Interlude Seventeen

Kit feels and has overwhelming guilt over not telling the group about burning the book. She was going to tell them right up to the point of the commune spell but the negative feadback she was getting toward anything having to do with talking to Grinval made her feel it would be fruitless to say anything and only cause the group to riecuel her for having associated with him. She misunderstood about which seal was the first and the last and now feels responsible for the people dieng in the world. She felt there was a secret about the hole thing the church was not letting out but the attitude of the group made her fear going against what they where doing was wrong since they seemed to have so much evidence it was the right thing to do. She did make the suggestion as to not bring down the Light seal at all after the encounter with the White Monks but that was pushed off and reenforced her feelings she should let them follow their plan that was seemingly backed by the church and evem Heronious himself. She feels so much guilt for those people dieng she wants to try to end this as quick as possible and after repeated attempts to get the party to focus on this she is despert to try to put together a quick strike team to track and slay the remaining evil, she would probably teleport to those she has come to know and put for this plan with tears in her eyes that this is needed to save hundreds of innocent people from a terrible and wrong death, she would go to Vavasha, Grinvall,Grazum Infernus and , Shapiro. She bekieves each my be convinced that it would be to thier benefit or just just the right course to join together and take out these Demons. Going in that order she believes she might ba able to convince each to help. It would take to long do by email and I would like to talk this thtough ASAP with you at your convinence. I could set the world back in order and set the story line back on track while still showing the party we need to work together more. To much damage has already been done. A great wrong needs to be righted.

THE DREAM (by Scott)

Kit shot up from her cot. There was a knocking at the door. Where was she? She looked around the room and saw her gear packed neatly in the corner. She rushed to the door and threw it open to find a startled figure. Kit exclaimed, "(The Name of David's Deviner), What are you doing here? I thought you were helping restore Dumit?" The surprised woman replied, "I am not sure what you speak of Miss, I am just newly employed by Okrote here in The City of Hope and was dispatched to tell you that the group was gathering with the Knights of the Thorn to depart for Birchmont. I have never been to Dumit and know not whence you speak." Kit stood stunned. Was it all a dream she thought or possibly something more. She thanked the girl and tipped her. The Girl looked at the gold piece and smiled "Thank yee my lady, may you trip be a success and your choices be true." She turned and left while Kit watched and thought aloud "Yes, may my choice be true. No matter what my friends opinion of my source I must tell them of the information he gave
me and when they ridicule me for consulting one of such nefarious past I will tell of dreams and following on a quest blinded by faith to all the warnings that may lay before you."

Kit gathered her gear and went thru the tavern to the door. Upon opening she was confronted by the horror of demons of every shape and size killing and torturing everyone in The City of Hope. All her friends and lay dead or dyeing and more demons were charging toward her. She tried to prepare a spell but no words came from her mouth. She then attempted to flee only to find her feet were sinking into the ground and she could not pull free. Just as the demons set upon her she awoke again to find herself in Birchmont. She knew she would not sleep again until she had found some way to make reparations for what she had or had not done.

KIT'S APOLOGY (by Scott)

Kit returns to the Temple after a short trip around the buildings at Birchmont. She addresses the Party, eyes red as if she has been crying "I would like to express my apologies for withholding from you all my talk with Grinval. I had received so much negative feedback when I suggested he may have some valuable information I feared I would be viewed a fool when I brought you his suggestion the book was a ruse. Even when Zeek's Spirits told of the folly of bringing down the first seal he was ignored. When the Monk's of Wormious and The Hooded Mage expressed it was wrong I was the only one to suggest leaving the seal of light up I was over looked. To often we set our sight on a quest and believe our own Ideas and sources are better than others that we look at others as fools to believe in there Spirits, Gods, Or Contacts. I am to blame as much as anyone in this and I felt it would do no good to tell you that someone you all looked at an enemy would give us anything but wrong information. After what had happened with Zeek and the Rakasha at Tunis I would be skeptical. I felt if your following your church and God without question lead you to a wrong end it would only hurt you but we are now taking on mission that are far greater reaching and affect so many others. I was wrong to hold back this information and now I will have to live every moment with the vision of the carnage in Dumit in my mind. Every waking moment all I can think of is who else is suffering or dying because of our actions of lack of. I wanted to go after those who escaped directly but our bickering and debate only allowed them time to move on and now there is another Pit Fiend loose to harm more innocent people. I cannot wait here another second and discuse what we should do. I am going to try to do whatever I can to stop the madness. You can contact me with what you decide but every second another inocent dies and it is eating away at me for I feal I am to blame. make sure there are no other imps around to free those still sealed and I hope when next we meet the world is free of those who we unleashed on it." With that said Kit envokes a spell and disapears...

