.....

The yard had suddenly become much more crowded. Confused and angry men in all different shape of leather and plated armor, as well as those in the dark navy uniforms of the magical brotherhood shadowed the walls.

Why didn't' this fighter arm himself? Cloak himself from the group that would see him hanging from the rafters in the East Hall?

And at the same time what stilled the ranks of men? Their eyes anxious and waiting for the order to fire on the surrendering and suffering body of an otherwise invincible man.

Then she saw for the first time the dark shape that had eluded them both in their carelessness.

The shape of a standing man, like the charred shadow remains of a man burned and blasted against the rough rocks of the courtyard walls. Soundlessly the flat black figure peeled off the walls in flakes of ash and began to take form and walk to the open doorway.

He was a dark cloud with a trail that pulled itself from the wall and quickly traveled to join the mass form of the tall man.

The armed men shirked from the path or the dark specter as it quickly grew dense, forming pale flesh and swirling folds of dark red cloth. Til the figure had fully materialized at the arch of the door way. All this in moments that felt like an eternity.

The prophet stood tall and emotionless. Dark robes of heavy cloth covered his body from neck to the ground and several large talismans hung down his chest.

Her eyes lowered, waiting for the judgment to come. She knew this chaotic man with his fiery eyes was the key. He was the missing piece the Prophet called into this world and finding too hard to control changed his plans...

She was the tool. The prop - and the prized possession, acting as the link between this and the outer worlds. Her beautiful engraved bracelets disguised remnants of a binding spell and as they sparkled in the last hints of the now setting sun - small tears welled that she tried her best to hide.

"Well?" Gravity shouted to the crowd, trying to provoke the statues that had them surrounded and outnumbered him -his favorite odds for a brawl.

A single dart from a defiant soldier sparked from behind them, which Gravity evaded easily with the spin of one resting blade. But thrown off course it managed to clip the tip of her shoulder. Her tearing eyes only served as fuel for the rising anger in him as she moved her hand to grasp at the poisoned wound that stained her white gown.

"Indeed," Prophet spoke with a soft resonation that filled the court and bounced off the stones. "I knew you would surface sooner or later.” “I hope you’ve had time to say your goodbyes” his words cold, dead and emotionless.

Prophet leaned a hand on the nearby doorframe. It instantly flashed brightly as an iridescent alchemic blue flame grew from his right hand down a path of symbols on the stones.

The men in the courtyard jumped to life and began to scramble for the nearest doorways as the blue flames shot out across the stones of the courtyard floor. They failed, and one by one their screams rang out in the yard as the alchemic blue flames took their bodies to the next world as the scrawling stone symbols took life beneath their feet.

Prophets own men cried out to their master and leader with no answer save the reflected lights of their own death in the unforgiving pools of his eyes.

In an instant she pulled the coin talisman from the pocket of her gown and touching it to the blood on her shoulder it glowed red - she reached for her hunters open hand.

A white halo surrounded the two, keeping back the blue flames. In the doorway the Prophet grinned, he knew with the binding there was no chance of her jumping worlds especially not with the extra weight of a man.

The flames had completed their pattern covering the floor of the courtyard in burning blue symbols of ancient powerful alchemy. Prophets spell was set, but where was the reaction. For each of his major spells he took power – took lives, and transferred the energy to his desires.

A humming tone began to fill the courtyard with waves of sound. The very flames pulsed as if the breath of god were trying to blow out a candle. In a rhythm they seemed to roil and flicker. Dust began to fall as well as small crumbling pieces of stone from the walls around them.

She felt faint, from both the spiritual energy used in the protective talisman, and the pressure of the waves of sound echoing in immense waves now.

She looked to Gravity, he slowly opened his hand to look at the small coin she now carried with her constantly. It glowed brightly with all the energy and intentions she had directed into her protective talisman. A reminder of a life lost, the key to her lost world where freedom still ran through the mountain forests...

He let go of her hand and stepped backwards into the flame, he had other business. The flames licked at his dark skin, empowering his blades.

The ground rumbled and groaned beneath them, and an unexpected shockwave of earth erupted beneath them sending the two flying apart, sprawling dirt and flame.

The ground and rock began to rise, lifting a gargantuan head formed of dirt. The result of Prophet’s alchemy. Large root like arms of stone blocks and mud pulled them selves free of the ground. A torso, hips, and legs – a demon creature of dirt broke itself free. It head clearing the top of the courtyard walls when the creature became fully erect.