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				To Hell and Back
			Chapter Seven - Dramatic Twister
			Original Concept by Steven Scougal
				This Part by Chris Finch
				   aka ColdFury
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	Tao walked alongside Treisel as the party entered the forboding
land of Ying.  Her boots kicked a rock, scaring a nearby... whatever that 
thing is.  It looked sort of like a rabbit; were rabbits possessed of 
fangs, horns, and spiked boots, or so she thought.  She turned and 
admired the way the sun lit up Treisel's face.  How the wind whisped 
through his hair, and the way his admittedly meek but still somewhat 
muscular physique showed off through his tight--.  She cut herself off 
at that point, as that annoying tingling feeling had returned.  If she 
wasn't careful the others might think she was cold, and heaven knows what 
she'd do then.

	A noise came from behind her, but a quick glance revealed that Waj 
was just laughing at something Zeke had told him.  Those two were 
apparently catching up on old times, but old times were not meant for 
'mortal ears', as they were conferring several feet behind herself and 
Treisel.  How an angel and a demon could be such good friends, she didn't
know.  She briefly wondered about the mysterious Ezekiel.  His 
appearance was very convinient.  Almost too convinient.  For not the 
first time during this trip she thought the words, "Why me?"

	Before her mind could even begin to hypothosize an answer, she felt 
a sudden tingling feeling.  Her heart picked up its pace as she realized 
she wasn't even looking at Treisel this time.  "MAGIC!" was what she 
would've cried had the world not suddenly turned out the lights around 
her.  Regretfully, she didn't even get to see Treisel land on top of her. 

***********

	Ezekiel suddenly froze in spot, and began to glow with an aura of 
bright white light.  Waj paused in midstride, surprised.  Then he too 
felt the spell in action.  "Hrmph.  That kind of tickled."

	His eyes closed in concentraion, Zeke suddenly looked at Waj with
a shocked gleam in his eyes, and opened his mouth to speak when he heard 
Tao shout out.  As Tao and Treisel landed upon each other, the two beings 
of the lands many fear to speak of ran foward to check on their friends.  
Waj shook his head.  "They're out cold."

	Zeke's eyes narrowed as he examined them.  "Someone was casting a 
spell upon us.  My angelic aura saved me.  It is awful hard to cast a 
spell on an angel when you don't mean to.  What about you my friend?  I 
thought my workings had only given you the most meager of powers.  I had
no idea you could protect yourself in this manner."

	Waj kind of shrugged in a 'I'm not entirely sure of this' manner, 
"I think I ate it.  I'm not thirsty any more."

	"..."

	"Remember how I'm not sucking the life out of anything I touch?  I 
think I'm sucking in magic to stay alive.  That and ale.  And mutton," 
Waj grinned toothily, which was a scary sight even if he DID look entirely 
human thanks to his transmogrification ability.

	Ezekiel nodded slowly, contemplating Waj's answer, "That would make 
sense.  You do need some sort of energy to survive.  Just try to keep with 
the ale and mutton however.  Wouldn't want to hurt our young friends here."
After a moment of thought, "So that's why you were shrunken in Lurien."

	Waj shook his head, "No, I think Tao's aura screwed up one of the 
Lurien's spells.  Or one of the Luriens did it on accident.  I just 
didn't want the little miss to feel guilty."

	Ezekiel grinned, "Good show Waj."

	Waj nodded, "Right-o then.  So what happened to these two?  I thought 
Tao's field of chaos or what not would negate any magic around her?"

	"I'm not entirely sure.  But it doesn't negate magic, it causes it to 
change form chaotically," Zeke postulated, "which means that harming them 
may not have been the original intent of the spell, but we have cannot be 
certain at this point."

	Waj frowned, "What sort of sod would cast a spell on random travellers 
anyhow?  Not a very friendly thing to do I would think."

	Ezekial's eyes glowed as he cast a Trace Magic spell.  "Let us find 
out my friend, and make our way too him.  Ah.  The spell originated from a 
tower to the west of here."  He peered at his unconcious companions.  

	Waj guessed his thoughts, "Wouldn't do to take them into harm's way 
helpless would it?  Particuarly since the best I can do to protect them
is to stand in the way of them.  There isn't much I can do with a fire 
shield and a transmogrification spell offensively."

