I'd never liked boats. Not since the first time I sailed, when I was barely fifteen years old. I was following Aggie's platoon, and I was sick for days. I'd had better experiences since, but I still hated boats.

So when the battle was over, I decided my seafaring days were over for a while. I'd had enough of being navy was more than ready to find my landlegs again. I walked off the docks and into town, stopping just for the night for a good meal and a long night of drinking to those who had died and would soon be forgotten. Then sleep in a bed, which even with the bugs was a welcome comfort. At least the ground wasn't moving beneath me.

The next morning I didn't even bother with a horse. I liked the idea of walking, moving completely under my own power, with absolutely nothing carrying me or swaying beneath me. There were foothills in the distance and I knew it couldn't take me too long to make those into mountains. High mountains were what I wanted, peaceful and covered in trees. Cool crisp air. Fresh cold springs.

Yeah, I was looking forward to it. I'd had more than enough of people for the time being.

As I left town, striking out towards the hills I suddenly remembered the words I'd heard years before.

"Walk in Shadow," he'd said. And I hadn't understood what he'd meant at the time. But I'd learned. I'd found myself somewhere else after those instructions, someplace safe. And I'd had to believe that everything else had really happened. The green glowing pattern engraved in he ground… it hadn't been just a hallucination.

But it took me a long time before I figured out how to go different place. But once I'd figured out that all I had to do was want something and I'd find it, I was all set. I just kept going all the time, trying to find something else. Usually another battle to fight.

So that's what I was doing this time. I walked out of town, looking for something I wanted. But for once it wasn't a battle… it was peace and silence. I wanted quiet, in the height of the mountains, with the fresh air in my lungs.

The mountains were there as I turned a corner, the foothills ranging suddenly higher. The further I traveled, the more it changed. The air grew cooler, the sun seemed further away from me even as I climbed higher. The sky darkened to a deep blue, changing from the magenta it was when I left the docks. A moon appeared, hanging low in the sky, unhidden by clouds as it hung near the sun.

I decided this was it, the basic place I was looking for. It had the right feel to it. So I simply started to hike up the mountains, moving along the pathways. I walked with sure, quick strides, long legs moving me quickly along. Even though I wasn't going anywhere, I set a comfortable stride, my lanky build swinging me along.

I looked around, noting the surroundings with an eye trained by years of combat. Even when I was trying to relax I was never able to lose that awareness of where I was. I couldn't let myself relax enough that something might get the jump on me.

The trees thinned as I continued up the pathways, the terrain more rocky. There was a clear pathway now, and I followed it, winding my way between higher rocks around me. A glance to my right saw a cave cut like a slash into the face of the rock, and my gaze slid away from it, avoiding it. Caves were a vivid reminder of the past, and I just didn't like them. Given the choice of hiding places or refuges, caves were last on my list.

I came to a fork in the path and bore left, moving away from the cave to follow a narrower, shallower path. I heard the sound of water burbling over stones, and with a grin I stepped up the pace again. A cool mountain spring was exactly what I was looking for.

And then it was there, in front of me, bubbling out of the ground into a small basin pool. I was completely alone, and I didn't bother to hesitate, stripping off my leathers first, then my clothes, dropping them to the side. The sword was left in easy reach, just in case, and I didn't remove my bracers. I never did.

I slide into the cold water, gasping as it took my breath away for a moment. "Gods. Ah…" Yes. It was exactly what I was looking for. I leaned back against the edge, using the rock as a pillow, stretching my arms out to the sides and closing my eyes. This… this was relaxing.

The bubbles massaged away the aches and pains from too many travels and not enough breaks to relax. The cold number my body after a while, as time slipped away. I listened to the sounds of eagles crying as they wheeled overhead, and realized that I felt better than I had in a long, long time. When was the last time I had been able to relax? And why hadn't I done it sooner? The pleasurable pounding of the water over my body gave me my answer. I wouldn't have appreciated it anywhere near as much until I truly needed it. Like now.

