Lady Death jerked her head back and flicked her wet hair behind her w/ a snap like a whip. It felt so good to be able to wash after the heat of the previous day, and the dusty night’s travel. It was early morning, the sun low and cherry red, already shifting the chill of the night. Purgatori had led them across country to this place, a vast lake that was fed from the far-off mountains to the North-West and which flowed on its way as an impressively wide river. The scenery at the mountain end of the lake was broken and scattered rock fields, where some ancient tumult had fractured the stone and heaved it up untidily. Finding a shelter amongst the shattered boulders was fairly easy and as dawn began to break Lady Death left Purgatori at their bivouac and headed to a distant part of the lake that couldn’t be seen from the cave entrance. Just because they had been naked together in the dungeons didn’t mean she liked Purgatori to see her nude at any other opportunity.
        She bathed, swam a bit to ease her muscles then climbed out and lay on the cool flat stone and let the sun dry her off. It was peaceful and relaxing, despite their predicament and situation. Another twinge of jealousy towards Purgatori - she had all this, and Lady Death had a tundra wasteland. Still, Lady Death thought w/ a wicked grin, since she was a vampire she couldn’t really enjoy it could she? If she came down here like Lady Death had done, the sun would vapourise her. What a lovely image.
When she got back to the shelter, Purgatori was sitting cross-legged on the ground in the middle of a pentagram she had drawn in the dirt. Her eyes were closed, her breathing barely noticeable.
        "What are you doing?"
        Purgatori tensed for a second. "I was scanning for the Gate," she said testily, opening her eyes.
        "How?"
        "Astral projection. Remote viewing. Call it what you want," she said tightly, still annoyed at the intrusion.
        Lady Death pretended not to notice. "Find it?"
        "No. I was too busy watching you bathe."
        "That had better have been an attempt at a joke, you scarlet sow!"
        "Wasted on you, obviously, you white warthog."
        "Why don’t you go bathe? The water’s lovely," Lady Death said coldly. "So’s the sun."
        "I think I’ll pass."
        "Pity. You smell bad."
        "Funny, it doesn’t bother me. Guess you’ll just have to suffer it."
        "I wasn’t joking : you do smell."
        "You were - I can read your thoughts."
        "Is that a fact," Lady Death sneered. "And what am I thinking now?"
        "How much you’d like me to tie you up and ravish you. Shut up, why don’t you, I’m trying to find what we came for."
        "Cow."
        "Strumpet."
        Lady Death walked past her, managing to kick her wing as she passed. She sat down, waited for Purgatori to settle herself and close her eyes and then asked, "So where is this friend of yours?"
        "I don’t know."
        "Well that’s just wonderful isn’t it?"
        "He’ll find me."
        "Probably by smell."
        "Yes. Unless your incessant whining drives him away. Now : shut up."
        Lady Death bit back another curse : it was, after all, important that they find the Gate. She stretched her legs and shuffled into a more comfortable position. The hideout was considerably smaller than the cave in the hills, but w/ the entrance better shaded, and its proximity to the lake, it was blessedly cooler. She watched the vampiress, wondering about her magick and sorcery, wondering exactly what her abilities were now, how powerful she was. Her speed and agility were frightening, and her swordsmanship and martial ability seemed far in excess of anything she had previously displayed. Perhaps she had found a good teacher. Of course, living here in a different timestream was an advantage too : she had had five times the length of time Lady Death had had in which to learn and practice.
        Lady Death was bored already. She lay back and closed her eyes, wondering what Vandala and Cremator were doing.

        When she awoke, the cave was empty. Lady Death cursed herself for having fallen asleep again. It was quiet, peaceful. The somnolent sounds of the river were like a lullaby, and she could hear the far-off twittering of some birds. No wonder she had drifted off contentedly.
        She scrambled to her feet and walked outside to find Purgatori. The sun was down, but its light still bled over the horizon, turning the entire Western sky a metallic pink offset by scattered gold-dust clouds. It was absolutely breathtaking.
        There was a woman on the lake shore, doing Tai-Chi w/ smooth liquid movements. Who is - She caught herself. It was Purgatori, of course, but her appearance had caught Lady Death off guard. She walked down to the edge of the water and inspected the vampiress wonderingly. She had the same costume over the same knockout figure, but her wings and horns were gone and her flesh was a soft pale cream colour. She stopped her exercises and turned to look at Lady Death, and she saw that the grey lips were now a fresh-blood ruby, the shining white eyes were gorgeous sapphire. She looked almost exactly like her mother. The only noticeable difference was the lack of a beauty spot above her lips.
        Mother. Beauty spot. Sister.
        Those thoughts tried to connect to inform her of something important, but at that very moment she saw Purgatori focus over her shoulder w/ a hiss, and w/ a rapid ripple of yellow magick she shifted into her normal red-skinned form.
        "Enemies!"
        The word drove away those fluttering thoughts instantly. Lady Death drew her sword and moved beside Purgatori, eyes sweeping the terrain. "Where? I see no-one."
        They burst into view at that very moment : six foot soldiers and a rider astride some huge reptilian mount.
        "Sweet Horus!" An arrow slammed into the ground between Purgatori’s feet.
        "You!" The rider gaped at her. They had been sent to investigate the possibility of enemy trespassers, but no-one had said anything about the possibility of Purgatori being involved. He recovered quickly. "Don’t move! You’re coming w/ us." One of his men fell w/ a gurgle : Purgatori had picked up the arrow and flung it, so fast he had hardly registered the movement. She gestured at another and he exploded in a fountain of scarlet as his blood burst from his veins. "Attack!"
        Lady Death swiped an arrow out of the air w/ her blade and side-stepped a javelin. The thunder of heavy steps made her look up : the large reptile was charging at her. Whatever it was, it was fast and agile. Its four legs were long and powerful, its body broad and massively muscled like a Shire horse. She dived to the ground and the rider’s lance sliced over her, snagging her cape and ripping it down its length. She struck out at the creature’s leg and felt the sword hit tough scales. Its thick tail smacked into her and knocked her across the rough pumice to the water’s edge. The rider reigned in his mount and it reared to a halt, turning astonishingly rapidly on its rear legs. Its large mouth opened as it shrieked at Lady Death, revealing three rows of six-inch teeth. She saw the rider had drawn a pistol a half-second before he fired. The heavy bullet hit her armoured shoulder pad like a cannon ball, sending her sprawling and knocking the sword from her numbed arm. She felt the ground tremble as the rider charged again and she scrambled around to face the creature, trying to summon her power in time for a strike. There was no time. It was almost on top of her, all steak-knife teeth and clawed feet.
        A geyser of water exploded from the lake in a silver column as something  black and massive came out the water like a locomotive and clamped its huge jaws around the animal a few scant metres from Lady Death, drenching her w/ almost eight gallons of hot sticky blood. She gagged in revulsion and did a couple of fast backward rolls to get some distance, utterly blinded. Her hair flopped over her face and stuck fast like a cowl. Something clattered beside her and she clawed her hair away to see the rider’s lance, bent into a boomerang. She looked past it and saw the colossal crocodile jerk its head and tear the mewling animal in two. Half the shredded carcass flew a good distance over its shoulder and sploshed into the lake. It dropped the half that was still in its mouth and turned to look at her, growling. She reached out and her fallen sword flew into her hand, though what use it would be against that monster she didn’t know. She got into a kneeling stance as the reptile moved to face her head on and she got the distinct impression that she had just gone from the frying pan into the fire - the speed that thing could move at was awesome.
        There was a flap of wings, and Purgatori dropped down between her and the beast, and her one stunned fleeting thought was That suicidal idiot! That’s it : she’s dead!
        "Baby!" Purgatori cried. "I knew you would find me! Aren’t you a clever boy!"
        Lady Death just looked on, staggered, as Purgatori hugged Sebek’s neck and kissed him happily. He growled and pushed forward a step towards Lady Death.
        "No," Purgatori admonished, holding him back. "Don’t be greedy. And don’t you dare drag that carcass back into my Palace!"
        "What the Hell is this?!" was all Lady Death could gasp.
        "Say thank you - he saved your life."
        "Pah!"
        "Ooh, isn’t she an ungrateful cow?" Purgatori cooed at Sebek. He rumbled in agreement. "That’s all we expect of her, isn’t it?"
        "Shut up redskin," Lady Death snapped. She looked around and saw carnage : Purgatori liked to fight w/ her teeth and claws and had virtually redecorated the scenery w/ the soldiers. It was messy. "Are you going to kiss that loathsome lizard all night?"
        "Why? Do you want a turn?"
        "I wouldn’t kiss that thing if my life depended on it."
        "I meant, a turn w/ me."
        "Slut!"
        "Brat!" She turned to Sebek. "Close your eyes baby. You’ve got something I need." He lay down on his belly and closed his eyes as Purgatori placed her hands on his skull.
        Lady Death looked on as Purgatori concentrated and then shuddered, arching her back w/ an orgasmic sigh. When she opened her eyes, they shone like suns. Her skin shifted and Lady Death saw a deep gash under her left breast knit together and vanish. Purgatori  patted Sebek and whispered something in Egyptian to him. "…you...bitch…"
        Purgatori looked over w/ a smile.
        "You were powerless, weren’t you?" Lady Death said softly. "That thing had it all this time."
        "Can you think of anyone better to entrust it to? No ambitions, no risk of him using it for his own ends. And entirely safe too - even if they could find him, no one in their right mind would try and tackle him."
        "Hmph! I would. I would fry it w/ Arcane Energy w/out raising a sweat."
        "Really?" Purgatori grinned. "Want to try? Be my guest."
        Lady Death’s eyes narrowed as Purgatori stepped away. Sebek stood up and growled threateningly. "Why? What have you done to it?"
        "Him. Oh, just a few minor enhancements. Didn’t his size give you a clue?"
        "I don’t know how big crocodiles are supposed to grow."
        "Oh no, that’s right - you don’t read books, do you?" Purgatori said airily. "My, don’t you look gorgeous all covered in blood?"
        "Eat dung, whore. Go and molest your reptile friend there, I’m going to get cleaned up."
        "I’ll lick it off if you want."
        Lady Death didn’t dignify that w/ an answer. It took quite a while to get all that gunk off her, and when she got back Sebek was gone. Purgatori was squatting on a large boulder, looking at the rising moon. She seemed content and focused for perhaps the first time on the trip. "So what was that supposed to be?" Lady Death said. "A pet?"
        "A friend."
        "Tch. So what now? When do we go to this supposedly fabulous city of yours? Have you located the Gate yet?"
        "It’s in the centre of the city. I couldn’t pinpoint it before, but now I am restored it should prove no problem. We will be closer by morning anyway." She jumped nimbly off the rock and landed noiselessly. "Are you ready?"
        "Yes. Which way are we headed?"
        "There, over that rock ridge. There is a maintenance shack which will allow us access to the tunnels."
        "Tunnels?"
        "Water tunnels. We desalinate and purify water from several rivers and pump it into the city."
        "Very impressive, I’m sure. Let’s go."

