"Nymk!", cried the princess of Crimea as the claw snatched her friend.

Javindar hurtled himself towards the portal as Nymk was being dragged in. He had already drawn his blade and his shield was at the ready as he sprang after the archer, but just before he reached her the portal shimmered and faded, reappearing as a wall again.

The Bey of Ghata had fought Rakshasa before and knew it was just an illusion. While he didn't have time to have Nahbob properly dispel it, he simply closed his eyed and prepared to break through whatever magics were thrown in his way. After all, if it wasn't real, it couldn't stop him …right?

*Crash*

Javindar staggered back as he slammed into the wall, though his shield took the brunt of the crash he still clipped his head against the stone and was dazed from the inadvertent blow.

"You idiot," said Chloe as Javindar recovered his balance. "It's an illusion, Jimmy told me those cat creatures do this type of magic. Just follow my lead, and close your eyes and charge through the wall." She said as she pointed to her now shuttered eyelids before she charged the wall that was now in place of the portal.

Javindar attempted to warn her, but ….

*Crash*

Chloe fell back and landed beside the Prince. Javindar would have chuckled if one of their group had not just been abducted. Instead he helped the druid back to her feet and approached the wall more cautiously.

"Well I guess I'm the idiot," grumbled Chloe as she took his hand.

"Nahbob," Javindar commanded and pointed.

His servant bowed and weaved some spells before cautiously approaching the wall. "It is indeed an illusion, but of a very high level caliber that I have not encountered before except in texts. Only high Rakshasa nobles like Rajahs or Maharajahs, or perhaps the master Illusionist himself, Gary of Gnomar, can perform such a ritual."

"Well we aint getting Gary on our side," snorted Chloe. "He's a bad guy for one thing and dead the last I checked, and I doubt we'll be getting any Rakshasas on our side either."

"Not to worry my lady," said Nahbob as he approached the wall and increased the somatic actions of his hand. "While I do not understand the arcane mechanics of this illusion, that does not mean I cannot dispel it. While I have no speciality in the mage schools, I do have a talent for abjuration…all I need is.."

Nahbob stopped mid spell as the wall shimmered and a portal appeared. Once again a great clawed hand appeared, but instead of grabbing the mage, it instead slashed him across the throat.

"M…y…..m…y…..prin….ce…." wheezed Nahob as he feebly attempted to staunch the heavy flow of blood cascading down his throat. The mage took a step back before keeling over. He would have smashed heavily into the floor, except Chloe quickly snatched him mid fall with a strength that defied her small frame.

Javindar was torn between launching himself at the portal again or helping Nahbob. It was an easy and quick choice though, given that the portal once again vanished and his servant was rapidly slipping away. He sheathed his blade and channeled holy energy into his hands as he poured whatever healing he had into his loyal servant while keeping an eye on the wall.

Javindar breathed a sigh of relief as Nahbob's wounds healed, but stared in dismay as they began to unravel before his eyes. He channeled his power again, but Chloe simply bumped him to the side.

"Cur..Curse….wou..nd…." warned Nahbob as his life slipped away.

"Stand back Princey, this is more my forte, " said the druid as green motes surrounded her. "Paladins and clerics are okay in a pinch for healing, but take a seat and get ready to be schooled by my nature fey drood magic."

Javindar was about to protest that he was a holy warrior of Puranas and paladins was an insulting term describing western warrior castes that attempted to imitate his order, but he remained silent as the green motes flowed from the Crimean Princess and into Nahbob's throat. His servant's flesh knitted before his eyes with small verdant vines. Though some of the sutures ripped open from whatever foul magics the clawed creature used, Chloe's magic appeared to heal them at a greater rate as the motes continued to knit closed the tear.

"Cursed wounds," spat Chloe. "My boss Jimmy taught me about them, but I never thought I would have to deal with it myself."

Javindar breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "Your master seemed quite capable, I would like to meet him someday."

