Naturally Admiral De Loco was not caught at unawares; quite the contrary, upon entering Moon Stone Mountain, Lawrence unknowingly triggered an otherwise-silent alarm that alerted De Loco to intruders moving about in the mines. He watched the three trespassers on the monitor in his crude office, picture projected there by one of the many nearly invisible cameras lining the corrdors of the cavernous hallways. Beside him, a rather disgruntled Admiral Alfonso recognized former High Mage Ilchymis, and also one of the others, whom he held in the highest contempt.
"Only three of them? Bah! I will flay their skin from their bones!" shrieked De Loco in mad glee, dancing around rather psychotically.
"Numbers mean very little, De Loco," said Alfonso snobbishly, as he watched his fellow admiral with distaste. "These are the same three who braved the Temple of Pyrynn. Tread very lightly until I return." And the first admiral turned on his silver-heeled boots and strode for the door.
"Where are you going?" screeched the diminuitive admiral.
"To observe," was all Alfonso said.
Lawrence, Domingo, and Ilchymis were soon very aware of the fact that the mines had awakened at their unwelcome presence, for they were contested at the end of the first hallway. Ilchymis, who had been on-edge since disembarking the ship that had brought them, was ready for the four patrol soldiers as soon as they came into view. "Pyres!"
The evoked fireball burst from the mage's fingertip as a tiny bead of flame and burst in the center of the group, licking their armor with angry flames; however singed, they emerged gasping and coughing from the blaze and shakily drew out weapons. Lawrence leapt to meet one, eyes full of fiery concentration, and slashed his head from his shoulders with one mighty sweep of his broadsword; Domingo, only a step or two behind, dodged out left and jabbed both kukris at a second soldier. The first strike was superficial, only nicking the enemy's breastplate, but the second was rather solid and staggered the man as it rang across the crude metal covering his midsection.
Ilchymis had just finished casting his second spell with the trigger phrase "Eterni!"; a silver spike conjured from nothing and hurtled down at a soldier-at-unawares, skewering him instantly. Almost at the same time Lawrence pivoted away from his first dead soldier and struck at another, blade singing along his adversary's chest but not dropping him, and Domingo ducked beneath another soldier's crude iron sword and stabbed with both kukris, digging both in below the armor and striking soft flesh beneath. The ring on Ilchymis's finger materialized into an angrily-tittering Cupil, who morphed into a knife and dove at the soldier as he turned to retaliate on Domingo; the little Silvite animal dug in deep, and the soldier crumpled, lifeless.
Lawrence danced around the still-muttering mage and struck hard; the force of the blow lopped the man's head off, and the battle was won. Cupil rose up, twittering angrily still, and Domingo put out a hand to calm him.
None of them saw Alfonso disappear around the corner, looking strangely pleased with the outcome.
Author's Note: Sneaky sneaky Alfonso, what are you up to? Hee hee.
Derek Barona: Expect many, many more. It's going to be awhile.
Meowzychan: I've been re-thinking any possible pairings. Stay with me; it's going to be odd. And De Loco's ass will be kicked, don't you worry.
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