The Journey

Chapter 13

Will A. Sanborn

12/9 - 12/11/94

Springing forth, up from the background, another surge surrounds us, the jolt of power jerking us to our senses, disturbing the light sleep we'd been in. Snapping to attention, as the bolts of power course through me, again every muscle tenses, as I'm dully aware of my hands gripping Marissa, my claws extended, pushing roughly against her back; at the same time, she's giving me the same reactionary treatment.

Caught in the throes of the energy crashing over us, the pricking of her claws against me is overshadowed by the extreme pressure of the power flooding through my system. Struggling, as before, to try and control this tidal wave, my mind reels as the magic forces its way through the channels of my being, threatening once again to push them to their limits.

Every second is marked for me, stretching out, becoming a distinct memory, as wave after wave of power crashes over me, feeling every single beat of my heart within me, my senses heightened to an unbelievable level of sensitivity. My muscles frozen from the energy tearing through me, charging every single cell within me, firing every neuron almost at once, we cling to each other, desperate and uncontrollably, trying to ride this out.

My mind expanded, my thinking sped up along with my senses, a barrage of desperate thoughts runs through me, ticking out the few seconds, stretching the moments out with cruel efficiency. My mind jumbled, I do manage the desperate thought that this is like none of the other surges we'd experienced before, this one seems much stronger; the power turned up a couple of notches.

Before, the sensations had been uncomfortable, in fact the last one was rather uncomfortable, but they'd stayed below the threshold of pain. This is no longer true, as the mental sensations have increased, the feelings of trying to control this insane amount of energy being fed to me jumping up, making my mind ache from the ghastly amount of control it draws from me. Every aspect of my consciousness feels as if it's at the breaking point, threatened to be torn apart by the volumes of energy flowing through me, pushing me apart.

Even as my mind throbs from this, there also appears to be a physical component here too. My body feels charged from all of the energy forcing its way through me, every fiber charged, my nerves burning with the electric tingling. Currents of charge snaking their way over me, my entire body is caught in the waves of the energy, not a single area left alone from the phantom electric insects crawling over my super-sensitive skin.

My mind throbbing, struggling to maintain control, my body tenses from the sheer power flowing through me, the sensations reaching painful levels. It's something like electric shocks running through me, gripping me, paralyzing me, sticking me with a thousand pins and needles. My body writhing, my mind reeling, I experience every single second of this torture, the energy still flooding over me. Then, as before, the surge passes, dying quickly, leaving us in peace.

As the power leaves us, my body, having all its muscles clenched tight, collapses, feeling worn and sore, my nerves still sensitive to the touch. Sinking into the mattress, feeling the energy drained from me, it's a moment or two before I can even breathe, a pang of terror gripping me as my diaphragm muscles refuse to respond.

Then I can finally breathe again, drawing in my breaths in desperate, shallow pants, trying to recover from what I've just been put through, unable for the moment to do anything but just lie there, my body numb, my mind still throbbing. Minutes pass like this, lying there next to Marissa, feeling her presence next to me, but more concerned for my own well-being at the moment.

As the moments pass, and my strength gradually returns, I feel my pulse coming back down a reasonable level, my breathing slows, deepening to its normal state. Recovering like this my body still aches slightly, feeling the aftermath of the workout it was forced to endure; worse than that however is the throbbing headache. It's more than a normal headache, stronger and different, more than just a dull pounding; coupled with how my mind feels exhausted, as if it's crammed full with cotton, clouding my thoughts.

Letting out a couple of moans, I hear Marissa quietly whimper next to me, lost in her own suffering. Bringing one of my hands up to my forehead, placing the other on my chest, my flesh tingles at the touch, still feeling the sensitivity from the surge's cruel tickling. Keeping my hands in place, fighting against the strange sensations, I pour my own magic over myself, feeling the comforting warmth of healing gently envelop me.

The healing isn't as quick as normal though, it takes a bit longer to tame the demons of pain, forcing them down. Feeling the warm energy flow through me, a minute or two passes before the soreness drains from my body and the last throbs from my head finally retreat into the background. Easing off with my spell, my mind still feels a little numb, but this is a mental feeling and the healing energy didn't seem to effect it. I feel well enough to function again, and this mental fatigue will just have to take care of itself; at least my magic is still up to full power.

Focusing my attention on Marissa, I bring my hand out to softly stroke her shoulder; she's finished her healing too, as she doesn't jump at my touch, her nerves no longer tortured by the flash of energy. Looking at her, her expression mirrors wine, eyes wide, confusion and fear washed over our faces, muzzles pursed in worried frowns.