	"No it wouldn't, and we'll have to see if I can unlock any more of
your powers later.  I suppose we'll have to hide them somewhere and come 
back for them.  This is an isolated land, so I think we can risk it once
I put a few Discourage spells around them to keep the local flora and 
fauna away from them."

	Waj heaved the former college students over his shoulders, "I saw 
a cave over there.  Let's hide them there."

	They deposited their friends in what they thought was seclusion, 
not having any idea that a pair of female eyes watched them as they did.  
"Let's see them lose it *THIS* time..."  She allowed herself a quiet 
laugh.  "ohohohohohoh!"

********** 

	Treisel awoke with a pain behind his eyes.  Ah yes, he was getting 
quite used to that pain.  It seemed any time he started a day fresh and 
bright and eager to do something, someone was bound to knock him out 
painfully and put him... where the hell was he?

	He looked around anxiously, seeing nothing but a white fog around 
him in all directions.  This was quite disturbing, as it had been summer 
last he checked.  But this wasn't nearly as disturbing as his next 
revelation. 

	"I'm floating!"  His legs wiggled a bit as if to emphasize the point.  
After a few minutes of extreme panic, his short attention span started to 
kick in, saving him from an entire episode of being the damsel in distress.

	"Alright, so I'm floating.  Surrounded by white fog.  Anything else?"
He examined around him closely, searching out far and wide for any telltale 
clues as to where he could be.  He was searching so far and wide he almost 
missed the magical tether coming out of his very own back and fading off 
into the distance.

	"An astral umbilical cord!  I'm in the astral plane!"  Thoughts of 
dozens of warnings of many of his teachers about the hazards and dangers 
of the astral plane flashed through his head at once.  Untamable, 
powerful creatures running around rampant.  Deities sometimes wandering 
around looking for smiteable victims.  How if your umbilical cord got cut 
you'd never get back to your body, ever.  "Wow.  Cool."

	After a few minutes of experimentation and pounding himself in the 
astral head he was able to remember what one of his professors had taught 
him about magic casting in the plane.  Not all spells worked, and some 
were less powerful than they were back home.  But fortunatetly the same
professor had taught him a few important tricks just in case.  After a 
quick cast of Astral Flight he was now controlling his floatation through 
the white haze.  Going in the direction where his mystical connection to 
his body was coming from, he set off to find the exit.  "Wonder how the 
hell I got here?  And where's everyone else?  Oh well, they'll make do.  
Home I go!"

**********

	Tao stirred slowly.  The first thing she noticed was that her hair 
was in her face.  She tried to raise her hand to push it out of the way, 
but realized she was unable to move it.  A quick test of her hands, other 
limbs, and her torso proved she was quite tied down.  She was only able to 
move her head about.  All around her was a white fog, and she was strapped 
to an invisible table by invisible straps.

	"Her aura does not follow her here."

	"She is helpless before us, yessss."

	"We should kill her now."

	"That would be most unpleasent."

	Tao panicked, struggling at her bonds quickly.  "Wh-where am I?  
Who are you?  And what did you do to Treisel?"  Despite not being able to 
see anyone or anything, she could sense them.  They were floating near her, 
observing her struggle.  It was like they were examining every inch of her. 
Studying her for their own strange ends

	"She does not understand."

	"Her power is a mystery to her."

	"Our true forms would hurt her mind."

	"That we must not do, yes."

	"Yes, forms she can relate to shall do nicely."

	Suddenly, on either side of her,  standing along side of her was 
Treisel and Waj.  "You... you're not Treisel!  Get away from me!"  She 
struggled some more, but finally gave up as it was clear her bonds were 
not going anywhere until they wanted to.

	"No we are not.  We are observing you.  Are you their child?"

	"She does not know what you mean."

	"Shush.  Her parents might have revealed themselves to her."

	Tao's eyes widened to the size of saucers.  "My, parents?  I... 
don't have any parents."  Her mind flashed back to her life growing 
up in an orphanage with other kids, a surrogate family for her 
childhood.  Only years of study and hard work was she able to win the 
chance to attend the school.  An anonymous benefactor had granted her 
a scholarship upon reading an essay she wrote.

