The Journery....(4)

The Journery....(4)

JilaCosa -- As the group follows Wiz.....

Jila bounces awake. Where the heck is she? The last she remembers she was on the longboat trying to fry a nasty little goblin before it could cause havoc in the Mansion. She looks down, and as she bounces along she sees the Ugliest, hairyest, twisted feet she has ever seen.

*That's right* she thinks *The little bastard Hit me! Rae is never going to forgive me for this one unless I can kill it right now.* Jila brings together all the power she can command at this very minute and sends all of it into the goblin.

"aaaaaarrrrrrrrr!" Rae growls, and even though she stumbles under the force of the attack she keeps on with the quick pace she is walking. The look of pain on her face is just plain scary.

"Rae, what's the matter?" Mouse turns quickly at the sounds Rae makes.

"It doesn't matter." Rae growls through the pain. "Keep going." By this time the others have slowed down to see what's going on. "Go! Go! I can't keep this up much longer. Jila's awake and thinks I'm one of the goblins again." Meanwhile Wiz is still following the music in his head, with Spy and IQ#2 on either side of him trying to keep him away from the walls.

"Give her to me Rae." Mouse orders.

"No." Rae pants from the strain. "You can't touch her like this."

"I won't have to touch her, remember?" Mouse says using her telekenetic ability to pick Jila off Rae's shoulder. "I can carry her like this for a while."

"But how long can you do that?" Cyane asks.

"I don't know so lets get moving." Mouse says.

"I...can't...do...it....anymore." Kay whispers to Rae, just before going unconscious.

"Oh great!" Rae says, sliding Kay around to carry her better in her unconcious state. "Now what? We're already slowed down with Jila awake again." Dancing from one side of the hallway to the other to avoid Jila's magic blasts, Rae finally has had enough. "Somebody Put Her Out Again!"

Cyane takes a quick step forward and gives Jila a quick chop at the base of the side of her neck. With that, Jila slumps over, and the blasts stop. Mouse then invents a picture in her mind of placing Jila in a wagon and herself pushing on the wagon handle to make Jila move. It works but it's not as easy as she thought. Jila's heavier than the apples, stones, and tree limbs that she's been practicing with.

"I can get us there faster than Wiz can." Chryse suddenly speaks up.

"How?" A few of the group ask simultaneously.

"My gift here is being able to talk to inanimate objects." Chryse taps on the wall on the way up the hall.

"Stop it" the wall suddenly says with a grin in its voice. "That tickles."

"Where is the Heart Stone Room?" Chryse asks the walls and floor.

"Right this way, Lady." The walls says. "We know why you're here, and we've got connections. We'd be glad to help."

"Let's go then." Chryse says going to the head of the group. Spy and IQ shake Wiz a bit to break the spell of the music but it has no affect, so they eat grab an arm and pull him along.

"This way" "Through here." "This way" At each intersection or needed doorway the walls tell Chryse which way to go. Until suddenly...............

Raven-Kat -- Frell....

Rae sighs as she quickly follows the group, trying to wake Chryse gently. Her shoulder smarts where Jila zapped her, and she suspects it's probably burnt fairly badly. Sighing, she chokes down an urge to deck Jila again. reminding herself that the sorceress doesn't know any better.

"Wake-y, wake-y." Rae mutters to Chryse. "Come on..."

Jila begins shouting loudly at the group about how Rae is going to kick all of their emmas just as soon as she arrives.

"Get frelled! Rae is going to-"

Rae pulls out a handkerchief and stuffs it into her mouth, very narrowly avoiding the loss of several fingers.

"That's it!" Rae snaps. "Mouse, take Chryse." She grabs Jila and swings her to her feet.

"You wanna fight, little one?" Rae demands of Jila, giving her a shake. "Do NOT tempt me!"

"Rae," Mouse sighs, "This is not a good time."

"I don't give a flying frell!" Rae snaps at Mouse. "She tried to bite me, and you can bet she's going to try and escape! She's slowing us down."

"No, THIS is slowing us down." Mouse says firmly.

"Then go on without us." Rae rolls up her sleeves. "This won't take long at all..."

Rae mutters a single word and turns her attention back to Jila. "You want to fight? Fight."

