"Keeta! Are you alright?" shouted Sir Jose from high above the dome. He noted his squire Kitahria was being grappled by what looked like a prone stone giant and Trent was sprawled unconscious on the ground

"Excellent, my blade has arrived," said the Githyanki below with a cocky grin. Though he was far away, Jose thought there was something strange with the warrior mage's face.

Jose frowned and glared down at the strange Githyanki below him. Besides his visage, he noted his hat was taller and his outfit was studded with even more gaudy gems than the other astral warriors he had faced. "Hey , are you the boss or something? Because if you are, we can end this now."

"That is Zazoz, the foe we seek, " hissed Magda as she narrowed her eyes against her prey. The great dragon prepared to lunge at her opponent, possibly flattening him with her pounce, but instead reared up at the last moment. Despite her massive size, Magda twisted on her perch avoiding a bolt of lightning from a mage and the claws of one of her smaller cousins. Her head then shot forward, snapping into the smaller dragon while her long armored tail whipped skywards, impaling the offending wizard.

"Zazoz? "asked Jose in disbelief. "You'd think that magic users that live in the space plane could come up with a more creative arrangement of vowels and consonants. What's next a wizard named Zagzig?"

"The correct pronunciation is Zagig," corrected the dragon.

Jose paused and stared at the back of Magda's head, " Huh? You mean there's an actual wizard named….."

"Enough prattle, we shall finish this now ! " roared a voice that strangely echoed through Jose's skull. The knight looked around and then realized that the voice belonged to the Githyanki below, but the sound appeared to resonate all around him.

"Hey, is that guy like a ventriloquist or something," asked Jose "because, he's good…."

Magda snorted at the knight before turning towards the Githyanki. "Zazoz! I care not for your dreams of conquest or destruction, but you've attempted to abduct my children and that is unforgiveable. I've laid waste to your soldiers and to your lesser dragons, now you shall face my wrath! "screeched the dragon as she unleashed a jet of fire downwards.

Jose grabbed the dragon's mane and futilely attempted to yank her head back. "Stop! What are you crazy? Kit and Trent are down there!"

Magda laughed manically. "Do not question my prowess," she threatened as the smoke cleared below. To the dragon's credit her skill proved as formidable as her boasting since somehow the deadly flames scorched everything in the room except the prone or struggling forms of her allies.

Jose grudgingly nodded his head and peered below. The dragon flames had charred the already black runed rock of the floor and walls, but there was no sign of the corpse of their foe. All was quiet except the struggle of Kit against the golem and the slow smoke of a large pile of rocks.

"Hang in there Keeta, I'll get you of there!" shouted Jose as he dismounted from Magda and hopped below.

The floor was over fifty feet below him, but Jose managed to break the fall by partially landing on the ruined top of the dome, and then on the tallest piece of rubble below. It was a dangerous and near suicidal maneuver but the knight executed it with ease as he planted his landing on the base of the golem's back even as his silver blade crashed into his neck. Though the great blade was meant as a slashing and chopping weapon, the pure power of his momentum shattered the construct's neck with a single swipe.

Jose extended his hand to his squire but was interrupted by another ear deafening screech from Magda. "Windbag dragon just wants to show off, " he grumbled as he grabbed Kit's stunned hand. He saw his squire was still staring upwards, most likely at Magda reveling in all her draconic glory.

"Madeline…no….," whispered Kit in disbelief as she pointed behind the knight.

Jose raised an eyebrow and glanced over his shoulder. Before he could register what was happening, Kit leaped forward with her remaining strength and knocked him to the side, just as a titanic draconic body plummeted to the ground where he just stood.

"What in the Abyss do you think you're doing? It's bad enough you hog all the glory , but now you have to belly flop on me to try and out impress Keeta here? "Complained Jose loudly as he regained his footing. As the dust settled, the knight paused as he stared into the lone dead eye of Magda's severed head.

High above the knight, Zazoz floated calmly and pointed his silver blade downwards. "I disdain teleporting about in combat, but her attack forced my hand," he said once again without moving his mouth. " I would ask you to surrender the blade, but we both know it doesn't work that way."

"Careful….he can talk telepathically as well as read your mind in battle," warned Kit in a weak voice. She struggled to stand from the rubble, but her battle with the golem had taken much from her. One of her legs was clearly twisted or broken. "He killed Maid too…" she added as he pointed to the headless body of a young woman.