	"You?  No parents?  That is not true."

	The Waj-like being shook his head.  "She is unaware.  She does 
not know it yet.  The poor sod."  Intentional or not, this reference to
her friend made her even more disturbed.  She intentionally kept from
looking at the Treisel look alike.  Just in case.

	Trei looked almost adamant with his expressionless face,  "We 
cannot interfere."

	Waj considered.  "We can cease her existence.  End it all now."


	The Trei shaped entity looked calmly thoughtful.  "Perhaps..."

	Tao looked between the two with eyes of one who knows they're 
trapped with no way out. Her thoughts turned to prayer and promises.  
"Oh please, I'll attend regularly.  Honest.  Just get me out of this.  
Anything.   Please."  The panic increasing as the two entities seemed 
to be conferring mystically so that she couldn't hear, she thought 
over and over again.  "Oh Trei... PLEASE get me out of this."

*****************

	Chancellor Hatstring fingered his collar nervously.  IT had been 
here for five minutes so far, not having said a word since claiming to 
be representing 'them'.  The fact that he was dressed as death and held 
a very, VERY sharp scythe was not helping to calm the Chancellor's 
nerves.  Feyluck cleared his throat, and started shakily, "S-so, you 
represent... them?"

	The cloaked figure nodded.  "Indirectly of course.  They never
tell anyone what the want.  You however have been told by more than one
party what is important here, have you not?" The Chancellor was 
regretting the day he ever laid eyes on that Feymu girl.  

	"I may have... picked up a few tidbits of knowledge."

	The skeletal figure smiled a bony grin, and suddenly morphed into 
a replica of Neville, the Chancellor's workstudy secretary.  "A few
bits of it is an exageration.  You have wisps Chancellor, wisps.  I'm
here to warn you."

	Feyluck nearly fainted, "W-Warn me!?  About what?"

	The Neville look alike changed into a duck, but kept talking anyhow,
"Stay out of this chancellor.  Stay away from any messengers with 
strange coins, or away from conviniently appearing replications of 
Death, convincing you to hold onto the coins.  Heed my words of wisdom
Hatstring.  Trust no one."

	With that, the duck exploded into a cloud of feathers.

	Feyluck Hatstring slumped in his seat, clearly at a loss.  

	"Replications of Death?  He convinced me to... NEVILLE!"

	The young lad ran into the room hurridly.  "Yes, Chancellor?"

	"Display these coins immediately in the faculty lounge, I want
them out of my office at once!!"  Noticing the look he was receiving
from the boy he added, "...so that others can enjoy them as much as I."

	He handed the boy the bag of coins, who quickly carried it out
to accomplish his task.  "Finally.  Alone."  With those damn cursed 
coins gone, Hatstring relaxed in his chair and fell asleep into a long 
powernap.

	Or he would have had a bony finger not tapped him on the shoulder.

	"PARDON ME?  AM I INTERRUPTING ANYTHING?  I HAVE COME TO INQUIRE
IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON TAO FEYMU?"

	Chancellor Hatstring was so shocked he almost wet his pants. 
Alright, he *did* wet his pants.

	Ladies and gentlemen, Death is in the building.

********************

	Once upon a time, this had been a kingdom of relative technological 
marvel.  They had wonderful contraptions, gears, and other such items to 
do their work for them.  They didn't get many visitors, but they were happy 
with being left well enough alone.  Besides, people with names that didn't 
begin with N, Q, or X might start showing up if they let just anyone in, 
and that wouldn't do at all.  However, things had changed in the not so 
happy Kingdom of Lurien.  After those strangers had rode into town, 
followed by them quickly running back out, things had never quite been 
the same.  First off, the town now owned a mule that refused to do damn 
near anything except make loud noises in the middle of the night.  Of 
course there was also the problem of a third of the population suddenly 
having their magical heritage forced into the on position.

