Ifff Yooou SMEEELLLLLELELL what the ROCK is Cooking

Dante waited outside General Galan's tent. Lucian was firm that it could wait till sunrise, stating the General had asked not to be disturbed. Dante decided he would wait and help guard the General; Lucian needed his sleep too. Captain Dante watched the walking patrol move past and started kicking some rocks on the ground.

Lightning fell from the sky drilling Dante directly to the ground. Sound was muffled with the thunder. Everything was blurred.

He sat up shaking his head with only a dull buzz filling it.

The lightning hit him again but with no effect. His magic resistance saved him. Vision started to come back and He called out, "UNDER ATTACK!!"

Hit again, he could barely feel the ground as it raced to and collided with his chest.

... Blackness. ...

NO. He forced his eyes to open but it was just a blur. Something jumped over him and there was an explosion. His face was hit with something he realized must be the ground. His arms were shaking too hard to support his weight. He rolled over onto his back....blackness.....

FOR THE LIGHT. He held on, forcing his eyes open and mustering all his will to stay awake. Something touched his arm and he jerked away violently. It was Lucian, he realized, and a priest. He was distracted from that by the large Blue Dragon he could sense flying above him.

Dante sprung up, now more to his senses. The healing from both Lucian and the Priest helped. The Dragon landed, keeping at bay a large troop of soliders moving to engage. Everyone had cleared from the front of the command tent and Jonathan and Galan stood eye to eye. Even in his small clothes Galan stood a commanding presense -- the picture of calm and demanding respect. The Rock did not give it.

The first words he could make out were Galan's. "We both know the other one, do we not? I know you think you are right. But we can't know. The prophecy says 'decieve the very elect.' Who could be more elect than the Rock?"

"Unless I am wrong, and I am never wrong, Dante will destroy us all. Stand aside."

"I am tired of your arrogance and your issuing of orders. My men have died here today because you refuse to listen to reason. If you want Dante, you go through me. And you will not stand," the general said with confidence.

"Look at you stand there like you're somebody, like you're a big shot, like you're the Rock in your underwear like a fool. The men that you lose are Dante's fault. If he would but face me and let me finish the conflict no one else would have to suffer. Nothing matters more to the Rock than this. The Rock will bring his grace and deliverance to all that he encounters. Once Genevan citizens, now the Rock's citizens. The People's champion will then lay the smack down on every jabroni who wants to stand between him and the Deceiver. The Rock has spoken."

Then he was gone. Galan called out, "Get me reports. We still march in an hour. Where's PINCH?"

Dante knew he had to do something to stop this crazy man. Zeus's angel had bestowed the marks upon him. But perhaps Dante himself had been decieved. He himself was not convinced who was the savior and who the destroyer.