There was a sizzle, like a moth the size of a fist flying headfirst into a lightning bolt, and the smell of something rotten sharply burning. Startled, I sat up, my eyes opening wide. I didn't need to look far -- something was hanging in the air right in front of my nose It looked like a not-quite-transparent flat snake, with no head. The end of it was blackened, charred and still smoking.

I didn't have to think about it, my sword was in my hand and I was standing. But the thing had already whipped away with a blinding speed, disappearing up the mountain path. I frowned as I stood there, naked and coldly dripping wet, staring at nothing.

I lowered the sword slowly, climbing out of the pool so that I could look around. Were there others? Did I have to worry about being interrupted again? I'd intended to dry off before getting dressed, but if my privacy weren't certain, I had to investigate sooner rather than later. So I tugged my shirt on, feeling it stick to my wet skin. But it fell to my knees and was coverage enough. That and my boots were all I needed, along with the sword in my hand and the bracers I'd never removed since Aggie gave them to me.

For a moment I wondered about leaving the rest of my things behind, but I at least had the things that were most important to me, and I could always come back for the rest later. Better to get moving now and not lose the creature.

So with that in mind, I started up the path quickly. I scanned the surroundings, searching for it, but found nothing but a few three-eyed blue mountain goats which stood at impossible angles on the almost vertical faces of the cliffs. They just stared back at me blankly for a moment, as if wondering how something so strange as me could be invading their private place, and then went back to gnawing on the sparse bits of scrub that grew on the mountainside.

I could feel the height, the lack of oxygen making me gasp for breath as the path just began to curve downwards again. I'd reached the crest of the mountain, and had a clear view for miles. And I couldn't see anything else but more mountains in all directions. No sign of the strange intruder.

Time to regroup. I stood there, hovering for a moment before I fell to my knees. I shifted, sitting down on the ground and pulling my knees up, putting my head down while I caught my breath. I had to sit for a bit before I was ready to move on again.

But where to? There was no sign of the creature, not even a hint of where to go next. Groaning slightly with frustration, I decided I might as well get my stuff. I wasn't thrilled about having to backtrack, but I didn't want to lose everything, either. They were ties to the life I had led, and even a few ties to the child I had been what seemed like such a long time ago. Might as well get it overwith quickly. I started a slow lope back to the spring.

I had time to think on the run back, and by the time I got there, curiosity had a definite hold on me. I'd gone over the appearance of the creature, and its disappearance, over and over again. I frowned as I gathered my things together and dressed properly, lacing my leathers comfortably. And then once I had everything, I fixed the image of the creature in my mind.

"Looked pretty damned unique to me," I muttered to myself. "If I can find it easily, then it's as numerous as the goats up there and I don't need to worry about it. If I *don't* find it quick, well, I'd better keep looking, since that'll likely mean it's important."

Strange logic, perhaps, but it made sense to me. And I was determined to find that damned creature, and wasn't about to give up.

So back up the mountain path, but this time I wasn't just looking in this place. I was going to try to see if it was somewhere else, changing my location by searching for the creature instead of a place. And I knew almost immediately that it wasn't here… that it had somehow fled through the realities. The sky had shifted, darkening to violet, then to a bright pink, and the goats eyes had multiplied until they were as numerous as a fly's.

Well then, I'd chase it across the realities. I fixed the image of the creature in my mind and the scenery continued to change around me. From mountains to plains to a forest, and then finally to a rolling farmland. I'd been moving a long time, and paused to rest for a moment, leaning against a haystack. A woman with one eye and a flat head came out of the hut and spotted me. I started to stand, but she screamed. "A two eyed monster!" And then she ran back into the hut.

Strange places. Truly strange places.

I was crossing through more realities than I'd ever traveled before. Every once in a while I stopped to rest, but after enough time to catch my breath, I'd keep moving on. The thing had disturbed me, finding me somehow while I had been enjoying my privacy. Which meant even after searching as long as I had, I was determined to find it.

And then I came to a cave. The way forward led directly into a cave, and I hesitated a moment before stepping into it. It was a cave, after all. But still… I steeled myself. If I wanted to find it, I had to go. So I ducked my head, stepping through the entrance, and walked into the cave. It was low enough that I had to crouch, moving through.

