Role Play (the game this time)

[The Creator]

[Emerald Dragon]

Malone held her hand to his chest, feeling the rhythmic beating of his heart. It pounded pronounced, fast, yet she felt the pain of his sadness through his eyes. "I understand how you must feel, but forgiveness isn't watching the pain of someone elses torment. That's like saying that sadness, poverty and depression is fair. This world has been infected with a deathly plague that will eventually kill us all...slowly infecting our blood supply. Do you really think that bringing him to the brink of death will achieve anything at all? Malone, that's almost close to masochism. But, it is in your heart, I can't change you, but you can't expect me to agree with it."

Malone nodded sadly, he saw the reasoning in her face. She frowned creasing her small forehead, she was thinking extensively. "I don't like this chase Malone, I think he's just playing around with you. Bringing this army here...was a mistake. If you are to forgive him, there is a time and place for that, but it's not here or now. We must relieve the army of it's duties. They deserve that much. Malone, don't...I don't want to sympathise with you right now. Because, in your heart you can't comprehend anything of what I know and feel. You'll come to realise that what you're doing is wrong. I can't tell you what to do, but I expect that you know what to do. Or, you will...sooner or later." He shifted her eyes to meet hers she read his mind briefly "I'm trying..."

[Charade]

"You *******! You can't do that!" Unholy curses were spouting out from the chasm, shaking the still sands. The white demon layer that had formed over him was beginning to go a sour red as small sparks bounced off his back. The hellion made some slight gestures and Cheogh bitterly sat down and picked up his cards. The three skulls began to chuckle among themselves, but a quick glare from the gargoyle set them silent. "Honestly, how do you get fifthteen freakin aces?!" The hellion stood up and gathered the cards back up into a neat little stack. Looking to the skulls "Surely there is a game you can't cheat in?" The skulls formed in their group and turned around again, shaking their heads uniformly and then bursting out in hideous laughter (frenzied teeth chattering). The hellion sighed and sat down again. Cheogh got up and un-summoned the cards. "You know what i'm game for? Some skull bowling!" The skulls began to chatter in fear as Cheogh flew above the center skull and hefted him above his head. Walking up to the the highest peak, he gave an almighty heave as he tossed the skull as far as he could into the horizon, much to the skull's disappointment. At that instant, a deafening whistling sound roared from above, and a alaborn sword carved and gap in the sand with a dull thud. The hellion was away at the oasis again, leaving only Cheogh and the remaining two skulls to investigate.

The skulls nervously backed off when Cheogh came back from his excursion. He was carefully eyeing up the mysterious blade which had just so strangely turned up at this very spot. It was of no ordinary construction, well not from this fool plane. It looked familiar, but no one could place their finger/mandible on it. Cheogh decided that it might be useful for later and casually yanked it from it's grave and tossed it over at the teeth of his skull companions. A slight buzzing coursed through his arm, but it was no more than a slight itch. "You two freaks keep an eye on this thing! You know what'll happen to you if you dont." he scowled making a gesture over to the cliff where he hefted the other skull. He ast down by the fire he had crafted and gave a quick snap of his granite fingers. The third skull re-materialised in front of the other two. "The same goes for you ya freak." The third skull, who was very visibly shaken by this experience gave a quick nod and kept stoic watch over the sword.

[The Creator]

[Emerald Dragon]

"I shouldn't use the sword again, it'll bring too much attention...oh what do I do" She openly fretted. "Use the master's bottle!"

[Charade]

"You WHAT??!!" The three skulls cowered in fear at the raging ornament. "I turn my back for a few seconds and you tell me that the sword just disappears on you??" All three skulls nodded in unison. Calming down a notch, Cheogh walked in a tight circle for a minute, while he decided on how best to get back his trading material. He knew it had been warped off somewhere. "That sword might actually cost a couple Dran from the Planar Merchants Guild, that would save me the trouble of more killing. Now how am I supposed to pay off the ferryman?" Cheogh stared at the triumvirate, demanding a simple answer. A minute of silence passed, when finally one of them had an idea.