Jila raises her hands for a spell, but it is obvious to her before she finishes that it isn't working.

"What did you just do?" Wiz asks, glancing anxiously around.

"Huh, oh, I'm diverting her magic. It gets to me as quickly as she gathers it together. Now would you guys MOVE! Jila and I won't be five minutes."

"Fine, come on guys." Spyral says.

As the group hurries off, Jila rushes Rae with an angry cry. "You took my magic!"

She swings at Rae who ducks under the blow and catches Jila's arm. With a deft twist, Rae has Jila's arm firmly behind her back. She wraps her other arm around Jila's throat.

"Enough of this nonsense." Rae whispers gently in Jila's ear. "It was amuzing for about five minutes. Now we need you to come back to us."

"None of that." Rae pulls her arm tighter, eliciting a whimper. "Fight, Jila! Listen to your heart. It's me: it's Rae. Please come back to me now."

Rae keeps a tight grip on Jila, hoping her words are pentrating. She keeps talking, gently urging Jila to fight the power of the spell. When magic is powerless, the human spirit may often compensate.

kayde -- stirring, and feeling exhausted

Kay opens her eyes, taking a moment to remember what just happened. Looking around shakily, she realized they got away. At least for the moment. Starting to rise, she is pushed back down by Rae, whose eyes aren't on her. They are on Jila. A very angry and confused looking Jila. Kay scoots back, and rather than interfere, just watched the showdown between Rae and Jila. Her heart went out to Jila, but, she knew Rae was doing this for Jila's good. Silently she wished Jila back with them. "Come one Jila, listen to Rae."

Chryse74 -- Huh? What happened?

Mouse stops suddenly as Chryse wakes up and sets her down gently. "Ow, what happened?" Chryse asks.

"You hit your head on a low overhang when you turned that last corner. You ok now?" replies Mouse.

"Um, yeah, I think so. Got a frelling headache though... hey, where's Rae and Jila?"

"Jila is freaking out. Rae said to go on without them." answers Cyane.

"Oh, is that really a good idea?" Chryse asks.

"we don't have a choice we need to get to the HeartStone!" says Spyral.

"Right, but I think we need a better plan. Ok, the unicorns need to go back to the main goblin chamber and keep a rear guard for us. Can you do that?" the unicorns nod in agreement. "Good, and on the way back can one of you fix whatever the hezmana is wrong with Jila? Break the spell on her?" The unicorns nod again and head back. "Cool, now Spyral? Do you have something under your wing that will mark the walls so Rae and Jila can find us? We need to let them know which way we went and maybe even what we are going to do."

Spyral rummaged through his wing and found a black permanent marker. "This'll do the trick. I'll start marking the walls."

"Hey, we don't like graffiti!" says a wall.

"Would you rather be reduced to rubble when Dartran destroys the HeartStone?" asked Chryse, sweetly.

"Uh, go ahead, write whatever you want." replies the wall.

"Good, now lets really get going. And please let me know when the ceiling height changes please?" asked Chryse of the walls? The other scoobs giggled a bit, and they started off to the Chamber.

"Rae is so going to kick your eema!" yells Jila.

"If you aren't careful, Rae is going to kick your eema." shouts Rae in frustration.

Both women are startled when the unicorns come back. "what the hezmana are you doing here?" asks Rae.

*breaking the spell on your friend* one of them replies. The unicorns gathered around Jila, who was suddenly quiet. One of them approaches Jila and gently touches her forehead with his horn. Jila collapses to the ground in the midst of the beasts but quickly gets up, shaking her head.

"What happened? Rae? Where is this place? How did we get here? Why are there unicorns all around me?" she asks, holding her head gently.

"It's a long story, come one we've got to go help the others." replies Rae. Turning to the unicorns, she says, "Thanks"

The unicorns nod and again one of them speaks *We will hold the goblins back as long as we can. Hurry to your friends.*

Nodding the women race down the tunnels. Rae notices that her shoulder feels fine now. *Hmm, they must have healed that when I wasn't looking. I wonder how they did that?*

The other scoobs had almost reached the Heartstone chamber. "Be careful, there are traps here, and Dartran and some others are inside." warns the walls.

Mouse had helped Wiz to travel using her power and he was feeling a little better.

