"Is this the spot?" Tamsin asked after she Julia, Clio and Reed had arrived at Deapers Mountain. Clio pointed upwards.

"Up there, yes. It's a bit of a climb, but that's where I emerged after battling Ehlnor. There's a series of tunnels up there, but along the way we should be able to find the relic." Clio replied.

They were about to step forward when Reed suddenly stopped and sniffed the air.

"What's wrong, Reed?" Tamsin asked. Reed continued to sniff and survey the area then bared his fangs. The rest of them looked around as well and couldn't see anything, but then Clio started to sense something.

"The air is starting to feel hot. Heavy." Clio said. Then they heard the crushing of branches and trees in the distance.

"We need to get to higher ground." Reed warned. They continued their ascent up the mountain path and as they went, they saw more trees and bushes falling away as if something big was crashing through them.

"What ever is coming is coming in hard!" Julia said. Then they heard howls. Lots of them. They stopped again and looked across the expanse below.

"Look there!" Reed pointed out. He saw three wolves on a ridge with one standing up on its hind legs.

"What are they doing?" Julia asked.

"Acting as lookouts, I believe." Reed replied. And that's when the trees and branches finally gave way, and a sea of wolves burst out and promptly fell on top of one another locked in battle.

"We've got to move now!" Tamsin replied as they started to run up along the mountain path.

"How much further?" Julia asked.

"We are nearly there!" Clio replied. As they went, they saw some wolves try to make their way up the mountain path but were jumped by other wolves.

"Seems like they're fighting one another." Reed said and then what he saw below amongst the battle made his mouth gape. "Lycans!"

"Lycans?" Tamsin repeated. "That means Dyson called in the calvary. That also means Dyson is down there somewhere in that milieu!"

"That is a lot of wolves!" Julia observed.

"And they are tearing eachother apart." Clio added then looked at Tamsin. "Dyson will be okay."

"He better!" Tamsin said then turned to the group. "Let's keep going. The sooner we find what we are looking for, the sooner we can join in the fight." They continued their ascent as the battle below them raged onward. Suddenly Reed stopped and turned around and bared his teeth again.

"Are they behind us?" Tamsin asked. Reed hissed a growl. Tamsin looked but couldn't see anything. "Let's get to the entrance!"

Once they reached the entrance, they all looked down again upon the battle. It was a bloody mess.

"We've got to stop this!" Julia said.

"We can't stop it, but we can most certainly slow it down." Tamsin replied then pulled a Seracon device out of her pocket and handed it to Julia. "Take this!"

"What are you going to do?" Julia asked.

"Slow this massacre down a bit." Tamsin took a couple steps forward and spread her wings.

"Reed! Go with Julia." Tamsin said.

"No!" Julia protested. "Reed should stay here with you guys. I can handle this! I know what to look for, remember? My case for Engelram is kinda how all this started."

"It's about back up, and Reed needs to back you up." Tamsin said.

"I need to stay here with Tamsin. Help her with this. You two! Go!" Clio joined. Both Julia and Reed gave them pensive looks then turned and ran into the tunnels.

"I take it you're about to do you doubt-casting thingy?" Clio queried.

"You guessed right." Tamsin replied.

"Have you ever done it for a battle this big?" Clio asked.

"Way bigger. But you're right. It's been a while." Tamsin replied.

"I figured as much." Clio said as she stepped back.

Tamsin shifted into her Valkyrie Death Face and raised her arms and wings over the battle. Almost instantly the warring factions all stopped and twitched their heads as if they had heard the worst whistle call ever. They all tried to shake the disorientation as they bumped and crashed into one another like squirming worms, rubbing their furry heads into the ground as if to relieve a very bad itch. Tamsin was able to hold them all in that confused state all for several minutes then abruptly dropped her arms and collapsed into unconsciousness on the ground. Luckily, Clio caught her as she fell.

"Tamsin!" Clio said as she gently shook Tamsin's face. No response. Clio tried a few more times but could not get Tamsin to wake up.

Clio looked around and saw that while the wolves in the main attack below were still disoriented, she saw a group of wolves to the left and right of her, making their way up to her position. Clio gently laid Tamsin to the ground then stood up, extended her hands over the battle, and her eyes rolled white. Suddenly the wind picked up like a dust storm clouding everything around the battle. Then lightning struck the ground at the base of the mountain. The ground gave way at the base of the mountain, and then fire emerged from the cracks which caused the wolves that tried to ascend the mountain to fall back. The mountain shook hard, harder than Clio intended or expected, but then the reason why started to emerge. It was Ehlnor. His massive, fiery, rocky body rose from cracks, and reached the height of the mountain itself, sending the battle between the wolves into even greater chaos. He eyes aflame as he surveyed everything around him. The wolves that were within reach backed away and ran off as his massive hands hit the ground and as he turned, he saw Clio and leaned forward.

"YOU!" Ehlnor bellowed. Clio raised her arms higher and the wind formed a tornado-like cocoon around them, barricading them inside from the rest of the world.