But then it was over, and I was someplace else. The sort of place I had never, ever seen before, in all my travels since Agrivar had died.

There was a walkway in front of me, with no railing, made of a shiny blue-black segmented material. It was hanging in mid-air, leading to the top of a sphere that seemed to be about fifty feet high. All around the sphere, attached to it somehow, were creatures of all different amazing descriptions. It was as if direction didn't matter, as long as their feet were on the sphere, they were able to stand there. And beyond the sphere I could see more of the spheres, all connected by more of the shiny blue-black catwalks.

It was *so* very strange.

I moved very carefully across the catwalk, not wanting to fall down into the slowly shifting blue mist I could see below me. And then the sphere… it was a shock to my ears, as if the sound had been shielded until my foot touched its surface. Screeching, banging, and high-pitched hooting assaulted my ears, disorienting me for a moment as I struggled to get my feet beneath me until I managed to adjust. By that time, I realized that whatever it was about the sphere, it was working for me as well. It felt like I stood upright, even though I knew I should be clinging for my life. It was a relief.

Once I was settled, I finally took a closer look at the thing other things that moved around the sphere I was standing on. They waddled, crawled, strode, or slithered, and not a one of them was the same. Or like anything I had ever seen before. Something that looked like a cross between a wasp and a tiger whirled about, its claws whipping the air around it with a whistling sound. Thankfully they all appeared to be ignoring me.

Except one. An eight foot tall, yellow skeletal creature with the heavy mandibles of an insect emerged from a metal bunker halfway down the sphere. And it had not only noticed me, it was heading directly towards me, a silver disk over a foot in diameter clutched in one powerful claw.

Right. What now? I stood my ground, rationalizing that since I'd come here, there had to be a reason. The place was certainly strange enough, so maybe the creature came from here. Only way to find out was too look for it, or maybe even to ask. Still, I couldn't completely stand at rest. My hand rested upon the hilt of my sword, ready to draw it quickly if I needed to. I stared at the creature, silent and still.

It seemed menacing as it strode over towards me, but then it flipped the silver disk up to balance it on one of its claws. It didn't have any eyebrows, but it felt like it lifted an eyebrow at me. It leaned closer to me so I could hear it above the almost deafening din, and croaked, "And what would you like for a cocktail this evening, Miss? We have a marvelous collection of sulfurics on special at the moment."

A drink? I did my best not to blink at it, but it was a struggle not to give away the surprise. A waiter? It wasn't what I was expecting, that was for certain. But my hand slid away from my sword, still hanging near enough to reach, but no longer resting upon it.

A little bit away, the tiger/wasp thing stopped its spinning, turning to gawk at me as the skeletal creature tried to take my order for a drink. The yellow creature turned to it then and asked, "And something for you as well, perhaps, Lady Kiwarr?"

She… I had to suppose it was a she, since it'd addressed her as Lady… ignored the waiter and instead addressed me. "My Dear, such a pleasant surprise. Please join me at the Sulan table away from the dance floor so we can chat."

Dance floor? That was a dance floor? Okay, that explained the noise and the motion, I supposed. Why was she addressing me like she knew me?

I didn't have time to really consider anything, though, because she was placing a large paw on my arm as she continued. "I promised my favorite dealer that I would stop by and at least say hello." She leaned in and whispered loudly enough to be heard over what I now knew was music. "Do come. It would give me a chance to make up for disturbing you earlier. Please?"

"Sure." I answered before really thinking, curiosity driving the decision more than anything else. "If you tell me where the Sulan table is." And what Sulan is, I was wondering as well, but didn't voice it yet.

Her face seemed to open up, displaying row after row of razor sharp teeth. Oh gods… no, wait… it was a smile. "Certainly, I'll take you, my dear," she cooed at me, and took my arm almost as if she were escorting me at a ball out to the dance floor.

Interesting people. I just had to wonder why I felt like a fly in a spider's web? Still, before we walked away I wanted to answer the waiter. "D'you have anything that isn't going to kill me? I don't think I'm much like anyone else here."

