The Duke has been kidnapped!

[Leo Fenrir]

[Aside: Sorry internet died for 2 days ]

In the Duke's War Room (currently being used as Leo's cell)

Leo smiled as the focus of the story returned once more to him. The smile was short lived however as one of the gentleman, who in his opinion did not deserve that name after the way he had been treated, knocked him on the shoulder with a cudgel which was accompanied by some attempt at a snide comment. This was getting a bit ridiculous.

It was then that the Baron noticed a glimmer in the air floating a foot above one of his retainer's heads. "Fido!" he exclaimed and the glimmer responded by expanding. The Master of Cudgels, who was slightly confused, suddenly seemed to realize what the anomaly was. "Gentlemen! Its the wraith! To ar-" He was cut of and Leo's voice was heard above the noise. "Sick em boy!"

*The writers demanded too much for a decent action scene so your imagination will have to do*

A few minutes later and a couple thousand dollars saved in writer's fees Leo stood free (the term is used relatively of course considering the lead blast door), the manacles having been disposed of, in a room full of unconscious men. "Good boy. Now I fear for Cora seeing as I asked her to assassinate probably the most dangerous man in all of Shireroth so I need to give her this message Fido. I'll explain the mess to the Khan myself later.

Outside Castle Eliria

The whole situation was becoming troublesome for Cora. She couldn't let these people fall to their death but she could also see her target standing on the ramparts. 'No. I refuse to have more then one death on my conscious' It was then that Fido arrived and related Leo's message to her.

"Well the Great Sheep be blessed that makes things a lot easier. You with the bony complexion. Don't pretend you don't know who I'm talking about. Uh, Allot I think. Anyways, the Baron wants me to drop you and your possy here off at the castle." She proceeded to carry the copter over to where the Khan was standing and dropped it, missing the man by a few feet. Alighting in front of him Cora addressed the man. "I would kindly ask you to release my master from his sheepless environment, he is going through withdrawal you see, and just wanted to say sorry about the whole assassination plot-" she stopped as Fido communicated with her once again. "What do you mean he didn't know about that.... Well that's Leo's problem now anyways... Oh stop your whining." The Khan raised an eyebrow but revealed nothing more of what he was thinking.

A screech of metal announced the Duke's exit from the cop-ter and in once sweep of his wool cloak (a souvenir from Nordland) made his entrance. "Home sweet home. Now Ardy the key to the study if you please."

[Aurangzeb Khan]

"Ah, keys yes. Well first of all let me welcome your Grace back to terra firma, well after a fashion - I´m not entirely sur having a helicopter dropped on it has done much for the structural integrity of the parapets. Shall I invoice the Baron of Nordland for the helicopter and any masonry that needs repairing? Anyway I believe Albert has the key, I last saw him heading off to the kitchens to make another pot of coffee."

The Duke however still seemed a little the worse for wear after his unconventional landing so the Khan left it at that and merely indicated to his Adjutant that the Duke was to be returned to his quarters.

"Perhaps you did not hear? My Master instructs me to tell you that he wishes to be released."
It was the angel, now standing on the rampart of the keep, wings folded behind its back. The Khan now turned to face it.

"My apologies, my dear heavenly creature but you are mistaken. I heard you perfectly."

"So you will be releasing him?"

"As to that, alas, no, I shall not be releasing him any time shortly."

The angel´s eyes began to glow red in a manner that the Khan could only assume indicated some form of displeasure.

"But you agreed..."

"Under certain conditions, conditions being your immediate relocation to a facility of my choosing, and thus your being here indicates that this has not transpired and he has not upheld his part of the bargain, thus removing from me the obligation to uphold mine. Also someone keeps mentioning something about an assassination plot so I really must investigate that as well."

The angel now unfurled its wings and seemed to grow in both stature and menace compared to how it had been before.

"Spawn of Ahriman, I warn you. Do not trifle with me. You test the patience of powers you cannot even begin to comprehend."

"Oh, I wouldn´t even dream of it." Replied the Khan, smiling - in a manner most disconcerting especially to the young and vulnerable - and as he spoke those words he moved his hand down to his belt and drew from a holster there - a taser. The angel smiled contemptuously.

"You are a fool, Ardashir, if as only a small bang as the taser fired; two metal spikes, attached to the taser mechanism by thin conductive wire, were shot out by the propellant charge and lodged themselves in the angel´s torso.

The angel´s smile was by now positively demonic as it was doubtless readying itself to spring forward and tear the Khan apart, limb from limb, with its bare talon-clawed hands.

Instead it collapsed to the floor in a crumpled heap as sparks of blue electrical current danced across its body.

"Telluric-positron charge. I must confess I hardly understand the science of it myself but the Karnalian boffins assured me that it is most efficacious in its desired effect, and so it has proved."

Once assured that the winged fiend had been subdued the Khan glanced up to see who was to hand that he could call to his assistance and he saw that the closest were two gentlemen in red military tunics who had been leaning against the parapet watching the display. One of whom was instantly recognisable.

"Dravot! Oh and your little Ghurkha chap, yes you! Come here the pair of you." The two came over as they were bidden to do.
"Rifleman Muchendra Bahadur Gurung, reporting for duty, Sir!


"Yes, I´m sure you are. Now I want you two gentlemen to bind this here fallen representative of the angelic hosts and take it to the County Security Department´s Main Office in Ardashirshahr via the means of a sealed box of your own contrivance to obtain. Once there you are to ask for Sulder Mc´Ully of `Office C, Counter Intelligence´ specifically the Anomalous Phenomena Working Group."

The pair nodded their comprehension but then Danny spoke. "Question, S´ah."

"Yes, Dravot?"

