, and they're very well trained ..." she began, to see her third lizard, a big grey thing, slink between two combatants and slide towards her.
"... and they always come after me," she finished. Her stolen black sword glimmered in the light as she drew it.
Scimitar hefted his namesake thoughtfully, then hissed as a randomly (or not so randomly) shot laser scored his swordarm. Blood caught at the light, but Scimitar dove into the fray without a backwards glance, heading for the sniper ... leaving Emerald alone.
The lizard stalked across the compound towards her, and she remembered another battle in a different compound, a battle under twin suns, with her allies and the freed slaves fighting Kroys' guards - she was jerked back with the realization that the lizard held a dart in his hand, just before he closed on her.
She slashed at him, and he skipped aside easily. This one was bigger than the second, but unlike that one, this one was strangely devoid of expression.
"Sso bold. No fear?" he hissed. Emerald laughed breathlessly.
"No fear? Oh yeah, I'm just trembling. WHY do I always get you guys, huh?"
"Sso confident ... unfortunately."
"Yeah, well, I asked you a question. What are you?"
"I am an infiltrator, trained to kill ... and you are my target!"
"Oh? So what's your problem, buddy?"
"Sso intelligent? ... not enough sso. You are a danger," it added, ducking a quick swipe.
"So? You are, too."
He hissed angrily. Emerald forced herself to swing again.
"Sss ... Deathwreaker commandss me. Jusst asss you crusshed Kroyss, sso he will crussh you!"
"Through you," she said contemptuously, although she would have rathered save her breath.
"Through me, and my fellow infiltratorss ... you are dangerouss to him. You, and no other!"
"I'm honored," she said sardonically. The lizard slipped through her defenses, to be repelled by her dagger.
"Sso foolish ..."
"Yeah, your buddy said that too. If you'll stand still a moment, I'll show you how he died!"
To which the lizard only hissed at, and moved in. Emerald slashed again, her sword flashing dizzyingly, and the lizard dodged it and ducked in. Emerald barely had time to realize that he was prepared to stick her with the dart before he collapsed liquidly, a boneless heap.
Venomarin had simply touched his shoulder, the barest brush with her skeleton hand. It was enough. Emerald stared uncomprehendingly at the broken body, before lifting her eyes to Venom's featureless hood.
"T-thank you," she said, and the Fader merely nodded, before turning away.
Now I know what Death looks like. If Death had a form, it was a Fader.
Then she realized there were no more guards.
Ferran appeared at her side, sabers sheathed.
"Sheathe your sword," she said. Emerald looked down at the black weapon, before shaking her head and throwing the black sword away. Ferran lifted her eyebrows, but said nothing but, "hold still. This may hurt."

After Emerald's wounded shoulder was tended to, she counted the Sarav remaining. Thirty out of the original hundred and twenty were dead, several of them good friends. Scimitar had sustained several cuts and slices, each of them serious, none of them life-threatening. They all hurt.
"We have succeeded ... I did not expect an ambush. But we have hurt the Deathless Ones, hurt them worse than they hurt us," he said, wincing. "Ferran, tell them what you saw." The Sarav stood.
Ferran was a vixen, a grey fox. She bore two curved swords, and fought like a demon with them. The only thing she wore that could not be used as a weapon was her silver cross, on a steel chain around her neck. It was the only remnant of her old life.
"I had made my way to the end of the guard wave," she said, her cold, expressionless voice even. "There was a Deathless One there. It saw me, and began to work its magics to slay me.
"I called for Venomarin - she was angry. She came to me, and the Deathless One saw her. It tried to kill her and failed, succeeding only in angering her further. She materialized in front of it, and touched its shoulder. The leaves whirled around her, enveloping the Deathless One also, and began to flame ... when they subsided, only Venomarin stood there. She had slain the Deathless One, but when I tried to thank her she turned on me. Her anguish and fury was audible ... you heard it when the - the voices - strengthened ... Scimitar interceded, and Venomarin turned on the remaining guards, slaying at merely a look. That was when they fled."
Scimitar stood. "So you have it. Venomarin has verified this ... and now we know that the Deathless Ones are desperate.
"And they can be killed."

Zanzibar glanced down yet again at the small white talisman on his chest. It was a rune, in the language of the Faders. Sharrakamov had given it to him to call the Fader when needed ... and it would come in handy.
Briefly he envied Sharrakamov's ability to vanish and materialize at will. It would be very useful at the moment, considering the predicament he was in. Or, to be precise, the prison he was in.
He was, at that moment, confined inside four featureless, slick, lusterless steel walls on the Yelantra Sentry. His future, at the moment, was a bleak one.
Foolish, foolish, foolish! Curse this reckless curiousity, curse this inability to keep to my own business! Curse these Deathless Ones and their reasons for keeping me here! Aah, Coppertop, Wild Angel, Claw, I need you! Ducky, Kovu - all my companions - hear me! I cannot exist many more hours between these four walls without going insane!
Zanzibar mentally cursed and berated himself and the Deathless Ones as he paced the short eight steps it took to cross his cell. His hand found the rune and he looked down again, wondering ...
- But what would one Fader do against a ship swarming with Deathless Ones? Even Sharrakamov's fury and hate couldn't sustain him for long. No.
But by all the Faders on Firen and by all the denizens of the deep, there had to be a way! And he would find it.
An inexplicable heaviness entered his limbs, making him drowsy. Wearily the cat found the cot in the corner and collapsed upon it as the rune worked its magic on him. Sleep came, half welcomed as fatigue forced him to stay down.
Zanzibar slept, his hand still on the rune ...

