The Night Wears On

The room was dark; the only light was what managed to creep around and under the door to filter through the plush carpet. Somewhere outside dogs barked and howled at the distant sound of sirens. It wasn't a room in Skylands but rather back on Earth. That became apparent when a shadow first blocked most of the light that seeped under the door then pushed said door open with a click of the door knob and a rush of air from the hallway.
Slippered feet scuffled across the carpet as a young figure moved into the room. Dressed for bed her long, rose kissed auburn hair showed signs of having recently been taken out of a ponytail. The light switch by the door was ignored in favor of a decorative lamp made of brass and frosted glass in the shape of a helicopter. It was old and the tail section was loose as well as missing one of the rudders. Once on the room was filled with a soft glow akin to a nightlight and the shelves within turned into recognizable shapes.
"Krystal?" a female voice called.
"Yeah, s'me," the figure replied as she made her way to a shelf about waist high filled with Skylanders. The Portal Master's pale hand drifted over the assembled Skylanders until she found the one that had spoken to her. "Any news, Quartz?"
"None, I'm sorry," the Sonic Boomling said softly. "Skele and Leo are here as well. They're resting, I took the first watch. Everyone else is still trying to gather information in Skylands."

Krystal looked to the Chop Chopling and Warnadoling before she sat Quartz back down. She turned her gaze back to the group that was stuck to the shelf next to the portal via black tendrils of shadow energy and gasped, "Sprint is free!"
"Why hasn't she returned?" Quartz asked excitedly. "She could bring us the news the others can't get since none of us have been able to enter the city you sent everyone to."
"Maybe she's working to free the others?" Krystal mused. "I'm worried, Quartz. I talked to other Portal Masters who then asked more and no one has ever heard of those black things." She touched Steek again; the Ignitorling didn't budge no matter what she tried.
"Bring Camo, Windy or Sprint back to talk to?" Quartz suggested.

"What if I take them away from something important and they can't get back to it just like no one else can enter the city?" Krystal ran one hand through her hair and rested the other fist on her hip as she looked to Quartz.
Quartz sighed, "It's no news or chance making their efforts fall apart."
"I hate this!" Krystal stomped her foot. "I wish I knew one of the other Portal Masters with Skylanders present!" She rubbed her eyes, it was late for her as well and sleep was hard to come by with the worry hanging over her head.

"Try to get some sleep, Krystal. You need your rest as much as we do. There is nothing to be done right now. All we can do it wait. Rest, the time will pass quicker for you then."
"Yeah," the Portal Master sighed in defeat. "Yeah, you're right." She rubbed at her tired eyes; she had spent so much time on the computer looking for any information available on the strange affliction that had befallen her Skylanders. If anything it seemed she was the first to experience it and people were asking her to keep them updated on the situation. With another sigh Krystal left the room.
Quartz settled back into her thoughts as the silence returned. She hadn't even noticed that the dogs and sirens outside had fallen quiet. She realized Krystal had left the light on but decided to let it be, she didn't want to bring the Portal Master back in and get her thoughts racing again. Quartz didn't have to worry however; Krystal came back in on her own with a pillow, big blanket in tow and her cell phone in hand.
"I'm camping here," she stated as she pulled out one of the gaming chairs from against the wall. It had no legs; rather it sat right on the floor and rocked gently if the occupant leaned back enough. Krystal situated it near the shelf with the Skylanders, not so close that she couldn't see the figures on it but not so far that she needed to dash clear across the room if something happened. "Wake me if anyone comes back," she said as she busied herself in making a nest for the night.
"You'd be more comfortable in a bed, Krystal," Quartz said gently. "It's not like we wouldn't remember to tell you of anything we learned if you weren't right here with us the whole time."

Krystal stretched her legs out against the floor and rested her head on the pillow once she was in the chair. "I want to be here, Quartz," the Portal Master said firmly. "And you can't change my mind." She spread the blanket out over her once she kicked her slippers off. Her feet were covered in miss-matched socks of solid powder pink for one and neon stripes of orange and green on the other. The socks were just in case she pulled the blanket off her feet. The look she gave the Sonic Boomling was equal parts defiance and determination.
If she could have moved, Quartz would have bowed her head. "I will make sure Leo and Skele know what to do if something happens on their watch. Go to sleep, Krystal."
The Portal Master gave the Skylander a crooked little grin, "Yes Mother."
Quartz muttered but said nothing else. In the silence that followed Krystal eventually drifted off to sleep despite her best efforts to stay awake and watch the figures. Quartz wished she had been able to do something, she would have moved Krystal to a bed if so. As much as the Sonic Boomling might have been adamant about never becoming a mother she had adapted surprisingly well to her cursed form and the hatchlings that came with it.

