Chapter 13 Hi Honey I'm Home

Character Grishnake

"Ok, your the big dragon dude who started all the magic and development and such," Haggard said to Orthino, "But when your wife died you locked yourself away in her crypt? Seems kinda creepy to me."

"Well she was the only thing that really mattered to me at the time," the old dragon, Orthino, replied, "I started all of this for her, so we could live in a world where the races lived together in harmony. But before I could complete my goal, she was taken from me, killed by a race who's very name I've wiped from time, though Mammon the instigator is still out there."

"As you should have done," Grish said, "I can't imagine what I would do if Lydia was killed."

"Wait your married," Redford asked, "Now that's a new one. A ninety year old orc who is married."

"Well I was only seventy when I left to come here," Grish said, "Lyd was about twenty five then, so shed be forty five now."

"That's kind of a considerable gap in age there," Sweets said, "How did that work out?"

"Look at me," Grish replied, "I'm ninety and in better shape than you four, she is human so is in probably about the same shape that I am in now, maybe a little worse."

"Hey a human and an orc walk into a bar," Preston said.

"Stop right there," Red said, "Last thing I want is for Grish here to rip your head off."

"Now that would be interesting," Orthino remarked, "Is any one else here hungry?"

"Well the butcher's shop is just on the next street," Hags said, "Shall we go get some grub?"

"I'm in," Grish said as they started to adjust their course through the streets of Warfang. Once Orthino had met with Chris and Veronica and then the rest of the dragons he had made time to walk the streets to see how close the city was to his original plans. Grish didn't mind but the constant stopping to either admire how well the plans were followed or complain about what was not followed was getting tiring. He almost wished that demons would show up just so Orthino would have something to do, almost. He did wish Lydia was with him though, twenty years they had been separated, he couldn't even be sure she was still alive except that he knew she always got back up no matter how hard the hit was.

He had once toyed with the idea of a portal spell that would allow them to travel to each other instantly but, since he was not that good with magic, abandoned the endeavor. His reminiscing was put aside though when a large slab of meat, lamb it looked like, was handed to him. His first bite confirmed the source of the meat, juicy, tender, and fire-breath grilled to perfection. He was savoring the first bite and was about to go for a second when the alarm went off.

"Oh come on," Grish grumbled, "Never can get any good timing."

"That's the southern gate," Orthino remarked as he snapped down the last of his meal, "get on we need to get over there."

Grish helped lift Bad Co. onto the elder dragon before hauling himself up. Orthino took off creating twin twisters of fallen leaves at his wing tips. The southern and eastern gates opened out into a large grassy plain, which seemed to be a favorite place for armies to attack from. Chris and Ve were already there as was Malcolm. They all dipped their heads in respect as Orthino landed, but quickly filled them in on the details. Apparently the remaining demon forces had all gathered for an attack and were out on the plains. That normally wouldn't have been a problem except for the large demon with a four-jawed tentacle mouth, four legs and four arms, and the alarming amount of Apocicas that were present in the gathered demons.

"And we are still recovering from the last demon attack," Malcolm finished, "If they get to close they can just walk right in through the holes in the walls."

"I'll deal with the big guy," Orthino said, "You all take out the army."

"Look, we may be good," Grish said, "But those Apocicas are almost indestructible, one of them almost took down the city. If it wasn't for Beast, there would be a lot more of this city destroyed."

"Not to worry," Haggard said, "Even the most stubborn cockroach can't survive being stomped on, we just need a big enough boot. Chris, Ve how bout it want to run some bombing routs for us?"

"Bombing with what," Sweets said, "Rocks?"

"That, could work," Grish said, "Beast killed the last one by biting it in half, so if you can find large stalagmites to drop on them they would get pinned to the ground where we could hack away at them until they are dead."

"There are plenty of stalagmites in my wife's tomb," Orthino said, "She would approve of us using them for a cause such as this."

"Well its settled then," Red said, we don't have time to waste, here come the demons."

Grish marched out the gate with Redford as Chris and Ve took off to go get some pointy rocks, Sweets and Hags were behind them and Preston got back up on Orthino to keep the small stuff off of him while he distracted the big demon.

"Hey Redford," Grish asked, "You don't happen to have Tom Petty's 'I Won't Back Down' on that iPod of yours?"

"Actually I do," Red replied, "I guess it seems appropriate at a time like this doesn't it."