I'd said something funny, as Lady Kiwarr and the waiter shared a dry chuckle. "Who *is* much like anyone else here?" Lady Kiwarr told me.

I smiled a little, having to admit that I really didn't see two of anyone there. It intrigued me, this strange place of spheres and walkways, and odd creatures. Glancing around, I took a moment to see my quarry… but no sign of the odd creature I'd been chasing.

"I'm sure I can find something to satisfy your thirst and keep you alive for at least the second round of drinks, Miss," the wiater replied, one of his huge eyes quickly covered and uncovered by a flap of skin underneath the eye. He'd already turned around and was heading back to the bunker before I realized that was a wink.

Lady Kiwarr didn't give me long to think, guiding me onto a catwalk and heading for another one of the spheres. I was right, there was a sound barrier, because when we stepped onto the walkway, the sound was gone, leaving my ears ringing from the silence, but able to hear my companion. "The Sulan table is on the fifth globe," she told me, "it won't take long."

As we made our way to the fifth globe, I didn't see anything to change my opinion of the place. Everything was so strange, so different. My eyes scanned the place, still seeking the creature, and not finding it. What I did see was what appeared to be gambling, and a lot of it. I couldn't see any of the details of the games, but they certainly seemed to be heated action at times.

But the differences, the absolute strangeness of all the people, were amazing. In all my travels I usually stayed near places where I didn't stand out. There might have been an extra joint in the fingers, maybe a different skin color. But overall, they mostly seemed human. But this time, when I was looking for something entirely different than I had ever sought before, I had found this… and I had to admit, it intrigued me. And all of a sudden, I wondered what else was out there that I had been missing.

Finally we were there, at the fifth globe. We had to walk halfway down the sphere before we got the table we were heading for. There was one human at the table, but my gaze skittered over him at first, not even really realizing that he was like me for the moment. Then it landed on the dealer, who looked like some sort of cross between a giant grub and a devil's face, with the red skin and horns, all atop a milky white fat wormlike body. "Lady Kiwarr," it purred. "Its about time you came to see me." His voice was chiding, even as he smiled at her.

"I couldn't stay away from my favorite Sulan dealer for long, Dusjur," she said. "I'd like you to meet…" Her voice trailed off as she motioned at me, and then paused.

"Damara," I inserted for her, introducing myself smoothly as I smiled. I had my arms crossed, standing at ease, light on the balls of my feet.

"A pleasure to meet you. Always room for a friend of Lady Kiwarr's at my Sulan table. Would you ladies care to sit in?"

"I've never played Sulan." There was no reason to be anything but honest.

"Reeally…" Dusjur seemed to add a few extra syllables to the word, showing his delight. "New players are always welcome, no matter the skill level." Somehow that didn't give me anything to feel good about.

"Dusjur, Damara can learn to play another day," Lady Kiwarr chided the dealer. "Just deal me in for a hand while our drinks come, would you? I'm afraid I have another appointment I must get to soon."

"Of course, Lady." He motioned for us both to sit. He pulled a handful of identical black boxes about the size of sugar cubes from somewhere behind the table, and began to hand then out, six to a person. He hesitated when he reached me, cocking an eyebrow. "Sure you can't find the courage to try? Beginner's luck is a powerful thing."

Lady Kiwarr sighed, then leaned in close to me to whisper, "I can loan you whatever you need if you want to play. If not, I'll only play one hand and we can go someplace quieter to talk."

I was curious, and the offer was tempting. After all, it was gambling, and I'd done enough of that. And I was even successful at times, when I remembered not to show everything I was thinking on my face. Its hard, sometimes, to keep back my natural honesty. But still… "I'd like to see a hand or two first." I motioned for them to begin. "What are the stakes?"

Lady Kiwarr gathered the black cubes into a neat pile in front of her. "It's a tad complicated. In general, the house gives chips according to what you have to put up. In other words, they appraise what you offer and convert it into chips. The two things most often used are Primal Plane real estate and blocks of time of demon servitude. As for the rules of the game, they are even more complicated.