        They reached the small maintenance shack by three in the morning. It was a small concrete block, painted w/ peeling whitewash to reflect the heat. The plain steel door was padlocked and chained : Purgatori snapped the chain in her hands and they entered into a musty smelling plain room. Half of the room was a working area : a bench stood at one side and various tool cases were bolted to the walls. A rack of flashlights lined the opposite wall, along w/ several maps of the tunnel layouts, rolled into tight tubes and secured w/ twine. The remainder of the room was empty, containing only the metal access panel set into the floor. Purgatori lifted it up to reveal a square shaft lit w/ dim white light. There was a steel ladder bolted into the rock wall of the shaft but Purgatori just dropped down the twenty-foot deep shaft and landed nimbly, using her wings as an airbrake. Lady Death joined her soundlessly, using her levitation powers to descend. Her feet splashed into four inches of cold water.
        "Water’s high," Purgatori remarked. "There must be a blockage ahead."
        "Wonderful. And what do we do if we walk miles and find the tunnel is completely blocked?" Her voice rang w/ a hollow echo.
        "Blast through or come back," Purgatori said flatly. She stood looking into the straight smooth bore of the tunnel. It was ovoid in shape, straight as a ruler and lit at far intervals by glowing white globes. They did little to light the tunnels, providing only just enough glow to see by. The water rippled like black paint in the darkness.
        "What’s wrong?"
        "Nothing," growled Purgatori. Look at this. I built this. Provided water for my city. For my people. For my worshippers. So they could wash, drink, cook. Keep their plants and flowers alive. Bastards. How do they repay me? They turn against me. Sell me out to Drakkan. All I’ve done for them, and none of them stood up for me. They could have thwarted Drakkan easily, but no, I’m just not worth it. Bastards! Maybe I should destroy it. Yes, blow the tunnel into rubble, see how funny they think that is! Or no; I can use my blood and magick to taint the water. See how they like their skin falling off in strips. A nice blood virus; yes, that would be so fine. Melt them into rancid screaming gunge. Teach them to betray me! I’ll -
        "Purgatori!"
        "What?"
        "What the Hell is wrong w/ you?"
        "As I said : nothing."
        "Bah! You were off in a trance, bitch. Stay focused. We cannot afford to have you wandering off on your own personal agenda of revenge."
       Purgatori! Dammit, you can settle your quarrels later!
        Purgatori appraised her coldly, angry at the similarity of the warnings. "This is my world, strumpet. I will do as I see fit. Once I have destroyed Drakkan’s Gate I will raze the city to the ground." She turned and splashed off down the tunnel, veering towards the right hand wall.
        Lady Death paused in surprise then hurried to catch up. "Wait! Are you serious? You are going to destroy your own city?"
        "What’s wrong? You wanted to do it yourself? Tough luck witch. Keep close to the wall, the walkway - "
       SPLOSH!
        Lady Death came up spluttering and coughing, floundering in the chill water. She dragged her hair out of her eyes and swam over to Purgatori. "You sht!"
        "I beg your pardon? I was about to tell you about the walkway." She watched Lady Death clamber up and stand a foot away, shaking w/ rage. "Wet becomes you."
        "Shut up maggot! Are there any more little surprises you want to inform me of?"
        "No. Like I said, the water is high. If it had been at the normal level you would have seen that we came down on a concrete platform that is the top of the water inlet pipe. Each wall has a metre wide walkway and the water usually flows between them. If the tunnel is blocked then there may be other damage. Don’t go blaming me if you happen to stumble and break a finger nail."
        "Get moving you mouldy buzzard!"