As the song started up, the two sides charged each other. Grish, Red, Hags, Sweets, Orthino, Preston, Ve, Chris and Malcolm, against a Horror, a good two dozen Apocicas and nearly a hundred lesser demons, consisting of the dogs, fliers, spikes, and skeletons. Grish pulled out his crossbow and started firing. Bolt after bolt was accompanied by waves of fire from Hag's Pyro, and bullets from Red and Sweets. With Orthino and Preston in the air keeping the fliers and the big demon busy, the lesser demons were soon finished off. The Apocicas however were moving in their horrific forms floating almost silently on their vortexes of air.

"Oh man, I wish we had some extra help right about now," Sweets said. Then as if to answer his request Chris and Veronica soared over head and two Apocicas were pinned to the ground large rocky spikes jutting out of their armored forms.

"Ok focus on the downed ones," Grish said as he put his crossbow on his back and pulled out his pistols, "and don't let the freezing attacks that they can throw hit you." Then he was off. He ran past the first demon as he headed for the farthest downed Apocica. He got to it but there were three more heading in his direction, as quickly as he could he dodged around to the side of its body and jumped up on it. He put both pistols up to the back of its head and unloaded both clips into it. He was rewarded with a roar that faded into a gurgle then silence. "Right that's one," He said as he looked back to see the progress that Bad Co. was making. They had killed the downed one and were about to finish off a second one that was in the middle of them.

Unfortunately for Grish the same situation that the Apocica found itself in with Bad Co. he was now finding himself in with three Apocicas. He reloaded and aimed at the closest one, but had to dodge backwards to avoid an attack from the Apocica to his left, which he then took aim at. He had to dodge again though due to the Apocica that was behind him trying to freeze him. Grish may have been in good shape, but he was old and he could not keep up this dodging forever, something was going to have to happen and soon. He got three shots off before having to dodge out of the way again, only to be knocked forty feet across the field by the Apocica behind him. His side hurt, but he didn't feel anything broken as he picked himself up to face the demons again. He spared a glance over towards Bad Co. but they were having their own trouble and Chris and Ve were dropping the stalagmites as fast as they could while fighting off the fliers that were harrying them. So far only six of the twenty four Apocicas had been pinned and only three killed.

As Gris brought his attention back to his current problems, he heard in his head a song that he hadn't listened to in a very long time, it was Her song, Lydia's song, 'Race Among the Ruins by Gordon Lightfoot. Lydia loved that song. Grish hefted his ax as he whispered the chorus to himself. "Away you will go sailing in a race among ruins if you plan to face tomorrow do it soon." He was about to charge when a purple-black portal ripped the field in front of him open and two figures stepped out. Grish recognized them both instantly, one was Lydia, the other was Serana, an old friend of theirs.

Lydia was wearing a full plate of dragon bone armor that made her look more like a massive, lumbering bone golem, with only her face visible from underneath the horned helmet. Grish immediately noticed something different about her, her eyes had changed color, what used to be black eyes were now a reddish-orange. Serana was cloaked in a black cape with a hood. Under that was another surprise for Grish, she was wearing a robe of Nocturnal. A garment that could allow one to literally become shadows. I was also very form fitting and lacked for material across most parts of her body. But Serana had always been one to display herself, even if she had no intentions towards an individual, it was simply how she was.

"Lyd, Serana get over here!" Grish yelled, "Look out behind you." But the warning came to late, both women were knocked down by the frozen attacks that the Apocicas threw at them. Grish ran to them only to be surprised when they both got back up and shook the frost out of their long, black hair. "See told you it would work," Serana said, "Hi Grish long time no see."

Lydia kissed him before asking, "What are those," and pointing to the Apocicas.

"Whatever they are, they die," Serana said, "shall we?"

Grish smiled, "Why not," He replied, "Its been far to long since we last got to let loose on something that could actually take us." Then both women's out-lines began to fade, even as Grish let the power inside him loose and felt his bones start to shift and his body structure to change. With a roar he erupted into his werewolf form, a massive ten foot tall thousand pound visage of a wolf that was capable of shredding even the strongest stones or metals. Beside him Lyd and Serana were both in their vampire forms, both about seven feet tall with a swirling, red aura that lifted them another foot off the ground. "Lydia my dear you will have to fill me in on when you became a vampire," Grish said, "But right now, lets just kill these creatures." The now greenish winged form of Lydia flashed him a broad smile before the three of them tore into the first Apocica.

Grishnake was a wall of fur, fangs, claws, and muscle, outright throwing the Apocicas back when they got to close, but not doing any real lasting harm to the creatures. Lydia was to his right sending in blast after blast of red, life-draining death that was starting to take effect on the creatures. To his left was Serana, her summoned gargoyles and zombies piling up on the left most Apocica and slowly overpowering it. Then Grish heard Haggard yelling.