My head was spinning. Primal plane? What in the names of all the gods was she talking about? Demon servitude? That didn't sound pleasant either. I'd rather expected her to name money, whatever the coin of this realm was. The usual tender for any other gambling I'd done. But this… this sounded out of my league.

While Kiwarr was talking, the others each picked up two of the blocks and rolled them back towards the dealer. The remaining four blocks were put together in a row and each block began to glow a different color. The one human man groaned, looking at Kiwarr who had yet to join the game. "Look, we're getting old over here. Are you in or out?"

That was when I got distracted. When things changed. Something caught my eye, back on the first globe where I'd come in there was something happening. There were creatures, gray and about four feet tall, although I couldn't really see the details from where I was sitting. And they seemed to be tearing the place apart. I saw the waiter caught by two of them, and then smashed against the bunker.

This just couldn't be good.

And then began to move, running over the bridge to the second globe, and at least a dozen more pouring in through the opening of the casino. It was surreal, what I could see happening so silently, the sound not traveling from globe to globe.

"Lady Kiwarr," I murmured, interrupting the others. My hand drifted to the hilt of my blade. "Are bar fights the norm here, or is it something we should worry about. *I* don't like the looks of it." I never let my gaze stray from the fight, starting to stand, my hand closing now on the hilt.

She turned slowly, her gaze following mine back to the front of the casino, and her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh dear. No… no, I don't like the looks of it either. This looks to be no common brawl. Oh, all those poor people. Why are they doing this?"

That caught the attention of everyone else, and word quickly spread. Dusjur looked confused. "The ramps are designed to retract if there are any problems. I can't understand why they haven't done so. I know the main control panel for them is on the first globe, perhaps the manager on duty was overrun before he could disengage them."

I remembered the waiter, and had to think that yeah, that was probably what had happened.

Then the dealer leaned close to us, the dark haired man, and another creature that looked like a giant porcupine with tentacles instead of legs. "In the centers of each glob there is an armored core. It's usually used for a dealer to remove himself from an irate customer, but it would serve to hold our VIPs and their guests safe from harm as well, provided such a service would not be forgotten."

"And all the others?" the porcupine thing asked, waving a tentacle at the hundreds of customers on the various globes.

"VIPs only, I'm afraid. Not enough space for the rest," Dusjur replied.

The creatures were still coming into the casino, and even though they hadn't started for the third globe yet, the people on the second globe were fighting for their lives.

"Well? In or out?" Dusjur asked, looking at us.

The porcupine didn't bother to hesitate. "In. Let me in and I swear I'll make it worth your while."

I didn't have much respect for him. He'd let all those people die to save his own hide. I saw the look the other human and Lady Kiwarr exchanged, and shook my head. "You go be safe," I snapped, letting the derision show in my voice. "But before you go, tell me where the hell that main panel is, and at least we can stop this before it goes any further."

My hand slipped off the hilt, but my stance was even more at the ready, rocking forward onto the balls of my feet, ready to move and deal with the problem. So much for the vacation. Looked like I was needed right here and right now.

Dusjur replied, "The main control panel is inside the bar. Which looks like a metal bunker," he added. And made a lot of sense to me, given what I had seen when I entered the strange casino. "The security code to enter is five five five seven. Once you're inside, your guess is as good as mine as far as which controls retract the bridges, but the manager is a moron of incredible magnitude so I don't imagine his control system is too complicated."

"Five five five seven," I repeated, listening intently to the rest of his distraction. By the time his attention turned to inquire whether the remaining human, or Lady Kiwarr, would accompany him, my attention had already shifted back to the bar, gauging the distance and the best route there.

Lady Kiwarr first looked at me, then back to the dealer, and finally back to me as she sighed. "You go on ahead, Dusjur. I feel a sense of responsibility for Damara's well-being in this matter."

"Go hide in your hole, grubby. We've got business."

Dusjur looked hurt as the dark-haired man spoke, but he reached under the gaming table and a moment later a trap door opened beneath him and he disappeared from sight. A moment later, the tentacled porcupine whined, "Wait for meeee!" and leapt in after him.