Feeling her reassuring touch as she reaches out to me, I ask "are you okay?" my voice low and nervous.

"I think so Ben... what about you?"

"Yeah... that was the worst of the surges though... They're getting stronger each time... and seem to be occurring quicker than before..." a small shiver running through me, not wanting to voice the thoughts this brings up.

"You're worried about how much more of these we can take..." her eyes concerned and scared, her voice just barely shaking. "Ben... we've got to get out of here... somehow..."

"I know... we've got to do something... pulling her closer to me, drawing strength from her.

Holding each other close like that, huddling together in our cell, her warm body does little to comfort me, only keeping me together enough to try and think. Maybe a couple of minutes pass before she asks "is there any way we can get out of here? Do you have any idea how their doors work?"

"No Marissa... if I did I would have tried something by now... their technology is surpassed anything I've seen... If you don't know how the magic side of it works, we're stuck here until one of them decides to come in..."

Nodding in resignation, "what can we do when someone does come?"

Sitting up, eyes darting around the room, pushing my mind to think of a way out of this, I finally reply. "We could try and hit them with whatever we've got as soon as they walk in... They'll probably be expecting it, but maybe we can work it so if they fight with us again, we can slip out the door before they can close it..."

My mind nagging at how much of a long shot this is, I try not to think of it, desperate times requiring desperate measures. They'd kept us here for long enough and now it was time to try again and get out of here. Whatever they're doing, no matter how nice they tried to appear on the surface, they're playing with something that's got a good chance of seriously hurting us; there's no time left to try and sort things out.

With wild thoughts churning through my mind, feeling my anxiety grow, Marissa rises up to a sitting position next to me, taking my hand in hers. Looking at her, her eyes are deep pools of determination, lending me more strength; my heart also lifting, if only for a second, as fleeting thoughts of her catch my attention.

Smiling a brief and subtle, yet also determined smirk at her, my lips only curling slightly, helping to cut the tension, I see the spark reflected briefly in her eyes. "Come on... let's get down by the door... we'll have a better chance of surprising them that way..."

Following me, we get off the comfort of our bed, somehow feeling as if we're leaving the only safe haven left for us here, and walk across the room; crouching down near the wall, on either side of the light-brown shaded disk, set in the slate gray of the wall, marking the hidden portal.

On a whim, I place my hands on the wall, in the center of the colored disk, first trying to sense any magic there, feeling nothing above the background levels, which although are much higher than normal, I'd gotten acclimated to them over the past few days.

Frowning slightly, perhaps hoping at least to feel a subtle current of power trickling through the rocks, Marissa looks at me and places her hand next to mine, understanding what I'm attempting. Then concentrating, I send a large amount of energy into the rock, trying blindly to force whatever mechanism lies hidden there to spring into action.

Feeling Marissa's energy join mine, our combined power radiates through the rock, but to no avail, the wall remains solid, not even shimmering in the least bit. After several seconds of this, it's painfully obvious brute force alone will not free us. Had this been a simpler cell, with a more common way of securing us in place, we might have been able to channel enough energy to break the door; here their technology is just too advanced for us, not yielding to our clumsy attempts.

Cutting off the spell, not wanting to waste any more power than we need to, I let out a heavy sigh, a very slight growl of frustration coming with it. Glancing at Marissa, she looks back, a little frustrated herself, but her eyes still showing that glimmer of determination in them. There's nothing left now but to wait, however long it takes, until we get probably what will be our last chance out of here.

Anxious and frustrated, we wait, crouched down on our haunches, waiting beside the door, my mind busy with jumbled thoughts. Time ticks by slowly, sitting there, waiting for something to happen, the tension and fear eating away at my resolve. Darting my eyes around the room from time to time, trying to keep myself occupied, I glance at Marissa, her own eyes tempered with worry.

About fifteen or twenty minutes into this, another surge occurs, again catching us by surprise; they'd never come anywhere near this close together before. The energy flashes out over us, quickly saturating our bodies, pushing the limits of what we can withstand.

Almost instantaneously, my muscles clench, fighting against the torrents of power wrenching through them, pulling me into a huddled ball. My arms gripping my legs instinctively, my claws once again extract, my hands tensing from the throbbing of the energy, forcing their way into my sensitive flesh.

As my mind struggles to deal with this onslaught, my body once again becomes cruelly charged with the deluge of power. My flesh quickly becoming alive with electric sensations, my body cries out as the pain increases. No longer is it the simple pain of being shocked from a high, yet harmless voltage, now the pain is escalating, passing through the simple tickles of electric charge, moving up to levels more intense.