"Run, hes going to blow!" Came the cry. And Grish had just enough time to see Orthino, Chris and Veronica dive out of the sky, aiming right for the big demon. The three dragons each dropped something as they pulled up out of their dives, something that Grish expected to be an explosive.

"Get behind something," Grish called as he grabbed the nearest two Apocicas and slammed them together in front of him and Lyd. Serana was safe enough behind the last Apocica and her minions. Then there was a pressure, no noise, then what felt like a punch through the chest that sent him, Lyd, Serana and the Apocicas flying backwards right into the wall around Warfang.

The next thing he saw was Preston's face as he and Sweets pulled Grish from the rubble of the walls. He was back in his normal form, his body had reverted when he blacked out and his equipment had returned to its place due to an enchantment he had woven into it years ago. Grish got his feet under him and looked around for Lydia and Serana. He saw Lydia standing off to his left talking with Redford, and he saw Serana spread out on a stone slab with Haggard affixing something to her arm.

"Grish," Lydia cried as she caught sight of him, "you seem to be as tough as always."

"Yeah, doesn't mean that won't hurt tomorrow." Grish replied, "Red whats with Serana."

"She got a piece of armor stabbed through her right arm when the Apocica crushed her between the wall and her own minions." Red replied, "It was her idea to take it out right here and Hags is the best we got medic wise."

"Wow that is a sad statement," Grish commented.

"Ahh," Serana yelped, "You couldn't have been a bit more gentle?"

"Nope sorry, ma'am," Hags replied as he tightened the bandage on Serana's arm, "This is about the extent of my experience with wounds, much less wounds to something like you."

"Ok now that you're all awake, mind telling me who these two are," Orthino asked as he landed nearby.

"We already did," Lydia snapped, "Grish talk to him he won't listen to us. You know if Jinx were here she would kick your sorry hide for working with dragons."

"Yeah she would try," Grish replied with a smirk. "Right Orthino this is my wife Lydia, Lyd this is Orthino, a very old, very powerful dragon. The other one is Serana, an old friend she has a castle that was situated just a few miles north of my manor so we maintained our friendship over the years."

"Ok I got the names," Orthino said, "I meant what are they."

"Vampires isn't that obvious," Preston said, "pointy teeth, wings, life draining, bat forms, I'm telling you that says Vamp all over it."

"Its true," Grish said, "Though I do wonder what happened to turn you into a vampire Lyd."

"K, and you leaving and the kids growing up that's what," Lydia snapped, "Life had finished with me, but I wasn't going to die alone in the cold, without you. So I had Serana turn me."

"And its a good thing to," Serana said as she walked over to them, "Otherwise that freeze blast would have killed you."

"Vampires," Orthino huffed, "No smell to detect you by, I could smell the wolf on you Grish as soon as you walked into the crypt but Vampires, there haven't been any of those in Avalar in millennia. I'm not to sure how to respond to that."

"How about a place to get out of this sun and some food," Serana said with a hiss, "And some ice for my arm."

"Hey take it easy big guy. They did just help fight off the demons," Haggard pointed out.

"Fine, but I don't want word getting out about you two, Grish I'm sure that everyone in Warfang is used to your smell by now, so you are still free to roam," Orthino replied, "But you two, no smell will be more noticeable than an odd smell, I ask that you stay at the tower until we can sort this out."

"Speaking of which look," Lydia said as she drew her staff, a nifty weapon fashioned with two shotguns that can unlatch from each other with twin ax heads on the end of the barrels, from her back and pointed towards the field with it. On the field stood four demons. Each one formed from pieces of the large demon that was previously there.

"These guys just don't like to die," Grish said, "Are Chris and Ve still able to carry

more bombs or spear things or something?"

"No, they were not as strong as I and were smashed into the wall same as you they are with a healer right now," Orthino said, "We would have taken your friend here to the healers as well but she refused."

"Not like they could heal me any faster than I do already," Serana said, "So we blew it up and made four smaller ones, I wonder how small we have to divide it before it finally dies."

Grish drew, Grond, his crossbow, "I don't know but I hope it isn't many more. Lets finish this."

Orthino took off with a roar, Bad Co. charged out with a yell, Grish, Lyd, and Serana hefted their weapons and charged their spells before walking out onto the field.

"I'll take the two in the center," Lydia said, "Serana if you could keep the lot of them chilled for me it would be nice."