(from Chris) If Kit allows it, Zeek moves closer to her and takes her hand. He whispers in her ear that he would like to talk with her and believes he can help. When she disappears, Zeek would like to go with her, especially if it is dimension door.

Scott have both of us disappear, together. OK?

***O.K....What follows below is Official History for the Campaign...enjoy.***

HUMILITY (by Scott)

Kit appeared I the room at The City of the Forge where the paintings were hung. Just over a week ago she came through here and took time to put the room to memory. The ordeal with the gluttony chair had left her digestive tract in a tender state and the teleportation did not help. She stepped through the painting once again to find Vavasha sitting in a chair starring directly at her with a stern look. Kit started speaking immediately "I made a grave error, I misinterpreted the information Grinval gave me and let my emotions rule my actions, I come now to ask your forgiveness and aid so I might stop this as soon as possible". Vavasha asked directly "Did you lead any of the infernal ones here?" Kit replied "I have had an detect scrying spell on me since first I was able and then when I was sure I was clear I cast anti detection, protection from Evil and teleported to the room on the other side of the painting". Vavasha thought for a moment then cast a spell toward the painting and white glowing ruins formed around it. It is better to be safe. Kit nodded "I have learned that much to late, which brings me to why I have come here. I want to assemble a party to take out the four remaining Sins before they can gain too much power and save as many innocent people as possible. I need your help to find the Sins and get us to them, U assume you have been following them?"

Vavasha walked over to a large map on the wall "They are not easy to follow, I have been getting information from my agents usually after the damage has been done and they have moved on." Kit took a bag from her side and handed it to him, "I gathered theses items from the Charnel houses the Sins have resided in for over five hundred years". His eyebrows rose, "That should help greatly" Vavasha paused for a moment then in a grim voice said; " I have just received word that The City of Hope was found with no apparent survivors. They found everyone naked and looking as if they had been raped." Kit felt the anger was up inside her "I tried to get them to go to the City of Hope when we were leaving Dumit but they had to get back to their DAMN Quest. I feared it would be one of the first to be hit do to its close proximity. I am going to approach Grazzum Infernos, Grinval, and Ashe to seek their help in this venture." Vavasha asked "Why not your party The Finders or the church and why those three? What makes you think they would help you in this mission?" Kit responded "The Finders are being watched and will be expected to take up this endeavor. The Sins will have up protection against them. The Church would try to banish them and I want to see them destroyed for what they have done besides it was a priest that brought the demons into this world and the lies of another that made this mistake possible. As for the three I have chosen I believe I know what will motivate them to join me. Since my teleport capability is restricted to about three others I chose them because they are the most powerful and will be the least affected by the powers of the Sins. The Demons have spells against those who are Good and people with strong belief in their religion are more open to their demonic influence since they fear them more. I hope to catch the Sins of guard with my choice and give us the edge needed to finish them off."

Vavasha pondered what Kit had said and shook his head "It is just crazy enough to work." Kit went on I can get to Grinval and Ashe but I need help locating Grazzum." Vavasha went to a mirror on the wall "That is easy enough" He said an incantation with Grazzums name and with a wave his reflection in it faded and a room with a large bed in it came to view. In the bed reclined the muscular, tanned figure of a middle aged man flanked by two sleeping women whose disheveled stated told of a night of passion that had occurred. "Do you have a Dimension door ready?" Vavasha asked Kit "Two" she replied. "Good, You may use them to move through the mirrors portal and bring back the ancient one if you are successful in convincing him to join." Kits eyes welled up as she fought back the tears "I must succeed" she whispered then recited the incantation and moved through the mirror before her.