        Lady Death didn’t know how long they walked. The tunnel was tedious, unchanging : an interesting feat of engineering if such things tripped your alarms, otherwise nothing but dimness and pooled water. She walked behind Purgatori, glaring at a point between her shoulderblades and amusing herself w/ thoughts of jamming her sword in there and giving it a good twist.
        They came to the source of the blockage. Purgatori had slowed down, her night vision much sharper than Lady Death’s. Ahead the pale luminosity from the globes stopped and the tunnel slipped into pitch black. They advanced cautiously, stepping carefully to avoid making splashes that would amplify and echo in the tunnel. Purgatori stopped and signalled to Lady Death to stay put, then jumped off the walkway, unfolded her wings and glided silently into the blackness. Lady Death waited, shivering damply in the chilly air of the tunnel. Absolutely no sound came to her save for the gentle lapping of the occasional tiny wave.
        Her heart jumped as something swooped silently out of the blackness w/ unnerving suddenness : Purgatori. She landed w/ a tiny splash and gestured up the tunnel.
        "There is a valve station ahead. It has been destroyed. The damage has wrecked the valve gates - that is why this section is flooded."
        "Can we get through?"
        "Yes. It will mean a climb over some unstable rubble, but there should be no problem."
        Purgatori was right. A rocky pile of rubble rose up from the concrete platform that housed the valve system and they climbed cautiously up and over. Huge sections of the ground-level building had been razed and Lady Death realised that the faint light she could see by was the moon overhead, not the return of the floating globes.
        "We should move w/ haste," Lady Death said as they clambered down the other side. "If this is the main source of fresh water they will send people to repair it." Purgatori just grunted and Lady Death grabbed her wing to pull her to a stop. "Listen, bitch - "
        Purgatori smacked her hands away, grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up by one hand. "Keep your hands off me, bint!"
        Lady Death kicked her in the stomach. Purgatori snarled and threw her against the wall. "Oof! You moronic fool! I ought to kill you for that!"
        "Yawn."
        Lady Death drew her sword. "Do not slight me, vampire! I have reduced you to a puddle before, I will be more than happy to do it again!"
        "Yes…I’ve been meaning to thank you for that."
        "What are you blathering about!!"
        "Stop screeching. This is supposed to be a stealth mission."
        "YOU FU -" Lady Death clenched her teeth together. If nothing else, at least this little trip was teaching her self-control. "This is your mission, slut! For your Goddess! You want to screw it up and fail again, go right ahead!"
        Purgatori lunged forward a step w/ a snarl, then she too managed to calm herself down, the mention of Isis and potential failure giving her focus. "Alright," she grated. "Alright. But if you manhandle me like some common vagabond again I will pull your blood out and drown you in it. And if you don’t think I could, ask your snotty Valkyrie for a second opinion."
        Lady Death’s eyes burned. "Oh Purgatori," she purred. "When this is all over you and I are going to have such a reckoning."
        "I sincerely hope so."
        "That is, if your stupidity and stubbornness don’t get us killed first."
        Purgatori’s lips curled, but she turned away and headed off towards the faint glimmer of a distant globe. Lady Death followed at a distance, seriously considering how much she needed Purgatori. Even saving eight different universes didn’t seem a good enough reason to suffer her continued existence.
        They made slow but steady progress. They began passing junctions in the tunnels : smaller-bored tunnels that angled off into the darkness. They continued on their way, crossing the junctions on narrow metal gridwork bridges. The water was much lower on this side of the ruined valve station, and Lady Death was able to see the proper layout of the tunnels, as Purgatori had described them.
        Purgatori stopped halfway across another bridge, looking down into the adjoining tube. Lady Death stopped behind her impatiently, and had to quell a sudden urge to help Purgatori on her way w/ a powerful boot to her backside.
        "Yes, you would do well not to try that," Purgatori said distantly.
        Lady Death flared up. "Keep out my mind you - "
        "Sshhhh."
        Purgatori’s tone cut Lady Death off : it was soft and neutral, no provocation in it at all. "What?" she whispered.
        "Someone’s down there." She reached out w/ her senses and Lady Death saw her grin.
        "What? Who is it?"
        "A friend. I hope."
        "Not another goddamned crocodile, I trust?" Lady Death said tartly.
        "Not another crocodile," Purgatori agreed. She crossed the bridge and headed up the side tunnel. There were no light globes down here and Lady Death found herself losing touch w/ Purgatori completely in the darkness between the lights. There was a scuffle of movement somewhere ahead.
        "Drop your weapons and move into the light, now!"
        Lady Death gripped her sword hilt, squinting blindly for her foe.
        "Put that thing down girl, before you hurt yourself," Purgatori said not unkindly.
        There was a gasp and the sound of someone jumping in surprise, dislodging a few tiny stones that plopped into the water.  "M…mistress?"
        "Yes." Purgatori gestured and a globe zipped around the corner from the main tunnel and darted over, brightening to illuminate the scene. This part of the tunnel had seen better days too. The walls were peppered w/ bullet hits and interspersed w/ deeper charred craters that looked like blasts from Doom Magistrate weapons. A twenty metre section of the right hand wall had collapsed, spilling a drift of concrete rubble into the water, and from behind this makeshift barricade a slim shape jumped up and raced over.
        "Mistress!" Demonica squealed. She slung her rifle over her shoulder and flung her arms around Purgatori. "Mistress! Where have you been?! What happened! How are you! How - "
        Purgatori prised Demonica off w/ difficulty. "What are you doing down here? I sent you to get Cobra."
        Demonica visibly wilted at Purgatori’s response. "Ohh…I did Miss," she said, hanging her head. "We’ve been fighting all this time. We got ambushed in the valve station back there. I…I don’t know if he es-escaped! I got chased down here and lost them, but they keep sending patrols. I’ve been down here for…well, I don’t know actually," she said miserably. "I’m freezing and starving. Again. And look at my hair…"
        Lady Death watched Purgatori closely. She had been watching Demonica w/ total detachment, and a flash of anger at the demoness' self-pity. She didn’t know what relationship these two shared, but it seemed that Demonica was crushed by Purgatori’s coldness. And then she saw Purgatori reach out and hold Demonica, saw the surprise in the girl’s face before she hugged Purgatori back.
        "Are you alright, Empress? Did they torture you badly?"
        "Yes," Purgatori said tightly. It wasn’t a topic she liked to discuss.
        "Ooh. Did they pull your teeth out? And cover you w/ burning pitch? Daddy used to - "
        "Demonica!"
        " - stick spikes up…um…sorry." She backed off a step, biting her lip, sensing Purgatori’s affection had gone again. An uncomfortable silence descended on the tunnel, broken finally by Lady Death as she got her first good look at Demonica.
        "Don’t I know you?"
        Demonica looked over and her eyes widened. "You! What are you doing here?"
        "I come and go where I please. Demonica…yes, I know you. You were blonde."
        Demonica beamed w/ pride. "From Hell! I changed to black for camouflage!"
        "Yes. You were one of those annoying brats who was always trying to get invited to the big social events."
        "’Brat’! I’m older than you, you pasty tart!"
        "Be quiet, Demonica," Purgatori said flatly. "You know what she’s like."
        "And what is that supposed to mean?" Lady Death snapped.
        "You stand and lecture me about not causing trouble, then you try and pick a fight w/ the first ally we come across."
        "I wasn’t picking a fight, I was merely stating the truth." She gazed blandly at Demonica who stared back darkly. The blonde’s eyes suddenly glinted wickedly.
        "No doubt you remember my sister too. Diabolica."
        "Perhaps. I seldom forget an irritation."
        "Especially one that kicked your ass in the Dragon’s Head tavern."
        "You little scab!"
        Purgatori got between them fast - or, rather, was put in that position when Demonica dived behind her. "Stand down!" she snapped at Lady Death, trying to suppress a smirk.
        "That brat! I’ll settle w/ her AND her sister when this is over!"
        "No you won’t. They are MY assistants."
        "Hah! Your whores, more likely."
        "I wish!" Demonica snapped, then gulped. She had meant it as a snappy comeback to show that the insult hadn’t worked but suddenly wondered how Purgatori would take it.
        Lady Death’s lips curled. "Disgusting. That’s all I would expect from common demons."
        "Common! You cheap -"
        "QUIET DEMONICA!"
        Demonica shrank back from Purgatori w/ a squeak. "But she said - "
        "I don’t care! Shut up! Don’t get so upset about the opinions of a woman who’s preferred sexual partner is a rotting corpse."
        "…Ewww!"
        Lady Death’s fist swiped through the air, but Purgatori was no longer where she had been : somehow she was behind her, and a powerful choke hold locked her arm and throat. "Argh! Get off me you slut dyke!" The grip tightened.
        "This is getting to be a habit, is it not?" Purgatori hissed in her ear. "Fighting, insults, pointing weapons at each other."
        "Let go before I fry your innards!"
        Purgatori released her, shoving her away a few feet. Lady Death whirled, her face a mask of utter fury. "This is getting tiresome, tramp. Either we settle this once and for all, right here right now, or we both agree to keep our opinions to ourselves until this war is over."
        "You whore! Don’t you EVER speak about Ernie like that!"
        "Don’t insult our allies."
        Demonica stood wide-eyed, pressed up against the wall. If these two decided to go at it, she wanted to be somewhere else. Like, say, on another planet.
        "Ally!" Lady Death snorted. "Some stuck-up debutante skulking in the dark! We’d be better off w/out her!"
        Purgatori managed to catch Demonica just in time.
        "Witch!" Demonica cried, struggling uselessly against Purgatori’s grip. "I recruited a band of rebels for her and I’ve been fighting for three years! You’re the one we can do w/out! You prance around for a few years and think you’re oh-so-better than everyone else! But I seem to remember you being too stupid to realise how Lucifer played you like a puppet, or how Purgatori herself - "
        "Alright Demonica!" Purgatori snapped.
        Lady Death sheathed her sword. "Get out my way scumbag. You and your little lover can play around here all you want. I’ll find Drakkan myself."
        "Don’t be foolish. You know nothing of my world."
        "I don’t care. I’d rather be captured and tortured again than spend another moment w/ you."
        "Child."
        "Worm."
        "Jeez," Demonica muttered to herself. "I think I was safer w/ those big bugs around." She became aware of a thick silence and looked up hesitantly, shrinking as she saw both women glaring at her. "Um…I mean…"
        "You’re right," Purgatori sighed. Oh Isis. Please don’t let me fail you. She looked at Lady Death. "Listen. I hate you, but we made an agreement when we were in the cells that we would fight together and settle our differences if - when - we win. I never break my agreements."
        "Me neither," Lady Death said tightly. "Maybe I should think longer before making the next one."
        They both slowly relaxed, and Demonica heaved a huge sigh. "What now then?"
        "I say we rest," Lady Death said, almost daring Purgatori to challenge her. "It will be dawn soon, and I assume you don’t want to appear in the city in broad daylight..?"
        "Preferably not," Purgatori said easily. "Besides, I feel we could all use some time to cool down."
        "’City’?" Demonica gasped. "You’re going into New Necropolis? But it’s swarming w/ enemies!"
        "Yes. But we need to go there."
        "Why? What’s happening?"
        "Drakkan has created a Gate to his dimension to bring his troops through. We are going to destroy it. And then I am going to flatten the city and burn it and tear the heart out of every last one of those traitorous scum." Her eyes were blazing coldly again.
        "But, Mistress…"
        "What? Do you have a problem w/ that? Afraid of losing your precious job?!"
        Demonica trembled at her tone. "N-noo. Well, yes, b-but Mistress, they didn’t betray you."
        Purgatori froze. "What?" she breathed.
        "Well, maybe some did, but the others were…I dunno, converted or hypnotised or something. We saw it."
        Purgatori walked over. "What do you mean? Magick?" Demonica nodded vigorously. "No," Purgatori said slowly. "I scanned them. I saw nothing." The guards in the elevator - I couldn’t see their magick. Oh Horus, could it be true?
        Demonica could only shrug. "We saw it Mistress. Yellow magick. They turned some of our fighters against us."
        Purgatori gazed off into the distance, a fierce - almost vicious - exultation in her heart. Yes! My worshippers! They didn’t betray me! My empire didn’t turn against me after all! She closed her eyes, wallowing in this relief. It was almost overwhelming, almost like an absolution. She hadn’t failed after all. They were still her subjects. They hadn’t taken her and used her and then cast her aside after all : they had been taken against their wills. After all the betrayals of the past, finding out that this, the seemingly biggest one of all, was nothing of the sort was almost too much to handle. She felt vindicated. She stood there savouring it, needing to find out personally, see it w/ her own eyes.
        "I need to see. We need to capture someone, a convert," she said. "If I can find out what Drakkan did, I can possibly counter it, win our troops back."
        "There are patrols," Demonica said dubiously. "Every time I tried to get out I seemed to run into another one. They’ve kept me trapped down here since the attack on the valve station. Drakkan seems pretty desperate to capture us alive. I think we’re really annoying him," she said gleefully.
        "You have that effect on most people," Lady Death said not quite under her  breath.
        Demonica shot her a black look before continuing. "We could head back to the valve station, or on to one of the maintenance shacks. I think he might have posted guards there hoping to catch me when I come up."
        "All that effort for little old you," Lady Death mocked.
        "Yes," Demonica growled, lifting her chin proudly. "I can snipe like a real bitch, Miss! I’ve killed five of them down here alone. This is my gun, I call him Mr Head Burster. On account of, that’s what he does. Hey, once I took off a cat’s head at over nine hundred metres! It was so cool! Cobra said he…" Her face crumpled as she faltered at her mention of his name. "Mistress, can I go and look for him after we get your captives?" she asked weakly. "Please?"
        Purgatori reached out and absently stroked her head. "Yes Demonica. I wouldn’t  worry too much - he’s a born survivor."
        "Mm hmm," Demonica said trying to sound confident. "What about Lexus? Is she here?"
        Purgatori stopped stroking and had to quell an urge to yank out a fistful of Demonica's hair. "No. She is on another world."
        "Goo - I, um. Oh."
        "Lady Death? How do you feel about a spot of hunting?"
        Lady Death grinned. "As opposed to hiding in caves and sneaking around in tunnels you mean?"
        Purgatori returned the grin. "Then let us find a patrol. The bigger the better."

