Might and Magic

By Sammie Spitz

Chapter 9: Shocking Discoveries

"Let's see what our friend was so protective over." Rickeena suggested. One by one, with Rainer in front, they walked into the gave the demon hound had once occupied. What some of them had expected was just a dead end with some kind of surprise in it. What they got was a long tunnel that, after about ten feet, turned into an uphill climb. Much to Juno's relief, this path wasn't as wet and slippery as the path they taken into the cave system.

As they walked futher through the tunnel, they became aware of the strange noise, coming from futher up the tunnel. It sounded like an unusual cross between an eagle's cry, a horse's neigh and another strange, high-pitched sound that sounded like a noise a dragon might make. Rainer signaled with his head for them to follow him. The only way to find out what was making the noise was to follow it and see for themselves. What they found was a pleasent surprise.

"Sun Wind!" Rainer shouted. Sun Wind was standing in the middle of the tunnel, a rope tied around her neck stuck on some rocks. Babylone, got the rope off of her neck.

"What happened to you, girl?" He asked. Sun Wind made a few strange, purring noises. Vela was convinced a vocalulary easily covered the whole animal kingdom.

Babylon listened intently to what everyone guessed was her story. Babylon turned to them and translated it. He told them, "They got Tobias but she got away."

"So, chances are, wherever Crozen is, he probably has Tobias with him." Juno reasoned. Rainer nodded. Suddenly, there was a glow coming from the bag hanging from his side. He craned his neck around to reach into it and pulled out the messanger glass he'd used before.

"I guess Jeff is getting worried."



"Rainer, we haven't heard from you for a while. What on Earth happened to you?" Jeff asked.

"We've been busy." The transparent image of Rainer answered, "You wouldn't believe the stories we have to tell you."

"Why don't you just try and summerize it for us."

"A shadow cat. Siren pirates. A demon dog."

"That bad, eh?"

"Well, we're just getting out of the caves. If my sense of direction is correct, we should be near the Tulin Plains. Crozen, from what I've heard, set his fortress here. We can go through the plains and- oh my GOD!"

"Rainer, what is it?"

"You wouldn't beleive me if I told you..."



The Tulin Plains were a disaster area. Rainer, Babylon, Rickeena and Sun Wind never imagined it like this. They remembered the plains as a lush, green, beautiful grassland. This was a wasteland.

The entire area was completely dark and destroyed. The bare ground was covered in dead grass and dark earth. Trees were barren, broken, burned, or simply toppled over. The sky was a dark grey and cloudy. One thing that the twins just couldn't ge tover was the noise. Silent, by all means there should have, at the very least, been a crow or buzzard squawking. But, there was absolutly nothing.

"Holy shit, what happened?" Vela asked. Juno had the same thing to ask, but he was so shocked, the question stuck in his throat.

Sun Wind made a few noises to Babylon. He turned to them and said, "Crozen. At least, that's what she thinks. She heard a story that said he lost his temper and destroyed the entire area."

"And you think MY temper's bad." Vela commented to Juno. Juno, however, still didn't hear it. He couldn't beleive this. Crozen destroyed the entire area, along with possibley hundreds of lives, in the blink of an eye. And all because of a rotton temper. It reminded him of someone he knew...a certian space bug...

"Bro?" Vela asked, shaking his shoulder. He shook his head and looked back at her.

"Why don't we find this Crozen bastard and kick his sorry ass for this." She said, with a smirk.

Juno smirked back, stomping a hoof before the walked into the ruined plains.

To Be Continued...