"You know me," Serana said, "Cold as ice."

"I'll distract whichever ones are not being pummeled by you dear," Grish added. Then they charged in. Lyd was true to her word, running right past Bad Co, and straight into the two demons in the middle of the four. Her twin shotgun, ax, staff, was twirling this way and that both deflecting incoming blows and delivering outgoing ones, both by shotgun shells and ax blades. Grish was putting bolt after bolt into the demon on the right, while Orthino and Bad Co. tackled the left most demon. Serana was lobbing spikes of ice through the air two at a time. Keeping the demons cold and slow, which was working out great for Lyd. She was deflecting blows and countering each strike with a slash or shotgun blast of her own. Grish put his bow up and drew some of his throwing knives, he ran towards the creatures while impaling each one with two or three knives each, when he reached Lyd's side he drew out his ax and started chopping.

Grish ducked and pulled Lyd down as a pyro-blast sent the demon on their right flying backwards. Then Preston was charging through them a G11 fully automatic pistol in his left hand and his TAR in his other hand both rattling off shots. Then Red and Sweets added their bullets to the mix, Red on a Barrett .50 and Sweets on a PSG. Three of the demons remained standing when Orthino flew over and unleashed a rain of death the likes of which Grish had never sen before. From his maw came a swath of devastation that even melted the elements around it. The very air was set on fire and burned for a few seconds after the flyover.

Grish pulled Lydia and Preston back from the melted piles of demon and the noxious fumes left behind in Orthino's wake. Serana was there to take Preston as he finished coughing out the last of the fumes, Lydia had also inhaled some but was breathing again now.

"What was that," Redford asked as he, Sweets and Hags walked over to join them.

"That is a little something I keep reserved for things that really make me mad," Orthino said as he landed, "My apologies for getting you all caught in it. Though had I not controlled it to only hit the demons the results could have been much worse."

"Well thanks," Lyd said, "but next time don't do me any favors."

"Come on lets get you two to the tower," Grish said, "We've a lot of catching up to do."

"Indeed," Serana replied, "I'll start with turning Lydia. She came to the castle one evening..."

Character Anjali

Location: Southeastern China... Abandoned Warehouse District

"I swear it was here somewhere," Domingo said, "Really the warheads were here."

"Very comforting," Jack said from the laptop that Reinhardt was holding, "I knew we shouldn't have come here."

"You are not here," Anjali replied, "You are safe inside your bunker at the capital."

"I mean you all should not be there," Jack said, "The U.S. can not be linked to this operation."

"That's why I'm here remember," Dom said, "And 141 of course."

"Yeah you all get to head out there and Lucas and I get stuck guarding the VIP," Katarina said through the computer, "I doubt anyone is entirely happy with the arrangement so lets just get what info we can and get going already."

Anjali nodded as she continued her scan of the warehouse. Domingo had informed them that a shipment of nuclear warheads that were being sent from Russia to Cuba was hijacked by military extremist that were operating out of China and now She, Reinhardt, Dom, Price, Soap, and Ghost were inside the Chinese boarder, snooping around in warehouses all while the Chinese, American and Russian governments were unawares. Well except for Jack he was the one who inserted them into China to hunt down the weapons.

"Got something," Ghost said, "Picked up a reading on the Geiger-counter, radio active material and lots of it, supposedly right here."

"Let me look," Anjali said. Since she was an archon the radiation would not affect her like it would the more mortal individuals in her group. Ghost pointed to the corner of the warehouse that he was working in and shrugged. Anjali walked over there and immediately ran into something. There was a scraping sound as the object moved across the floor and then a clang as it hit another object. Anjali managed to keep from tripping but now her shin hurt something awful. "Well it sounds like we found it," She said, "And feels like it too, we just cant see it."

"Cloaked nuclear weapons," Soap said, "Oh that's just blarging fantastic!"

"Well feel around over there," Rehindheart said, "There must be an on/off switch or button on it somewhere."

Anjali reached out and felt the cold metal of a container, she found the edge then ran along it until she felt the lip widen out and she found the controls. "Got it," She said as she pressed the button. The box became visible but it was not what they were expecting.

"Well that's not good," Price said, "Might we consider using the Doctor's favorite plan. Run!"

They ran. The box was not just the nuclear material it was a bomb rigged to blow, and it had ten minutes left on the timer.

"Whoever took the material knew we would be going after it," Domingo yelled as they ran back to the cars, "I'm going to find them and... and... where are the cars?"