While Magda had been his enemy ever since he was a squire, the old dragon had proven herself to him in the last few weeks. Her actions were manipulative and self-centered, but there was a noble fierce quality about them that he could respect. Maid on the other hand was a companion and ally. Though he suspected she was more than she said she was, he knew she was good of heart and a staunch friend. As he stared at Maid's decapitated body and Magda's recently severed head, fury and rage filled him. Despite his anger, Jose kept his wits about him and simply beckoned towards the mage.

Zazoz flew down at Jose with his silver blade raised above his head. The knight observed that his opponent's mastery of aerial maneuvering was much greater than the previous Githyanki he had faced. He saw his foe dive at his right flank before changing direction and attempting to catch him off guard from the rear. Jose saw the change of vector of the attack and shifted his stance to intercept the warrior mage, but his opponent shifted the direction of his trajectory once again at the last second. The Silver blade sliced towards the knight, but fortunately Jose didn't commit to his first parry and was able to slide his weapon across and barely managed to block the fatal blow.

The two weapons met in a shower of sparks and motes, but the opponent's height advantage and Jose's awkward stance forced him to falter back. What was even more disconcerting was that Jose felt the weight and balance of his blade change for the worse in his hands.

"That's what happens when a true Githyanki blade meets another. These swords are not just prized for their magical powers but because they are a symbol of hierarchy within my race. When a silver blade meets another that it regards as it equal, both their powers are temporarily nullified so only the strength of one's sword arm and the power of one's magic will triumph," explained the pale warrior as he floated out of Jose's range. The mage then fired a shower of ice at Jose. The knight dodged most of the frozen shards and barely managed to shatter the largest fragment but was grazed by resultant exploding splinters. While he was protected by Kaeda's spells from both fire and lightning, the frost evaded his magical protections.

Instead of wincing from the wound though, Jose laughed and brushed the wound off with disdain. "Snowballs are the best you can do? Perhaps your next attack you will shower me with pillows, amigo, "he taunted.

"You wish to provoke me with your verbal jabs to bring me within range of your blade. I see through your tactics but I accept your challenge," nodded Zazoz wordlessly. "It will let my impress my minions with a bit of a dramatic flourish I think," he added as he waved to a small but growing group of dragon riders perched cautiously above.

As the Githyanki lord readied his blade, a low rumble came from the fortress as it shifted slightly at an angle. Zazoz was unaffected by the tilt since he was flying, but Jose was forced to adjust his balance slightly. The knight looked around in confusion and then caught glimpse of the burning pile of rocks that was slowly melting the walls and floor. "Oh yeah, the coke. I completely forgot about it. I dunno why Trent and Keeta didn't light it before but I guess Magda's flames were able to set it off."

Zazoz paused and stared intently at Jose, then shook his head and then focused on Kit instead. "It appears your mundane fuel tactic is working. Bravo for not thinking about it and calling it to my attention," it said in shock. The Githyanki then released a cone of cold towards the flames, but Jose interposed his body against the attack and bore the brunt of the attack.

"I told you to quit it with the snow balls," replied the knight as he shrugged off the frigid magical wind.

"Jose! He's a combat telepath of some sort! He can read your thoughts and predict your motions in battle, but it's not perfect. He can read only surface thoughts and he can't read everything at once," gasped Kit as she struggled to prevent herself from sliding out of the room. Jose saw that her leg was broken but unfortunately he did not have the time or magical energy left to aid her.

"The werefox's guess is correct for the most part. How can you defeat me when your mere thoughts will betray you," Zazoz confirmed.

Jose puzzled over this for a second and then laughed. "Let me see if I got this right, you can predict everything I think about doing in battle right? Well I guess we'll just have to throw thinking out the equation."

Even as he made this bold statement the knight brought out the bottle of Agave worm juice that Grinder had given him earlier. It was meant to be consumed in the unlikely event they were triumphant, but Jose thought now was as good a time as ever. He unstoppered the bottle and poured the slightly golden liquid directly down his lips. It was a smooth drink that didn't hit him directly even when the fermented worm snaked down its throat, but he could feel his mind begin to numb and his senses dull after he consumed the entire bottle.

"I …I can't read anything but jumbled thoughts of winged demonesses and scantily clad druids wrestling," protested Zazoz as he floated away cautiously.