"Yes, it's me! But I'm not your enemy! Besides, we don't have time for this! There's a massacre happening below us, and we need to stop it!" Clio yelled through the whipping winds of the barricading tornado of her own making.

"So what if they kill one another?" Ehlnor challenged.

"Because we've got bigger fish to fry. Look! We're here to find the relic. The one you've kept hidden for Rumlar. Little do you realize but things have gone to pot, and because of which, he's also here to retrieve the relic and then bounce!"

"And?" Ehlnor challenged.

"Without you." Clio replied. Ehlnor said nothing, so Clio pressed onward. "Rumlar no longer cares about you or anything else for that matter. Just his mission to retrieve the relic and go."

"He promised me he'd get me off this infernal plane!" Ehlnor roared.

"Rumlar is cleaning up loose ends. Everywhere! And you're a loose end. Clio replied.

"Why should I even countenance what you're saying?" Ehlnor asked.

"Because Rumlar cares nothing for you, and trust me, if he gets ahold of that relic, he will kill you like all the rest that he's used. But I can offer you something that Rumlar won't. Life! And a new home. Here on Human Plane. Think! Your people are gone! Your plane, banished! All for some crazy conspiracy no one knows what's it about, except it's leaving dead bodies everywhere and I assure you, yours will be next! But if we get to the relic before him then killing you would be moot, and your life will be spared!" Clio replied. Ehlnor said nothing so Clio kept on. "Listen to me! You are the last of the Monoliths! The very last Monolith! Don't let stupidity kill your line forever! The Human Plane can be your home. We can make it work, but you've got to work with me here! And fast!"

"If I am discovered alive by the Presidium, I too, will be banished forever." Ehlnor said.

"Leave that to me." Tamsin said from behind. Tamsin was up on her feet, her wings still spread.

"A Valkyrie." Ehlnor replied.

"And Chief Protector of this Plane." Tamsin added. "Clio's right. This can be your home, and if the Presidium tries to come for you, they'll have to go through me first."

"The Presidium would condemn you for treason." Ehlnor replied.

"Perhaps. But then again, it won't be the first time I've been condemned." Tamsin said.

"You would do that for me?" Ehlnor asked.

"Yes." Tamsin replied.

"How can I trust you?" Ehlnor asked skeptical.

"By trusting me. Because I'm all you got if you want to live. The other choice is most assuredly death." Tamsin replied. Ehlnor inhaled and then exhaled. "Do you really want to die?"

"Very well." Ehlnor replied. "What do you want me to do?"

"Block this entrance and calm that shit down there! We need to go help our friends!" Clio replied.

"I will do this." Ehlnor said then turned his attention to the battle around his feet.

"Good." Tamsin replied then staggered a bit, shook her head, and then held up one hand to her face to rest her eyes. Clio quickly released the storm barricade around them, shifted her eyes back to normal, and went over to Tamsin.

"Are you okay?" Clio asked.

"I am getting old." Tamsin said.

"Not even close." Clio assured.

"That was impressive with the storm cloud there!" Tamsin said.

"I told you I had your back." Clio replied.

"Let's go find Reed and Julia." Tamsin said as they both ran into the maze of tunnels while. Little did they realize that a pack of Mutts made it past them and were making their way towards Reed and Julia.


"Clio thought it should be right along these tunnels!" Julia yelled but Reed stopped and sniffed the air. He then turned to Julia.

"Keep going!" Reed directed.

"Why? What are you smelling?"

"Just go!" Reed shouted. Julia took one last look at Reed and then ran. Reed turned around, faced the area of the smell and then shifted his eyes, and then his body grew in both breath and stature as his hands shifted into claws and his legs into hooves. When he finished shifting, he stood on his hind Lycan legs ten feet tall.

A pack of eight wolves emerged from the same tunnels he and Julia had taken. He roared as they moved to encircle him. Finally, one pounced on him, and while unseen by Reed another wolf had torn away from the pack of attacking wolves in pursuit of Julia.


Julia raced deeper into the tunnels with her flashlight as she frantically looked for anything that even resembled the relic. She made turn after turn, all the while looking all over for any sign of it. And then she stopped dead in her tracks. There it was. The relic was embedded in the rockface. It was crystal clear why the hikers who had inadvertently discovered it never saw it because they would have never thought it was anything more than part of the rockface.

"Finally!" Julia exclaimed then quickly searched her pockets for a tool, something, anything that could dig it out. The she remembered the Seracon tool Tamsin gave her. She took it out, placed it on her arm and deployed it. "God! I love Presidium tech!"

Then she started to strike it against the rock around the relic to loosen it, not realizing the noise was drawing attention to her by a pursuant wolf. After several more strikes she was successful in freeing the relic from its rockface prison.

"You little bugger! You have no idea the problems you've caused!" Julia said as she placed the relic inside her pouch, secured the flap, but as she turned around to head back through the tunnels to help Reed she was greeted by a huge wolf. It lowered its head and bared its teeth as if smiling. It slowly moved towards Julia who backed up equally as slow as she grasped the Seracon blade tighter in her hand, and looked for even ground with her feet. Once she found the even ground she was looking for she decided to make her stand.