Upon return to Uzern it became apparent how much different it was. The sounds of the night were finally discernable as crickets chirped, owls called softly and nocturnal animal hunters drifted like ghosts through the empty, overgrown city looking for their smaller and meeker prey. Commander Roghallach Tierney of Meir Valan found the ancient holy city transformed with so many of the elves and gargoyles that had come to its aid now gone. The city was silent, even the spirits seemed to have turned in for the night. Every once in awhile the commander saw an armored individual, living or not, ghost by on patrol and he would nod to them as they did to him. The drow had cleared a lot of the growth from buildings they had deemed worthy of occupation and Roghallach could see some of the ancient symbols that had adorned them at one time. Those symbols were invisible during the day but seemed to charge with the filtered sunlight and would glow softly at night. Some of those symbols had received enough light to do so then and in instances where they provided enough light there was an absence of mage light or drow torch remains.

Roghallach's walk through the city was uneventful, just as the drow had been removed so too had the orniteryx and trekkers. The animals couldn't be allowed to run wild in the city, there weren't enough of the right food sources for them to survive. The commander wished he had one to shorten his walk but it was too late to change. After over an hour the eirian commander finally reached the palace plaza. As earlier it held the most outsiders. On top of the bound Skylanders and those helping them were the four that had remained in Uzern and a total of twenty five psionics. The number had increased for several reasons, one was so the members watching the group of Skylanders in the mindscape could cycle out for rest and the others to do the same for the two smaller groups made up solely of gargoyles that worked on different individuals. There was yet another group in discussion about how to handle the unfortunate Skylanders that had been absorbed by Timber's mind.

"Status report," Roghallach prompted Crevan as he approached the Fizzling.
"Sprint has been given a clean bill of health and has gone right back to sleep." The gremlin looked to an area spaced apart from the psionics and found the Stealthling stretched out on a bed of tightly woven vines. Next to her with his eyes glinting in the mage light as he watched the psionics was Camo sitting atop another mat of vines. Nivaeus and Ginny-Li were sleeping on their own much larger mats and Wraith alone was up pacing through the bound Skylanders. "I have set aside potions meant to restore stamina. The psionics are going to administer them soon to the mindscape group of Skylanders to prevent them from wearing themselves out. No one is sure what would happen if they tire to the point of mental and physical exhaustion. No one wants to chance them not returning to Earth to recuperate." The Fizzling waited for the commander to speak again and after a while of silence decided to ask something himself, "How did it go?"

"Punishment or rather atonement for Ghost Roaster is to find the descendants of the spirit he obliterated and inform them that he robbed their ancestor of his place in the light." The commander paused when Crevan cringed and hissed, "He has also been tasked to serve the family for a set amount of time. If they refuse him then his service falls to the crown."
Crevan nodded, "Better than I had feared and about what I had expected. The other Skylanders?"
"Some have taken rooms in Haven and others have presumably gone back to their Portal Masters. I halfway expect to see more Skylanders in Haven tomorrow and maybe even a Portal Masters or two in hologram form."
"The psionics doubt Seraphina will finish any time soon. The gargoyles trying to speed the process are not having much luck themselves. Surpin and Bane purposely rooted everything deeply to waste as much of our time as possible."
Roghallach sighed in shame, "I am ever so grateful that we do not have to deal with such underhanded psionic tricks ourselves."
The blue gremlin's ears flattened against his head. "If Kaos takes the bait we might."
"Let us hope it does not come to that, Crevan," Roghallach said as he ran his hand over his face. Light, he was exhausted himself.

"Here," Crevan said softly as he handed the commander a pale orange potion. "A mild stamina potion, it should take the edge off. I would not suggest staying up much longer however. As soon as the psionics are content with my potions bolstering the adventuring Skylanders I am going to go rest myself. Camo has made enough mats for everyone here to bed down. They are stacked near the old alchemy shop."
"Thank you," Roghallach said as he drank the potion and returned the vial to Crevan for disposal. "I will take rest once Wraith has been informed of events. Should you leave Skylands tonight do not return here to Uzern, the queen has forbidden it. Go to Haven and leave word with the palace guards of your whereabouts and I will find you when we are ready to meet with the queen over the original issue."
Crevan's eyes flickered to Windy and he nodded his understanding.

