Title meeting in the dark
Auth: Stana, Spiff, kit
date 6/8/00
***********
The bandits closest to the elementalist turned, 
and gained a look of mild exasperation.

"Hold, stranger.  Identify your purpose or fall 
where you stand!"

Audion chuckled, paying only half attention to 
the command as he examined the handiwork of 
the earth chosen. After a tense moment he 
motioned towards Clip, who stood protectively 
near the Chosen.  
"I am positive you are not in a situation 
that gives you the privilege of giving 
orders, considering the landscape...and 
the mythical beast you've encircled.  
Therefore, why don't you elaborate on 
why you're so edgy about our 'foreign' 
status.  Why did you engage us?"

The closest bandit to the elementalist 
lowered his weapon slightly,

"Stop whatever that girl is doing, 
and we'll call a temporary truce. 
She's a threat to all of our lives."

Clip snorted, shooting a glare at the 
man.  Audion stepped beyond the bandits, 
but kept a distance away from the unicorn, 
for purposes of respect. 

Audion's brow furrowed as he whispered to 
Clip, "Is she stabilized?  We need to get 
out of this peacefully..."

"I know not." Clip admitted, his form 
flickering to human to utter the words 
"There appears to be no cause for this 
lapse."

Audion thought for a moment. Right before 
he had felt the explosion of raw power from 
Stana,  he had felt a total loss in the 
balance of water energy...that very lack 
had vibrated down to the void within, 
echoing his own emptiness. The Chosen 
and Guardian's power totally disappeared.

Earth and Water were sympathetic 
elements...in the Earth Chosen's already 
fragile state, such an imbalance could have 
equated her collapse and subsequent 
loss of control.

"I have an idea, but it would not be 
meet to mention it here. She may be all 
right at this time, I believe that the 
origination of her collapse has run its 
course.  Can you counter her power at all?"

"Not in its current flux." he admitted 
quietly "the true depths have not been 
sounded. Her current state is not from 
depletion, I can sense the undercurrents 
of power still surging through her."

Audion sensed them too, and hungered. 
But he disregarded the cravings of the 
void and turned his attention back to the bandits.

"Truce then, answer my question. 
Why are you uneased by our foreigner 
status? Do you not see travelers here?"

"In this part of Madron? Indeed no. 
Madron's tarnished reputation keeps 
all but the bravest and the most foolish 
from it's interior.  Are you of the 
sorcerer's ilk?"

"They must be!" another shouted "else 
how to explain the girls' powers?"

"That is not the case" another voice 
admonished.

They all turned to see Elainas draw 
herself up and walk into the clearing 
carefully.  Another of the bandits was 
behind her to her left, but unlike his 
companions his sword was sheathed.

"We are your allies.  I am Ambassador 
Elainas of the Syl. We are here to 
rescue a comrade from that castle.  
We have a common target, and talents 
both sides will find beneficial."