... Another also slept, one whose dreams were not easy. Wild Angel was once more being tormented in that Place by the Deathless Ones.
It was better. Ducky was with her, and because the Deathless Ones were numerous, Shinyso was on the way. For some reason, the Deathless Ones feared him as much as Kroys had. Perhaps it was that golden jewel, once tarnished and sooty, that he now possessed - that jewel that had almost brought Kroys' downfall on its' own, the jewel with the name Belaine etched faintly on it, now set in a plain steel band, that he always had with him as a reminder, he said, of how someone so good and honest had been corrupted by power. "It keeps me humble," he'd said on more than one occasion.
Or perhaps it was simply that quiet aura that always surrounded him - that aura of danger, and controlled power; not magic, but more physical.
Whatever it was, the Deathless Ones walked softly around him. No less deadly, but more softly.
Angel had built up a kind of mental fortress to which she retreated when they pressed her too badly. It worked - when someone else was there as well. Sometimes it was Shinyso, sometimes Ducky, and on rare occasion, Claw graced her with his presence.
There was another presence there today (or tonight); one that Angel had not felt before. It was in the flickering in the mist shrouded trees, in the soft, almost unheard footsteps through the for, in the white curtains that swirled and fluttered in the silent, unseen passage of somebody. It was in the restlessness of Wild Angel, and in the unease in the Deathless Ones without.
It was there.
Materializing of misty moonlight, a translucent figure wavered into existance. It flickered uncertainly as it told its' message.
"Foolish, foolish, foolish! Curse this reckless curiousity, curse this inability to keep to my own business! Curse these Deathless Ones and their reasons for keeping me here! Aah, Coppertop, Wild Angel, Claw, I need you! Ducky, Kovu - all my companions - hear me! I cannot exist many more hours between these four walls without going insane! Help me!" It wavered again, vanished. Angel wished fervently that Shinyso was there.
"Yes, Angel?"
"Shinyso!"
"Trouble, sorceress?" Shinyso asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly.
"Not trouble yet. But something has just happened ..." and she told him of the apparation that had appeared. He listened calmly.
"It may be that this was a warning - or a plea for help. Either way, I think -" he was cut off as the figure reappeared, its' haunted eyes now solid and fixed on Angel desperately, one hand on something hanging from an invisible thread around its' neck, the other hand reaching out to steady it, reassuringly real.
"Zanzibar! What happened - ?" Shinyso stared at the cat. Zanzibar laughed bitterly.
"My cursed curiousity could not keep away. I got too close. Angel! Help me. I'm trapped; there's no way out. Even Sharrakamov could not help me now. It's infested - swarming with Deathless Ones. They haven't touched me; They don't dare, now that They've seen the Talisman. But that doesn't keep me from needing food and water. I'm going insane, I swear. If I don't get out of here soon, I may die, and not from starvation, either. They're going to break me, I know it. And the worst thing about it is I can't do anything about it.
"They want us - I don't know why, but I think They're afraid of us. They're coming after you next, if they haven't already - and this time They're determined not to fail. Deathwreaker - Beren - he controls the Kronans. He controlled Kroys before you slew him. He fears you and your unpredictability, and he fears your abilities and determination. Kroys was a nice prelude to what he's planning. You're a threat to him and his Empire, and he wants you out of the picture ASAP.
Warn Copper. Warn Emerald Dragon, and the rest of their friends. Warn Claw if you haven't already. Tell the assassin - Nightshade. Anybody who participated. They want you - all of you - dead. Dead rabbits, after all, tell no tales.
"Don't say you haven't been warned. Get me out of here! They can just forget me and let me rot, and They'll do it, too. Help me, please. I have allies, powerful allies, but they can't help me here. Not even Sharrakamov.
"Beware; this place is worse than Kroys' prison ships, than his shipmines. There you did something. Don't get caught, whatever you do - it may just be the last thing you do. They have no mercy - It has no mercy! There's no peace of mind until I leave, I know that. It's got me, and It wants to keep me. I hate this - I almost wish I was back in the prison ships, it's that bad.
"I've got to go - They know I'm here, and They don't like it. Just help me, and warn the others. Soon." He vanished, leaving Angel muddled and shocked.
"Back to reality, Shinyso, wake me up. Somebody! I need to talk about this!"
The dream state receded, and Angel awoke, trembling, with more questions from that meeting than answers.

If I could write with the skill and detail of some authors -- *stares in awe at Shade's and Coppertop's work of art* -- I'd be the happiest persona live.

Haven't I mentioned this already!

SPAMTASTIC!