Even though the hour was late Teranika still found a full welcome when she arrived home in Meir Valan. The king and queen greeted her in their bed clothes and asked so many questions about what had happened that Teranika's head was still spinning. After the royal couple had returned to bed the Stealthling joined her sister Morwen and cousin Amara in the common room the ladies in waiting shared. Aelwen had stopped in to welcome Teranika back then instantly demanded everyone go to bed before she made her exit. It was obvious the three had no plans to yet, they sat in plush chairs with goblets of wine in hand.

"We have not heard any news from Uzern since the others departed for the city so it would be nothing but speculation on why Seraphina and Eloryn cannot be hailed by your Portal Master," Amara said as the wine haired lady sipped at her drink.
"The drow must be giving them trouble," Morwen added. She had her left arm folded on the arm of the chair so her head could rest on it while her right was draped across her lap and held the goblet. In a very unlady-like posture she had her feet drawn up beside her on the chair. "Maybe they figured out a way to cut Portal Masters off from their Skylanders?"
The question hung in the air for a good while, the three ladies only stared into their wine and sipped at it occasionally. "I would like to change the subject," Teranika said at last. The Stealthling leaned back in her chair and tilted her head up before she closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

"Do you have any idea what might have happened to Rafer?" Amara felt horrible for asking but knew Teranika had to expect the question sooner or later.
Morwen quickly lowered her goblet, "I am amazed that this whole time you have been so close to Seraphina and never knew it."
Teranika's expression turned pained, "Rafer was taken from my side one morning when Sam went to school and I never saw him again. It is possible he is in the same area but the chances of finding him are still very low." She swirled her wine around and stared forlornly into the dark red fluid. The Stealthling sighed and changed the subject, "How is Eloryn?"
"Moody," Morwen grumbled sourly with a dark look. "She has no love for the form she was cursed with."
"A Flashwingling," Teranika nodded before she raised her goblet to her lips. "I can understand her discomfort but it is not a foul form. I have worked with several Flashwinglings and they are the most beautiful dragons I have ever seen." The Stealthling set down her now empty goblet and her sister rose smoothly to refill it. "No, Morwen. I do not wish to drown my sorrows in wine. I just want to talk."
Morwen shrugged and refilled her own goblet. "Are you not anxious about Uzern? About the lack of news?"
The Stealthling shook her head. "It will reach us when it is time. And I am not overly worried about our cousins. They are Skylanders and can take care of themselves."
"They said the same of you. I was furious with them for not spending every waking moment searching."
Amara watched Morwen down her second cup in a few gulps and when the other lady rose once more Amara stopped her. "Things seem to work out for Skylanders in the end, Morwen. Have faith that we will all be together again soon."
"Auntie and Uncle spoke of things that confused me. What have I missed?" Teranika questioned.
"We have much to tell you," Amara sighed. Between her and Morwen the tale of Hex, the first trip to Uzern and then later Windy's unsanctioned return was told. The trio sat up to the wee hours of the morning talking and even fell asleep in the chairs of their common room.

Haven's archivist's hall was in effect a library. Unlike a library though it was not open to the public and only certain permits would allow admittance. Beyond that the archives were set into different sections and different permits allowed entrance into different sections. The spirit of Uzern's High Prime Priest Uriel had found admittance into the room that focused solely on family ties and lineage, mainly used for settling disputes over what rightfully belonged to a person through blood ties.
His presence had drawn eyes, the head archivist was asleep but his second hand and two apprentices stood in the doorway and watched the ghostly priest peruse the rows and rows of family names until he found what he was looking for.
"What do you think could be important enough for the spirit to leave Uzern?" the youngest apprentice of maybe fifteen years with sandy hair and hematite colored skin asked. "I thought the spirits were all bound to the city and could not leave it."
"Have you not paid attention to your lessons?" the older apprentice, a young elven woman with blue-black hair and silver skin hissed softly. "The Prime is the only one strong enough to leave the city. He cannot stay away for long or he weakens. How long he can stay away I am not sure." Her narrow fingers gripped the door frame as the priest carried a box of scrolls to the narrow table in the center of the room. There were only two chairs at it, one on either end of the narrow part to prevent clutter in front of the shelves.