	They had long ago wasted their reserves of magic, but it would 
resurface at amazing rates.  All across town there were quarantines in 
effect, hoping to stop others from erupting in this strange hallucinatory 
disease.  But life is life, and as such, it struggled to continue on.  
Even just a few short days after all this began, the pub where it first 
broke out was back in business.  Granted, there was a large supply of 
water and swords in stock just on the chance that someone set a table on 
fire or accidentally summoned a monster from the nether realms 
(although no one managed to accidentally summon a farmer from the 
netherrealms quite yet).  Also, one room was left open just in case some 
lucky SOB's magical ability suddenly conjured up a nymph.  Even Governor 
Priapus XXVI was still recovering from that one night.

	It was this pub that three adventurers rode up to.  Two rode on a 
white horse, majestic in its beauty, and awe inspiring with its mane.  
The third rode on a rather bulky but plain brown horse.  More of a war 
horse than a horse one would want to ride on a long trek.  Yet the female 
dressed in half platemail armor on it's saddle didn't seem to mind.  She 
simply hopped off his saddle, and tied him up as she watched the other 
two ride up besider her.

	Controlling the horse was a man in his late 40's or early 50's.  
He wasn't impressive physically at 5'6" with his small frame, but his 
face was hardened from battle.  His hair still retained it's color, but 
shades of grey premeated it.  He looked around in disdain.  "Really Ms. 
Poshtin, I don't know where we will find you another steed.  This poor 
town looks like it has been besieged by a plague."  He gestured towards the 
boarded up buildings lining the main street.

	Genni Poshtin would have responded, had she not been busy falling 
off the horse while trying to dismount.  An apprentice sorceress, she was 
earning credits for her masters degree by entering a learn by doing program.  
When she landed the internship in the security forces, she thought she was 
in for a moderately exciting time.  Little did she know that she would be 
called upon to join with the head of University security to search out for 
an expelled student and a dropout travelling with a demon.

	With a *whump* she landed on her ass hard, and was dazed for a moment.  
When she looked up she saw her other companion, Adventurer student Iryien 
Haernsled staring up her short green skirt she wore as her sorceress uniform 
with a bemused look on her face.  Glaring at Iryien, she quickly stood and 
straightened her outfit.  "I'm just not used to horse's yet."  Particularly 
when she had incinerated the last one when she accidentally cast a fireball 
instead of a guiding light spell.  She was just an incantation or two off.  
But now Dr. Bulman didn't let her cast anything, which was the only reason 
she was around.  It could've happened to anyone though.

	Her thoughts were interrupted as Dr. Bulman dismounted and tied his 
horse up next to Iryien.  "The Gatekeeper said 3 travellers came through 
here and caused quite a ruckus.  It was odd that he wouldn't say how, but 
perhaps they were frightened by a demon in their town.  The University's 
records on Lurien are somewhat vague since no one travels through here."

	He surveyed his group once again, wondering how he had let the 
Chancellor talk him into this.  It could be the fact that Hatstring 
threatened to fire Dr. Bulman if he didn't.  He certainly didn't understand 
why the Chancellor had such a sudden interest in locating Ms. Feymu and 
that dropout.  But this was his lot in life, he might as well grow to 
accept it.

	Iryien stretched slightly, her muscles sore from the long horseback 
ride.  She started performing the ancient stretching rituals of her culture, 
a group of warriors from the far north who migrated from place to place to 
wherever they could find food and shelter.  She had come to the University 
as a family tradition, every warrior in the Haernsled had graduated from 
the prestigious University, so would she.  But a school was not a place 
for a warrior to dwell long, so when she heard of a possible work study 
project, she jumped at the chance to leave her dorm.  It had taken a bit 
of convincing of her advisor on her part, but after a 'talk' or two he 
quickly dressed and had recommended her to Dr. Bulman for his party.  
Perhaps she would convince the Doctor of her worth as well.  As it was 
they'd been traveling for a few days, and she was getting restless.  Even 
Genni was looking good to her now, not that it took much for her to start 
looking on both sides of the fence for entertainment.

	Her thoughtful reviere was interrupted by the stares of her 
companions.  She stopped her stretching exercises and raised her 
eyebrow in curiosity, "What?" 

	Genni spoke first, "What on earth are you doing?"