The currents of pain wracking my body, feeling the energy tear its way throughout my entire system, barreling through the core, radiating outward, I snarl in pain as the surge of power throbs within me, becoming almost audible, echoing inside my skull. Howling again, my mind struggling against the increasing levels forcing their way through me, I'm dimly aware of Marissa's own tortured screams, as she writhes in her own personal agony.

Then, along with the flashes of energy, another disturbing sensation reaches my consciousness. Starting out small, but building quickly, a vibration ripples through the floor of our chamber, and most likely, the rest of the complex as well. The rumblings catching part of my attention, they soon become stronger, the tremors shaking the cave, reaching levels of a small earthquake quite rapidly; jostling me as I crouch there, huddled in fear and pain, my muscles locked firmly tight, helping to keep me in place.

Feeling the energy down to my very core, my chest on fire, every heavy pounding of my heart sending another spike of pain stabbing through me, my head threatens to explode; I can feel the energy push and pull at me, trying to take my consciousness and being with it.

Fighting against the sheer amount of the power crashing over us, ripping through me, my mind screams, stretched to its limits, throbbing with the energy. My eyes forced shut, my vision burns with a dull red, pulsing lightly with the waves of the energy, my mind on fire, reeling from this torturous treatment; my head throbbing madly, each pulse of energy feeling as if it's pressing rudely against my skull. Along with each pounding throb of the surge, the tremors shake the surrounding rock around us, feeling the heavy vibrations along with the pain that lashes out at my senses.

My body tortured by the pain stabbing at me, my head aching, sending invisible fingers to poke at the back of my eyes, my consciousness screams out amidst this insanity. The power levels have grown even higher, in only a couple of moments, straining my limits almost to breaking point, the energy ripping at my senses from every direction, my mind struggling to come to my defense.

Then, just about when it seems like everything is going to go black, my resources finally exhausted, my limits finally surpassed, my mind and body finally broken, the torture is over, the throbbing power and tremors dying down. Well almost so, the surge does die down, but not quite like before; instead of dying back down to the background levels, the power ramps down to a lesser level, but still much higher than it had been before.

Collapsing on the floor, this still is better than nothing, while it isn't all that calm, it's manageable. My body hurts on every square inch of it, feeling as through I've had a million cuts made to me, every nerve crying out. A moment later, I also realize that while the power seems to have settled down at a lower, yet still uncomfortable, level, it also seems to be throbbing lightly, at the same frequency as before. Every one of these throbs, while not as high as before, still sends tremors of pain through my sensitive and abused body, my head throbbing in time with the energy. The tremors have almost died completely away, only just barely detectable as mild vibrations in the rock below me, still in time with the throbbing of the power.

As before, the struggle to breathe is short but nonetheless still very frightening, terrified for a couple of fleeting moments that my diaphragm will refuse to expand, my lungs burning for fresh air, my mind screaming in panic. Then, my body finally comes back under my control, allowing me quick and tortured pants, my mouth hanging open, dimly aware of my tongue hanging out against my teeth.

Lying there on my back, my breathing tortured and shallow, my body stings with pain at each plucking of the throbbing power around me. My heartbeat feels heavy in my sore chest, pounding loudly in my ears, which are ringing slightly from the strain of the surge. Again my head throbs heavily, each time as if needles are jabbing directly at my brain, my mind numb from the overload.

Letting out a prolonged whimper, my eyes still closed, my breathing is still labored but is slowly coming under control. My body still wracked with pain, my nerves burn, sensitive to every throb of the power still flowing through me, although now it's much more manageable; still uncomfortable, but not dangerous.

Then all of a sudden the uncontrollable urge to cough hits me, gripping my body, sending the reflexive tremors through my throat, painfully exploding out of me. Doing so, my mouth feels sticky, as if coated with phlegm; my senses are drawn outward, as I hear a tiny, frightened squeal from Marissa.

Jerking my eyes open, turning to look at her, she's managed to turn on her side, her head pointed down low, almost to the floor. As I'm watching, she coughs and a mouthful of bloody mucus sprays out, a pang of revulsion and fear tearing through me. A second later, another cough ripples through me, and turning my head, I see crimson spittle splatter from my own mouth, landing on the floor besides me.

Terror gripping me, still in the throes of pain, frightening thoughts flash across my brain, realizing just what kind of damage could have be done to us. Coughing painfully a couple of more times, spitting and hacking, each spasm ripping through my chest, I finally manage to clear my throat, my chest still throbbing, setting off alarms in my mind; my tongue and mouth coated in the lightly salty residue.