Cheogh heard a simple solution in his head: 'Follow the astral trail'. "Of course!, all I need to do is follow it's energy reading, that thing had an energy level easy enough to follow. It's that easy! Mind you, i'm not gonna do the dirty work. You fools find it for me. The first one back will get a body. Now bring it to me!" The skulls began to circle themselves, chattering cheerfully amongst each other, and slowly hovered over the hill, back to the city where they detected the sword last. Over from the other side of the hill, the gargantuan hellion strolled back from his short trip. He stopped a couple of paces from the scheming statue and quizzically asked, "Where did the skulls go?"

Just out of sight of the hill, the three skulls broke out from their group and each began to hurtle toward the city and frightening speeds, hoping to earn the bodies they yearned. The trip was no match for disembodied flying, combined with the infernal energies bestowed upon them from the master. The broken city quickly came into view and the scent of energy was much stronger. However, several other energy readings were bundled in a similar area, but the close proximity of all of them made pulling a single level quite the task for the skulls, instead opting just to barge in on whatever it was and get out before anyone noticed. As they steadily raced their way through the labyrinthine maze of buildings, the skulls tried to outmanoeuver and outwit each other, but would ulitmately end up with each of them meeting up at the some point and begin contesting (or in this case, biting) each other for the hot property. The few humans who remained in these parts, emerged from their holes. With the demon army gone, they thought an end to the bizzare sightings would go with them. The three fighting skulls proved otherwise and sent them back into hiding.

[The Creator]

Malone spluttered as the Yuloga juice was poured down his throat, burning the whole way down and leaveing a searing mark where it had passed, but with it came energy and that...mmmm, lovely taste that it carried, as his eyes clicked open he licked his lips, but then it smacked into his stomach abruptly, and due to the fact he hadn't eaten for a few days it sent him into convulsions, coughing madly he leant forward trying to suck in air to soothe his hurting stomach, the direct link with luggage revealed him to be shaking with laughter in the back ground;

[Emerald Dragon]

[The Creator]

[Charade]

At last! One of the skulls pulled out the upper tooth and butted the other two into some nearby buildings. The victor proceeded to pick up what he had earnt, but to it's horror, it was gone! It frantically floated aroud the surrounds trying to look for the treasure that it had so carelessly let walk away, but it found only those familiar traces that had surrounded the sword in the first place. It was true that the sword was in whatever it was's possession and that it probably wouldn't take kindly to someone else trying to take it away from them. As it's two equals arose from their landing sites, they all agreed that it was best to go back to the master, he'd know what to do. The skulls began to circle each other again and slowly floated back to the familiar hills, sadly chattering at the lost chance for a body.

The dusk coloured gargoyle was waiting for them ad he could tell from the sad clicking sound they made, that the mission did not go well. "Stupid skulls, knew i shouldn't have baited them with a reward." As the three skulls solemnly floated up in front of the angry beast, Cheogh raged "You have failed me once again, you're lucky that I don't clap you's into dust! I can't stand your pathetic performance, so instead, I will retrieve that sword, but you three are going to help me!" His maroon eyes boiled a bright crimson and each of the three giant skulls shrunk down to the size of normal human skulls. A short pole of iridium straightened out in his hands and from it's tip, three ebony chains sprouted and hung lazily in the air. With a sudden wrist action, Cheogh whipped each of the skulls with one chain each and with the simple command "Link", the skulls fastened to the chain and formed an effective mace. Furiously swinging his new toy, Cheogh decided to imbue the gift of speech to each of the skulls. Theycomplained of feeling frightfully dizzy and scared of hitting their heads, but Cheogh knew that their pleas might come in handy later on. The molten giant, who stood in the rear, shook his head, and slowly followed his master in the slow walk back to the city.

[Emerald Dragon]

"Oh I shouldn't have said that, I feel awful." She sent out telepathically. "Then why DID you say it.""Because...what he said, hurt me. We 'mortals' as he keeps pointing out are a weak race, we let words affect us personally sometimes." Luggage tilted himself looking like he was confused. "I don't understand, you feel bad, because you expressed your anger? Why?"Yes, I shouldn't have done that, but what has passed, has passed, I just need time out.""Master likes you very much, you know. We should go back.""No, he is only interested in what he sees. He's not interested in me the way, that I'd prefer to be liked. Besides, he has no use for me, if he finally gets a use for me...he can come looking. I don't want to stick around, I know when I'm not wanted."

[The Creator]

[Emerald Dragon]

[The Creator]

[Emerald Dragon]