"Aww…you've done it now," warned Kit as she dragged herself away. She stopped and then ripped a large piece of her now bloodied shirt, using her claws to make two holes in it. Satisfied with her work she threw the fragment of clothing towards her master.

Jose caught the strip even as he shook his head vigorously as if waking up from a long slumber. He wobbled on his feet as he looked at the strip and then at his opponent, and clumsily wrapped it around his eyes. Zazoz took advantage of the knight's odd behavior by raising frozen sheets around both the knight and the burning pile of coke, seemingly smothering them with walls of ice.

"DAROS LUCHA!" roared Jose as he burst through the ice with the force of a juggernaut. The now masked knight jumped high into the air, seemingly defying gravity as he crashed into this opponent. The force of his tackle slammed the warrior mage into the runed walls, sending both opponents crashing to the ground.

While Githyanki were not known for their durability, Zazoz managed to hold on to his blade and recovered quickly from the blow. He swung his weapon in a wide arc at Jose, but Jose calmly parried the blow and managed to lock the blades briefly. As the weapons grinded against each other pitting brute force with magically enchanted strength, Jose broke the deadlock with a brutal head butt to his opponent's head. Zazoz fell back, but was met with a swift side kick that sent him crashing back into the wall.

"Beast! Not worthy….. of sword! " spat the Githyanki with a rare lip movement as he sprang into a defensive posture.

Jose seemed shocked at the accusation even as he pointed to himself in a mocking manner. "Youse know…you're prolly right," he agreed. The knight then took his blade and casually tossed it into the burning pile of coke. A collective gasp came from the assembled Githyanki, even though none made a move to assist their lord.

Kit's jaw dropped as both her hands slapped her own face. "You idiot….I can't believe you did that! "She managed to cry.

Zazoz's reaction was more direct. With one hand he still managed to grip his sword, while with his other hand he unleashed a wave of telekinetic energy towards the hurtling sword, stopping it midair before it flew into the industrial fire. The Githyanki lord breathed a sigh of relief as he averted the destruction of one of his race's sacred blades, but his respite was short lived as the masked Jose hurtled towards him with a new blade in hand. The knight used the brief distraction to draw a dark almost glassy blade from his pack of holding and pressed his advantage against his foe.

"Fool! Without your silver word, my blade grows in power again! " boasted Zazoz as he brought his blade downwards to deflect Jose's blow. The Githyanki only had a one handed grip on his weapon , but he appeared confident that the magic of his sword would compensate his weak hold and parry the thrusts of a lesser blade. The silver sword struck Jose's sword and both weapons crackled with eldritch energies as mystic steel met demonic obsidian. Zazoz's eyes grew wide with fear as the dark sword proved a match for his weapon. While under normal circumstances his technique and stance would have easily deflected the dark blade, his inferior clutch sent shock waves up his arm as he dropped his sword. In a last ditch attempt he propelled the sword he had suspended backwards towards his opponent but it was too late. Jose showed no mercy to his foe as he slammed the obsidian blade deep into his opponent's side , toppling his opponent in a spray of blood and magical sparks.


A great chorus of shrieks filled the air as the remaining dragons and Githyanki scattered at the defeat of their lord. Even the mighty fortress shifted slightly once again as more runes were seared by the heat of the burning coke.

"You…you did it!" cheered Kit weakly as she pulled herself to her lord. As she approached, Jose dropped the blade and fell to his knees.

"Are…are you all right?" asked Kit in concern.

Jose turned towards her, and showed her the result of Zazoz's last attack. The blade he sent hurtling at the knight was not able to stop him from delivering the killing blow, but it had found its mark. It was a deep gash at his side, but already the dark wound was spreading.

"I don't think …..I'll make it Keeta," he said weakly.

Kit's world stopped when she understood he was dying. Jose was everything to her. He was her mentor, friend, and even father. It couldn't end this way. "No…Trent might have some potions. We'll get a cleric. Someone can heal this wound," she protested as she struggled towards him.

Jose shook his head and smiled weakly. "We both know I'm prolly the only person in a thousand miles that can cure a curse wound. Considering I've been drinking, I'm in no condition to operate," he said as he fell to his side, the black wound at his side growing every second.

"This…this can't be happening," cried Kit in disbelief. "I can't lose both you and Maid…."

Jose held out both his hands and Kit saw they were smoldering. "What type of knight am I? I can't believe I used a demonic sword of all things….. I wonder if they'll strip my paladinhood if word gets out," he joked.