        Lady Death kicked the Blood Warrior in the gut and he fell, rolling in the dirt and coming to a stop against the comatose body of one of his companions. He pulled a dagger out of his boot, got to his feet and was immediately floored by a spinning kick to the jaw.
        "Get up, weakling," Lady Death grinned. This was so carthartic. The patrol had consisted of six Warriors, and she and Purgatori had taken them apart quite effectively. She had been able to work out quite a bit of her frustrations. Lady Death didn’t know what Purgatori thought about when she was fighting, but for herself every Blood Warrior she downed wore the vampiress’s face. If only she could have killed them, that would have made it so much more carthartic.
        She booted the fallen Warrior in the belly and he rolled away. He flopped onto his back and looked up to see Purgatori gazing down at him. She straddled him and sat down on his chest, pinning his arms under her legs. He squirmed helplessly, too hurt and weakened to fight effectively.
        "Now," Purgatori purred. "Let’s see what little secrets you’re hiding." She gripped his head tightly and scanned him. Lady Death saw him stiffen and grimace as Purgatori went into him. Nothing! Purgatori felt a momentary panic : what if Demonica had been wrong - what if what she had seen had not been a conversion at all? What if they all had betrayed her? No! No I…wait. Maybe the magick is of a different constitution…a type that just doesn’t register?That I'm just not seeing...? She looked inside herself and sampled Isis’s power that was burning deeply inside her. Yes : it tastes quite different. She slipped back into the soldier and there, almost immediately, she saw it : fine gossamer strands of yellow magic cobwebbing his brain. YES!!! Again, fierce exultation. She pressed her fingers to his forehead and concentrated. Her own magic flowed. The Blood Warrior gave a spasm of pain, clenching his eyes and jaws shut. He gasped in air and blinked at Purgatori.
        "Empress! What - ?"
        Purgatori jumped up w/ a whooping laugh of joy. The soldier pushed himself up into a sitting position, wincing at the pain of his injuries. A gentle hand on his shoulder made him look around. "Demonica! What’s going on, where am I?"
        "Shh. It’s a long story. Lie back, let me check you over."
        He did so gratefully. "But…what happened to me? I can’t remember…I can…"
        "You were hypnotised. Possessed. Whatever. Purgatori freed you."
        "But - by who? What’s going on?"
        "War," Demonica said. "War’s going on."
        "That’s all well and good," Lady Death was saying, "but how do you intend to reclaim everybody? Are you powerful enough to do that?" God, could she be?
        "Probably," Purgatori said. "Now that I know what I'm looking for and how to counteract it." As if to demonstrate, she reached her hand out to one of the fallen Warriors. Pale yellow light enveloped him and he twitched.
        "So what now - even w/ that power I don't believe we can just walk into your city and take back your entire army all at once." Lady Death snorted. She was eyeing Purgatori up warily. She had thought a little bit of success would have cheered the vampiress up, gone some way to pushing her time in the coffin into the background, but the look on her face was, if anything, even more unsettling than her previous bomb-waiting-to-go-off persona. She seemed wild, verging on the uncontrollable. Might it be possible that Purgatori would be so overcome that she would go and do something rash that would jeopardise them? And if she does, would I be able to stop her? Her power…by the Abyss, she is truly something to be wary of.
        "I said I could reconvert everyone, yes, but I didn't mean all at once - magick doesn't work that way, I cannot concentrate on my entire population at once. We start taking our people back the way Drakkan took them - like a virus. I will give people the power to break this sorcery and we will begin to spread." She motioned at the other guards and her sorcery flowed over them gently.
        "We haven’t got time Purgatori! That Gate needs to be destroyed as soon as possible!"
        "I am aware! Have you a better plan?" She turned to the Warrior that was being tended to be Demonica. "What is your name?"
        "Severin."
        "I have a job for you Severin. It will be dangerous."
        "Anything, Empress."
        "I need you to go back into the city. Pretend nothing has happened, play along w/ our enemies. Here." Purgatori reached down and put her hands on his temples. He shuddered slightly as her power went into him. "That power will allow you to convert others. Go in, be stealthy, recruit who you can but do nothing yet. We will be coming to the city in due course, I need you to be ready to join battle when we arrive."
        Severin bowed his head. "We will be Empress. We will teach these upstarts that you are still our ruler."
        Purgatori grinned. "Yes. Remember, wait for us to arrive. If anything goes wrong and Drakkan suspects what we are doing it could ruin our plans. We need the element of surprise."
        "It will be done, Empress."
        "Good. We must leave now. Instruct your companions when they awake. Demonica!"
        "Yes Mistress?"
        "Is Snake Eyes still at the lakeside Garrison?"
        "Yes. Well, he was…that was our base. He’ll get back there if he…he’s still alive."
        "How far?"
        "Erm…I’d think maybe twenty miles."
        Purgatori swore. "Pah! Gather around. We’re going to have to risk a teleport spell and hope Drakkan does not detect it."

        Purgatori sat crosslegged, her eyes closed, hands resting lightly on her knees. She had taken Garryk’s boat, driven out to the centre of the lake and dropped the anchor. It was pitch dark here, and tranquil. No human noises. The soft lap of the waves against the hull; the far off rumble of the waterfalls, softened by the distance; the occasional call of a nocturnal predatory bird. She relaxed, relishing the cool breeze on her skin, the soporific sway of the boat.
        Learn what others have already told you!
        Use your powers! You have more at your disposal than you think! Use what you have taken!
        She had finally understood what Isis had meant : it had come to her as she had been relaxing doing her Tai Chi exercises. Yes : it was what Gorge had shown her - the power and knowledge of those she had fed off and killed was now part of her. She looked deep w/in herself, an inward mind probe. It was amazing : she could feel them in her, part of her, their knowledge and talents, like memories she had forgotten. It was like coming across an old photograph or memento, an item that unexpectedly dragged up memories that had been long forgotten, memories that had been assumed lost but were still there in their entirety. She found Kabala. She remembered fleeing Alexandria w/ Jade, remembered giving birth (ugh!) to the creature that was Gorge. She knew how to shapeshift into a weretiger form, and how to contact other vampires telepathically. That would come in useful. She found Pope Stephen. She found the owner of Isis International and suddenly realised that most of her decisions running the company had been based on his expertise. And she found what she was looking for.
        Dracula.
        Ah yes, hadn’t he had some powers she had coveted? She sank into him, and remembered how it felt to have her teeth ripped out by herself, how it felt to burn in the sun. How it felt to make love w/ herself. That was a weird one. She shied away from the memories and inspected his talents and powers, and right there was what she was looking for; something so wonderful she had thought it was just a rumour, some romantic idea grown up over the centuries to glamourise the legend : the power to control the weather.
        She remembered how to do it, like she had done for centuries. How could she have forgotten? She concentrated, letting her mind reach out into the world around her. The wind was blowing from the South, wafting soothingly across her face. Reach. Feel. Control. She remembered the effort it took, and was surprised at how easy she found it now. Of course, the other times she had done it - he had done it, goddammit, this was verging on schizophrenia - he had  nowhere near the power she had now.
        The wind died. The night was still, silent. She pushed harder. A large flock of birds exploded from the trees at the North end of the lake, far far off, as though they had sensed something they didn’t like. She felt it moments later, cool wind on her wings, blowing from the North.
       Oh yes! She opened her eyes and realised she was grinning like an idiot. Goddamn, was this fun or what? If there was one thing that made her happy, made this long lonely life bearable, it was gaining new powers, new talents. And my, wasn’t this one a doozy?
        She pushed away a sudden urge to see if she could make a tornado and stood up, spreading her arms and wings and facing into the freshening wind. Her laughter rang out across the black lake.

        "Where have you been?" Lady Death asked as Purgatori entered Cobra’s house.
        "Playing. Where are Demonica and Cobra?"
        "Upstairs," Lady Death said sourly. "Playing too, from the sounds."
        "She is an affectionate one," Purgatori smiled. "Did she tell you our plans?"
        "Yes."
        "And I suppose you rubbished them."
        "At first. But given our limited resources, we have little option."
        "No," Purgatori agreed.
        "Isis said Drakkan had a million Doom Magistrates at his disposal…"
        "Maybe. But unless they are all here, it doesn’t matter, does it? I suspect the majority of his armies will be occupied in the fighting on the other worlds. He is spreading himself thin in his eagerness for victory."
        "Then we must destroy the other Gates too, to prevent reinforcements being summoned."
        "Yes." Purgatori looked at Lady Death in silence for a moment. "This will be a difficult fight."
        "Hmm. You look apprehensive. Scared?"
        "No," Purgatori said, refusing to take the bait. She shrugged. "I have spent much effort building this empire. If we're not lucky, I expect a lot of it will be destroyed by the time we’re finished, that’s all."
        Lady Death was silent, remembering how she felt when her realm in Hell was being eaten away by the Disintegration Wave.
        "Still," Purgatori smirked. "If it all gets destroyed, I could always move in w/ you. You have plenty of spare rooms."
        Lady Death snorted. "Yes. I could always use a servant."
        Purgatori chuckled. "Wouldn’t that be an interesting scenario?" She turned around at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. "Cobra. Have you quite finished screwing my assistant? We have work to do."
        "Sorry Empress. You know how she is."
        "Hm. I’ve heard of your reputation too."
        "Hey, I’ve been at war for three years. Gimme a break."
        Purgatori walked over and gripped his shoulder. "Yes. At war for me. I will never forget your loyalty Snake Eyes. You will name your reward when this is over."
        Cobra bowed. "Let’s get it over first. The teams are assembled. We’re just waiting for you to do your sorcery bit."
        Demonica came bounding down the stairs. "Hey Snakey! Have we got time for one last - ooh! Mistress!"
        "No you haven’t," Purgatori said tartly. She turned to Lady Death. "We’re evacuating the Garrison : Drakkan will track us here and kill anyone he finds. We will camp and hide then take our teams into the city through the tunnels, and then attack using the dark as cover. Come, meet your team."
        "What did you mean Drakkan will track us?" Lady Death said as they walked.
        "A scout has just returned - apparently Drakkan has sent a large raiding party in this direction. We will leave before they get a chance to pinpoint the village. Some of us will hide and ambush them while the others escape."
        People were hurrying all around them, mostly carrying boxes and crates and sacks as they stripped the village of supplies. Lady Death recognised the looks on their faces : this was their home, and if Drakkan’s forces found it, it would probably be obliterated. "Can we not join the attack on the raiding party? I have seen precious little action here, and I hunger to begin repaying Drakkan."
        "No," Purgatori said shortly. "This attack is perfect. It will reduce his forces at the city, and it will possibly put him off-guard, thinking that we are fighting instead of travelling." She looked at Lady Death w/ a lop-sided smirk. "Don’t fret - your appetite will be fully sated when you reach the city."
        "Good."
        "I must go and work my magick. That is your team there. The man at the front is called Garryk. He is a good and loyal soldier. "
        "We met at the volcano."
        "Yes…I have already endowed him w/ my power. He is happy for you to lead the team, but he knows the lie of the land, and my city - you would do well to accept any advice he gives. Do not treat the team as your subservients," Purgatori said pointedly.
        "I know how to handle troops, vampire."
        "You know how to handle troops loyal to you. These troops are loyal to me."
        Lady Death strode off w/ a toss of her head. "Just deal w/ your part of the mission, Purgatori."
        "Snotty cow," Demonica muttered darkly. She grinned suddenly. "Here, Mistress : what does Lady Death use for birth control?"
        "Demonica, for Hell's sake - "
        "Her personality! Hahaha! Geddit?" Purgatori just closed her eyes and shook her head slightly. "See, cause she's so snotty no one wants to -"
        "Yes girl, I 'geddit'."
        " - shag her so she...oh. Tch. Well I thought it was funny."
        Purgatori headed for the assembled soldiers. "Come. We have better things to do than discuss her shortcomings."
        "Empress!" A foot-soldier raced up and dropped to one knee. "Drakkan’s forces have changed direction and are heading directly for us. They have increased their pace and should be here w/in two hours!"
        "Cobra! Tell Garryk’s team to move out NOW! Demonica - bring me two people from each team : they can pass the power between themselves as they travel."
        "Yes Miss!"
        "You," she said to the messenger. "Aid w/ the evacuation, we are out of time."
        "Yes, Empress."
        Purgatori looked across the wharf and saw Lady Death standing on the boat that would take her team across the lake and downstream to a pumping station. The two women looked at each other over the heads of the thronging population, each perhaps acknowledging the fact that their fate might rest w/ the other, and then Lady Death turned away as the boat began to move off.
       Might not see you again, witch, Purgatori thought, and surprised herself at the twinge of disappointment she felt.