"By what means, automotive or otherwise, are you proposing that myself and Billy Phish here convey said monstrosity to that destination you have most carefully outlined?"

"Well" said the Khan, pondering it for a moment. "I would have said use the helicopter but that seems out of the question right nohe side of a very tall fortified building. I suppose you will just have to requisition a vehicle - just try to make sure that it is one slightly faster than a bullock train."

"S´ah!"

With that Daineil Dravot began hectoring the hapless but indefatigable Billy Phish with a view to assembling a working detail and the materials necessary to secure and crate up one paralysed otherworldly creature ready for transportation to another secure location for purposes doubtlessly nefarious in their nature.

The Khan sighed. It would be necessary to have another word with Baron Dine. He would have to be transferred in due course to a holding cell in the Baronial Manor of Eliria but first the Khan would have to check on the Duke to make sure he was settling in well and wouldn´t miss the bottles of Glenfiddich which had given their lives willingly, as far as an inanimate object can, to sustain the garrison during the crisis.

[Allot]

Albert seemed restored to his former joviality now that the Duke was back, although he had to stop himself from jumping when the Khan appeared out of the shadows in front of the Duke's chambers.

"The Duke is sleeping, my lord," said Albert.
&qu said the Khan. "And, has he, um, checked...?"
"He has not thought to check the stock of his liquor cabinet yet, my lord."
The Khan breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Very well. Thank you, Albert..." Albert watched the Khan disappear back into the shadows. He waited a few minutes, staring into the darkness, just to make sure he was gone, and then went to the winery to replace the pilfered liquor.

---
Andrew Allot ran down endless black corridors, away from the unknown evil that chased him. How he could see without light, he had no idea. Doors flew by him, which he somehow knew were all locked. As he continued to run, he noticed that instead of his wool pajamas he was wearing a white robe with golden suns on it. He knew he couldn't stop running or the thing would catch up to him. In the distance, he could see a white light shining through a doorway. Just before he reached it, he tripped on the robe and went sprawling headfirst into a wall. Just before the darkness engulfed him, he heard a familiar evil cackle, and a very familiar woman scream.

The Duke of Elwynn awoke drenched in cold sweat. Just a dream. Just a dream.

[Leo Fenrir]

Leo was pacing in the Eliria War Room patiently waiting for something or someone to free him. A groan came out of one of the unconscious men and the Baron stepped over and gave him a knock on the head just to make sure he stayed that way. Fido reappeared in the room and related the happenings on the ramparts to the Baron. "That man is evil! Cora will have to take care of herself though. Right now the most important thing is clearing all this up. Fido could you fetch Albert?" A few more minutes passed and the door clicked open revealing a tray of coffee, and Albert. "Lord Dine I sorry about this I forgot the door locks from the outside."

"Do not worry yourself Albert. You don't happen to know where Allot is do you?"

"Well yes sir he is sleeping right now in his room."

"Excellent thank you Albert." He took the cup of coffee he was offering and downed it in a single gulp. With Fido hovering over his shoulder Leo made his way to the Duke's room.

------

The Khan was busy in the wine cellar when Albert arrived with a tray with two cups, one empty and the other full of coffee. "Thank you Albert. May I ask though who the second cup was for?"

"The Baron my Lord. He got locked in the War Room so I let him out." The Khan froze in the action of stuffing a bottle of wine beneath his cloak. Albert seemed to realize the man's mood and answered the unspoken question. "He is going to the Duke's chambers."

------

The Duke jumped as the door to his room burst open. Leo stumbled into the room closely followed by the Khan. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Your Grace I am here to offer my most humble apologies for kidnapping you, as you know I was not quite myself."

"Your Grace, this here is a dangerous man who should be detained for further questioning. Do you actually believe these stories?"

Both men shot daggers with their eyes and the Duke, in all the glory of his sheep patterned pajamas, rose from his bed and spoke.

[Allot]

Allot steadied himself on the bedpost, and wiped the sweat from his brow. He saw the two men glaring at each other and sighed. "Yes, gentlemen? How can I help you?" Before they could speak, he raised a hand. "Allow me to guess. You," he said, pointing at the Khan, "wish to-" For a moment, in the time it took the Khan to blink, Allot's eyes were suddenly pure white, blazing like suns. The Duke blinked and shook his head, as if trying to remember what he'd been saying. He focused on Leo. "And you -" This time his eyes were jet black, as if they were nothing but pupils. Then everything was normal. Allot clutched his forehead and groaned. Albert rushed forward just before Allot fell to his knees.

"My lord!"
The Duke straightened up as his eyes glowed white again, and when he spoke it was not in his own voice.
Begone, you wretched fiend! This is mine!
Everyone rushed toward the Duke as the glow faded and he began to crumple, but almost immediately he straightened up again as his eyes became black.
Your time here is over! Do not think that you can-
The Duke collapsed on the floor, and as the voices became more and more frenzied his body convulsed faster and faster, as if he was being torn apart from the inside. Around the room lamps flickered and books fell off their shelves.

Murderer!
Weak!
Traitor!
Coward!

Albert looked towards the others in the room, afraid to go near the squirming Duke. "We need a magician or something! Someone fetch Andreas the Wise!"

MINE!

The walls of Castle Eliria shook with the force of the scream, and the Duke lay still.

[Leo Fenrir]

Leo addressed the Khan in a shaken tone. "What do you say we put off this whole kidnaping fiasco for now and worry about our good Duke here?" Leo then spoke, seemingly to no one in particular. "Fido go fetch me Andreas would you? Oh and tell Cora, once she wakes up to get herself out of there and back to the Manor? Good boy!"

Minus a few grumbles from the Khan about not getting his turn the sun set on the four men and this part of the story.