Chloe grinned ear from ear. "Well you better hope he forgot about the contract placed on your head by Vleda, or else you'd regret that meeting. I've seen you fight Princey, and you're pretty good, but Jimmy's got a step on you and he has mad skillz, he'll carve you like a turkey if he didn't snipe you through the eyeball at a hundred paces first."

Javindar was about to comment that he was unsurpassed as an archer, Red Flight or not, but a blur of motion from the wall he was tracking followed by a sickening thud interrupted him. He turned his attention once more to the portal and saw that Nymk had been thrown through and had landed like a rag doll on the floor. The archer had a big bloody gash on her shoulder as if some great wild animal bit into her, but more importantly her neck was twisted at a sharp unnatural angle.

"Nymk? " asked Chloe nervously as she rushed to her friend. She summoned her green motes again but Javindar knew it was useless, he had seen death before and knew Nymk had departed. Before Chloe could come to the same conclusion a shadow of claws and fury pounced on her.

Javindar half expected her to meet the same fate as Nahbob, but the druid's boasting of her combat abilities proved to be no lie. She rolled back against the strike and even managed to flip her attacker to the side, even as it scored a bloody swipe to her side. Chloe grunted in pain, but managed to limp to the side even as her magic worked on her own wound.

Javindar quickly moved between their attacker and the wall, to block its avenue of escape. Though it might had other portals available, he thought against it else it would have used them against the druid and himself already.

Instead of blindly lashing out against him in an attempt to retreat, the creature simply rose up, standing like a man and dusted itself off.

Javindar had met Rakshasa before. They were masters of stealth and illusion, known to be resistant to most forms of magic and weapons. They were a type of evil planar beastmen, that existed to deceive and conqueror from the shadows. While Javindar had bested some elephant Rakshasa and even some crane Rakshasa in the past, most of their ilk took the form of humanoid tiger men with some aspect of them reversed, most commonly backward hands, and regardless of this one's power it took a similar form.

This particular Rakshasa had a noble but craven bearing about it. It glared at him with an oddly familiar look of superiority and disdain, that somehow infuriated Javindar. It wasn't looking at him like he was its foe, it was simply looking down on him. It wasn't until Javindar realized it was the same look he gave Chloe and Nahbob, that the Prince grew red with shame.

"I see from the red on your face that you are flushed with fear," said the Rakshasa in common with a thick Vinraji accent. "Normally I would permit you to flee, but sadly for you, you have wronged me not once but three times."

"We have transgressed on you three times? I …I humbly ask to know how we have offended thee," asked Javindar, swallowing his pride, attempting to buy Chloe some more time. Her wounded side had stopped bleeding but even Javindar could tell it wasn't fully healed. Druidic magic seemed powerful but slow.

The Rakshasa noble flicked his nose towards the roof as it pursed its lips. "First you have slain my companions. While I normally care not for their wretched hides, they serve as better allies than that head strong Marilith, and that overbearing Succubus I was forced to aid recently. Second you invade my abode, my sanctum. My private demiplane if you will, where my magics are stronger than they are elsewhere, something you've comically discovered for yourself I see," he scoffed as it pointed towards its own head in the same place Javindar bruised his own when he ran into the wall earlier.

"Finally….you've taken my spider monkey," it growled, even as Quogy shrieked and dashed behind some pillows. "Something I can ever forgive," it spat as it charged Javindar.

Javindar was through parlaying with the creature. Quogy was HIS pet, HIS spider monkey, and the fact this vile beastman would even lay claim on HIS property infuriated the Prince. Also it took out Nymk and Nahbob which he guessed needed to avenged. As for Chloe, she would have all the time to heal herself after he dispatched this beast.

"Bravery! Valor! Glory!" shouted Bey Javindar as he raised his serrated Khanda, and met the Rakshasa head on.

While Javindar had faced Rakshasa in the past, mostly assassins in Ghata and Nashput and even a couple a few mere hours ago in fact, he never considered them the deadliest of foes. They were stealthy and cunning, but their power waned when they were exposed. They had magic, but it wasn't any greater than what Nahbob was capable of, and as for their so called infamous resistances, Javindar rarely used spells and his holy warrior training could easily cut through their physical resistances. The fact was once you cornered them and faced them hand to hand, they were at their weakest. This particular Rakshasa however, proved the Bey wrong in a most painful fashion.