AN OLD FLAME (by Scott)

Kit stood in the room for a moment glancing around at the décor. The design of the fabric and the style of the furneting were those of cities just north of The Spine where She had first surfaced some two years earlier from the Underdark. Just then Grazums eyes shot open as his acute senses detected someone new was in the room and he sat up in bed. "Kitten" he exclaimed much to her chagrin. That had been the nickname the soldiers of her stepmother had called her and it drummed up not to fond memories. It was then that the buxom, olive skinned lady on his left rolled over, brushed the long black hair from her eyes took one look at Kit and proceeded to scream at the top of her lungs. She was soon joined by the even more well endowed wench on the right. In unison they both launched themselves from the bed trying to take the sheet with them to cover their nakedness only to jerk it from each others hands and have it drop down over the startled gentleman still sitting on the bed between them. One ran through the door, slamming it closed behind her while the other flew out the window, which hopefully was on the ground floor, still screaming all the way. Grazzum pulled the sheet from over his head chuckling and once again looked to Kit.

He ceased his laughter when he saw Kit retained a serious look on her face. "What brings you so far from the Azure kingdom my dark beauty and why so gloomy" Kit's lower lip trebled a bit as if she fought to keep her composer. " I fear the Seal of Light around Birchmont was brought down partly do to my misunderstanding and four Demons of Sin have been loosed upon the world and are causing great misery and death." Grazzum's face went from surprise then to anger and finally went to a more mater of fact demeanor, "When will people learn to leave well enough alone? What would you have me do about this little one?" Kit directly put to him "I am here to ask your help in aiding me destroy these abominations" Grazzum came back with "Why would you think I would care one way or another what these creatures are doing in this world?" Kit responded "This will be a epic battle that will be sung of by bards and be immortalized in paintings and mosaics around the world. You will be remembered long past your or my children's, children lives should we be successful. Also I will be forever grateful to you and in your debt should you grant me your service." Just then the sound of many boots were heard coming from outside the door and there was shouting from out the window. Grazzum looked to the door and back to Kit "It seems that Drow are not well liked in these land and are thought to be akin to Demon themselves. Let me gather my armor and I hope you have an alternate escape route than the door or window. Kit turned saying "That is not the armor you will be needing for the battle to come." She began the spell as Grazzum walked up next to here carrying all his belongings. As the Captain of the Guard burst into the room all he caught a glimpse of was a naked, well tanned middle age man being lead through an glimmering opening by a black skinned white haired she-demon just before all disappeared from view.

THE EXPERT (by Scott)

Kit and Grazzum stood next to the mountain stream they had just teleported to watching a man with a silver cap who was sitting on a rock staring at a large foul smelling hole in the side of a cliff mumbling to himself. Grazzum who was now wearing black satin britches Looked questioning at Kit and asked "Tell me again why we need this feeble old man for this mission?" Kit kept watching the older man with a faint smile on her face and replied "He is our Expert on Demons and Devils." Grazzum looked back at the ma, and said, "Looks more like he is an Expert hole watcher." Kit crossed the shallow stream, leaping gracefully from stone to stone ending up next to the man. She said his name when he did not acknowledge her presence "Grinval" with out turning from his vigil on the hole he said in a sad voice "I see you did not heed my warning." Kit lowered her head " I did not think any in party would believe it and even I had doubt that it was based in truth, I did not fully understand what would happen and felt I could use information if needed but misunderstood which seal was the important one." She looked back too Grinval, her eyes now flowing with tears and her voice trembled. "You gave the strait forward truth, which is more than could be said for the words of my friends church and his God. Their words were only half truths and lies and I thank you for your honesty and have come to show you this in appreciation."
She pulled from her backpack a bundle of some kind of lizard skin and unwrapped it to show three black fleshy masses. Grinval examined them for a moment and said in an impressed voice "Hearts of Demons and Devils are rare." Kit replied "I hope to gain four more and I believe with their combined essences I hope to create a potion that will free you of he who would claim your soul." Grinval finally mad eye contacts with her and said in an impassoned tone. "And this is what you have come to offer me in trade for my help in undoing what some holier than thou zealots have released on this world?" Kit looked deep into his eyes and said with all conviction. "I started gathering these to help you before I was aware of the gravity of what was done and intended then as I do now to attempt to make this potion for you as a friend no matter what you choose to do. I have come to ask your help not in trade but as a friend and should you refuse I will understand since I did doubt you before and I thus deserve it." Grinval stared a long while before looking pass her "Who's your boy friend." Kit responded "He is Grzzum Infernous an acquaintance who has agreed to help me on my mission." Grinval's eyebrows rose, "Impressive fire power but we will need other powers if we have any hope in this endeavor plus I fear I might draw the attention from my old Master should I leave these mountains." Kit gave him a large smile' "We will be getting that help directly and I will keep anti detection and protection from evil spells on you as soon as we leave any protected area." Grinval looked back at the hole, "Well, I guess this hole will have to wait a bit longer. And I was just about ready to go in." With that he hopped down from the rock and took Kits arm.