One reply. Hmm, I guess this topic kinda fell out of favor a while back. 41 Falcon, you're going to have to tell Kovu and Ducky and defalcon and all the other guys that this story is now officially revived. In the meantime, I shall tell more of it because somebody actually replied.

"So, Zanzibar appeared, told you about something that was filled with Deathless Ones, told you to warn me, added in something about Them wanting to kill us, and then begged you for help. Okay, any ideas?"
"First," said Claw dryly, "we'd better know what this 'It' is."
"It ... It? ... It! I wonder ... "
"Well spit it out, girl," said Blacksheep. "What is it?"
"Well," said Angel, "y'know that Presence I felt on the Sentry? He's probably there ... yes ... that's it!" She leapt up and danced crazily around, grabbing - of all people to grab - Claw and hugging him fiercely. Looking surprised and not a little bit alarmed, Claw struggled to pull himself free. Copper was just about having a coniption (sp?) fit, she was laughing so hard, and even Omega was having a hard time not smiling. Shinyso looked tolerantly aloof, but Blacksheep joined Angel in dancing until she fell down, gasping. Finally, she said, "okay, now, mind telling us what your incredible powers of deduction deducted?"
"And," said Claw, not at all amused, "mind letting me go now? And not repeating that performance?"
"Oh, sorry, Claw," said Angel, releasing him. "Right. Yah, I know where Zanzibar is! The Yelantra Sentry prison cells - he's being starved in one of them."
"Okay," said Copper, who had recovered from her laughing fit, "then what's this Sharrakamov?"
"I can only assume it's that powerful ally he was talking about. And I'm guessing that he - or it - gave him the rune thingy."
"Right, that makes sense," said Grath, nodding. "And you said that you tagged the place?"
"Yes, I - waitaminute. I am NOT going back there! Never! I can't face that again - they'll get me!"
"We're gonna be with you the entire time. Now, next time you go back into that Place, I want you to tag that cat. The thingy in the ship will never know what hit it. Then we're gonna find that ship, and you're going to make an illusion of a fleet attacking it. Then we're going to get in there while the Deathless Ones guys are busy, and we're going to take Zanzibar out."
"I have a better idea," said Angel. "Why don't I just open a warp to where Zanzibar is, he steps through to here, and poof! the warp vanishes? That'd be so much easier."
"Yeah," said Grath, "I guess it would."
"Can you do that?" asked Alpha.
"Maybe," said Angel. "If Ducky helps me."
"How?" asked that member suspiciously.
"Well, I need a bit of your energy. Just to find where Zanzibar is, mind you, and then you can break the link and I'll make the warp."
"Oh. Okay. How much?"
"Energy? Just a little."
"Right. Let's do it."

Zanzibar was asleep, dreaming tortured dreams. Something was laughing at him, and pain burned his mind like burning irons, and nothing was there when he looked.
A dark, robed figure rose before him, became Sharrakamov, mutated into Beren, and then writhed and melted away into the cowled form of Death, bearing its scythe menacingly. Zanzibar yelled and ducked as it sliced at him, and then Death melted away too and with it went the dream.
He awoke staring at a shimmering warp, hanging just in front of him. He stared at it, and the oval cleared. He saw Wild Angel and Ducky standing just beyond, looking tolerantly impatient.
"C'mon, Zanzibar," said Wildie. "We got someplace to go and someone to see, y'know."

Selantrio watched carefully, looking like Death warmed over and in a bad mood. Mechanis and his subordinates were not his concern at that point ... the scouts were.
"Surely you can give me better news to tell Lord Deathwreaker," he said, his robes rustling. The Deathless One before him shook his head slightly.
"No. They have dropped out completely ... and even our DreamScouts cannot reach the sorceress There. It is simply impossible."
"Keep searching!" Selantrio snapped, his manner haughty and cold. "We cannot afford to lose them. Our reputation is at stake."
"Of course, Commander. There is no place in the galaxy that they can hide for long." He turned, triggered the permanent portal that lay behind, and stepped through. The thick swirling colors eddied and flowed behind him, leaving Selantrio alone.
"Commander." The hooded profile of a Deathless One appeared, translucent before him. "We have news from the Nightdweller."
"Transmit message to datapad. I will respond shortly."
"Transmitting ... transmitted. Out." the image winked out.
The message on his datapad was short and frantic, sent by a terrified Kronan with, for once, good grammar.
"Commander of Nightdweller, Yelantra Sentry has emergency! Repeat, Yelantra Sentry has emergency!"
"Proceed, soldier."
"The prisoner has escaped by unknown agency, leaving no trace!"
"Perhaps, soldier, you had better explain what prisoner."
"Uh, big black feline with taste for blood, white chest fur and whiskers, scar on one shoulder. Odd eyes, change color always. Wears white talisman around neck on invisible thread. He had blaster and dagger when we caught him. Goes by name of Zanzibar Sia, participant in downfall Lord Emperor Kroys. Native Firenzev, fierce, nasty. Escaped, I tell you! No trace!"
"You daft, idiotic fool," Selantrio said calmly. The Kronan quailed. "Lord Deathwreaker will not relish this news. Find the cat or else.
Now."

OMG it''s Coppertop!
Welcome back! Brilliant stuff!