The creature easily ducked under Javindar's Khanda, before almost pirouetting past his shield bash. Now on his left out of range of his blade and shield it easily slashed at his side before hopping out of reach as Javindar pivoted.

Javindar ignored the pain and pressed forward again this time with wider broader strokes to restrict his enemy's movements. To his dismay the Rakshasa simply hopped over his swing and kicked a claw foot towards his head mid jump. The blow should have snapped his neck or at the very least punctured his face with its long dagger like claws, but fortunately the Prince was able to weave in time and suffered only a few bloody holes to his shoulder.

Javindar had to adjust his tactics and took a defensive stance. Though his speed often won him the day against larger and stronger foes, he was at a loss at fighting this quick and agile opponent. He would normally have called upon Nahbob to hasten his step or to slow the enemy's but with his servant incapacitated currently his only option was to weather the attacks and hope for an opportunity for a counter strike.

"The great Bey of Ghata, mightiest warrior in the land, yet can barely land a blow on me. To think that all this time in Nashput, I was actually afraid of you," scoffed the Rakshasa as it circled the Prince again.

"That tells a lot about your character, " suggested Javindar wincing back the pain from his wounds.

The Rakshasa did not like the taunt and pounced. Though it was quicker than Javindar, the Prince was able to match its lightning quick jump with a simple step back, pushing him out of the beastman's range. Off balanced as it landed, Javindar easily slashed at the creature's head, a blow the Rakshasa just as easily parried, but at the last moment he flipped his blade and gave his surprised foe a solid smack on the nose with the pommel of his khanda.

"Rawwrrr!"

The Rakshasa was infuriated but did not take the bait as it spun and twisted backwards. Javindar was about to do the same but decided to press his small advantage and attack. While the creature slipped past the reach of his blade, it didn't quite out range the full length of his shield. Swinging his wicker shield in a wide arc, he caught the creature in the ribs with enough force to slam it against the wall.

Dazed the monster pushed back, but was met with a dozen serrated shark teeth raking his back as Javindar seized upon his opportunity. To the monster's credit, it fought back like the wild beast that it was, flailing and biting viciously, scoring a deep tear across Javindar's chest and even a bite on his arm. Though the Prince often made jest of western warrior culture's reliance on heavy armour, he wished he had a suit of it on now.

While the Prince scored several telling blows at close range, the Rakshasa came out on top as its final strike snagged and hurled Javindar's Khanda away. The Prince knew he was at a disadvantage and hopped out of reach. While he had several other weapons on him, his Khanda and bow were the only ones blessed to deal with such a monster, and this was too close of range to use Red Flight.

The Rakshasa, though beaten and bloodied sensed this as it bounded between the Prince and his fallen blade and gave Javindar a wicked smile.

Undeterred, Javindar drew his scimitar, which he had grown rather fond of as of late and approached his foe. Though it wasn't blessed or even a piercing weapon, he would attempt to drive the monster away from his Khanda with it. He also had the option of channeling the last of his holy power into the blade, but thought it unwise. He had not even made it to the Black Scroll, and knew there were greater enemies ahead. It would not be prudent to win the battle by throwing away his only chance to win the war.

"Bravery! Valor! Glory!" he shouted as he rushed into the fray once again. While he had a better of judge of his foe's speed and reach, scoring a few strikes and counter strikes during their clash, he was dismayed as his blows did little or minimal damage. The beastman however grew more confident with its strikes as each one of the Prince's were turned, and Javindar could see it grin widely at its impending victory. The Rakshasa's famed magical hide was going to win this battle unless he reached his Khanda. After a dozen cuts, a final deep cut to his leg caused him to almost lose his footing. Javindar was forced to relent from his attack to fall back again and regain a semblance of balance.

Instead of pressing forward the Rakshasa hovered around the blade, guessing incorrectly that it was a ploy to lure him away from it. Javindar took this opportunity to utter a healing prayer, the last of his already limited magics to heal some of his wounds, before advancing once again.