	Iryien thought for a moment.  "Oh!  I'm just stretching.  In my 
culture we've discovered the pelvic [THRUST] (which she demonstrated as 
she said) is a perfect stretching exercise.  It exercises many different
muscles.  I can show you how--"

	Dr. Bulman cut her off quickly, "No, we need to investigate and 
find out which whey Ms. Feymu and company went.  Let's get a quick meal 
from this tavern and question the locals discretely."  He led them into 
the bar, where they found a corner table that was concealed from the 
windows a bit too well.  Squinting, he tried to read the menu in the 
low lighting.  "Remember ladies, discretion is the key."  Swearing his 
poor vision he cast a minor light spell to enable him to read the menu.

	When the screaming and panic and grabbing of swords happened, it 
was quickly apparent that discretion was no longer an option.

********************

	Deep in the heart of the land of Ying... okay a mile or so in, at 
a mystical tower holding the most powerful mages of the land... or at 
very least his half brother Laistrin of Oxbow Lake, Waj and Ezekiel 
waited in the bushes, observing the security.  Waj scratched his 
head, "Are you sure this is where the spell came from?"

	Ezekial nodded, brandishing a holy mace as his clothes shifted 
from common to holy looking armor.  "Very.  His intentions were not
friendly Waj.  We must be prepared to stop him using force.  You 
should show your true form.  It would serve us to have the guards
running in terror rather than staying and fighting."

	Waj nodded, and transmogrifcated his body back to it's original
state, his skin turning crimson red, horns protruding from his skull, 
and his pitchfork returning to him from his personal StorageSpace.  
"Well, if this will help Trei, I suppose it's alright."

	Zeke nodded, "We'll try reasoning with them first of course.
We are all civilized beings after all."  Zeke and Waj emerged onto
the path to the tower and walked up to the two sentries on guard.

	Waj began, "Pardon me sirs, but we were wondering if we could
perhaps speak with the wizard of the house?"

	The guards stared at Waj a moment, before one of them rang an 
alarm bell.  "DEMON!  IT'S A DEMON!"  Zeke charged foward to attack the 
sentries as at least a half dozen guards came out of the tower to defend
their master.  

	As Waj knocked one out, he sighed audibly.  "Humans just can't
handle stress."

******************

	Treisel floated about aimlessly.  After what seemed to be near 
10 hours, he had finally remembered that the only way out of the Astral
Plane was via magical means.  You couldn't simply trace your way back
to your body using your umbilical cord.  His mind started to wander as
he saw yet another patch of white lead to yet another patch of white
and so on.  Gods this was boring.

	Suddenly, he had the feeing that he should try to find someone,
anyone.  With great effort, he was able to remember the incantation
to a detect lifeforce spell, and decided to risk it.  It seemed to
work alright, and he headed off towards the most powerful signal
he picked up.  "Damn.  I still want some chicken noodle soup too."

******************

	As Zeke's mace smashed in the helmet of the last guard, sending
him into the blissful retreat of unconciousness, Waj burst in through
the door at the very top of the tower.  Peering around for a moment, 
he looked for the source of what caused his human friends trouble.  

	Then the body with it's head in a bowl of chicken soup caught 
his attention.  Waj stared at it for a moment.  "That doesn't look
like a defensive pose to me."  He lifed the man out, and found he was
still breathing.

	Just then Zeke burst in with a flurry of motion, surprising Waj
and causing him to drop Laistrin back into his scrying soup.  Zeke 
blinked, "Waj, why on earth is there a man with his head in chicken
soup?"

	Waj shrugged and leaned Laistrin back again, propping him against
the back of his chair.  "You've got me chum.  Maybe whatever got Tao
and Trei got him too.  Let's look around."

	Thus Zeke and Waj began to look around for a symbol of arcane 
power that could have backfired and caused such a calamity to occur.
Unfortunately all they could seem to find was some badly drawn sketches
of bigfoot, an add for the marvelous menagerie, and a box of cracker jacks.

	And damned if it wasn't missing the prize too.

******************

	His target was nearby, he could sense it.  He slowed to a crawl, 
and stopped when he finally saw someone.  It was an elderly wizard from
the looks of things.  Treisel grinned to himself, "Now getting out will
be a snap."  He flew up to Laistrin..."Hey!  Over here!"  The wizard
jumped, as if he had awoken from a trance.