"OK, so now what do we do?" asks Cyane.

"yes, Wiz, how do we stop them?" asks Kay.

WizMick -- Wiz starts his spell

Wiz recovering from the spell looks around and sees the other Scoobs around him. "Whaaa....what happened?" As Mouse quickly explains, Wiz starts to feel the pull of The Heartstone Chamber.

"They're inside aren't they, Dartran and the Other?"

The Scoobs nod, waiting for Wiz's next move. "We need to get in...NOW!" Wiz starts his spell.

"Now is an end to all confusion

Now is an end to all illusion!

What is truly there we now see"

A glimmering light spread out against the wall, revealing a dark corridor four feet wide and six feet high. Wiz pulls his Crystal out and holds it high its blue light shows two recesses, niches in the wall directly opposite ov each other.

"This is the way to go, Chyrse I don't think your talent will work here anymore. As a matter of fact I don't think from this point on any magic that was not in you when you came will work. From now on it's just your hearts and courage..." and with a quick smile "A little luck!"

Wiz starts forward..."Which way, straight or down one of the others?"

Mouse looking down the right niche, shudders. "You can go straight, my heart tell me that is your goal!"

Wis looks at the Mouse. "Straight ahead it is! Let's go Scoobs, we've got to husle."

With the blue radiance lighting the way the Scoobs head down the corridor. Chryse stops, "Wait I hear a faint sound!" As the other stop and listen, there was a sound, a clicking, a clattering, growing louder.

"Ummm, do you think there is a small chance we went the wrong way?" IQ asked staring ahead to see the sound.

Wiz could feel the Heartstone pulling him forward. "Maybe but we don't have a choice now we have to go forward as fast as we can."

The Scoobs continued forward, the passage widened into a small chamber. Looking at the end of the room the could see a hole with a brass bound door behind it. As they approached the door a smell hit them rising from the dark hole.

With a roar a huge gout of flame erupted from the pit! They all stared the hairs on the backs of their necks rising.

A head poked over the edge of the pit, a huge, blunt questing snout with faceted eyes, with two huge clashing pincers. Behind came a pair of crooked bowlegs and another and another...

Mouse screamed, Wiz might have too but was unable to catch his breath. It looked like a giant scorpion, just then it opened its jaws and blasted flame.

Chryse yelled "ATTACK!" Wiz shaken out of his fear of insects deflects the flame with a spell! The other Scoobs attack knives and swords stabbing everywhere. The monster whipped around in pain...

Angel jumped forward swinging his sword high and plunged into the head of the monster pining it to the floor. The scorpions screams turned supersonic hurting all their ears. And then it stopped...

"It dies!" Chryse cried. The other Scoobs pulled back as Angel withdrew his sword. The stood silent, staring down into the darkness, not quite believing the battle was over.

"Quick thru the door now, before anyone comes!"

Angel quickly picked the lock with a sideways grin and the other Scoobs followed him thru the door. They charged up the stairs, pushing open two huge oaken doors. Inside they found Dartran and a huge armored figure, a twelve foot high ogre with four arms and the uglist face ever.

"Fools, do you think you can face me and live!" Dartran laughed at them.

Chryse74 -- That’s the other?

Chryse stared in horror at the ugly thing next to Dartran. She was filled with an overwhelming hatred for such an unnatural thing. It immediately took notice of the bard and tried to stare her down.

"I've been craving some elf meat... they are so hard to get around here." it bellowed.

The scoobs shuddered as it spoke with voice full of pure evil.

"Wiz, you and the others try to take out Dartran first. Spyral, Cyane and I will keep this *thing* busy until you're done." whispered Chryse through clenched teeth.

"Is that a good idea?" asked Mouse.

"What choice do we really have? Rae and Jila will get here soon, but we need to make time for them. And Dartran isn't nearly as imposing as that monster." replied Chryse

"Try not to get hurt everyone." whispered Wiz.

Everyone took a better grip on their weapons. Mouse tried her power, but as Wiz warned, it didn't work in this chamber. She got even more scared and started trembling a bit. Kay also attempted to freeze time in the chamber, but that didn't work either.

"Bwahahahaha, do you think your little parlor tricks will work against me?" bellowed the creature. "I think I'll have you two for an appetizer." it snarled.