Beaten and bloodied Javindar approached, the Rakshasa stopped and sniffed the air, specifically towards the Prince's scimitar.

"Lady Kalikekeztra?" it asked, clearly puzzled, and oddly frightened.

Javindar did not know who or what it was referring to, but at that moment a short beast with long ragged hair, akin to some oversized prehistoric honey badger, leapt onto the back of the distracted Rakshasa.

"Chloeverine!" it shouted in a high garbled growling voice as it began to rake the beastman's back.

The Rakshasa howled in frustration at the interloper and Javindar saw his opportunity as he made a dash for his Khanda dropping low to retrieve it.

Before he could grab the holy blade though, the Rakshasa flung the hairy oversized badger from his back and onto Javindar, knocking him flying into a pile of cushions, and also sending Quogy screeching as it hopped away seeking a new hiding spot.

The Prince struggled to get back on his feet, given his uneven footing and saw the Rakshasa standing atop the beaten badger, flailing away at it with its claws which seemed even longer and sharper now.

"I've had enough of you fools. Do you not know who you are dealing with? Vikokima, high spy master of Taraksun, Awakener of Wrath! " it shouted at the stunned creature whose struggles grew weaker with every strike.

Javindar glanced at the creature and saw the pain in its eyes. He suspected it was Chloe when it gave that ridiculous shout, but its deep and pained green eyes confirmed it.

While he had hoped to save his last divine channel to strike down whatever foe guarded the Black Scroll, as the Bey of Ghata, he could not let this beast strike down the Princess of Crimea, regardless if her claims of royal heritage proved dubious at best. He channeled the last of his reserves of holy energy into the scimitar and charged the Rakshasa.

Vikokima or whatever it named itself, turned towards the Prince and flashed its great toothy smile again, taunting Javindar to strike at him with all his useless fury. It proved unwise though, as Javindar took up its silent offer, and slammed his scimitar straight through the shocked Rakshasa's skull.

With a thud it fell on its side with a shocked and confused expression on its face, even as Chloe began to transform back to her petite self.

"It hurts, by the great guilds it hurts," whimpered Chloe. Javindar blanched as he saw her light leather armour torn away and ribbons of flesh stripped off her back, exposing bone in some places. What was worse was that the wounds seemed to be growing. He had seen such wounds on the battlefield and they were often fatal even with a priest available, and it was amazing she was conscious at all. She attempted some of her own magic to heal herself but the pain caused her to falter spoiling her spell.

Javindar wasn't sure what to do. Even if he had some healing magic left, would he be able to cure a curse wound? Perhaps he could find a potion from Nahbob to heal her, but he doubt that such low level magics would be effective. He glanced at his own wounds and noticed that they weren't under the 'curse' and wondered if his holy faith protected him from such.

As he watched Chloe, literally withering to death before his eyes, Nymk shuffled towards and dropped to her knees next to the druid. Javindar almost hopped back as he saw she still suffered from the horrible twisted neck, it didn't seem to bother the ranger though as she uttered a few divine prayers and duplicated the green mote spell that Chloe used earlier on Nahbob but on a much lesser scale. While Chloe's wounds were far from healed they stopped decaying further. Afterwards the ranger produced a flask from her hip and slowly fed the contents into the druid's mouth, bringing her into a gentle sleep.

"How…how …?" asked Javindar shocked.

Nymk shrugged as she grabbed her twisted neck and swiftly yanked it back into place. "How did I heal the curse wound. Well believe it or not, Chloe learned from Jimmy, who learned from Baroness Stille, or Hush as I like to call her. Her and I are old friends, and I managed to pick up a few things from her as well."

Javindar shook his head. "No, no….I mean how are alive after that umm...break?" he asked craning his own neck to indicate what he didn't want to say out loud.

Nymk looked at him in surprise and smiled. "Oh…you remember Chloe here kept calling me a sex golem. I know it's a silly taunt, but Chloe here is a silly girl at heart. Well….let's just say she wasn't completely inaccurate about the golem part. "