"It appears they have been stolen," Rehindheart replied, "We have seven minutes left, perhaps we can defuse the bomb?"

"No way," Price said, "It will take us three minutes to get back there and the detonator on that thing would take hours to defuse. Keep running, we will think of something."

"Hey Jack you all still with us," Soap asked as he took the blue-tooth from Rehindheart, "Cause we need a plan to get out of here like pronto."

"We are pulling up every schematic of the area we can find," Lucas replied, "I'm not seeing anything."

"Here," Jack piped in, "There is an old sewer that runs underneath the district but the closest opening is... two blocks away."

"There's not enough time," Anjali said, "Four minutes. Give me that." She snatched the blue-tooth from Soap and his heads up display glasses as she ran back the way they had come, back towards the bomb. "Ok Lucas get me everything you have on the schematics for these bombs, I'm not going to defuse the primer, I'm going to empty the powder."

"That, that might work," Katarina said, "You'll be exposed to a lot for radiation though."

"Fine just get me the diagrams," Anjali said as she ran through the door back into the warehouse, "Now how to open you in two minutes."

"You'll need a cutting torch," Jack said, "These models are wielded shut."

"No problem," Anjali replied, "Watch me work." She placed the glasses and Blue-tooth down on a crate next to her and morphed into her archon form. She used her fire hands to melt away the seal on the container and grabbed the uranium core out of the box. She could feel the radiation coming off of the unstable metal then she heard a click. The timer had gone off. Two little flames jutted out from the corners of her mouth as she breathed a sigh of relief and showed the core to the camera on the glasses. "Got it," She said. And a thumbs up from Lucas proved to her that he had heard.

"Anjali," Called Rehindheart, "I assume you got it since we are not dead."

"Yeah, I got it," She replied, "What am I going to do with this core though, you all can't come near it and I dare not put it back in the bomb casing." Then a distant rumble made her forget all about the core as she dropped it to the ground, reverted back to her human form, grabbed the glasses and ear piece and raced out side. She was greeted by the sight of a massive mushroom cloud hovering to the north. The rest of her friends were behind the side of the warehouse covering their eyes but hers were easily strong enough to watch as another rumble and resulting explosion went off creating another cloud. North, East, as she looked West another rumble and cloud greeted her senses.

"We are cut off," She said, "They have nuked all of our escape routes."

"Air extraction is not an option," Jack added, "That radiation will down our birds before they can get to you, but if you can get to and follow that sewer out to a southern beach then I can have the U.S.S. Washington send out a boat to pick you up."

"Sounds good," Anjali replied, "Come on lets head for the sewers we need to get to the beach and away from the radiation."

The others nodded as they headed back to the parking lot. It was raining, making her's and the others' leather outfits slick but quite as they moved through the shifting shadows that were created from the massive explosions. The sewer entrance was in the middle of an intersection, a prefect place for snipers to get a good shot at them. She figured if whoever had taken the uranium had the foresight to block off their escapes then they probably knew about this one as well.

"Price, Soap, see anything?" She asked.

"Nothing the radiation is interfering with the thermal," Soap said.

"That's why I use good old fashioned optics on mine," Price replied, "there are four... five snipers in the buildings around the street. With Soap out due to tech that's not good odds."

"What if there was a distraction," Rehindheart asked, "Then what could you do?"

"Well if you gave me five seconds," Price replied, "I could get all five."

"Anjali, Take this," Rehindheart said as he removed his large belt from his pants, "It generates a field that will deflect bullets and dampen their impact. That combined with your archon form should by Price the time he needs."

"Oh I just saved you all from a nuke and now I have to jump in front of bullets for you," Anjali stated, "It must be my day."

"That's what you get for leaving me behind and being the most spectacular one in the group," Katarina said, "You get to be the eye candy."

Anjali took out the ear piece and tossed it to Price, as she took the belt from Rehindheart and gave the glasses back to Soap.

"Just don't let them shoot at me for to long," She said before running out into the abandoned street. The ring of gunshots was dampened by silencers, the shots only making a thwump sound instead of a bang or boom. Price's first two shots quickly got the attention of the remaining three snipers though and Anjali activated her fire form to get their attention back. Two more of Price's shots rang out to two more thwumps. Then the last two shots were exchanged and there was silence. that's when the pain hit her. Anjali crumpled to the ground as she reverted back into her human form. Her left side was bleeding from a shot that had punched through just under her breast and slightly to the left or her sternum. A bit higher and the shot would have gone through her heart.