"Over my dead body!" screamed Cyane and she leapt toward the evil thing slashing with her weapons.

Her action broke the spell of motionlessness in the room and everyone entered the fray. Wiz started chanting a spell against Dartran, but he was chanting too. Whose spell would take affect first?

JilaCosa -- Meanwhile, Kay runs out of the room.

Not from fear mind you, well yes from fear, but also because she had just gotten the most brilliant idea of her life. She runs down the short hall away from the Heart Stone Room, runs through two or three more hallways, turns the last corner and enters the hallway where Rae is still crouched holding Jila tight. At the sound of footsteps Rae turns a bit to see who is coming.

"What are you doing here?" Rae says, with a touch of fatigue in her voice. She didn't realize what a fighter Jila was. "They need you in there."

"No, they don't." Kay scoots around in front of Rae and Jila. "The magic that we got coming to this world doesn't work in there, and that's why I came to get you two." Jila is kicking like mad but Kay is still able to grab both of her legs. Kay manuevers herself between Jila's legs and holds on tight. "Jila's magic won't work in there either. So let's move before she thinks to zap me too."

"But I'll still have her chasing me as if I was her enemy." Rae says.

"After her magic is nullified I can hold her." Kay stands up, tilting Jila at a strange angle. Rae stands up seconds later. It takes but a minute to get back to the Heart Stone Room, and when Rae sees how her friends are faring she get furious. Wiz and Dartran are throwing spells at each other as fast as they can while the others are Attempting to fight the Huge, armored being on the far side of the room and not having very good luck. Oh, Cyane is an incredible fighter, and Spy has his angelic sword, but the others have little more than daggers. She hasn't been this mad since............

*those bastards didn't give us the full story* And then it dawns on her, Kay said that the magic that they received when they got here doesn't work in this room. But obviously innate magic would work because Wiz' magic was working just fine. Her mind works faster and faster on the problem at hand until finally she hits on the solution.

"Sit here with her." Rae says to Kay, giving Jila a quick Pantac jab. Suddenly, Rae's hand is a ball of fire again. She throws the first ball of fire at Dartran just to see what happens. Almost too late he sees the fireball coming at him. He quickly steps aside but it is enough to break his concentration and the spell he was about to aim at WizMick puffs away. With renewed confidence Wiz comes up with a spell that he is sure will incapacitate his enemy. Then she aims some rather large fireballs at the armored entity. Unfortunately, the fireballs bounce of its armor and disappear in a cloud of smoke. Roaring like an angry Vorlag, Rae brings Raegun into the battle.

"Rae, this isn't going to help." Raegun said to her softly

"Shut up. What do you mean it's not going to help?" Rae shakes Raegun like she's shaking a human, hoping to make Raegun make sense.

"Whatever I shoot will only bounce of the armor." Raegun told her matter-of-factly. "How are you going to feel if one of the Scoobs gets hit by a ricochet?"

Rae begins a soft growling. Of course she'd couldn't let that happen.

"Rae," Raegun interrupts her thoughts. "What about Your hand-to-hand combat skills? And your mountain climbing skills? AND the knowledge of all the beings we've ever fought that is still somewhere in your head?"

"If you have to, use it." Rae says handing Raegun over to Kay. "He'll tell you what to do." With a yell that would stand up a Banshee's hair, Rae takes off at a run across the Heart Stone room.

kayde -- Jila struggles

to sit up trying to push Kay away. "Must get them", she mutters. Then, she looks around her in shock and confusion.

"Wha,,,Where are we? What in hezmana is going on? Kay?"

"It's okay Jila. You were under the power of your own magic spell, and you were kind of out of it, but, in here your magic doesn't work, I'm glad to say." Kay replied holding Raegun on the scene, in spite of the fact that he pointed out he could just ricochet in here. She was too scared to not aim him.

"But, be careful Jila. No one's magic that they aquired on this trip is working. It may be up to Wiz and Rae's magic. And our brut strenth."

"Watch out!" Raegun yells at Rae. She turns just in time to see the horrible ghoulish shape lunge at her. Sidestepping it she shakes her finger at it, eyes on Dartron.