The three Fire Trolls sat playing bones next to the lava pool in the mouth of the mountain of man. Suddenly three figures briskly walked past their position behind the stones toward the entry door the hall of Dark Lords. They recognized the Drow Female in black leathers and the tall, muscular, tanned, middle age man in black satin with the long bastard sword sporting a red Dragons head on its hilt. The short elderly man in black robes with a gray scraggly beard and silver skullcap was new. They watched as the three walked to the Blade Guardian door and the one they new to be Grazum Infernous speak the words of passage "To ere is human" then proceed across the red line and through the door with no altercation. The Trolls glanced at each other, shrugged in unison and went back to their game. As the three figures walked down the hall with the twenty thrones, all but the last on the right filled Kit glanced back at Grinval who was lagging behind looking at the occupied seats and said, "Please don't". Grinval grinned and picked up his pace to keep up. As they ascended the spiral stairs little sparks danced happily above the group, above Grazum's towering form. He then spoke once again to Kit, "I thought the last time I was hear all those thrones were full, but that was over 500 years ago. Now who is this Ashe fellow we are seeking to join our little band? "Kit responded, "He is a recluse who has chosen to serve the Red Jackal here in The Mountain of Man. I believe he has powers that will help to give us the edge we need to succeed." Grinval spoke up then, "The Red Jackal I know of but have also never heard of this Ashe you speak of, I hope he is up to dealing with demons and devils." Kit shook her head knowingly, "I believe he can."

They entered a the large prison room and found standing before the control chair a man similar in size and age to the human form of Grazum dressed in black silk shirt and pants. "Welcome to mountain of man. I am Ashe and how may I help you?" Kit gave a slight smile "I believe you know why I am here, will you honor me with you presence on this mission?" The man smiled back knowingly "I am first interested in why I would consider to be a part of this "Mission" as your call it." Kit nodded her head and went on, "If you do not you might as well go back down and take your seat in the hall with your predecessors." This statement caused all three men in the rooms eyebrows to rise. "And as added incentive I will tell you how to achieve the goal you want in reference to your current employer." Ashe once again raised an eyebrow the countered Kit's offer. "Very well, if you should bestow that information to me now I will accompany you and aid you on this mission." Kit seemed to expect this response and without hesitation made one simple statement. "Help the Red Jackal achieve his goals and in doing so prophecy will be fulfilled and you will have your chance." Ashe first seemed to push off this advice then pondered it before nodding and saying. "It may just be that simple. Very well where are we off to first?" Kit's became very serious then, "To New Grove and I hope we are in time."

The hoard of naked beings, moved quickly down the narrow valley toward the wider, fertile green lands surrounding New Grove. Even as it moved the orgy never stopped with some pleasuring themselves while others found ways to fornicate while still being mobile. It had left New Hope just over a day before and could hardly wait to sample the flesh of this town as a sexual appetizer before moving north to the larger Cities where the rapture would be beyond reproach. Just before the ravine opened up it narrowed and standing before it the Hoard saw four figures in black standing. In the distance it saw the City walls and on them the people who thought they could defend it. Little did they know that the enemy was the wanton lust that they held subdued inside of each and everyone of them waiting to be freed. The hoard would show them how to break through their inhibitions and what pleasure and pain it could find in that freedom. As it approached the four that stood in its way one figure advanced toward it. In just a moment it would come within its area of influence and join in the lust that it was having. Suddenly the figure grew to an enormous size. The black clothing gave way to shiny red scales that glistened in the sun. Before the hoard had time to react a wave of searing flames swept across its masses. Screams flooded the narrow gorge as naked flesh burned and all forms of bodily fluids boiled away. Then a second wave blanketed the writhing throng until all lay motionless except one entity that was indescribable with multiple sexual orifices and organs and skin blistered from the flames.