"Must have been that last shot," Ghost said as he pulled out a medical kit, "Price if you weren't so quick she might be dead."

"Not here," Rehindheart said, "We must get into the tunnel before more troops arrive."

"And if we don't stop the bleeding soon," Soap replied, "She could still die!"

Anjali was fighting to stay conscious and managed to get out, "Just get in the tunnels," Before she had to go back to fighting off the blackness. She could feel them lifting her and heard the clang as the sewer cap was removed and then replaced after they had gotten down. She also felt it when they removed her shirt, cleaned out the wound, and then put bandages over the holes. She was lucky the bullet went right through but oh how it hurt, she wanted to sleep so bad but knew that to go to sleep now was to die. Then she felt a hand put more pressure on her bandages, some one was carrying her and holding the bandages on. In a normal situation she would feel awkward, being carried around shirtless by a man but right now she didn't care.

"The beach," She managed to say, "Boat."

"Yes we know," The raspy voice of Ghost replied, "Jack is still on the line as are Lucas and Katarina. We are in the tunnel now, making our way to the rendezvous point."

Ghost's step by step narration of what they were doing was the only thing that kept her in touch with life through out the journey. It was he, she decided who was carrying her. Strange he had always seemed the most normal of 141, Soap had his Demon-Hunter abilities, Price was the king of stalking and Ghost simply seemed to be normal. This however was not a feat that a normal man could do, carry both their weight, with added combat gear, while providing a play by play of what they were doing, no this was extraordinary, something that even the brawny Lucas couldn't accomplish.

"We're here," Ghost said, "Now we just wait."

"Hold up. Something isn't right," Price said, "listen."

Even in her current state Anjali could still hear and so she listened, listened and heard nothing. That was bad, hearing nothing meant that something nasty was coming it always did. She felt Ghost set her down, back propped up against what she thought was a rock. Anjali heard shouting then gunshots, she forced her eyes to focus as she drew the pistol that was at her side. There were a dozen armed men on either side of the beach. Ghost, Domingo and Rehindheart were taking on the ones that were closest to her while Soap and Price were engaging the ones to the west. She then spotted another man up on a rocky overhang, and he was aiming at Ghost. Without thought she cocked, aimed and fired the pistol, dropping the rouge attacker, then the world went black.

"Come on get her into the boat," She heard Price yelling, "Rehindheart, Ghost come on!"

The rattle of gunshots was accompanied with the explosions of rockets or grenades as Anjali fought to crawl out of the blackness. She felt herself being lifted and carried, Ghost again she assumed, then felt the hard cold metal of a bench as she was laid back down.

"Go," Rehindheart said, "We're clear. Go!"

She heard the unmistakable purr of engines firing up and then felt movement again, a rocking dipping motion that was common on boats. Anjali heard someone sit down next to her with a clink, and she picked up on the tramping of boots.

"Hey there, you still with us," Ghost asked.

She opened her eyes to look at him, the movement was easier while she was laying down, "Yeah still here. Just do me a favor and don't let any other medics do anything to me, they wouldn't know what to do with an archon." She saw his eyes, the only part of his face that was visible, flick down. At first she thought he was looking at her, but soon realized that he was checking her bandages.

"This is a sloppy job, but it worked," Ghost said, "Now that we are on the ship let me fix you up right." He set about removing her bandages, then replacing the simple wrapping with a padded cloth bandage that kept pressure on both openings created by the wound. Then he sat her up right, which caused her to grind her teeth and shut her eyes again, strapped the bandage across her back and diagonally across her right shoulder, then put her shirt back on, before laying her back down. "Now that should keep you stable until we get back."

"Why are you doing all this," Anjali asked as she gave him a smile, "Rehindheart would know more about my biology than you would."

"Oh I don't know about that," Ghost said as he pulled of his mask to reveal a face that would be considered grotesque to most with crags and ridges where his flesh burned away in the fire that almost killed him, but Anjali saw the caress of an old friend, fire was after all a part of her. "You see, I may not know about archons but I do know about fire. You are fire, its in your body, in your blood, If I had not courted fire before I would be dead now."

He stared to put his mask back on but Anjali stopped him, "I don't guess you might be willing to court fire again then?" She asked as she reached up and stroked the crags and ridges of his face.

"Huh, Twenty years and your asking me this now," Ghost remarked as a grin twisted his scarred face, "well I certainly worked hard enough to get you out of China so I'll give it another shot, maybe this time fire won't burn me so bad."

Anjali let her hand rest across her chest as she laid back and drifted off to sleep.