Mouse2000 -- Mouse yells at Kay

"Shoot at his eyes!" just as Rae yells back, "Eyes!"

Not being armor-covered, the eyes looked vulnerable, and Kay whispered to Raegun,"You heard them, let's blind that sucker. See how tough he is when he can't see."

WizMick -- Wiz moves...

Wiz is staggered from a magical blast from Dartran as he puts his hand to the floor for balance he feels a familiar shape. Looking quickly to the side Wiz sees Mouse pushing Tira into his hand. "Thank You!"

Wiz leaps at Dartran swinging a low chopping move he saw Chryse practicing. As Tira's edge makes contact with Dartran's knee, he falls back against the orge with a curse.

Quickly Wiz fires out a magical spell that Dartran deflects into the orges chest. The orge screams, his huge form grows cloudy and starts to shrink. Suddenly it's gone and in its place is a little, gnarled ancient looking figure, hunched over, with a huge nose and wisps of hair on his head. His chin receded so badly that it could scarcely be seen, but his eyes glitterd with malevolence.

"Vile creatures, let the hellfire have you!" The wizen ancient reached into his robes and pulled out a glowing red jewel. Blasts of red flame struck out at the stunned Scoobs catching hair and clothes started to smolder and smoke.

Quickly Wiz chanted a spell,

"The quality of merch is not strained

It droppeth as the gentle rain from Heaven

It is the mightiest and twice blessed"

Moisture filled the room falling in a soft rain putting out the hellfires, and where the drops touched burnt skin was healed. The ancient sorceer screamed his rage and started to gesture another spell. Wiz leaped forwarded swinging Tira a vicious head slash at the evil ones' head. The sorceer's spell stopped as Tira's edge caught him.

"Angel! Quickly, the Heartstone into the groove in the center of the alter!" Wiz tosses the Heartstone to the Angel as the nearest Scoob.

The Angel leaps and catches the stone in mid-flight and in one move places on the alter spot. In an instant the room lights up like a bright summer morning and the smell of flowers and life fill the room.

"Dartran, where is he?" Chryse yells as being an elf is used to the "Glow" effect. The others start searching the room...but no Dartran!

"Where did he go, Wiz?" Mouse asks with her eyes darting around trying to see where he might be. "Yeah Wiz where is he, after you chopped him I didn't see him again." Angel asks as he joins the others.

Wiz looking thoughtful. "I think the bastard spelled out when my spell hit the orge/sorceer. I'd know if he was dead, I'd feel it! He's still out there somewhere waiting for another chance."

Looking around at the gathering Scoobs, Wiz pulls his Crystal out. "Dartran knows who you all are now and he NEVER forgets an injury or a defeat. He'll get even somehow someway when you least expect it. So be on guard...and he can change his outward appearance to look like anyone!"

"Great! Now we have to be alert all the time." Chryse disgustedly asks Wiz while the other Scoobs look on.

"Yeah I'm afraid so, when I said this journey would be dangerous I didn't know I'd get you all an enemy for life. But you've beated him once while together so who knows what the future brings"

"You know what! I think I'd really like a "Philly Cheese Steak" sandwich anyone know a good restaurant in Philadelphia?"

As the Scoobs start to laugh Wiz opens the gate to return them home....

Dartran mutters a quick spell to trace the portal's destination. He hadn't gone anywhere, he just used a bit of magic to disguise himself under the glow of the Heartstone. *Not even the animals could sense him*, he gloated and slipped into the portal just before it closed behind the scoobs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back at the Mansion, the scoobs were cleaning up and relaxing from their adventure.

"boy that was a tough one!" said Jila. "I'm really glad I don't have magic all the time, that was really rough. I think I'll take a long hot bath and take a nap." Pandora was already asleep on her neck.

"Not me, I'm starving!" said Mouse. "I'm getting a snack."

"Great idea Mouse, I'll join you." said Kay. Scorpio yawned but followed after the 2 women. Honey bounded after them, excited that they were home and hoping to get handouts.

"I want a nice long soak in the hot tub." said Cyane, "Anyone want to join me?"

"I'll go with you. Let just put my stuff away." said Chryse.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to join you two ladies," said Wiz.

*There he goes again, the lech* thought Max and JaeLithe.

"cut that out. I just want to relax." said Wiz.