Normally it did not fear fire whether natural or magical but the intense fire from this ancient red Dragon rivaled any in all the infernal planes. Anger welled up in the Creature as it moved forward and without having to maintain its control over the hoard it drew up its power to enthrall the ones before it. It would focus its control so that even the most powerful could not withstand it. It screamed out "Pray to your Gods for forgiveness for the carnal sins you will be committing shortly." It focused through the clearing smoke on the dragon and the two figures that where now within its mental reach. TWO figures? Just then intense pain shot through its back and it heard a high pitched voice scream from behind. "WE HAVE NO GODS!" another jolt hit its back, "WE ARE THE GODLESS!" a third and final blow sliced into the Carnal Sins back. After a moment it fell forward to the ground revealing the wild, violet-eyed black figure with long white hair rising in the updraft from the dyeing flames. Kit stood there holding the black, still quivering mass she had extracted from the hole she had carved into the back of the Sin. She then whispered as she looked down at the slowly dissipating creature, "That was for the people of the City of Hope…. My people."

The other three moved up around Kit. Grazum had once again taken his human form, "You were correct Kitten, the fluid I drank from the fount in the Sunless citadel not only restored my breath but increased it, no wonder old Ashardoalon was so powerful for so long." He said with a hit of glee. Kit just stood there, still staring down at the now pool of black ichor seeping into the ground. Grinval walked up to her and took the Sins heart and wrapped it up saying "Maybe you should rest awhile before we proceed on child." Kit looked up and drew in a deep breath, "No, they are not resting and until they are gone neither will I." With that they closed in around her as she read from a scroll and blinked out. On a cliff overlooking the carnage below a lone figure put a final stroke of the brush to the canvas before him then put away his lone brush in an ivory canister and delicately holding his work followed suite and disappeared from site.

The Godless appeared in the town square of Bury Downs to find themselves in the middle of total Chaos. There where the small figures of Hobbits rolling on the ground or staggering around laughing so hard their sides where rupturing or they where coughing up blood. Some had already succumbed to a horrible death and lay motionless on the ground with twisted grins frozen on their lifeless faces. There was a light haze lingering over the town but no sign of its source. A laughing Hobbit with bright red hair on his head and feet staggered up to the group. Kit demanded of him to tell them where the Demon was that was inflicting this horrid curse upon the town. The Hobbit looked at her and gave a grin about twice the size of his face showing a mouth full of jagged teeth and said, "Funny you should ask." Catching the party by surprise he laughed spewing forth a huge dense cloud of gas that enveloped the Godless before they could react. Within seconds all four were writhing on the ground in the throws of a fit of laughter. The Hobbit continued to laugh as he moved amongst them as if wanting to feed off the pain they were suffering in their overly joyous state. He grew to seven feet as he did so and his hair turned to a laurel of interwoven red horns and his hands and feet formed into large red claws. His skin was bone white, which only made his grossly large red mouth with a toothy grin and his bulbous red nose stand out even more.
But suddenly, the four prone figures stood in unison and struck at him as one. Daggers and swords slashed in and though the Demon all the while he continued his hysterical laughing. A final swing from Grazzum sent the creature's head flying and kit fell on top of the body carving out a hole and extracting the black heart from it. Grazzum looked down at the head, which still had a huge grin on its face and asked it, "What's so funny?" No answer came back before it and the body dissipated leaving only a pool of black sulfurous smelling blood in its stead. Grinval grasped the black gem on the fine silver chain around his neck that matched the ones the other three wore and stated "Even with the Freedom of Movement spell and all the other protection spells on us I feel that without these Periapt of proof against Poison Vavasha lent us I may not have withstood the effects of the gas." With that he gave off a little giggle.
An elderly hobbit limped up to the four figures in black with very cautious look and with a quivering rasping voice asked how they could repay them for saving those still alive. Kit responded "We must be off to confront this ones brothers now but if we survive we may be back to let you buy use a round of your best Bury Downs Brandy." She then pulled out a scroll and the Godless disappeared from sight.