The apprentices made to move further into the room out of curiosity but a hand on the shoulder from the second archivist stopped them. "Aw, come on Kenzie, there is nothing in there we have not already seen nor been prohibited from viewing," the youngest eirian protested. "Are you not curious about what he seeks?"
"You will give the spirit his privacy," the other elf said sourly. He had pearly skin that seemed to change colors in the light and stark white hair to complete his pale color set. "The hour is late, go to bed. Sholto will work you hard in the morning and if you are too weary to do it right the first time you will find yourselves with extra work."
"Yes Master Kenzie," the older apprentice said with a curtsy. She turned quickly on her heel and stepped lightly towards the living quarters she had been given during her apprenticeship.
"Away with you, Cai," Kenzie scowled and gently pushed the young apprentice down the hall. "Do you wish to upset the spirit? He may throw a curse on you should you!"
Cai gasped and his eyes nearly fell from their sockets before he turned and dashed quickly down the hall. Kenzie shook his head and returned to the desk he had been at earlier. He preferred the light of candles to work by and the one sitting on his desk was nearly spent. As a rule Kenzie always told himself it was time for bed when the candle extinguished itself. He had already told the spirit he could let himself out when he was done so the second archivist traveled the halls to his own quarters.

Uriel had only partially been aware of his small audience. He unrolled the scroll that held the unfortunate spirit's family name and located his given name to find the names of his children. In the case of his two daughters he would find his search moved to include the families they had married into. Thus would it be for every married woman in the list, he would trace them down to the most current generation and when he had a complete list he would see that Ghost Roaster visited every individual listed. It would take him a while but the spirit had nothing but patients left and would work until sunrise if he had to.

The palace plaza of Uzern was silent enough to have been empty but the figures that populated it proved that illusion wrong. Crevan sat down heavily on the mat he had placed in the same location as Camo and Sprint's in the plaza. The gremlin rubbed his eyes and more or less fell back on the mat.
"And you weren't even running around in the mindscape," Camo said softly.
"I admire you for your willingness to do that," the Fizzling said as he turned his head to see the Core. Camo was lying with his head atop his paws and a sleepy look in his eyes.
"I took a nap though, so we're even, still," the forest dragon was cut off by a jaw-cracking yawn, "I think I could hibernate until summer." He nestled down into his mat and licked his lips while suppressing another yawn.
"Why do you fight sleep so?"
Camo closed his eyes. "I want to see my friends come back safe. I remember what it felt like to become lost and I can only image how it is for them. They've fallen farther than I did. I don't know what it will take to bring them back."

The Fizzling had nothing to say in return, he was as new to the psionic scene as Camo was. "I guess Princess Seraphina will have to bring them back."
"You put a lot of pressure on your princess," Camo yawned again. "Much is expected of her."
"I suppose so," Crevan murmured as he looked back to the group. "I hope she does not fail."
"I hope no one asks more of her when she sorts out the mess with Timber. Pray that those gargoyles can set the others free or your princess may flee in exhaustion and frustration. I have grown to respect her a great deal. There are very few people I won't consider pranking and she is one of them."
Crevan waited for more from the dragon and after a while realized he had fallen asleep. Crevan's eyes drifted once more to the extra stamina potions he had set out. He had enough for Skylanders and gargoyles ready to go. The enchantment on his bag had been depleted for the moment and without a reason to stay up Crevan decided to give into the siren song of sleep before he was wrenched out of Skylands to recover. His heavy eyes closed and before long his soft snores mingled with Camo's and the whistling Sprint did through her nose.

Wraith had just turned to walk back the other way when a commotion behind him drew his attention. The three psionics around Lunar were standing up as a fourth cut her bonds. "You have succeeded?" he asked.
"We have," a strange fish-faced reptilian gargoyle said with the nod of his head. He was a nearly black shade of green with lighter highlights appearing on his skin along his shoulders, hips and calves. The leathery membrane of his wings stretched all the way down to his knees and forced him to wear a very strange strip of cloth that was linked to a collar on his neck and band on his tail before it stretched down his torso and wrapped under him to provide modesty.