Bringing my hands to my chest and head once again, it takes a few minutes to do a full healing job, draining my resources more than I'd like. Then pain in my body subsiding, first my nerves die down, no longer sensitive to the touch or the magic flowing by them. My head and chest pains are tougher to squelch, which doesn't bode well, thoughts of internal damage gripping me once again.

Finally even those pains are low enough so I can deal with them, giving up on trying heal them any more for now. Turning to look at Marissa, she's lying there, looking as bad as I feel. The fur around her mouth and nose clotted with blood, some of it having dribbled down her chin to her neck. Fighting back flashes of disgust, I bring my paw up to my own cool nose, feeling the moist flesh covered in a light layer of goo. Pulling it back, I see the white fur of my palm is smeared with the clots; bringing my hand back to my muzzle, I pour an extra once of healing into it, just to be sure.

Then I become aware of a damp feeling on my thighs, fear gripping me once again, my mind screaming at the prospect of being injured there. Bringing my paw down tentatively to my groin, exploring the area of wetness, everything seems to be intact, not even the specter of pain lingering there. Looking down, the damp area isn't crimson red as I'd fear, but instead just dark and wet.

Blinking a couple of seconds, it finally hits me, as I notice the small puddle on the floor, underneath my right leg, and the faint, pungent scent wafting up to my felenzi nostrils. Gagging back pangs the shame and disgust, I realize, much like someone getting a heavy electric shock, I'd lost control of my bladder, getting myself messy in the process. Pulling my hand away quickly, wiping it on the fur of my stomach, the only substitute for a towel I had nearby, I glance at Marissa. She too has a dark, wet patch along her thighs, a small puddle off to her side. Feeling relieved I'm not alone in this, then embarrassed and guilty for checking, I pull my gaze back up to her, as she lies there, still recovering.

By now, most of the pain has left me, except for a dull headache and the strange, lingering, heavy feeling in my chest. The power still lies at the higher levels, higher than we'd been used to, still uncomfortable, but not painfully so. Perhaps a couple of days ago the levels of the energy around us would have been too much to handle, but it seems as if I've gotten accustomed to it. The power still throbs lightly, tingling me as it does so, reminding me of its ever-present nature. Also, the tremors still vibrate slightly through the rocks beneath us, just barely noticeable.

Feeling probably as good as I'm going to, I pick myself up off the floor, rising into a crouch, and crawl over to Marissa, who herself is getting up. Kneeling beside her, reaching out to pull her close to me, hugging her tightly, soaking up her warmth. Moments later, she asks "Ben, are you okay?" feeling her strong arms around me, pulling me closer.

"I guess so... for now... I don't think we can take too much more of this..."

Pulling back, looking up at me, our eyes meeting, falling into her gaze, her deep, green eyes are awash with worry, fear and desperation. Then there's a flash of something else, determination, but also deep emotion, warm and strong as her gaze pulls me in, losing me in her eyes.

Lost in her bewitching gaze, feeling the strength of our feelings for one another, the moment seems to last forever. Pulling me closer, she holds me tightly, as I return the favor, squeezing her back lovingly. We don't say anything, there's nothing to be said, and this only lasts for a moment or two, yet seeming like so much more; sitting there wordlessly comforting each other, our warmth surrounding us.

Then it's over, and we pull away, silently looking into our eyes, both of our expressions now determined and nervous. "We should get back into position in case they still might come for us..." she says, voicing my very thoughts. Nodding, I move to my side of the door, doing my best to avoid the puddle I'd created, as she does the same on her side.

Crouching there again, feeling the dull pain in my head and chest, the increased background energy levels, and the light tremors in the rocks around us, we wait, nervous and apprehensive.

Just minutes later, another flash in the energy levels surges up, my mind trembling at this, fearing this could be the one that's too much for us. Luck is on our side however, perhaps some random deity looking out for us, for instead of another wild spike of energy slamming into us, this is only a minor surge, pushing the power up another couple of notches, and sustaining it there.

My mind and body react to this, feeling the familiar uncomfortable and painful feelings ripple through me, however, since it's not a major surge, I'm able to regain equilibrium quite quickly. Adjusting to the new level of the background energy, my body cries out for a couple of moments, then my nerves just tingling slightly; my head and chest pains increasing marginally too.

The effects of the surge on us might not have been too bad, but the effect on our surroundings is much worse. Directly following the ramp up to the higher levels, the power still throbbing slightly, the tremors flowing through the stone around us jump back into life, the vibrations increasing. They aren't as forceful as the first wave had been, but they're sustained, not dying down after a several seconds like they had before. The rock beneath us shakes enough to feel it vibrating up through my entire body, but not nearly enough to threaten the structure of the cave, at least not yet.