        They paused in the maintenance area under a filtration plant, listening to the sounds that reached them very faintly.
        "Sounds like fighting," Demonica remarked quietly. Purgatori didn’t respond. She stood stock still, eyes fixed on the hatch above them, reaching out w/ her senses. Demonica watched her uneasily. Although Purgatori had saved her life and employed her and her sister, and had never been less than friendly towards her, Demonica had a healthy fear of her, borne out of knowledge of what she was capable of, and of witnessing her rage against enemies or people who displeased her. Like any sensible person, she fervently hoped never to have that rage turned against herself. Normally, that would not be a problem, but since she had reappeared, Purgatori seemed remote, tense, as twitchy as a caged chimaera, and as a result Demonica was wary. It was almost as if Purgatori didn’t remember who she was, as if she didn’t remember that she liked the bubbly blonde demoness. As if she was a different person. If Demonica made a mistake in the past Purgatori would discipline her and nothing more would be said, unless Demonica was careless enough to make the same mistake again - which she very rarely was. Now, though, Demonica couldn’t shake the feeling that Purgatori would just casually tear her heart out if Demonica upset her. Footsteps above : faint, stealthy. Demonica tensed but Purgatori didn’t react. The hatch opened and Cobra jumped down.
        "I don’t know what the fk’s happened up there Empress, but it looks like someone’s already beaten us to it."
        "What? Explain."
        "Looks like some kinda civil war. We saw a pair of Blood Warriors fighting a Doom Magistrate. Killed it, but they got jumped by four more Blood Warriors."
        "Dead?"
        "Aye."
        Purgatori mused this over for a while. "No matter. We continue as normal. Any in-fighting they are involved in will only help our cause. We part here Snake Eyes."
        "Yes, Empress," Cobra bowed. "I will see you in the city." Purgatori smiled thinly at his optimism. Or maybe it was confidence. He walked over and kissed Demonica. "Be safe, girlie."
        "Mmm hmm. I’m w/ Purgatori. Can’t get much safer than that." I hope.
        Cobra squeezed her and scrambled up the ladder, closing the hatch behind him. His was the last team to leave. The others had gone at various points on their trip, slipping into various strategic points of the city.
        Purgatori walked off down the tunnel and Demonica hurried to catch her up.
        "Erm…Mistress?"
        "What?"
        "You know when we get to the palace? Can I use your magick - "
        "No. I gave you that power to use if you get discovered. Diabolica can wait."
        "Oh…But if I, um y'know, happen to come across her I could - " Purgatori stopped and looked at her silently and Demonica’s mouth dried up. She shut up fast, looking at her feet.
        "Demonica."
        The blonde looked up, noticing the softer tone. The old Purgatori was back. There was no physical difference, but she could just tell.
        "Diabolica can wait. We have to destroy that Gate. As soon as that is done, I will attend to your sister myself."
        "Okay."
        "You saved my life, Demonica."
        "I know! Um, what?"
        "You need not fear me."
        "I don’t! Well, I do. You’re scary. Um, I mean, y’know, you’re different. But I guess that’s normal, having been tortured for years and years, and all. I mean, some of the people that Dad tortured just became gibbering idiots, all drooling and  - "
        "Demonica."
        " - messing themselves and…um, what?"
        "Be quiet."
        "Uh, okay."

        Lady Death pulled her sword out of the Blood Warrior and wiped it on his tunic. She looked up to see Garryk regarding her, blood trickling down his left biceps.
        "Problem?"
        "Our orders were to kill the bugs and cats and convert the Blood Warriors."
        "Bah. He gave me no chance."
        "You wouldn’t have just killed him because he was one of Purgatori’s warriors, would you?"
        "Of course not."
        "Because, much as you might not like the idea, we’ll need as many of them alive and on our side as - "
        "I said, I had no choice!" Lady Death snarled. "Are you calling me a liar?"
        "You strike me as a more capable fighter. That’s the third one you’ve killed, while we’ve managed to convert five."
        "Listen boy. I have been fighting longer than you would believe. Do not question my motives or capabilities."
        "Uh huh."
        Lady Death sheathed her sword and walked over to stand a few inches away. "Do not patronise me, boy."
        "Then don’t put our lives at risk. Try to capture the next one."
        "I said - "
        "Yeah, I know. Humour me."
        Lady Death glared at him, angry at his attitude, angry that he had caught her doing exactly what he had accused her of. She couldn’t help it. The last time she and Purgatori had crossed paths, the bitch’s army had assaulted her fortress in Las Vegas. Now she was expected not only to team up w/ Purgatori to save her city, but help restore her army to full power! "You’re hurt," she snapped, needing to change the subject. "Dress it, we need to move fast."
        "Yeah." He didn’t move.
        "Well? What are you looking at?" she snapped.
        "You. You’re beautiful."
        Lady Death started, surprised into silence by the comment.
        Garryk smiled and turned away, heading for one of the female team members who was bandaging one of their convertees. Lady Death watched him go. How long had it been since someone had made a simple compliment like that, not just some leering or lustful observation? Well…he IS quite handsome, I suppose…She shook her head. Dammit, she was in the middle of a war for Heaven’s sake, and anyway, she wouldn’t dream of starting a relationship w/ an established Purgatori worshipper.
        She walked over to where the main group of fighters was huddling in the cover of a dense clump of rose bushes. A thick mist had followed them down the river, and when they surfaced inside the city they found the mist was here too, hanging over the city like cobwebs. There had been various comments about it and though nobody knew for sure the consensus of opinion was that it was more than likely that Purgatori was responsible for it. That made Lady Death uneasy - she didn’t know how much power it took to alter weather but she suspected it was no mean feat. She didn’t like the thought of Purgatori w/ that much power.
        "What’s going on?"
        One of the other girls gestured at the Blood Warrior who was being tended to. "He says there’s some sort of fighting going on already. Some of the Blood Warriors have been attacking them. Drakkan’s forces, I mean."
        "Why?"
        Sabre shrugged. "They don’t know. They think it might have something to do w/ someone called Pagan."
        "Pagan again! Is he here? Purgatori said he was on my world."
        "I don’t know where he is. Garryk thinks it’s more to do w/ the conversion spell. He thinks maybe Pagan converted some of the troops over to his own side."
        "That would be entirely like him. Where are we?"
        "In Isis Park. Near the centre of the city."
        "Right in the heart of the lion’s den, you mean."
        "Yes. The Gate should be about one-and-a-half miles that way."
        Lady Death looked off towards their destination. The Park was bordered by slim poplar trees and beyond them she could see the glowing windows of the city buildings. She couldn’t tell much in the fog and darkness, but from the impression the lights gave it was a large and well-established city. Some of the buildings towered so high that their tops were lost in the mist, and yet for such a big community there was no hint of pollution that she had encountered in the cities on Earth - the by-products that came from powering a large metropolis. It appeared that perhaps Purgatori powered this city by magick too, and if so, that was very disconcerting.
        Something tweaked her senses; momentary, faint. She frowned and concentrated, trying to focus on the almost subliminal feeling. She caught it again and this time there was no mistaking it : Apocalypse.
        "Garryk!" she hissed.
        "What?" He crouched down and jogged over, the white bandage on his arm seeming to glow.
        "My weapon is that way. We need to get it."
        "Weapon? What for, you’ve got one."
        "No," she said impatiently. "I mean my proper weapon. A powerful sword. Enchanted."
        Garryk pursed his lips. "I dunno. We should get to the Gate first."
        "This will help us immensely."
        "If it’s that powerful, Drakkan’s probably taken it for himself."
        "He can’t. His troops took it, but it is enchanted. No-one can use it but me."
        "Well…it’ll be heavily guarded…"
        "Maybe. Only if he expects someone to try and get to it…"
        Garryk was silent for a long time, weighing options and making Lady Death fret to herself about whether or not she was going to jeopardise everything by abandoning the mission to recover her property. "Do you know where it is?"
        "Not precisely. I can just sense its presence. That direction."
        "That’s roughly the way we’re heading to reach the Gate. The only buildings that way they might have taken it are the hospital and the Jackals’ barracks."
        "Jackals?"
        "Elite warriors. Virtually unbeaten in battle."
        "Huh. They haven’t faced me yet."
        Garryk didn’t bother to reply. "Okay," he said at last. "We’ll head off and reassess when we get closer. If it looks like we could use your weapon we’ll go for it, otherwise we hit the Gate first. Deal?"
        "Deal," Lady Death said after a moment’s hesitation. "If it is in the Jackals’ quarters, that might actually work in our favour - "
        " - if they’re out fighting," Garryk finished w/ her. "Yeah, I thought of that. Like,  if they’re out fighting us at the Gate."
        "Let us go then," Lady Death said eagerly.
        Garryk grinned and signalled the team. "Damn, this is gonna be exciting."
        Lady Death grinned back despite herself. Finally, a chance to exact some measure of revenge against Drakkan.