"You're the greatest knight ever," replied Kit softly as tears flowed freely.

"I die with nothing but my hands, and they're not much to look at now. After the baroness left me, I attempted to stop drinking you know. Guess that didn't work out so well. I knock up the first good looking chick I meet, and I can't even help her raise our kid….." waxed Jose in an ever weaker voice.

Kit lowered head in silence. She thought she probably should say something to comfort Jose in his last moments, but she was too overcome with grief to provide any words of solace.

"Keeta, I take solace that I spared you that night in the alley. If there's one thing I'm proud of...it's taking you as a squire...as my daughter...tell Stille and Kaeda I love them, ….but not at the same time…..that would be bad…..Honor Magda's wishes and hatch her ….eggs….try not to let them eat each other….I don't have anything to give to you...but I hope you take my name and the name of my lord Rollo...oh and..." sputtered Jose as he took off his mask and handed it back to Kit. He then reached out and gently stroke her head. "And…and one more thing…mind your ears…"

Kit sobbed uncontrollably as Jose passed. She could hear shouts of panic and alarm throughout the fortress, and knew there were still many enemies about. The fortress lurched once again, and Kit felt the flying mountain slowly falling from the sky. All that seemed trivial to her as she kept vigil at her lord's side.

"Ouch!" yelped Kit as a sharp pain to the back of her head brought her back to attention.

"Big girls shouldn't cry. Especially paladins, " snorted Grinder from behind as he passed her a potion. Kit took the potion and drank it. She felt her wounds partially heal and strength return to her leg. She wasn't sure how the old mercenary got into the fortress, let alone get behind her but was more surprised to see a large wagging green husky at his side.

"Greenpaw! " she cheered as she stifled her tears. "How ..how are you here with Jose dead? " she asked without actually expecting an answer.

"I'm not interfering…much," shouted Grinder skywards to an unknown source. "At least not more than I normally do, heh."

He then turned his attention back to Kit.

"Aren't you a Knight of the Husky? Oh and look…a big magical husky which needs a new master," explained Grinder as he began tossing a variety of items into the war dog's packs. Kit was a bit annoyed when he saw him pick out the two silver and the obsidian blade and strapped them to the pack, but a sense of urgency took her when he saw him grab Trent and what was left of Maid and strap them to the saddle. "No time for bawling your eyes out, you have to get outta here. Or …. maybe you'll have all the time in the world" he added cryptically.

Kit stopped and saw flashes of multi colored lightning fill the roof of the dome, and then realized that Zazoz had begun shifting the fortress back in time, even as it began falling apart. She knew she had to get them out of here, if not for her sake, than for Trent's and Greenpaw.

"What about Jose and Madeline? ", she asked as she mounted up.

Grinder shrugged. "Magda is wayyyy….too big, and well…cuz of that accursed blade, nothing can be done for Jose. All heroes deserve monuments, and I can't think of a better monument to your lord than ten thousand tons of adamant fortress."

Kit nodded and extended a hand to Grinder, but the old mercenary shook his head. "No lass, I'll stick around. I have stuff to do in the past….", he grumbled before stepping into the shadows and disappearing. Kit blinked and for a second she sensed a great power emanating from the old man, but just as quickly it was gone.

Kit scanned for Grinder but her search was cut short as the fortress's destruction hastened. Added to the fact that the multi colored lightning above was intensifying, she knew she had to leave immediately.

Greenpaw responded to her wishes, even before she worded them. While she had ridden him in the past, she never felt the bond that they now shared. Like herself , the great war dog was filled with great sadness at the passing of Jose, but it was also filled with a burning sense of duty. A part of her wanted to die with Jose, but she knew she had to rescue Trent.

The great war husky spread its celestial wings, and shot through the air. Kit guided him through the lightning but felt the dog was partially guiding her as well. They flew out of the dome, but saw that the energy disruption seemed strongest overhead so they adjusted their flight path and dove below. The ground and ocean was obscured by smoke as arcs of energy shot all around them, trapping them in a maze of lightning. To Greenpaw's credit, the war dog fell into a practiced dodging pattern that avoided most of the bolts, and for a moment Kit thought they might make it out alive.

*CRACK*

A booming echo stunned them as they fled. All hopes of escape were dashed when the fortress above them snapped in a thundering boom. Broken pieces hurtled all around even as a black boulder struck and sent them hurtling to their doom below.