The Godless found themselves in the courtyard of Wahlquist's Towers. Vavasha had known the location well and the party was able to dimension door there threw his Scryeing Mirror. Six small towers were standing around a taller tower with a wall joining them. It wall quiet, too quiet. Not even a bird could be heard singing, only the wind moving the leaves of some nearby trees. The party was deciding where to start looking for their quarry when it found them. They were engulfed in darkness and a feeling of hopelessness came over Kit. Who really cared about her? She had lived for ninety-three years among the Drow and with the passing of her father she was forgotten there. Most the people she had met since had forgotten her as they parted company and even those she knew now would leave and forget her. No one would remember her after she was gone. What use was it to go on living? There was no point in trying to even sustain life. She might as well sit here and waste away because there was no reason to live. Who was she anyway? She was nothing. She heard a cry of anguish to her right as someone said, "What have I to show for time here? I do not even have a treasure hoard for all my centuries of plundering and flaming caravans and towers." To her left, came. "Let RakRon take me now rather than suffer another minute of living a wasted life." Kit thought, "Who were these people? Why was she with them when they obviously cared nothing for he? Then again what did it matter anyway, I am nothing." With that final thought she sat down and gave up.

It had come here drawn by the great egos that resided here. Mages looking for power and greatness trying to make a name for themselves, to be remembered, feared and respected. They fell easily as did all those who were so rapes up in their self worth. Those with the largest egos ended their lives more quickly not being able to suffer their lose of identity. Most just sat and waited. These new four came looking to stop it but it was ready for them unlike its kin. It dropped on them and focused its full power on them. But one stood apart the rest. One seemed almost familiar. It had never in all its existence found someone familiar. It had been since the beginning and all those it encountered but once before they became nothing. It approached this being out of curiosity. "Who are you and why do you continue to be?" it asked. "I am Ashe" came the response. It found this name again familiar though it had never heard it in all its existence. "Why do you not give in, do you not care that you will be forgotten? Do you not understand no matter what you are nothing?"

Ashe responded, "I was forgotten before you came into being. Everyone knew my name and feared it. Everyone that knew my name perished rather than accept my rule. I accepted this as defeat and took my place willingly. All those before me were put there but I surrender and chose to take my place because I had lost the ultimate notoriety and accepted it. No one in this age knew of me till one came along and asked me whom I was. Since I had chose to take my place willingly I found I had the choice to return. But I had to leave that part of me that held me in that chair, the part of me that had craved to be known by all. I let that part of me go because I could not handle being forgotten by all." It asked, "If you were forgotten by all why do you seem familiar to me?" Ashe then responded moving closer to it in the darkness, "Because that part of me I could not bring back had become you." It felt hands close about It's throat but for some reason it did not struggle. It felt its essence being drawn from its body into this being called Ashe but it did not fight. Why fight when there was no reason to. After all It was nothing without this man and there was really nothing to fight for.
As the darkness dissipated Kit started to remember who she was and why she was. She looked up to find Ashe standing before her with a chokehold on an exact naked twin of himself. After a few more minutes he released this twin and let it fall to the ground. As its body started to dissolve Ashe reached down into it and pulled forth a black mass from its chest. He came over to Kit and presented it to her. Kit stood and wrapped it; putting it away she asked him "How did you defeat It?" Ashes response was short. "I accepted defeat."