        The Doom Magistrate strode past less than two metres from Demonica, its clawed feet clicking on the marble. She eased herself out of the shadows and Purgatori’s strong hands grabbed her by the shoulders and yanked her back, pulling her tight to her body. A Blood Warrior  strode past. He glanced vaguely in their direction, then froze, his mouth opening. Purgatori was too fast for him. She bulleted out from behind Demonica and drove him to the floor. Demonica dropped to one knee and lifted her heavy rifle but by then it was all over. Purgatori pulled the soldier to his feet and he blinked at her.
        "Pur - Empress! How..?"
        "Never mind. Where is Drakkan?"
        "I don’t know, Empress. I haven’t seen him since this afternoon. But…I…I think he knows you are here."
        Purgatori swore. "I have a job for you. Take this power. Recover as many of our people as you can in twenty minutes then head for Drakkan’s own Gate."
        "What’s happening Empress? I remember…I remember you getting thrown in the - "
        "What’s happening is we’re taking my empire back. Are you up for that?"
        "Hell yes! My life for you!"
        "Go. Be careful. Get me more troops."
        "Yes Empress!" He set off down the corridor and did a very good impersonation of a bored soldier on a routine patrol.
        "Come, Demonica."
        Demonica followed Purgatori down the corridor, keeping to one wall and trusting Purgatori’s senses to alert them of any danger. They stopped a few metres from a T-junction, where the corridor opened into the  main passageway that led from the audience hall. Across from them to the right were the elevators, and Demonica looked at the bullet holes on the door, remembering the events of three years ago when she had come down from her room to see Purgatori speared and being dragged to the dungeons. Three years…it seemed like a dream. Purgatori gestured, and Demonica saw the call button light up. The sounds of the descending elevator echoed softly along the passage. The doors opened and they crossed silently into the car. Demonica caught a glimpse of a guard at the far end of the corridor : he had his back to them and hadn’t heard the elevator but she still gave a little sigh of relief when the doors sealed.
        "Phew. Well, that wasn’t too bad."
        Purgatori just grunted and pressed a button. "How many bullets do you have for that thing?"
        "Four mags. Forty bullets."
        "Remember : Doom Magistrates and Akerians only, unless you need to save someone."
        "Yep. Erm, how do you know no one’s up there?"
        "I don’t. Be careful. Lock the elevator after you arrive."
        "Yep."
        "Are you as good a shot as you claim?"
        "Yes! There was this one time, we were down by the coast, up on the cliffs, right? And this patrol comes along, down on the sands, and we - "
        "I get the picture."
        "…oh…" Demonica said, upset that her story had been brushed aside.
        The elevator chimed and the doors opened onto Purgatori’s apartment.
        "Go. Be careful."
        "Mm hmm. You too."
        Purgatori darted into the ante-chamber, once again feeling the rising anger when she saw the state of her penthouse, and her beloved toucans. No : focus. The door to the bedroom was ajar : it had been fully open when she had last fought here and had lost the sword.
        She nudged the door open w/ her foot and backed off a step. Nothing rushed out at her. She walked into the bedroom, knelt down and peered under the bed. There was dust, but no sword.
        "On your knees : just how I like you."
        Purgatori whirled to her feet, her sword coming out just in time to block a slash.
        "Looking for this?" Drakkan said, tilting the katana at her. "Must be special, for you to risk coming here for it. You are depressingly predictable. I KNEW you would want this back as soon as I saw it."
        "You defile her w/ your touch, you rank polecat," Purgatori hissed. "I will wash her clean in your blood."
        "Please try." The swords rang together again and Drakkan kicked her in the ribs. She flew backwards and landed on the bed. She rolled fast as the blade slashed down and eiderdown filled the air like snowflakes. She landed on her feet and leapt at him, using the power of her wings to drive her, her blade aimed at his chest. She caught him by surprise and the tip of her blade nicked his jacket as he dodged aside.
        "Ah…you have your power back. I thought it was you I sensed the other night. Trying your toys out again were you? And I sense some of that foul bitch in you too."
        Purgatori spat at him and drove him back w/ a flurry of fast cuts. She raised a hand and gestured at Drakkan. Caught off-guard he staggered and coughed, spraying blood on the floor. Purgatori leapt at him and he slashed at her stomach, ducking under her blow. His left fist caught her on the temple and she reeled back.
        "Nice try bitch. But you’re not the only one who knows Kathos sorcery." He pointed at her and Purgatori howled as her eyes filled w/ blood. He jumped at her, expecting a helpless target and fell back w/ a roar as her sword bit deep into his thigh muscle.
        "Idiot!" Purgatori snarled. "I may not see you, but I can hear you…and smell you!"
        "Smell this," Drakkan snapped and slashed at her again. The clash of metal was hollow, deadened as Purgatori’s blade snapped in two, leaving her w/ a four inch blade. She jumped back, out of the bedroom and into the hall, shaking her head and clearing her vision w/ a spell.
        Drakkan followed, his long teeth bared in a grin. "I don’t know how you got out of the volcano, but I can promise you I have something even better in store for you this time. Kneel before me now and I might - "
        Purgatori hurled the remains of her sword at his head and leapt straight after it. It hit Drakkan in the mouth, cutting his top lip and knocking a tooth out. He fell back w/ a cry of pain and Purgatori was on top of him in an instant, grabbing his wrist and folding it back on itself, twisting the katana from his grip.
        "Guards!"
        The blade flared into life at her touch and an arc of violet fire singed Drakkan’s fur as he darted out of the way of her cut. There was a clatter of armour from the stairwell that led to the sisters’ chambers and Purgatori flew at it, cutting down the first Akerian to appear in a bloom of purple flame. A cannon blast punched a crater in the wall by her shoulder and she bailed. She jumped for the balcony and dived over the edge, plummeting into the night sky before unfolding her wings and circling out of sight in a tight arc.
        Drakkan shrieked w/ fury and vapourised the nearest Akerian. That bitch. She was back, more powerful than ever and now she was armed w/ some horribly potent sword. This on top of that insurrection that Pagan had created, and at a time when he was low on troops. When Purgatori had been consigned to the lava he had considered the world conquered, a thought confirmed by the attitude of the people when word got around. He had sent the majority of his troops on to the other worlds : there was no point in keeping them here as that bitch Isis obviously wasn’t interested in her daughter. Now it appeared as if his celebrations had been somewhat premature. He touched his jaw, and snarled at the blood covering his fingers when he looked at them.
        "You," he spat at the nearest Akerian. "Find Vulnavia NOW! Tell her to get to my Gate and send a message to the guards there : get them to bring back reinforcements from the home world - fifty thousand ought to do it. MOVE!" The guard fled. Drakkan stared daggers out after Purgatori then pushed past his troops and headed for the elevator. That red slut. When he finally got his hands on her again…
        His mood wasn’t improved when he discovered the elevator didn’t respond.

        Demonica stood to one side as the door opened into the observation gallery. Situated at the very top of the pyramid, just below its golden cap, it was purely there to entertain and impress guests - built, Demonica thought proudly, at her suggestion : Dis had a similar gallery and it was one of her favourite places to hang out. And make out.
        The elevator opened onto a wide square chamber. The centre of the floor was a sunken hexagon that held plushly upholstered settees. All the walls were comprised of floor-to-ceiling windows of highly polished crystal and a narrow balcony ran around all sides of the gallery. There were stairwells on either side of the elevator. One led down to the rest rooms and the other led to the catering area where chefs would prepare meals for the guests. A stairwell from this area led down to the sisters’ chambers. Demonica scanned the area and turned her key in the elevator control panel, locking the doors open, then edged over to the first staircase. The lights were off and the stairwell was inky black. She listened for a moment then moved over to the second one. There was no sound there either.
        She trotted over to the East window, slid the door open and went out onto the balcony and peered over. She was dizzyingly high up, the fresh wind blowing her long hair back. She could hardly see the ground for the mist. She leaned over and scanned for potential targets. There : on the bridge that spanned two of the workers’ complexes, clear and nicely visible above the mist. Demonica rested Mr Head Burster on the railing and sighted down the wide scope. She didn’t know what magick it used, but if you pressed a stud on its side it lit up the darkness in shades of arcane green and it showed you the distance to whatever was under the crosshairs in dim emerald.
        "There you are," she purred, settling on the Doom Magistrate. He was standing on guard, a highly elevated position that overlooked the palace entrance. One thousand and twenty three, the scope said. Damn, that was going to beat her personal best. Slip the safety catch off, take up the tension on the trigger. Adjust for wind and gravity, going by uncanny instinct that had yet to fail her.
        "Bye bye bug," she whispered. Cobra’s silencer worked a charm, reducing the impressive roar to a dull thud. It didn’t quell the recoil any, however, and the kick in the shoulder was as brutal as ever. When she got the scope on the bridge again the Doom Magistrate was lying on his back w/ a hole the size of a melon in his chest.
        "Yes!" She picked up the cartridge case, kissed it and stowed it away in her cleavage, where the hot metal felt rather nice. "Heh heh. Alright, who’s next?"
        A pair of hands grabbed her hair and pulled her back w/ a yank that almost tore the hair out of her scalp. Mr Head Burster fell on her chest and winded her as she hit the ground, then her assailant kicked him away and stood on her chest, pinning her down.
        "Hi sis," Diabolica said.

        "Looks nearly finished," Garryk remarked.
        "Hm. I thought he was supposed to be a week or more off completion?" Lady Death said pointedly.
        "Guess he stepped up the pace," Garryk shrugged. He and Lady Death had made their way onto the roof of one of the buildings that overlooked a large area of empty ground that had been cleared for further construction and were lying down on the cold tile, inspecting the Gate. It stood in the middle of the wasteland w/ a few scaffolding frames around one side where the black beam was damaged. "Why’s it here, you think?"
        "Strategy. If it was by the barracks, any unexpected force coming through would be right on top of your forces before they could react. This way they have to travel. Gives him time to react."
        "Uh. Makes sense. Not many guards."
        "Good."
        "Is it? Why aren’t there?"
        Lady Death rolled onto one side to look at him. "Because no-one in their right mind would try to attack it," she grinned. "It’s by an elite army’s barracks, in the middle of an occupied city."
        "Aye, good point."
        This was exactly the reason Cremator and Vandala had been able to slip through so easily, after disabling the two guards on patrol : the security had been stepped up, but not by much, it seemed.
        "So, what : go for the Gate or try for my sword?" Lady Death asked, looking at him closely.
        Garryk rested his chin on his hands for a moment. "How about both at once? It’s in the hospital right? Which means it’ll be in the morgue because I’m assuming - from what you’ve said - that since no-one else can touch it they’ve been unable to take it out of the body you stuck it in."
        "Yes. So where’s the morgue?"
        "Dunno, never been," Garryk said, rolling over to gaze at her. "Basement probably. I reckon that’ll be the only place there’ll be a guard, unless you run into soldiers that are actually being treated at the hospital. Seemed pretty dead when we passed though." He looked at her for a moment longer then shuffled back from the edge of the roof so that he was out of sight. "Go get it then. We’ll give you ten minutes then start the attack. That should give you time to get in and head back. Or if you get discovered, at least our attack might take some attention away from you."
        "Good." She shuffled back and jumped nimbly off the roof.
        Garryk looked at the twenty-five-foot drop and decided to use the fire-escape. "Hey!" Lady Death turned at the urgent whisper. "Take care of yourself."
        Lady Death went on her way, wondering why the comment pleased her so much.