Exchanging a look, Cyane and Chryse nodded at Wiz that it was ok with them.

"I could use a soak too," said Spyral and Rae, almost at the same time. They laughed and they all went to change into bathing suits.

The Scoobs were relaxing, safe and comfortable in their home, but that was soon to change.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dartran hid himself in the ballroom as he got out of the portal and overheard the Scoobs. As they left, he chuckled evilly to himself and started forming a plan in his mind.

kayde -- While the others soaked...

in the hot tub, Mouse and Kay gladly went to work making some food. Scorpi sat tiredly at the table watching them, and feeding Honey snacks. Jila came in smiling, carrying a rose. "Food, that is the best idea. By the way, who hired the new gardner? He is so nice. And he is shy too, the poor thing."

"What gardner?" asked Mouse. "Why, the nice old man that is tending the gardens now. He even handed me this rose from the garden."

"Hmmm, I don't know where he came from, do you Kay, Scorpi?"

asked Mouse smelling the rose.

"No", replied the other two, "but, one of the others may know. They will be in to eat soon enough. We'll make the gardner something special to welcome him." Kay said.

JilaCosa -- “Oh dear.” Jila says yawning

"That hot bath must have relaxed me more than I thought."

"Now stop that!" Mouse chuckles as she also yawns. She knows that yawns are contagious but she's also feeling quite relaxed, and even tired. Luckily Mouse puts the large knife she was using down on the counter just as she and Jila slip slowly down to the floor unconcious. The old gardener stand just to the side of the large door that leads outside and chuckles evilly. *What fools these are.*

"Mom?" Scorpi says nervously "Mom, what's going on?"

"I don't know," Kay says, walking quickly around the island counter where the three were preparing food, and kneels down to check out Mouse and Jila. "but you'd better go get the others and Fast!"

"Wiz! Rae! Chryse! You've got to come quick. Somethings happened to Mouse and Jila!" Scorpi yells as she runs out of the kitchen and into the Ballroom. Everybody who is in the hot tub scrambles out, and grabbing a towel from the stack, runs into the kitchen.

"What happened?" Everybody seems to say in unison.

"They both smelled that rose up there on the counter." Kay says pointing in the direction of the rose.

"No!" "Wait!" Is shouted as Scorpi reaches out to pick up the rose. Wiz picks up the rose and shakes it ever so gently over the counter. An small amount of an odd, glittery dust comes out of the petals as they move.

"Frell it! I should have known." Wiz crushes the rose in his fist.

"Don't tell me....." Spy startes but never finishes the question.

"Yes, he's here." Wiz answers. "Somehow Dartran followed us through the portal."

"And what?" Kay asks "He thinks we still have magics over here?"

"No," Wiz replies "He knows you Don't. That's why he's here. He knows he can do whatever he wants to with you here."

"But he doesn't know about the rest of the IQ clones, does he?" IQ#2 starts to grin. "And that Science is a truly marvelous thing." #2 grabs Scorpi by the arm and winks. "Come on girl. We've got work to do!" With a smile that says <I can be useful now> Scorpi grins and heads out of the kitchen with #2.

"Do we look for him," Rae says, cradling Raegun in her arms, "or do we wait for him to come to us?"

"Personally," Raegun says quietly "I already know where he is."

"I know that Gunny." Rae says, giving Raegun's barrel a pinch. "But Dartran doesn't."

"I say go after him now and get it over with." Cyane says searching through the cabinet drawers for any weapons that might have been left in here over time.

"Perhaps it might be better to let him believe we don't know what's going on." Spyral suggests.

"Give him a false sense of security." Chryse adds

"Yes." Wiz agrees. "And That will be his downfall. Now let's get Mouse and Jila into the Ballroom."

Mouse2000 -- Mouse felt groggy

and tried to open her eyes. But they wouldn't open. She tried again. Nothing. Panic started, but she tried to remain calm. She tried moving her arms. Legs. Head. *FRELL!!!* she thought. She felt herself being moved, and thought she heard voices around her but they weren't really clear. She consoled herself that she was at lest in the Mansion, and her friends were with her.

"Yo! Watch her head!"

"I AM watching, but it keeps falling back like that.. do you think she can feel anything?"