The Godless arrived in Crafton Township to behold a horrid sight. Piles of bodies and body parts where stacked at a major crossroad with four diabolical machines of torture doing their gruesome job of slowly inflicting pain on those in their clutched. Chains from each of the four machines stretched down each of the four intersecting roads with hundreds of people manacled to them waiting to be drawn to a painful and slow death. Had more of the machines escaped their longtime home at Birchmont it would be likely that the carnage here would have been done and they would have moved on to a new location. The Party teleported in just as one mangled body was cast from a machine and another was drawn in. The machine then changed its whole configuration and took on a form that would torture its new victim in a totally different way. Standing in the middle of these four machines was a demon covered in chains like the ones the finders had defeated beyond the second seal. Only much larger. He was facing to the group and but was distracted, seeming to adjust one of the machines that had a small blond haired girl in it in tears of terror. The Godless charged forward as Kit cast Dimension Door and came in behind the demon and she had done with the Carnal Demon before. She had not had time to cast true strike but the exposed back of the Demon seemed to be easily pierced by her dagger. The being cried out in a common tongue "No, I am not she who loves pain, please spare me, it is a trap." Kit noticed then the many of the chains from the creature where attached to the machine and seemed to be holding it there. Before Kit could call out a warning her head was viciously snapped back as something grabbed her hair and she was dragged back toward the far Machine of Pain. Quickly she found herself secured in the machine being held aloft by her long white hair. Approaching her was the little blond girl with a sinister smile on her face.

"Well you must be the Drow Bitch I heard about that destroyed my other beautiful toys and helped destroy the other Sins, as we have been called." The girl said in an almost sweet voice. "I was warned of your coming though you and your little band you have called The Godless have been much harder to keep track of than the group who released us. I have an extremely painful end planed for you and your friends here then after that we have plans for the one who holds the book that will release our mother into this world and bring about its end." Kit then notice the other three machines held her allies. Grazzum was across from her with tight bands around his neck, ankles and wrists securing him in a chair so that if he should try to change form he would sever all his arteries. They secured him in a chair and thin chains with hook slowly pulling his fingernails out. To her right Ashe was held crucified to his machine with barbed-ended shafts protruding from his hands, feet and stomach. To her left Grinval was ensnared by his machine but seemed none the worse for ware except for a concerned look on his face. Just then the little girl before her grew to seven feet with wings and horns but beyond that her visage was that of Kit herself. "This is a pleasing form, I believe I will keep it while I finish of the rest of your friends, The Finders." She said with a malicious grin. Kit spit in her face, which drew an even wider grin from the Succubus, who reached out with one sharp fingernail and drew it slowly down Kit's face from her forehead to her right cheek. She brought it up to her lips and licked Kits blood from it and then with a command word. Kit's world was plunged into a sea of pain. It was like she could feel every single hair on her head and each one was on fire, slowly and painfully burning downward. The Demon turned and moved toward Grinval as Kit and the others continued to endure their torture. The last two days of no sleep and expending so many spells had caught up with Kit and her mind could no longer cope with the pain and she slowly slipped from consciousness.

Kit slowly emerged from a fog of sleep to find Vavasha sitting beside her where she lay in a soft bed. Gazzum stood by a fireplace staring ant the dancing flames while Ashe and Grinval seemed to be discussing something. Vavasha asked, "How do you feel child?" Kit slowly sat up as the others moved toward the bed. "I hurt….everywhere." She then reached up to her face and traced the long scar up it to her forehead. And to her shock she continued on to find a smooth and tender head where her once lovely white mane had been. "It is no wonder, you were on the brink of death when they brought you here." Kit looked at the others questioningly. Grazzum held up his bandaged hand and said, "Don't look at me, I have to figure out what good a de-clawed Dragon is now. I love a challenge." She looked to Ashe who just shook his head. Then she glanced toward Grinval who gave a chuckle, "The look on that Succubus's face when her little toy grabbed her and muzzled her was classic. Remember that little bag I gave you? Well I got my hearts desire from it long ago. It was a little machine just lick the ones she had complete with all the command words, of course she could not use them with her tongue ripped out. I considered torturing her for awhile but I think she may have enjoyed it, which would have spoiled all the fun. I just had the machine tear this from her and ended it at that." Grinval held up a cloth bundle with black stains on it. "The seventh heart Kit whispered." Grinval nodded, "But what about the torture machines?" She asked. Grinval gave another Chuckle "I set all four on each other and you should have seen all the parts flying every which way. It was a sight." Kit felt looked at Vavasha, "What of the Finders?" He replied they are back in the City of Hope and the book is still safe. Kit lay back and ran her hand across her head again and Vavasha said. "There may be ways to bring you hair back and heal that scar." Kit thought for a moment. "No, I think I will keep this look for awhile as a reminder." With that she closed her eyes and drifted back into darkness.

M. Ludwig Stinson, P.O. Box 28204, Gladstone, MO 64188