At the same time, the lighting unit in the room was affected by this, when the surge first hit, going completely out, leaving us in darkness for several seconds. It had then come back on, but only partial so, bathing the room in a dim light, as the tremors shook the rock around us. Now, the power levels seeming to have settled out, that is except for the overlying throbbing, the light has come up a little brighter, but it now flickers, going dim in time with the throbbing waves of the energy source; its brightness varying widely each time, sometimes going completely out, sometimes barely dimming at all.

With the increased level of power throbbing and buzzing around us, our bodies so uncomfortably aware of its presence, the tremors shaking up through the floor beneath us, and the wild erratic pattern of the light's flickering, we still wait; glancing at each other nervously, trying to keep our resolves up.

We don't have to wait much longer though, for only a few minutes later, I get the sensation of energy off to my side, coming from the wall. It's only a slight trickle of energy, barely noticeable with the all that's happening around us, but it still registers, catching my attention, and I know the door's about to be opened, this is our final chance. Glancing at Marissa, her eyes flash an affirmative look at me; she felt it too, and is ready for whatever happens.

Holding my breath, the door silently opens, emitting another small signature of energy as the rock once again flows away, off to the sides, revealing the hidden portal. Waiting there, every heartbeat punctuated strongly in my ears, the seconds pass, before our visitor finally enters.

Entering slowly, another cougar felenzi, perhaps the one we'd tried to fight the last time, stands in the doorway, perhaps trying to figure where we're hiding. As soon as he enters though, just breaking the plane of the wall, we're upon him, pouring all the energy we can muster towards him, claws out at the ready.

He looks maybe a little surprised at this, but has time to react, sending a spell of his own back at us, sapping some of our magical strength, apparently neutralizing some of the effects of the energy we'd projected at him. His body shakes slightly, stepping back a couple of inches, but he doesn't seem all that effected.

It's not time to think of that now though, as I feel the adrenaline flowing through my system, not resisting the battle rage that pours over, not exactly eclipsing my thoughts, just dulling the ones that won't aid me in fight; helping me to concentrate better at the job at hand.

My ears flattening back, my tail twitching wildly, I hear a fierce snarl come from me, as I jump up, lunging for him, my paws ready to connect with his flesh. At the same instant, Marissa springs for him too, both of us intent on getting through the doorway he's standing in.

Watching him, almost in slow motion, as we dive toward him, his ears come up in surprise, his eyes widening. Waving his hands at us, I feel another draining wave of energy pass through me, but still it's not enough; it slows us down, but we are going to get through that door. In the back of my mind, I'm dimly aware that he's not using his full powers on us, this might have confused me, but now I have no time for such things.

Both of us connecting with him at the same time, our combined momentum pushes us through the door, sending the three of us stumbling backwards out into the hallway. Taking several hurried steps backwards, we trip one another up, and all of us fall roughly to the floor, landing on top of him.

Our fighting instincts jump into action, our claws and teeth finding his body, grabbing him, tearing and biting at him through his cloak, growling and hissing as we do so. Snarling back at us, his paws come up in defensive positions, trying to force us off him. We tumble around for a couple of seconds before a stronger burst of energy rises up from him, washing over us, our bodies instantly going limp.

Rudely pushing us off him, rolling us off to the sides, he scrambles up to his feet, looking down at us, his cloak torn in several places, his bloody wounds show through, beneath the tattered fabric. Regarding us coldly, his eyes studying us, I turn on my side, trying to get up but still catching my breath; Marissa growls loudly at him.

Turning to her, his expression stoical, his voice reserved, he answers "we don't want to hurt you... get out of here..." With that, he turns and walks quickly down the hall, leaving us behind.

Still coming down from the rage of the fight, my mind confused, I watch him leave, then turn my attention back to pooling my reserves together. Concentrating, gathering strength from the power all around me, I manage to get back on my feet in a minute or so, Marissa joining me, sprinting down the hall.

Running down the hall, the energy still throbbing in the background, the tremors continuing through the stone around us, the lighting fixtures all flickering wildly, their power source unstable, bathing the cave in a confusing and unsettling pattern of light and dark.

Quickly reaching the junction of the three hallways, I notice the exit lies off to our left, while the sloping hallway leading down to their generator is on the right. Glancing down that forbidding passage, then looking back at Marissa questioningly, she nods and we take off down there, towards our destiny. Whatever they're doing, it certainly poses a threat to us, and we might be better off to make a run for it, but this is our last chance to put a stop to it, and to tell the truth, I'm still too pumped with adrenaline to care; all my instincts telling me to face the danger and to fight.