        "You’ve been a very naughty girl," Diabolica said. Her voice made Demonica shiver : this wasn’t her sister, it was like some phantasm wearing her shape.
        "Diabolica wait, you don’t know - "
        Diabolica pulled her to her feet and threw her across the observation platform. Demonica’s kidneys banged into the railing and for one horrific moment she felt her weight slip past the point of balance…and then Diabolica grabbed a fistful of her tunic and held her.
        "What’s that stupid mark on your nose? You’ve been w/ those rebel scum, haven’t you?"
        That made Demonica angry. "Tramp! We’re not rebels, we’re fighting for Purgatori!"
        Diabolica slapped her face. "Drakkan is ruler here, not that red whore."
        "OW!" Tears sprang into Demonica’s eyes, more from the fact that her sister had struck her than from the pain. She punched Diabolica in the stomach and she reeled back, dragging them both to the floor.
        Diabolica rolled over on top and grabbed Demonica’s horns, banging her skull off the floor. "Yes! Fight!" she said eagerly. "I’m the fighter, you’re the lover - you’ve lost your edge. I’ll smack you senseless and take you to Drakkan. He’ll be soooo pleased w/ me." She grinned down at Demonica and the smile made Demonica’s blood cool off. "He might even make you my personal pet!"
        Demonica sank her nails into Diabolica’s thigh. The raven-haired demoness shrieked and punched Demonica’s face before falling off her, clutching the wound. Demonica scrambled up and punched her between the shoulder-blades. Diabolica snarled and kicked out, hitting Demonica’s calf and making her fall to her knees w/ a yelp. She knocked Demonica flat on her stomach and knelt on her back.
        "You bitch! I’m going to torture you for months for that!" She locked her arm around Demonica’s throat and began to squeeze.
        "UK! D-Diabolica! Please -!" Demonica managed to squirm one hand free but her position made it impossible to get any decent purchase. She heard Diabolica chuckle at her plea and the arm squeezed harder. Black spots began to flash in her vision. Sweet Leviatha I’m going to die! My SISTER’s going to kill me!
        Diabolica leaned back, making Demonica’s back arch agonisingly and crushing her throat totally shut. Absolute panic gripped Demonica as her vision blacked completely and her head began to thump. Something brushed her fingertips and she grabbed at it reflexively : Diabolica’s twitching tail. She pulled it to her and sank her teeth into it.
        Diabolica screamed and let go, scrambling away from her sister. Demonica flopped, taking great whooping gasps of air that turned the black spots into scalding white ones. She looked around blearily, knowing that if she gave Diabolica a chance to recover she was finished.
        Diabolica rolled around, clutching her tail. "You SLUT!!" She twisted around and had a fraction of a second’s surprise before Mr Head Burster’s butt smashed into her head. Demonica fell on her and pressed her hands to her temples before she could recover. She recited the spell, felt the sorcery flow through her, sensed something burning away in her sister. Diabolica flopped and Demonica flopped beside her, panting and shaking.
        "Demonica?" Diabolica croaked.
        Demonica slapped her leg. "Bint! You almost killed me!"
        "Ouch! What…happened to me?"
        "Don’t you remember?" Demonica asked, still wary.
        "N…no…not much," Diabolica frowned. "Odd bits and pieces. Christ, my tail hurts!"
        "Not as much as my throat!"
        "Not as much as my head! What the Hell did you hit me w/?"
        "This!" Demonica said happily, picking up the rifle. "Isn’t he gorgeous?"
        "Hellfire! What’s that designed to kill? Buildings?!"
        "Come here," Demonica said excitedly, losing some of her fear of her sister. "I’ll show you what he can do!"
        "What’s going on?" Diabolica asked as they got up and went to the balcony.
        "We’re gonna kick Drakkan’s furry butt," Demonica said as she scanned the street for a target. "Purgatori’s back and she is SO p*ssed!" She pointed over at the workers’ building where two Akerian’s were fretting over the fallen Doom Magistrate.   "See that?"
        "Err….just."
        "I did that! Watch!" Acquire. Adjust. THUD!
        "Sweet Leviatha!"
        "Good, eh?" She dropped the second cat and grinned at her sister. "Cool or what? I could play at this for hours!"
        "Can I have a go?"
        "No way! Get your own toy!"
        "Selfish bimbo! Hey, is that Vulnavia?"
        "Where?"
        "There," Diabolica said, pointing down at the palace road. "Damn, she’s in a hurry. Must be something urgent," Diabolica mused as the Valkyrie took to the sky.
        "Really?" Demonica’s eyes narrowed. She had never liked Vulnavia, the feathery tart always talked down to her. "Better stop her then, that’ll p*ss Drakkan off."
        "You’ll never hit that! She’s moving too fast!"
        "Shh." Acquire. Track. S-q-u-e-e-z-e. THUD!
        "I don’t believe it!" Diabolica gasped as she saw Vulnavia knocked sideways in the air in a swirl of feathers.
        "Ha ha!"
        "Mind, Purg’ll be p*ssed if you’ve killed her. She was one of her favourites."
        "…um…"
        "Where was she going, you reckon?"
        "I dunno. Prob’ly to the Gates, for reinforcements," Demonica said, leaning over to scan for another target. "Not that it would help."
        "Why?"
        "’Cause our forces are there. We’re gonna destroy all the Gates."
        "Well…you can’t."
        "What? Why not?"
        "Because they’re protected by spells."
        Demonica lowered the gun and looked over worriedly. "Well…won’t Purg be able to break the spell? She’s real powerful…"
        "Uh uh. No way. Drakkan’s got Chaotic mages protecting them. They chant protection spells continuously and the instant they sense something’s wrong they’ll alter the spell. Make it more powerful or something."
        "Oh bugger." Demonica glanced over the railings then looked back at her sister. "We’ve got to warn them."
        "We won’t have time, will we..?"
        "But…we can’t just do nothing!"
        Diabolica chewed her lip. "We could kill the mages."
        Demonica stared. "Won’t they be protected?"
        "Nope, not really. Drakkan put them in Purg’s vault."
        "The vault…" Yes - when Demonica stopped to think about it, it was perfect. Purgatori had acquired a phenomenal amount of wealth during her reign. Most of it was the usual stuff : quantities of precious metals and gems, both from plundering and received as gifts from cities or dignitaries trying to buy her favour or protection, but occasionally she acquired a real prize, or something that she considered personally valuable : various tomes of magickal texts, a bust of herself carved from a single colossal ruby that was a gift from Alexandria, and other bits and pieces that she wanted to keep for herself rather than give it to the city treasury. She also kept a substantial amount of wealth here for her own use, perhaps as a backup if the main stores got sacked in a battle. The vault was deep under the pyramid : the elevator went down to a narrow corridor that led to an armoured and magically protected door which led to the vault itself. No-one but Purgatori and her most trusted aides knew of its existence and they were under strict orders not to discuss it, which was a shame for Demonica as she desperately wanted to take someone down there and make love on a thick carpet of  gold coins. Someone like Cobra, for example. Even the elevator button was hidden away from the main control panel.
        "Damn," Demonica said. "How did he find that?"
        Diabolica shifted. "Uh…someone must’ve suggested it…to him."
        "Hmm. Unless he - hang on!" Demonica suddenly stared at Diabolica. "Oooh! You useless hair-brained succubus! Purgatori’s gonna paddle the skin off your butt when she finds out!"
        "I couldn’t help it! Diabolica cried. "I was under Drakkan’s spell when…what do you mean, ‘when’ she finds out?! Are you gonna tell her?!"
        "Maybe," Demonica said airily. "Depends…"
        "You blackmailing bimbo!" Diabolica gasped. "What do you want? My sapphire necklace, right? You always were p*ssed that Purg gave it to ME - "
        "We’ll think of something later," Demonica interrupted. "Right now we’ve gotta get to the vault."
        "Humph! Come on then. I knew I couldn’t trust her," Diabolica added under her breath. "She had the sulks for ages after I got it."
        "Oh give it a rest! Or I’ll tell her anyway!"
        "Tramp!"
        "Flattery will get you nowhere," Demonica said as the elevator doors closed. "Listen - I’ve got a plan."

        Lady Death pushed open the doors to the hospital and strode in. She hadn’t been unduly concerned about attracting attention - from what she had seen, New Necropolis was populated w/ dozens of different races and species : one white-skinned woman should barely raise an eyebrow - but the place appeared to be deserted anyway. There was a reception desk overlooking a few rows of chairs but nobody was manning it and most of the overhead lights were off. Lady Death paused in the dim hallway as the door closed softly behind her, listening intently for sounds of movement. She heard nothing. Her bootheels clocked on the dusty tile as she walked in and turned randomly right, looking for directions to the morgue. It seemed obvious that Drakkan had no interest in the well-being of Purgatori’s citizens and Lady Death wondered what fate had befell the patients who had been in here : there was no smell of death here, so she deduced they had been moved somewhere rather than just being left to die, but she doubted if Drakkan had arranged anything pleasant.
        She pushed open a swing door and found herself in a wide corridor. There was a direction board on the wall to her right, but all the destinations were written in hieroglyphs. She made a sound of disgust and moved on. She passed an elevator on her left, not knowing what it was, and turned a corner to see a stairwell leading both up and down. Basement, Garryk had said. She headed down, her footsteps ringing. Yes, she could sense the blade, more tangible now.
        The steps ended at a pair of red-painted doors, wooden w/ small windows set w/ wire-reinforced glass. The windows glowed w/ white light. She pushed the doors open and entered a long, wide room. One wall was a neat array of square locker doors, where bodies would be stored. Various tables were placed around the room, some designed for working on, some designed for post-mortem purposes. She felt her skin crawl, remembering being dragged onto a similar table one day when she was locked up w/ Purgatori. On the farthest table a Blood Warrior lay stiffly, a gleaming sword jammed in his putrefying chest. Lady Death grinned.
        Sharp steel touched her throat and back as two Blood Warriors flanked her, coming from the shadows on either side of the doors.
        "Don’t move."