	"Stay back!  I'm a powerful wizard of my realm..." Laistrin 
quickly threw his hands up in a presumably offensive position.  Treisel
didn't recognize the pattern of attack but withdrew immediately.

	"Hey, I'm just kinda lost here, and I was hoping you could help
me find my way home."  Trei stayed perfectly still waiting for the man
to lower his offensive spell of godly proportions.

	Laistrin internally sighed as he lowered his hands.  His bluff
had worked.  He hadn't prepared to be here at all and had practically
no spells that he could remember for such a situation.  "Oh, why of
course I can, uh... try to get you home."  Laistrin peered at him.
"Don't I know you?"

	"I don't believe so," Treisel sighed internally at the lowering of
hands as well.  "I was entering Ying with my friends when--"

	"YOU!  I was casting a persuasion spell on you when I found myself
here due to some sort of feedback!  I *know* I didn't cast an astral
bannishment spell!  What have you done!?"  Laistrin was wild eyed, and
Trei found himself nervous to respond.

	"A persua... oh no... Tao's aura.  She must be here too!"  Trei
quickly searched out for a sign of life, but couldn't find any.  Just
as he was about to give up, a signal came to him, as if it were calling
out for him.  

	"There!  Follow me!"  

	Trei and Laistrin flew off to rescue Tao.  Just as soon as Trei 
taught a redfaced Laistrin how to fly in the astral plane.

***************

	Tao could feel them examining her.  They hadn't moved in what 
seemed like hours.  But she could tell they were probing her.  She
couldn't base that on any real fact, but her skin was crawling, her
skin was clammy, and her palms were sweating.  She wished that someone,
that ANYONE would get her out of there.

	For the first time in awhile the astral beings moved and walked
towards her.  "Our mistake.  You are not important."

	"You are of no consequence.

	"We shall leave you be."

	Tao looked at the two of them, first the Trei shaped one then the
Waj shaped one.  "What the HELL are you talking about?!?"  To say she 
was upset would be an understatement.  The two looked at each other, 
nervous.  As if they were afraid of something.  Tao blinked.  Her.  
They were afraid of her.  "Let me go now!"

	The Trei-like being took a step foward, "We shall not harm you."

	The Waj clone stepped up as well, "But we cannot release you."

	"Your existence is an anomaly."

	Tao blinked.  They weren't afraid of her, but of someone else.
Her parents??  But she had no... parents.  Did she?

	Suddenly a fireball exploded right in front of her face.  The
waves of orange destruction engulfed her friends counterparts, who 
seemed surprised to say the least as their existence was terminated.

	Tao had near to a second to contemplate life, why hers would never
make sense, and regret that she never had a chance to tell Trei how she
felt.  It took her at least 5 more to realize that she was still alive
and that Trei was walking toward her grinning.  Her mind did a jump as
it tried to figure out which Trei it was.  Did the clone survive the
blast?  Her panicking ended when she saw him give her that lopsided grin
of his that just made her swoon.  She glanced down at herself self
conciously, despite the situation.  These bonds were doing a lot to show
off her conservativly clothed figure.  Maybe he would notice her, maybe he
would say something just a little improper to her.  Maybe...

	"Wow Tao.  When you get into a mess you really get into it bad."
Trei leaned over and started dispelling her magical bonds one by one.

	Maybe not, Tao thought to herself.  She stayed calm as he undid
her bonds.  Although as he undid the one around her waist she got just
a trifle excited.  Just a trifle.  When she was finally released,
the torment of the past few hours caught up with her.  She had to do
something, something to release all the tension, all the insane fear
she'd felt, all the... way her heart felt when Trei rescued her.  How
heroic he looked.  How damned sexy he...

	Needless to say, Trei was getting a little worried about how silent
Tao was.  He was about to inquire to her health when he suddenly found
himself on his back (somewhat, as there was no ground he kind of just 
floated in a circle) as Tao practically tackled him with a hug.  She
looked into his eyes, and for a minute he thought he saw something
a bit more than gratitude.   Just a hint of something more special.
"Thank you," she whispered, looking him straight in the eye.  

