What lies beneath

Greyson ignites his blades and slams them into the earth beneath him. The rock and marble split and melted around the blade. He made a quick circular motion completely severing the ground beneath him from the surrounding floor. A quick tumble lands him to his feet and he sees a beautiful young woman with metal chains lay shredded at her feer. "Bella?" Was all he could say for his surprise. She simply nodded just as surprised it would seem.

This could not be real, people were seeing thing, so he extended his senses to detect life. There was no life in the room but him. Her pool was different not unlike Master Jeric's. Greyson offered his hand, "Lets go." She took his hand and with an audible pop they stood by there companions.
------

Vadyella could feel her heart pounding. It thumped in her chest threatening to break out of her body. Gripping her chest she scanned the room. The ghosts did not seem to notice them. At least some of them. There was a little boy in the corner who would not take his eyes off of her. His pale eyes and bloated lips added to the uneasiness of his gaze. There was a solider standing watch over the people. He had a symbol on his breast plate of a gentle hand holding a limp rose. It seemed familar and she thought it was important.

Suddenly Greyson starts cutting through the floor. He no sooner falls to the story below as a gut wrenching scream pierced the air and raced through the hollow caverns of the castle. The scream turned her attention back to the ghosts and the little boy had run off. She was glad his gaze was no longer there but she did not think it was for the best. There was a shaking to the ground, like an etire calvary was charging past her. Then they did charge. From all the oppenings to the small room they were in begin to fill then flow with ghosts. Souls of angry forgotten men women and children. Angry at what? At US! Vadellya reacted quickly placing a wall of magical energy between the group and the charging undead.

They collided against it as a charging seenchan rhino hitting the walls of Jong. That did not calm them. The opposit was accomplished. They began to scream and wail flailing around. They reached a fit like her son Gierson did when he did not receive what he wanted but with 1000 times more violence. The little boy who seemed to match Gierson's age stood calm admist the wailing and weeping spirits. Then he screamed. It was a shreak of unbriddled anger and rage. The very walls shook with the force of it. As she stepped back eyes wide and heart racing she felt for the wall behind her. SHe did not know what to do next. Thoughts ran from her mind as she tried to remember spells. She could only thank Zues the magic held.

Greyson appeared next to her with a audible pop which echoed and announced his presence. Morgan said to him, "We have company about 3 dozen ghosts unhappy about us being here." She must have case true seeing as well. Should not surprise Vadyella Morgan was always very resourceful and quick. Though she was not as powerful or polished a mage as Vadyella she was much often faster and more capable of the quick high pressure decisions. Perhaps that came from years in the gladiator ring. Vadyella shook her head, this was no time to mentally compare mage techniques.

"Lets get out of here we'll regroup." Unwilling to take her eyes off the charging crowd now beating themselves against the invisible wall of magic, with the exception of the boy who just stood there calm as day. Those pale eyes looking at her, maybe past her. It was the scariest of all. She had no doubt the others would try to shred them limb from limb in their crazied fit upset that their rest was disturbed, this little boy would plan her death. How could a young soul loose all its innocence even in death. Those eyes were not innocent. Someone touched her arm, "We have to go." Dante's voice broke what she could only compare to a trance. "Grab hands were teleporting out of here."

Familar with the routine, the group linked hands, and there was someone new in the group a women of almost unnatural attractiveness. "Who is...? " Greyson cut her off, "She was captive here I saved her she's coming with us." Vadyella nodded and finished her spell.

Nothing happenned.

"We're trapped my magic can't penetrate the castle."

"Then lets run we can teleport from the forest." Dante said ordering the retreat.
They all made a dash for the crumbled archway that was once the great door to what must have been a grand castle. Inches from freedom they flew back as large metal doors slammed shut the dull thud of metal announcing they were trapped. "Those doors weren't there when we came in." Dante stated the obvious.

Greyson wasted no time driving his light swords into the door. Closing his eyes he smoothly cut through the door. Vadyella looked back over her shoulder. All the ghosts were gone except the boy. "They've left they might be coming around." She called out just as man sized hole fell from the large door. Snow and chilling winds rushed in through the hole. These mountains don't have snow.

"Through-- EVERYONE OUT!!" Dante ordered. The group obeyed no one eager to remain. "Now, Vadyella, Isle." Vadeylla ignored the blizzard around her and began to cast. Just before she finished Dante slipped on something. His fall jostled the object buried in the snow and caused it to overturn. There lieing in the snow was Dante. Dante jumped up and looked down at the frozen ice block that was him. "Ummm, iahsk,, ahjkf" Words did not come. Instead of words there was wind. The gust of wind scattered teh dusty flakes of snow then there was silence.

No more than a few feet from each of them, frozen copies of themselves lay now uncovered from the snow. Vadyella saw herself, blue lips cracked eyes shrivelled black fingers and realized what was going to happen. She could not get them out of here, they were going to die and be frozen. It was mesmorizing and devestating to see ones own mortality before them.

frozen

How would Geirson fend for himself in the world?

death

Did Tassadar have teh chance to see his own death before it happened? Did he know what it would look like?

She thanked Zues, as a moment later she was inside a building unable to see her dead refelction.

------

Morgan looked out the window, "We are secure for now. But magic doesn't seem to be the controlling force here. I don't know how long we'll hold against those skeletons, somethign is backing them. This is no normal haunted castle."
Morgan cursed under her breath for the necessity of explaining such things. lady mogath was suppose to be her superior in the ways of magic but she could not think fast enough on her feet. That was the difference between class room training and real world experience.

Morgan tried to teleport them out. Her brain strained against multiple levels of defense that tried to hold them. Like squeezing free of her old masters grip, freedom seemed just beyond her maximum reach. He mind confused and exhausted she stumbled. The pounding on teh door did not help. She was trapped again, prisoner. She would not be captive not again. NEVER AGAIN!! She threw a fireball at the door and kept throwing them and souless skeletons tried to crawl in. Come you damned, come get the Bloodwitch.

The skeletons were all dust and ash. Then Morgan saw something worse. A small unassuming man was bent over prodding the fire. treadbare cloak covering his dirty body and cowl covering his face. She swallowed hard trying to keep her heart and her screams down in her chest.

----

Dante witnessed the wraith of the militant mage and tried desperately to think. Alan was not powerful enough to do all of this. Maybe working with someone.

Dante's knuckles were white and began to ache from holding his swords so tight. He loosened his grip. If those Skeletons got past Morgan's ranged attack he would have to fight them by hand and give the mages enough time to figure a way out of here.

He jumped back as suddenly another man was in the secure hut. The fireplace lit warming the chill from all present. He recognized the man prodding the fire. There was no greater evil short of the Dark One himself. Reality itself bent to this man's twisted will, if you could call him a man. It was the crisis this man brought about in TradeCity that brought Dante and his companions together merely weeks ago when they had all thought he was defeated forever. "Veritas" The name hung in the air like the chill of a winter day that brought with it only death.