Roghallach trot up to the scene quickly and kneeled down to help the gargoyle that had cut Lunar's bonds lift her to one of his shoulders and move her. Wraith moved quickly to take a stacked mat and laid it near Sprint before the duo stretched the Hexling out across it. "You moved quickly," the commander stated.
The gargoyle gave him a flat look, "Says you. For us we were in that place for weeks! How long has it been?" he looked to Wraith.
"Only a matter of hours."
"Light," the psionic groaned as he sat down heavily, "we got lucky."

"What happened?" Wraith asked as he sat down too.
"When we arrived it was into a city of sorts. I think it was a city," the fish-faced gargoyle wrinkled his smashed nose, "lots of buildings, shopping centers and other abominations against nature. And a bank of machines that copies of Skylanders would wait in line behind for a chance to use."
"A hub," Wraith said. "An island meant to be an away station for Skylanders and a tourist trap for those seeking loved ones stuck in the form of a Core." The Hot Headling sounded disgusted, partly from knowing what it was the psionic had seen and partially from having used them himself on several occasions.
"Well we were trapped on this island. Whenever we tried to take wing we found the wind too strong to fight. Just when we thought we had it beat and had flown for hours before we found land we realized we had somehow gone in circles and wound up where we started. That Skylander's mind was dead set on balloons and ships being the only means of transportation. Even the copies of dragons we saw would wait for transport."

"Was the whole of your journey one setback after another?" Roghallach asked. He was still kneeling next to Lunar and rose to his feet when the gargoyle did.
"She has accepted her undead status; her mind was different than a normal one. Akin to a Shadow but without their pre-programmed disposition. Sometimes the doors and paths we searched for endlessly had been chasing us the whole time. On a trip to an island ringed by water and smaller islands we had to allow a leviathan to swallow us before we could move on. We must have spent days trying to figure out a way to get past the storms that blew through randomly."
Wraith stared at the psionic, "How did you finally come to realize that being swallowed was the way out?"
"Clearly by accident, I assure you," the psionic replied as he peered through the fingers of the hand he had laid over his eyes. "An accidental trip and surprise attack. One thing led to another and suddenly we were on another island with rows of homes and gardens out front!" The psionic took a few steps away from the slumbering Copies then waited for Wraith and Roghallach to follow him. "We bounced around like this for quite a while, to strange islands with even stranger occupants. Lunar is a mabu, we finally learned that. A thick headed and stubborn mabu who had to be defeated in combat before we could clear her of the Shadows' influence. Don't ask about the combat, please," the psionic groaned.

Without warning the fish-faced gargoyle walked off to rejoin his fellows.
"That's two down," Wraith murmured. "Five to go, six with Timber a work in progress. And four more trapped in Timber's mind. What a fine mess this has turned out to be. I'll kill Surpin with my bare hands the first chance I get," Wraith snarled.
"I believe you will have to fight a lot of others for the chance," Roghallach said sourly.
The Hot Headling grunted, "Not if I get to him first." Wraith knuckled one of his eyes, "Almost time to change shifts. I thought you were going to turn in yourself?"
Roghallach hesitated in shaking his head. "I want to wait for the others to return."
"Rest," Wraith commanded in a deep boom. "We will wake you should anything happen. You are no use to anyone if you are stupid tired."
Roghallach smirked and turned to head towards the stacked mats. He had given that same argument to others before, funny how things had a way of coming back.

Slam Bam's heavy footfalls thumped through the green grass of Eon's island. It was quiet and it was no wonder since it was the middle of the night when Slam Bam had arrived. Uzern had been… interesting. Haven was beautiful even if his first visit was in relation to a wrong committed by one of his allies. The yeti was tired and wanted only to return to his quarters in Eon's citadel. He would have returned to his Portal Master but didn't feel like dealing with the other Skylanders he knew would be waiting for him. Eon's island was peaceful at that time of night; the only active individuals past a certain time would be Cores. So that meant it was blissfully silent, that was all Slam Bam wanted.

"Hey, wondered when you was gonna show your ugly head again."
And with that Slam Bam's peace and quiet was shattered. "What do you want, dirt shark?" the yeti sighed and stopped to turn around and face Terrafin.
Terrafin raised a brow and folded his thickly muscled arms across his broad chest. "What happened? Couldn't have been more 'an maybe an hour ago and Swarm popped up and flew like a madman into the citadel yelling for Eon. All Hugo would tell us was the Grandmaster was needed back where the rest'a ya were."
"If Hugo wouldn't tell you then I ain't gonna either," Slam Bam said as he turned back around and resumed walking.