	Maybe the adreniline from her experience was giving her a rush
of boldness she couldn't usually find, but she leaned foward slowly;
her heart threatening to leap out of her chest, join the teamsters, and
go on strike.  Her eyes closed, her breathing slowed, and leaned in close
to suddenly hear a loud *AHEM*.  

	The spell broken, Tao quickly got up.  Treisel blinked, trying 
to figure out if what he just thought almost happened had just almost
happened.  He shrugged it off to a spell they had cast on her.  She
didn't seem all there.  "You're welcome.  That's Laistrin.  He's the 
wizard who sent us here."

	Only the fact that Tao didn't have an astral flight spell kept
the venerable old wise wizard from getting his wrinkly ass handed to
him by a cute girl slap effect times ten.  After managing to calm Tao
down, Treisel explained that neither of them were quite sure why they
got here, or how to get back.

	"My aura must've messed with the spell," Tao mused, "and sent part
of it back at you."  She blinked, and Trei could swear he saw a light 
bulb over her head for a moment.  "I know!  I can dispel the spell with a 
dispel magic spell!"  

	After sharing a look, Trei and Lastrin nodded.  The old man certainly
wasn't much help, and Trei didn't remember any easy ways back home.  This
certainly seemed like the easiest way out.  Tao concentrated, and cast
the most powerful dispel magic known to the Department of Magic from the
University.

	And lo did they vanish, with the sound of a hundred people all
saying "WHOP" at once.

****************

	She tread carefully into the cave, watching the two resting figures
lying against the wall.  As she stood over them, she pulled a small item out
of her pocket.  Carefully staying away from Tao, leaning over Treisel, she
quickly muttered an incantation.  Pressing the item in her hand against his
chest, there was a flash, and the item dissappeared.  With a cackle and a 
flash she was gone.

	Treisel awoke with a start, rubbing his chest which was sore for
some reason.  Next to him, Tao's prone form jumped to life, and ended
up rolling on top of him.  After a loaded silence, Tao blinked, "I'm
awake right?"

	Treisel looked at her in the eye and slowly responded, "Yesss."  
Perhaps the extreme stress had gotten to her.

	Tao turned tomato red and rolled off of him.  "Sorry."

	Treisel shook his head, "No problem.  I wonder where the guys are."

*****************

	In a dark room, a figure stood before a being cloaked in shadows,
sitting in a chair.  He looked like Death, but sounded like a regular 
man.  "And he bought it boss.  The coins aren't going anywhere."

	"Good.  He shall never know what hit him." the sitting figure 
grinned evilly.  The death-like figure turned and walked away, just
as the female from the cave arrived.  "Report.  Did you return
our item to them?"

	She nodded.  "I've tracked them from that university, to that
Inn, dropped it in the wagon, retrieved it, and now it's magically
sealed in that boy.  They won't lose it again."

	He allowed himself a laugh, for mysterious evil figures get
such rights.  "They shall be powerless to stop it until it's too
late!"

	And lo, he did laugh some more.

********************

	They ran for their lives.  Not only had the mob nearly mangled
them, overrunning their mystical defenses and their combat skills,
but their lack of a third steed for their party was slowing their
escape considerably.  Seeing a stable, Dr. Bulman steered his party
toward it, hoping the ravid Luriens would not discover them for a 
few minutes.  He practically threw Genni Poshtin from his horse.

	His orders were simple.  "We shall delay them.  Find a steed.
Now."

	With that, he and Iryien rushed out of the stable to hold off
the Luriens long enough for Genni to liberate a horse, and join
them for a quick escape.  She glanced around looking for the strongest,
most reliable steed she could find.  Her eyes searched, and she nearly
despaired upon realizing that there was no steed to be found.  

	Then she saw him.  Her eyes contacted with his.

	And he glared back.

	Simon was NOT in a good mood.  First his original owners left him.  
Then his new owners poked him with a pitchfork.  Then they left him
in a god forsaken town of madmen.  But of course, no one cared about
poor Simon.  They were only around to use him for their own means,
not caring any about his own concerns.  This one would be no different,
he decided, as she put a saddle on him and jumped on his back.