"If you want this mother, you're going to have to come and get it!" Julia taunted. The wolf bared their teeth wider and lunged for Julia.


Tamsin and Clio ran through the tunnels and came upon Reed trying to beat off the five wolves that were trying to take him down. They saw two were lying dead off to the side, but the five on him had him on his knees. He was bloodied and pieces of him torn open.

"Reed!" Clio said as her exclamation caused three of the wolves to turn and run toward them.

Tamsin pulled out a Seracon staff, deployed it, and threw it through the shoulder of the wolf coming at her and pierced its heart as another lunged for her, knocking her down. The wolf latched onto Tamsin's arm. Luckily, she was wearing under armor and so she let him tear at it just long enough for her to reach inside her jacket with her right hand, grab one of her silver chest blades and rammed it in the chest of the wolf. The wolf howled as Tamsin continued to ram it deeper into its chest, and then turned and twisted it inside their chest cavity while blood rained all over her before it finally collapsed dead.

The other wolf that broke away from Reed advanced on Clio. Clio couldn't help but to observe how deftly Tamsin took out the two wolves that attacked her. Clio had no weapons on her as the wolf advanced bearing its teeth. She backed up against the wall and moved along it as the wolf followed her. Suddenly, she felt her right foot give way slightly and saw she was near a precipice and saw her opportunity. She stood at the edge and taunted the wolf.

"Come and get me!" Clio yelled. The wolf lunged for Clio, and together they both went over the edge and into the dark abyss.

"CLIO!" Tamsin shouted as she got up and ran to the edge of the abyss.

Tamsin's scream got the attention of Reed who then got to one knee, swapped one wolf off to the side then picked up the second wolf that attacked by the throat and ripped it out. The wolf he swapped away circled him then pounced. Reed caught the wolf by the head and then ripped its jaws apart. Once done, he threw the carcass off to one side then turned and quickly went over to Tamsin.

"She went over with a wolf! I can't see her!" Tamsin said frantically.

"Clio!" Tamsin shouted. No answer.

"Clio!" Tamsin shouted again. Still no answer.

"Dammit!" Tamsin said to herself resigned. Then she turned to Reed and gasped at his wounds. Reed straightened himself up higher in response. "Stubborn I see. Fine! C'mon! We've gotta find Julia, and we need to find you some medical help or you are not going to last very long." Reed nodded.

As they turned to head out, they heard something climbing up through the abyss. They turned back around and slowly approached the abyss. Tamsin pulled out another one of her silver blades and readied herself for another attack. Instead, Clio's head emerged from the abyss. Tamsin let out a sigh of relief as Reed reached down for Clio and helped her up the rest of the way.

"My God! I thought you bit it for sure!" Tamsin said.

"Remember? Elemental? Command of all the elements, including the air?" Clio replied. Tamsin grasped her by the shoulders.

"Thought we lost you." Tamsin said

"Glad someone cares." Clio replied.

"Of course, we care! You're one of us." Tamsin said. Clio smiled then saw Reed and his wounds.

"Reed! Your wounds!" Clio noted in horror.

"He knows we're worried, but he wants to continue the fight." Tamsin assured. "C'mon! We need to get to Julia!"

Tamsin, Clio and Reed ran deeper into the tunnels. A couple of twists and turns later they emerged in a small area and their worst fears were realized. They found Julia. She was lying on the ground with a wolf on top of her, blood everywhere. Clio's hands went to her face.

"Oh, dear God! We're too late!" Clio said horrified at the sight of the large pool of blood in which Julia laid.

"GET. THIS. WOLF. OFF. ME!" Julia yelled in a muffled voice. They all ran up and with one of his claws Reed lifted the wolf off Julia, and they all saw the Seracon blade Julia buried deep in the chest of the dead wolf. However, they also saw something jagged poking through Julia's left shoulder. Tamsin performed a quck examination of Julia's shoulders and the rest of her body.

"Did that wolf bite you?" Tamsin asked.

"I don't think so." Julia replied.

"You are bleeding hard. We need to cauterize this wound and then get you out of here!" Tamsin said then looked to Clio.

"Can you summon some fire?" Tamsin asked Clio. Clio responded by opening her right hand and formed a small ball of fire.

"This going to hurt." Tamsin warned Julia.

"Guess what, though?" Julia said nearly delirious from the pain.

"What?" Tamsin replied.

"We got it! We finally got it!" Julia declared as she patted the relic inside her bag.

"Ready?" Tamsin asked. Julia nodded.

"Take deep breaths." Tamsin then pulled Julia's shoulder off the impaling object. Julia screamed out in pain. As soon as she was freed, Clio cauterized the wound causing Julia to pass out. Once done, Reed bent down and picked her up and carried her as they all made their way of out the tunnels.

"You're all going to need some serious medical attention." Clio said.

"It is times like these I wish I were a Succubus." Tamsin said. Clio and Reed nodded in agreement.