"Fine, fine," Terrafin sighed as he trotted after the yeti. "We still up for surfing tomorrow or you wanna go longboarding? I found this killer place today that would be perfect. All natural too so you can bet we'll have the whole place to ourselves! None of them snot-nosed brats around who think they know it all."
Slam Bam smirked, "You make yourself sound old when you talk like that."
"Yeah, yeah. We ain't teenagers anymore. Man, was I that hard to put up with when I was that old?"
"Hard to put up with then? You're still that hard to get along with!" Slam Bam grinned.
"Ha, ha, Frosty," Terrafin rolled his eyes. The dirt shark changed topics fast enough to make Slam Bam's head spin. "Did Hex do somethin' again?"
"No," the yeti answered quickly. "I told you man, I'm not talking about it yet."
Terrafin simply wouldn't give up, "Was it bad? We lose anyone? Was Eon mad?"
"Go away Mud Puppy," Slam Bam said in irritation. He began to walk faster to further his point.
"Hey man, you know I hate that name."
"Stop being a pest," the yeti answered with such finality that Terrafin stopped dead in his tracks.

"You?" the dirt shark said in disbelief. "It was something you did?"
Slam Bam turned back around with a look of bewilderment. "You think I'd show my face if it was me that screwed up? Nuh-uh. You know what, you really wanna know? Go pester Bash and Flashwing. They came with me and should be around here somewhere. I think Sunburn is too. Maybe they're in a gossip like a girl kinda mood. I'm beat, I just wanna sleep. So let me go or no more mister nice guy." The yeti raised all four of his fists into a fight stance. It wasn't uncommon for the two friends to get into physical scuffles; it was almost a game for them. But Slam Bam's expression was dead serious.
Terrafin squinted at the water elemental and thumbed his thick snout. "A'ight, I can take a hint. S'cool. Later bro." He gave a half-hearted wave then walked off grumbling to himself.
"Dude don't know when to give up," Slam Bam muttered himself. He let his fists relax and watched Terrafin for a moment. Sure enough the dirt shark tried to peek back over his shoulder unnoticed. His head whipped back around to the front when he saw the yeti was still watching him. Once satisfied that he was going to be left in peace Slam Bam resumed his travel to Eon's citadel and his personal quarters.

Ghost Roaster couldn't decide if it was a good thing or not that his Portal Master's time was opposite of what he was used to in Skylands. When people in the areas the ghoul liked to haunt were going to sleep his Portal Master was just waking up. She was a school teacher of all things and had her own children who at the moment were too young to know anything about Skylanders. And as kind as she was when she had been upset she could be quite strict. Just like a teacher, Ghost Roaster kept expecting to be sent to the corner for time-out.
"I am so sorry, Eon," the holographic image of a slightly pudgy woman with a shock of short red hair and glasses said. "Had I known…"
"Nonsense my dear," Eon shook his head. It always looked strange since that was all he was now thanks to Kaos' meddling. "It's not your fault. I merely wanted you to hear what had happened from me rather than through that infernal rumor mill. I hope the Queen of Haven has your understanding and cooperation?"
"Of course," the Portal Master nodded curtly to Eon. The acidic glance she gave Ghost Roaster was almost enough to crush bone.

The ghoul put his arms over his head; he hadn't meant to bring such shame to his Portal Master. He knew now that word would travel about her not caring for her Skylanders and how she encouraged bad behavior. She might even get branded as an evil Portal Master and likewise all of her Skylanders would have tarnished reputations. "Forgive me," Ghost Roaster squeaked. "I, I understand if you wish to send me away to another Portal Master."
"Send you away?" she asked with wide eyes, "Why would I send you away because of one little mistake?" Her holographic image glided up to the ghoul and she let her hand hover over his shoulder, "I don't give up on my students that easily. What makes you think I'm going to give up on you?"
The Skylander managed a weak smile or at least that was his intention. Without lips he was always a gruesomely grinning ghoul. "You're too good to me, Tabitha," Ghost Roaster said. He lowered his head. "Thank you."
"You'll have to forgive me; I need to head to work. Do you want me to open a portal for you back to Haven?"
Ghost Roaster opened his mouth to say he could just tag along with someone else but realized he would still have to leave her island first. "Yes, I will take shelter outside the city for the night." Ghost Roaster felt defeated but hopeful at least. He looked to Eon instantly, "To the Core of Light first."
"Of course," Tabitha smiled. Just as easy as a thought the glimmering portal opened.
"Thank you for your understanding," Eon said with what passed as a bow before his etheric form vanished.
"I'll be back later to tell you how it went," Ghost Roaster said sheepishly.
"As soon as you can," Tabitha said firmly. "I don't want you shirking your duties to the queen. I will be fine during your absence. Don't worry about the others, I'll handle them."
Ghost Roaster drifted towards the portal and cast one more look over his shoulder before he glided into it.