Coming down the hallway, the power levels begin increasing again, making my nerves burn, my mind aching a little more; however this just pushes us onward, the rage within me building, determined to end this, or die trying.

Reaching the end of the passage, coming out into the large expanse of the generator room, I'm blinded by a brilliant light, flashing out of the opening before us. Stopping, blinking for close to a minute, my eyes finally adjust, somewhat, so I'm able to stare into the strange scene before us, lit by the strange and flickering light flooding out from the machinery.

Pausing, unable to believe my eyes, my mind stumbles, trying to comprehend what lies in the chamber ahead of us. The giant machine, most surely a generator of some sort, is glowing brightly, the faint and eerie green glow we'd seen before replaced by a brilliant radiance, pure white flooding out from it, exuding energy. Standing there, the throbbing pours over us, rippling through our tense bodies, pounding inside our heads; the tremors have increased along with it, shaking the ground beneath us quite strongly.

At first, exposed to the raw energy pouring from their machinery, my body cries out in pain, threatening to double me over. However, fighting it with all of my will, concentrating, sending my own energy flowing through me, I'm able to get on top of things, not enjoying it, but holding my own; glancing at Marissa, she's doing likewise, a snarl pursed across her muzzle. Taking a quick look at her, her nose is bleeding again, blood trickling down the side of her muzzle, staining her snow-white fur. My chest begins to hurt with more insistency, a couple of coughs rippling through me; there's no time for that now though, as my mind cries out in urgency.

Recovering as best we can, we then get a better look at what's going on in front of us. The generator is cranked up, probably to full output, as it's glowing a pure white, both towers of coils above it alive with energy, huge arcs dancing and fighting between the wires, a loud humming sound emanating from them. That's not the only source of illumination in the chamber though, for between the two huge towers, energy rippling all about, a rift has opened, floating there impossibly in space, a doorway to something fantastic lying beyond.

The area between the coils is glowing brightly, showing something that shouldn't be there, the juxtaposition of two physical spaces lining up like that, vastly different, the interface between them shimmering with an eerie look of unreality.

Squinting, looking in through the doorway they've created, all I can see is bright, swirling eddies of energy, spiraling in chaotic movements, currents of color lost in motions of their own. Objects fly by, as bright as their surroundings, having almost no physical form, as if they're composed of the energy themselves; the spectacle is so outstanding and impossible, as I blink, staring into it.

Breaking away from the hypnotic apparitions beyond the rift, my eyes become further adjusted to the surroundings and I'm able to fully make out the scene, seeing what lies in front of the generator, throbbing and trembling as it holds this ethereal gateway open. The whole chamber is bathed in the bright and shimmering light, even from here feeling the energy pouring out through the doorway they've opened.

Below the machinery, working tirelessly, the dracmars madly dash about, perhaps a dozen of them checking readouts on the display screens, huddled over terminals, entering the final series of commands. Except, they aren't the dracmars, anymore, at least not how we've seen them. They no longer maintain the guise of felenzi, but they haven't returned to their lizard forms either, well not quite.

Now they've all become anthropomorphic dragons. At least that's the best description for them, their bodies larger, about a foot taller than before, and wider too, their bodies definitely more muscular. Their heads are definitely reptilian, with the familiar snout and beady eyes, but that is where the similarities with their old forms end.

Looking at them, they now have four arms, the second set connected only a couple of inches below the first pair, yet somehow seeming to fit their body quite naturally. They've cast of their cloaks, and their scaly backs have a large set of ridges running down them, starting at the tip of their snout, running up and over their head, and finally tapering down their long and massive tails. Also sprouting from their backs are a set of large ridged wings, which they have mostly collapsed, pulled in close to their sides, but judging from the size of them, the wingspan would easily be close to eight feet.

Then getting a better look at there new bodies, they aren't quite bodies at all, not exactly. Blinking, I realize that they're becoming transparent, taking on the glow of the machinery and the surrounding area, picking up auras of their own. Even as we watch, they're becoming more ethereal, with the ones farthest away from the rift being the most corporeal.

Looking down at their feet, I notice their discarded cloaks, then something else. Beneath each dracmar is a large puddle, filled with a thick, viscous fluid, looking reddish brown from here. As I watch, the fluid continues to ooze out of them, down near their feet, as if they've sprung a leak, their bodies becoming lighter as this happens. Shuddering I realize they're dissolving their physical forms, becoming ethereal, taking on vastly more energy as they do so.