	"Giddyup!"  Her heels dug into his sides, yet nothing happened.  He
turned his head to glare at her as best he could upon his back.  They
would've stayed like that forever had the Luriens not busted in the front,
chasing a rapidly retreating Dr. Bulman and Iryien.  They ran through to
the back of the stable, where an exit was hastily created with a summoned
Bigby's smashing fist.  Simon looked at the exit, and looked at the hole.

	Might as well go.  Things won't be any different, but at least the
scenery will be.

	Simon hauled his donkey ass out of there with Genni clutching on for
dear life.

*********************

	"What the devil are you doing in my tower!?"  Laistrin cried out upon
awakening.  Approximately 10 seconds later he was struck by the irony of that
statement when it registered what exactly Waj was.  "And what the devil is
an Angel doing with a Demon!?" 

	Ezekiel shrugged.  "You know the economy these days.  Now to business.
Did you cast a spell upon our friends?"

	"The girl and the boy?" Laistrin started, "Yes, but she dispelled it
and we're back in our bodies.  Now leave me be."  He harumphed and started 
picking some noodles out of his beard.

	Waj frowned, "Casting magics upon unwilling suspects isn't a very 
respectable thing to do.  Why didn't you just come talk to us instead?"

	Ezekiel stepped in, "Never mind that.  Just don't let it happen again.
Waj, we'd best be seeing to our friends.  You head out, I want to have a 
word with our wizard friend here."

	Waj nodded, "Alright."  He headed out of the tower with nary a look
back.  His trust in his friend's judgement was pretty high.

	Laistrin raised an eyebrow, "What does an angel want with a has
been like me?"

	Ezekiel turned to Laistrin perfectly calm.  Only his eyes spoke 
the anger that lay beneath his face.  "You endangered my wards.  My
duty is to protect them.  You placed them in danger.  You placed
my plans in danger."  He pulled an extremely large sword out of thin air,
but it still appeared as if he was unsheathing it.  "You will not
interefere with my plans again."

	Laistrin looked back with confusement, then understanding, then
ultimately horror.  Then, with a swift movement from Ezekiel, and a
plop sound coming from Laistrin's head, he looked upon nothing ever
again.

*******************

	Back in the university, the coins sat in a lavish display case.
The Faculty enjoyed their lunches and breaks in this room, and were
unaccostumed to such generosity from the Chancellor for their break
area.  Despite all their popularity, no one noticed the faint glow
the coins started giving off in the background.

*******************

	Wandering out of the cave, Treisel had only one thing to say to
Tao.  It had been on his mind for some time now, and he knew she was
the only one who could give him any sort of answer on this.  He took
a breath, and asked something which had been nagging at him during 
the course of the day.

	"Damn.  Do you have any chicken soup on you?"




Author's Notes:

	Well damn.  That was harder than I thought.  I won't comment
on the plot of the part, hopefully it all makes sense and fits in
continuity wise as is.  Otherwise I'm screwed.  I won't say this
is my best work.  But I'm not gonna do any "This sucks" authors 
notes either.  If you don't like it, tough.

	I went out of my way to try to clean up some of the hazy 
continuity points.  The revolving characterizations of Death 
just *had* to be stopped, thus why there are now two death like
figures and why I made kate's a shape shifter.  

	Thanks go to Illyria, who deserves no blame for what happened
in #4, nor here, she just merely was a great sounding board for my
ideas.  She also helped me with first names of the two characters
I intro'd.  Do whatever you want with em.  Hell, Epsy can kill him
if he wants.  Someone had brought up sending someone to keep tabs on
Tao, and I figured he wouldn't go alone.

	If anyone ditches Simon again.  They will die. :)

	Thanks to Ardweden, Illyria, and various others who would've 
proofread had their simply been the time.  As it was, there... wasn't.

	Groovy thanks to Angelcat for being around and letting me jump
her with proofing tasks.

	And thanks to Mervyn for being super cool about my slight tardiness.
Starting school took a bit more time than I anticipated.  That and 
my car decided to die.  

	And somewhere, a clown cried.

	I've just always wanted to say that.

	Oh, and I Love You, Tai! :)

--ColdFury
1/29/00