A moment after that, we heard a scream -- probably Dusjur -- followed by a yell of "Get off me, you fool!" The trap door snapped shut abruptly, and sound ceased from within it. Probably sound-proofed, just like the spheres.

Cowards. Although I couldn't blame them. Not everyone was always up for a fight. Or even capable.

"I am Count Saivu, and I am at your service, Ladies." Lady Kiwarr looked startled as he introduced himself, and curtseyed elaborately, despite the circumstances. For myself, I simply nodded, not knowing enough of this place for the title to make a difference to me. And I took my first good look at the man.

His eyes were a deep blue, atching the tight fitting suit he wore. His shirt was white with a ruffled collar, adding that touch of what made me think "fop". His hair was long, hanging to his shoulders and he had to brush it back from his eyes. And every other finger on his hands he wore a ring of a different color, and his shortsword was jeweled, more ornamental than functional. Still, he was willing to help, which was more than those that had hidden themselves away. "It's been a while since I've done any real fighting," he said, "but I've got a couple of spells hung that might be useful."

"I don't know much about magic, but a sword in my hand isn't a bad thing." I grinned suddenly. "Step one is getting us over there and to the bar. Do you have anything to clear us a path?"

Lady Kiwarr flexed her paws, claws popping in and out as she grinned. "I spend most of my time at court, but these aren't just for show." She looked to me then, and I realized I had been cast as leader.

So I answered her. "Sounds like you and I will be getting in close with them. If we can do something about the bulk of them, then we fight our way through and cut off the bridges. We need to get things localized and keep it from spreading."

"Hmm." Saivu looked thoughtful. "I can get to the bridge control without much problem with the help of the Logrus, but once I retract the bridges those creatures will have still have to be dealt with. I'll cut them off from the third globe to the fifteenth. I'll wait to do it until the two of you reach the third globe."

Using the what? I'd never heard of the term before, but if it was going to help us, I was all for it right then.

"Perhaps you should also retract the bridge to the first globe to keep them from continuing to pour in, my Lord?" Lady Kiwarr's suggestion was hesitant.

He simply gave her an icy look. "Of course." Then he turned back to me. "Anything else?"

"Once we've cleared the third globe, can you get us to the second without the bridge? I don't want to clear only one -- I want them all cleared before we're done." The sword was in my hand and I was anxious to get started, rocking forward on the balls of my feet. This was already more planning than I was accustomed to once the battle began.

"I'll just stay in the bunker and manipulate the bridges to suit our needs," Saivu said, grinning. "If I can be heroic while cowering in a bunker, it'll be like a dream come true." He winked, then faced the first globe and concentrated. After a moment, the air in front of his face seemed to shimmer, and a slim tendril, like the one that bothered me at the pool, shot out towards the first globe. A moment later, Saivu followed it.

Lady Kiwarr unsheathed her claws and motioned ahead. "Shall we?"

It took a moment for me to return my focus to her, staring after Saivu and realizing that whatever he had done, it was the same thing my intruder had done. Then I realized it was time. Ready to battle. I grinned at Kiwarr. "We shall."

As we charged into battle, I finally got a good look at the things. They were short, maybe four feet tall, and their arms were almost long enough to reach the ground. Two inch claws stuck out from the end of each finger, nasty little weapons. And they moved quickly, despite being stout and short. Both arms and legs seemed to be double-jointed, and I learned quickly that they were equally good at fighting both in front and behind themselves. Their teeth were weapons as well, with two mouths, one on each side, and no noses. And finally, the eyes… disturbing multifaceted eyes that stretched around their heads. These creatures were made to be dangerous.

But then, so was I.

I took it easy, at first, trying to gauge their prowess and learn how they fought. And they did it well. Saivu had isolated us on the third sphere, and we both had to wade through the creatures. They were soundless warriors, easily among the best I have faced.

But in the end, we three stood on the first sphere, surrounded by stocky grey bodies. And we had won.