Frozen in place, captivated by the sight before us, my mind reeling at the possibilities, I don't notice one of the closest dracmars spot us, until it's too late. Snapping back to attention, I see him running toward us, still mostly physical, his feet squishing sickly as they make contact with the hard floor, leaving bloody foot prints behind.

Reacting to the oncoming threat, I drop to a crouch, coiling my powerful legs, ready to strike, feeling my muscles tense, a snarl forming on my muzzle; glancing to my side, I see Marissa doing likewise. Coming before us, eyeing us with disbelief, a stern look across his snout, his cold eyes fixing us in a calculating gaze, he watches as we growl at him, ready for this final fight.

"What are you doing here? Get out before it's too late..."

"Whatever you're doing... it's killing us... and we're not going to let you get away with it..." my voice a snarl, Marissa punctuating my threat with a low growl.

Holding one of his taloned hands out toward us, a blast of cold slaps me in the face, draining some of the rage from me. "You haven't got much time... get out of here or you'll be destroyed..." his voice still reserved.

"We'll go down fighting if we have to..." Marissa hisses back, holding out one of her hands, claws extended, emphasizing her point.

"You don't understand... we mean you no harm... We just want to get back to our own world?"

Blinking at this, there's a momentary pause, before I utter an incredulous "what?"

"You know we aren't from your world... We come from beyond your known universe... Where we live everything exists intertwined with the energy you call magic... Existing there, we have no physical forms like you..."

Staring back at him, he continues "we accidentally opened a rift between our two planes of existence... Forcing us into your world... our bodies becoming mere, shallow projections of our real essence... losing most of our abilities... only a small pocket of our world coming with us... barely giving us enough to work with..."

"Your world isn't meant for our kind... the energy flow is too small... we were starving here... slowly dying... That's why we needed to increase the local power levels... to keep our life force alive... long enough to force the rift back open..."

"Then you came, and provided us with better forms to copy... ones that weren't as effected by the energy streaming through them... For that we owe you thanks... our goal finally met... but you must leave quickly... It took more energy than we thought to open the doorway again... Our system can't withstand it much longer... The release of energy will be too great for you..."

Blinking at this, my jaw hanging open, I can't believe what's going on. Staring back at him, I'm jarred back to my senses as another surge ripples painfully through me, throbbing heavily, the tremors increasing yet again.

Turning away from them, and the fantastic window into their world, I follow Marissa back up the hallway, running quickly, my footing a little unsteady as the tremors are growing.

Leaving the generator room, we run madly up the hallway, barreling back into the junction cavern. Turning and heading for the exit tunnel, running wildly, more surges ripple out toward us, stinging our minds and bodies, the power levels still increasing; the floor shaking beneath us, the lights blinking even more erratically, our path lit in a nightmarish fashion by the flickering orbs on the ceiling above us.

Coming into the large antechamber at the end of the hallway, we dash along the uneven floor of the cave, beginning to slope upwards now. Careening into the darkness, the tremors and surges still building, we instinctively produce the familiar glowing spheres in our palms, lighting the way before us.

Running along a few minutes more, the tremors and surges have become one giant throbbing wave, my body burning from the energy, my mind crying out against it all. Then a huge invisible flash of power slams out from behind us, throwing us forward, losing our footing. Losing concentration on our illumination spells, the world goes black, flying through the air, my ears ringing with a giant, ripping, crashing sound; whether it's physical or ethereal, I can't tell.

My body wracked with the pain from this greatest surge, my mind barely holding back against the forces threatening to rip it apart, I'm sure this is the end. Falling forward, my body slamming into the hard ground with extreme force, the last thing I feel is the total, consuming pain, echoing through me. Then, mercifully, my world goes black.

* * *

Coughing, the pain drawing me back from the void, I lie there in the pitch blackness, face down on the cold, dirty ground, every fiber of my being screaming out in agony. Groaning, still unsure if I'm really alive, and what state I'm in, I lie still, the tip of my muzzle planted in some dirt, smelling earthy, not helping the unpleasant tastes in my mouth.

That's the least of my concerns though, as I lie there, my breath slowly returning to me, my body racked by pain, every nerve ending crying for attention. Feeling several rocks beneath me, rudely poking against my tender flesh, this adds to my discomfort, feeling worse at this moment than ever before in my life; as if death might have been a welcomed option.

Lying there several seconds longer, then forcing myself to turn over, every muscle resisting this indignation very loudly, I manage to finally get on my back, my body tortured my mind numb and aching. Letting out a couple of whimpers, they're followed by similar sounds off to my left, probably only a few feet away, but seeming so far in the darkness.

'Marissa... she's still with me!" my mind leaping, even above the pain shooting through me; it hurts just lying there not moving, every breath filling my chest with fire.