"Thank you, Skylander," Eon said with a nod to Ghost Roaster. "I will keep in touch, preferably through Spyro but any of the Skylanders present will be possible escorts."
Ghost Roaster looked over his left shoulder when the portal on the right closed and the new one appeared. "Thank you for not giving up on me."
Eon gave a kind smile, "Accidents happen. Now I am not encouraging you to be sloppy. I merely understand that at times you harm your allies when events simply become too numerous to keep track of everything." Eon made a face as he went back over his words, it hadn't quite sounded right. "It may seem callous when you say it aloud but you of all people should understand what I mean. This is not the first time I have had to approach someone with an apology and I suspect it will not be the last either."
"The last for me," Ghost Roaster sighed. "I'm never going to make that mistake again."

Eon watched the ghoul depart through the portal and turned back to look at the brilliant shaft of light that held the darkness at bay. "I have faith that your power holds strong. If the willingness to forgive two separate offences against Tour mean anything," he told the structure. He chuckled, "Although my chosen defenders are getting rather good at putting their feet in their mouths. I am going to have to reach out to the kingdoms of Tour personally to assure them that this is not going to be the norm." Eon closed his eyes and sighed, he felt very, very old suddenly. "Light help us should Kaos gain control over psionic abilities. Light forbid it should ever come to pass." The spirit opened his eyes and took a moment longer to bask in the glow of the Core of Light. "The battle will be on Tour's doorstep I fear."

The dungeons of Haven were nothing like Asmodeus would have expected. Kaos' dungeons were dank, filthy and reeked of all manner of unpleasant substances. While Haven's dungeon was still naked, rough hewn stone that wept in certain areas it was surprisingly accommodating and clean. Asmodeus had a bed, a real bed in his cell. A bed that his added height as a half-blooded goliath rendered nearly useless but it was still amazing. The goliath sat on the bed with his back to the wall. He had been stripped of everything he owned and was dressed in plain wool clothing. The clothing was sized for a goliath but fit loosely on the much slimmer and toned frame the warlock possessed. Asmodeus couldn't stop fingering the collar he wore that rendered his magic and goliath gifted strength useless. It felt like a solid piece of metal, he couldn't find a hinge, catch or lock anywhere on it. What was more was it glowed constantly, a steady soft yellow glow that gave everything a cheery sort of glow in his eyes.

The drow grunted and dropped his tattooed hands into his lap where he studied his slender, dark blue fingers in disdain. He shouldn't have been caught so easily, that damned gargoyle had ruined it all in the end. Asmodeus took too much of his council and had pushed too hard, too fast and had lost it all. Someone coughed somewhere in the dungeon; he shared it with other warlocks and regular drow that had been unit leaders during the occupation of Uzern. Asmodeus thought the collars also silenced their wearers but when he had grumbled under his breath he realized that no one simply felt like talking. Which suited him fine, the warlock wasn't in the mood either. As tired as he was he fought sleep at all costs, he simply didn't want to risk learning the hard way that Haven's dungeon wasn't as laid back as it seemed. Guards drifted by occasionally, none even looked into his cell. Asmodeus told himself it was fear that kept their eyes straight ahead even if he knew that wasn't the case.