I took a deep breath and held it a moment, centering myself, before letting it out slowly. A glance to my left saw a tablecloth, and I took it, tearing off a strip to cleanse my blade before I sheathed it again. And once that was done, I turned a critical eye to the now dead enemy. "What in the name of all the gods were those?" I asked softly, my gaze narrowing as it turned to the others, noting their wounds as I tried to ignore my own. "You two need to get that looked at."

Saivu held his side with one hand, and his head with the other. "We can heal on the move. I, for one, don't intend to hand around here in case more of them come back."

Heal on the move? I didn't say anything, but damn, that was an interesting idea. Certainly better than I can do, and kind of a pity I couldn't. Sure as hell would've saved me a lot of agony in the past! "I'm not familiar with the area," I went on. It was an understatement, but better than admitting that I had absolutely no idea whatsoever where I was. I had the feeling that they both probably knew more about this place than I did, which was strange to me. That they might even know about crossing between the worlds. Which was new to me, to meet someone else who knew that. I didn't want to let either of them out of my sight.

Lady Kiwarr somehow managed to still look dignified while sitting on the floor, holding onto an injured foot. "We are on the frontier of the Courts of Chaos, my dear. In the Black Zone."

I could hear the capital letters in her speech. And it still didn't make any sense to me.

"The Shadow of Juddan, to be precise," Saivu added.

I just nodded, trying to look like it made sense. "The Courts of Chaos." I nodded again. "I think, once we're settled, that I've got more than a few questions to ask. If you wouldn't mind answering." That was all I was going to say about how confused I was. They'd piqued my curiosity, and I was ready to start asking questions right then, but it wasn't the place. But I hoped they'd answer.

A dark blue ball appeared from the bunker, rolling towards us. I started to move towards my sword, but neither Kiwarr nor Saivu seemed concerned, so I calmed myself quickly. It stopped about three feet away from us, and arms, legs and a head sprang out to regard us, then bowed. "Great Lord and Ladies. On behalf of the Dogard family casino, I extend my thanks to you. The next you are here, merely as to see the manager." He placed a hand upon his chest to indicate himself. "And I will be more than happy to supply you with complementary chips and drink for the evening."

"I suppose the evening's not a total waste then. Very well," Saivu said, and dismissed the manager with a wave. And that was that.

"I have some property here in the Black Zone, not too far away if the two of you would care to come," Lady Kiwarr offered, looking vaguely embarassed. "I wasn't expecting guests, so you would have to excuse the mess."

Saivu shrugged indifferently, glancing at me. "Unless you have a better idea."

I smiled a little, then shrugged. "Like I said, I'm not all that familiar with this area. New in town, so to speak." Not that that was all that new to me, really, but well, this was farther afield than I'd ever been. More unusual and I was actually starting to feel a bit out of my element. And besides, these two seemed to understand the concept, which was new as well.

"Why don't we head over there quickly. You two might be able to heal on the move, but I'm going to need to sit for a bit and get myself patched up," I admitted, motioning at my injuries and finally really acknowledging them to myself. They hurt, but they weren't anything life threatening. More annoying than anything else.

I motioned for Lady Kiwarr to lead the way. "Any place you have has to be in better shape than this." I flashed a smile, indicating the dead bodies. "And less likely to be invaded again."

We made our way through the bodies and into the entrance cave. With these two walking beside me, and wanting to get out of that casino, it wasn't nearly so difficult to go through the cave this time. And it widened quickly on our way to the stables. I realized that I had entered this reality very close to the entrance, and in fact, almost on top of it.

"Oh my, I nearly forgot. I only have one horse." Kiwarr looked concerned. "Perhaps another one could be purchased for you, my dear."

Count Saivu interrupted, leading me to a strong dun mare. "I always travel with more than one, in case one tires. Here."

I took the mount and we began to ride. Lady Kiwarr took the lead, telling us "It's about a full turning's ride." Whatever that was. I was simply following Kiwarr and Saivu, through a web of underground caves illuminated by a violet phosphorescent rock. Between the caves, and my injuries, and the strange light, I found myself drifting off, simply following along in an almost dreamlike state. And I never did figure out just how long a full turning was.