"Marissa... are you okay?" my voice tired and hoarse, the pain showing through it, every syllable ripping into me.

There's an uncomfortably long pause, terrible doubts flashing through my head, then she finally replies. "I guess so... hurts like hell..." her own voice gravelly, launching into a coughing fit at the end.

Taking another couple of breathes, my own wave of coughs hits me, having shaken up my chest in turning over. Coughing heavily, the spasms grip me, each one sending tremors of pain down my chest; opening my mouth, expelling more phlegm, probably mixed with blood, I don't even bother to turn my head, letting it spatter on my muzzle and neck.

Then, released from the painful spasms, I let my body go limp, trying to slow my breathing, the pain stabbing out at me. Lying there, whimpering softly, it's a couple of minutes before I can even think of healing myself, the agony almost paralyzing me.

Finally I force myself to do it though, going through the slow and painful process of moving my hand along the rocky floor, coming to my chest, placing it carefully on my tender flesh, fighting against the tremors of pain shooting back at me. Then, flooding my body with healing, feeling the warmth slowly spread through me, I lose myself in the heavenly sensations; the pain retreating, tiny fingers of power massaging my flesh back to perfect health.

The whole process takes five or six minutes, my body having been through the wringer, lots of damage needing to be repaired; in the end though I feel pretty good, still kind of numb and weak, my energy reserves fairly depleted for the moment, but I've definitely recovered. Then turning my attention back to Marissa, I conjure up the illumination spell once again, the small sphere flooding the cavern with its soft and friendly light.

Doing the same, lighting her own sphere, we look at each other, both still in kind of a sad shape. While we'd manage to do the required healing, we certainly wouldn't be winning any beauty contests like this. Her fur is matted and messy, covered everywhere with dirt, her neck and chest spattered with dried blood, her hair in total disarray, filled with tangles; glancing down at myself I realize I'm not much better off.

Then looking at her face, into her eyes, they're aglow, even above the evident fatigue. Gazing at her, all I can think of is how much we've been through, and how much she means to me. Scooting over to her as she's sitting up on the dirty floor, I throw my arms around her, sinking into her ready embrace.

Nuzzling her with urgent affection, I pull away, only slightly, to gaze into those beautiful deep green eyes, once again brimming with emotion. My mind overflowing, I press my muzzle firmly against hers, our lips meeting in a frenzied kiss. Opening our mouths, we're soon exploring one another, forcing our way inside, our tongues licking our muzzles desperately; regardless of the lack of hygiene, ignoring the salty taste of our blood.

Our passion lasting for several minutes, it finally cools down, letting us simply hold one another, leaning my head against hers, enjoying the feeling of her softness against me.

"I love you Ben..." her voice soft, full of emotion.

"I know... I love you too Marissa..." my heart swooning.

Another couple of minutes pass, not needing to say anything, before she asks, "it's over isn't it?"

Looking around, seeing nothing from the cave behind us, I realize the power levels have dropped dramatically, about to what I remember as being normal. "I think so... let's go and see for sure though..." feeling my curiosity surface.

Walking down the passage, a little cautious, we go a few hundred feet before reaching a pile of rubble, huge chunks of stone completely blocking our way. Staring at this, surprised at the power that had been released, we're silent for several minutes, just standing and looking, feeling lucky to have gotten out of this alive.

Finally we turn and walk silently back up the passageway, pondering thoughts silently among us. The strange adventure's over, having ended so abruptly, yet thinking of Marissa, we've got another long and pleasant one in store for us, together.

Then remembering something, seeming a little silly after all we'd been through. "We never did get our clothes back Marissa... and our packs are buried back there..."

Joining my chuckle, she replies "well, the weather's fairly nice... and we've got our fur and each other to keep us warm... guess there's really no need for them is there?"

Walking with her, we soon reach the mouth of the cave, coming out into the open, only to find it's the middle of the night. Looking up, seeing the sky for the first time in days, the stars are out on this crystal-clear night, the two moons, the large one nearly full, the smaller a thick crescent, flooding the hilly landscape in a soft and romantic light.

Coming out into the air, a small chill runs through me, especially down in my loins, that area not used to being exposed like this. A minute or two later though, it's not all that bad, and the cool air feels nice, invigorating.

Turning to me, a warm smile playing across her muzzle, she says "come on... it's not all that far of a walk back down to the stream... We could both use a nice long bath..." Smiling back at her, I follow, walking down the mountainside, not having felt so contented and at ease for a long time.


Copyright 1994, Will A. Sanborn - was1@shore.net