As soon as the most recent guard had passed a portal opened in Asmodeus's cell. His eyes widened and his heart raced along with his quickened breath. Perspiration beaded up on his forehead, Kaos had come calling. Like Skylanders Asmodeus had been trained in the use of travel via portal. Kaos only bothered to teach his Darksiders how to use them. The mundane parts of his forces were restricted to airships and balloon travel. Asmodeus was a high ranking individual among the Darksiders.
Minion status was the lowest tier and reserved only for those that looked strikingly like Skylanders. Above them sat the lackeys who would slip in like scouts, plant information and stir up trouble on a scale larger than the minions. Minions dealt only with Skylanders, lackeys sowed the seeds of distention and doubt in cities and countries. Then there was Asmodeus's level, familiars. He hated the name Kaos had given the rank but what could he do so long as he bent his knee to the insane little tyrant? Familiars led large scale attacks, they were the commanders and brains behind field work. Kaos didn't use them as much as he should and trusted their intelligence less than was wise. It always cost him in the end to so toss away valid plans.

It was no wonder that Asmodeus found himself seriously contemplating the viability of his handy chance of escape. On the one hand he would be spared the incessant questions he knew were coming from Haven's soldiers. On the other he would get the same treatment by Kaos. What a dilemma it was. In the end he rose to his feet and strode to the portal. Going back to bowing like a whelp before Kaos would at least grant him the chance to strike back at that awful gargoyle. Princess Seraphina, Asmodeus hadn't forgotten her. He could find a way to manipulate her and allow her the illusion of acting on her own. She would remain a secret providing that damned Surpin hadn't already sent word to Kaos.

"Got yourself into a bit of trouble, did you?"
The voice grated on Asmodeus's nerves but he knew the part he had to play and walked in with his head high but shoulders slumped. He wanted to look shamed but not broken. As always, standing next to the hysterically small Portal Master was the lanky troll Glumshanks.
"Just when did you plan on telling me of your discovery, hmm?" Kaos asked with a forced calm. He had his hands clasped behind his back and the long dark robe he wore rippled with the strutting maneuver of his stride.
The Portal Master was the ugliest thing Asmodeus had ever seen. Kaos possessed a bald plate with over-sized ears that stuck out from his head, absurdly large eyes only emphasized by the black tattoos around them and uneven teeth that had grown in all ways possible to make them crooked. His wide forehead too bore a tattoo and his nose was as smashed as it was wide. His mouth was very nearly as wide as the whole of his face, there was something very frog-like about how he looked. "When I had researched it more, Lord Kaos," Asmodeus said with a subservience he didn't feel.
"Do you know what I think?" his voice began to rise in both volume and octave. "I think you meant to take a bite out of Skylands for yourself!" Kaos clenched his hands into fists and shook. "Do you know what I do to any of my tools that think they're better than me? Glumshanks!" he snapped at the troll. "Fetch me my iron mask!"
"Yes Master Kaos," Glumshanks said. The troll was equally ugly himself with large floppy ears and tusks that protruded from his thick fleshly lower green lip. His legs were abnormally thick and made the troll work harder at walking.

Asmodeus cringed, the mask was a simple completely enclosed device that would rest on the wearer's shoulders right against the skin with an opening at the top that Kaos could put anything he desired into. Anything from boiling oil to poisonous snakes.
"Eh, what's this?" Kao asked as he pointed at the much taller figure's neck. "You will kneel to allow me the opportunity to view this object, now!" the dark Portal Master demanded as he pointed furiously to the ground. He nodded smugly when Asmodeus did so. "Interesting," Kaos' bulbous eyes flashed towards the one Asmodeus strained to watch him without moving his head.
"Do you want me to assemble it now or later, Master Kaos?" Glumshanks grunted as he carried the heavy metal object in. It looked like a bucket with hinges to open along its side.
"Later," Kaos waved absently while his eyes remained on the collar. "This item fascinates me. Did they forge it around your neck?"
"No, it has a latch somewhere. I did not have the time needed to find it."
"Eternity wouldn't be enough time for a simpleton like you," Kaos snorted.
Asmodeus' blood boiled, had he his magic he would have blown up the little tyrant by now.

"Return my iron mask to the room o' torture, Glumshanks," Kaos said the moment the troll set the heavy object down. "I've changed my mind. I want to study this collar and maybe the moron will have some use after all."
"Yes Master Kaos," Glumshanks said in a tone to match his name. He picked up the iron mask again and turned to waddle out of the room.
"First you will tell me all you know about these psionics that will finally rid me of those stupid Skylanders." Kaos' smirk gave way to a chuckle and his chuckle gave way to a cackle that echoed down the halls of his flying fortress.