        Purgatori glided down out of the sky and landed nimbly on the roof of one of the tall housing blocks, dropping immediately into a kneeling position. She held the katana up before her, bowed, and laid her on the ground in front of her. Back, my beauty. I’ve got you back. The relief swamped her exultation : the pleasure at having recovered a powerful weapon was little compared to having recovered one of the last vestiges of Wolf’s life.
        She glanced around quickly. She had used the speed of her plunge from the Palace to gain great distance before climbing high over her city. Clouds were rolling in slowly and the wind was building in strength, but not nearly quick enough for her purposes. Scattered sounds of conflict reached her randomly from all directions. Some of it was from her own troops, but others came from directions that they had not deployed in. More of Pagan’s games, no doubt. She felt her hackles rise at the thought of him and pushed away the hate, letting her mind concentrate on her sorcery.
        She knelt, motionless. Reached out w/ her will.
        Her hair ruffled.
        She concentrated. Exerted. Waited.
        A drop of rain fell on her thigh. Another on her forehead. When she opened her eyes she could see thunderheads on the horizon, racing to catch the dark clouds overhead, riding the strengthening wind. She bared her teeth to the wind and chuckled. Gate : time to get to the Gate.
        Purgatori picked up her sword and walked to the edge of the rooftop, her wings catching the wind like a sail. There - over there past the Temple of Anubis. Now that she was attuned to the Chaotic magic the Gate stood out to her like a bonfire at night. There seemed to be something strange about the feeling she got from it, almost like an unusual aftertaste, something she couldn’t identify. Perhaps it was normal though, and it just seemed strange to her because Chaos magic was still a relatively new experience. No matter, it would be gone soon.
        She stepped off the edge of the building.

        "What in the name of Horus is going on out there?"
        Rourke also had his attention directed to the small slot-like window set near the ceiling. The rain had caused fevered conversation when it had begun, but now there was an added curiosity.
        "Fighting," Rourke said softly. "That’s gunfire."
        "More executions probably," someone muttered.
        "No. It’s a battle."
        "Who?" the man beside Rourke asked. "Who would have dared come into the city? The Saarga?"
        "No," Rourke said distantly. Three guards ran past the cell door, jabbering frantically to each other.
        "Who then?" the woman muttered, her inquisitiveness getting the better of her desire not to talk to Rourke. "Those rebels we hear so much about? Hah, I doubt it!"
        "Depends who’s leading them," Rourke said. Could it be? Could it be her? "Listen. We can use the distraction."
        The woman spat. "Trust you! Of course!"
        Rourke ignored her. "I’ll need help. If we try and escape we might get killed - if we don’t we surely will, in time."
Silence greeted his comments. They all knew he was right but they were not warriors and despite their fate the thought of taking on Blood Warriors and cats terrified them.
        "I’m w/ you," the man said quietly.
        "You’re mad," the woman said sullenly, but there was no conviction in her tone.
        "What’s your name?" Rourke said.
        "Lance."
        "I’ve got an idea, Lance. Take your shoes off."

        "Drop your sword."
        Lady Death let it fall w/ a silent curse, angry at having been caught by surprise by her own carelessness - Garryk had warned her that Apocalypse might by guarded, and she had just breezed right in w/out even thinking of checking behind the doors. The sword fell w/ a ringing clatter that echoed around the room.
        "Turn."
        She turned to face them and they weren’t stupid - they backed off slightly and flanked her, keeping out of each other’s way. She eyed them up : vampiric Blood Warriors, their blank eyes shining whitely. So far she had only fought human Blood Warriors, but Garryk and the others had converted two vampires and killed a third - she didn’t think this should be a problem. She had, after all, defeated them on Earth.
        "Who are you? What are you doing down here?"
        "I am Lady Death, maggot!" she snarled imperiously. "And I am here to reclaim what is mine!" She shoved her hand at the Warrior, palm out, and the blast of Arcane Energy hit him in the chest and face. The other was faster. His blade hit her left arm, ringing against the decorative metal bands, the blow numbing the arm. His boot hit her hip, taking her balance and knocking her to the floor. She sprawled and rolled, scooping up her fallen blade. Tile chips flew as a sword slammed down by her ear. She was on her feet in an instant, kicking out at the Blood Warrior. Her foot connected solidly but he only fell back a step or two. Their swords clashed a foot from her face, the force of his blow driving her back. She side-stepped to his left and he jammed his elbow in her ribs, winding her. Lady Death snarled and ducked as the metallic red blade sliced overhead. She jumped at him before he could recover, jamming the sword into his thorax through the gap in his armour under his armpit. He choked out a gargling scream and then she grasped his head in both hands and burnt his head to ash.
        "Bastard!" Isis had been right - the Blood Warriors were formidable. If Purgatori had had warriors of this standard at Oblivion she -
        A blade ricocheted off her shoulder armour, brushing her fringe. She jerked in surprise, tripped over the fallen vampire and staggered back wildly, banging the small of her back against one of the autopsy tables. The vampire was in no state to press his attack. Three-quarters of his face had gone, charred down to bare, blackened skull. One arm hung limply and the other - his sword arm - shook as though lifting the weapon was taking every ounce of his energy. Lady Death rolled backwards over the table, putting an obstacle between them. Goddamn, what sort of monsters had that red bitch created for herself?! The blood armour had obviously taken the brunt of her blast, but it was inconceivable that he was still standing, never mind attacking her. That was the second time she had overestimated her powers. After the incident w/ Purgatori at WinterHaven, she should have learnt her lesson - that red bitch had had thirty years to enhance her sorcery and develop a protection powerful enough to w/stand the Arcane Energy. She reached out in fury and Apocalypse wrenched  itself out of the corpse and speared into her hand. She leapt onto the table and jumped down at the floundering vampire, cleaving him completely in two.
        Lady Death looked down at the bodies, her teeth clenched in rage. Her power would have alerted Drakkan : if the other attacks had not started yet, alerting him of their presence, he sure as Hell knew now. Oh well : to Hell w/ it. Time to head back. Pointless wasting time now, she thought. If he’s aware of my power, I might as well use it! She raised Apocalypse and cleaved a rift through reality right back to the Gate. She stepped through the rippling portal, and when the magic cleared there was a Doom Magistrate less than a foot from her. She cut it down immediately and spun, checking her surroundings. Garryk had started the assault as agreed and she had arrived right in the middle of the battle. She jerked her head at the sound of a familiar unearthly wail and saw five of those huge reptilian mounts charging in from the direction of the barracks. She cast a fireball at the lead one and it splattered apart, spraying the others and making them shy away, faltering their charge.
        There was a body at her feet : the girl who had bandaged Garryk. Lady Death looked at her emotionlessly and turned her attention to the Gate. Bodies lay near it : Garryk’s team had sniped the patrol before making their advance. Judging from the fighting going on though, Drakkan must have laid a trap - there were far too many enemies here to have come on the run from the barracks at the first sound of fighting, they must have a camouflaged camp somewhere nearby. They had thought Drakkan had not reacted appropriately to the incursion of Cremator and Vandala - apparently he had. He was slyer than they had given credit for.
        Lady Death strode towards the Gate, slashing apart an Akerian who had the impudence to step in her way. Her boots squelched in the blood-soaked mud and she suddenly became aware of the water on her face. It was raining! She could see further now - the winds were dispersing the fog, and she could see glimmering flameglow among various buildings of the city skyline. She turned her attention back to the Gate. There were two Blood Warriors fighting nearby - she hefted her sword then paused : how could she tell which one was on her side?
        "Get down!"
        She whirled at the scream and saw a filthy and bloody Garryk racing towards her. He dropped to one knee, skidding in the slimy mud and threw his rifle to his shoulder, seemingly aiming directly at her.
        "Get f*cking DOWN!!"
        She leapt aside and spun, seeing nothing in the dark until the muzzle flash. Something punched a hole in her belly, piledriving a crater into her guts and tearing a fist-sized hole out her back.
        "NNOOOOO!!!" Garryk’s scream was drowned out by the hammer of his weapon and she felt the bullets speed past her as she crumpled to her knees, clutching herself in agony.
        "Noooo Goddess noo!"
        Hands on her shoulders, frantic but gentle. She reached out drunkenly w/ one blood-drenched hand and pushed him away, gathering her power. Garryk slipped backwards, taken aback by the force of the shove then stopped, gaping at the flashing blue energy that crawled over Lady Death’s midriff and erased her injuries.
        "…damn…"
        Lady Death picked up Apocalypse and stood up. "It will take more than some petty human weapon to stop ME Garryk," she said. "That’s not to say it doesn’t hurt, though!" The humour went unregistered : she saw how white he was, saw the shadow of his horror and anguish still on his face. Why does this human care so much? He hardly knows me. "Are you alright?"
        Garryk held up a hand and she saw the tremble in the fingers. "No. Horus, listen : you may be tough to kill, but for the sake of my nerves, if I tell you to duck, just fkn do it, okay?"
        Lady Death just smiled. Around them the battle seemed to be turning. The element of surprise had given them the upper hand at first but now they had lost a few of their number and the Blood Warrior forces had been reinforced by fighters who had returned from various parts of the city. They both turned at the sound of thundering hooves to see two of the cavalry bearing down on them. Garryk raised his gun but Lady Death was quicker. She held back at the last moment and the wave of energy that smashed the riders and their mounts to the ground did not vapourise them, as had been her full intention.
        "Quick, convert them!" she snapped between clenched teeth before she could change her mind. Garryk dashed over to the stunned Blood Warriors. Lady Death ran over to the Gate, vaulting nimbly over the fallen corpses. She took the head off another Doom Magistrate that was fighting w/ a Blood Warrior and ran on w/out pausing. The Gate rose before her, tall, black and somehow forbidding. She remembered the last time she had seen a Gate like this, the last time she had fought around a Gate like this, and the consequences of that battle. Never again. NEVER.
        She raised Apocalypse and swung at the nearest black beam, one of the right-hand side facets that was deeply cracked. She looked up at Garryk, trying to blink a vivid red after-image out of her eyes.
        "Garr…"
        She was on the ground, stuck to the slimy mud. Her right arm was completely numb, the fingers locked around Apocalypse’s hilt as though welded.
        "Wh…what…"
        Garryk fired off a few rounds, looked at the gun in disgust and dropped it as it jammed on him. "I don’t know," he shouted above the fighting as he looped his arms under her armpits and lifted her. "Whatever you did there, it seemed to backfire!"
        Lady Death struggled weakly, trying to free herself : she didn’t want to have to be carried from the field of battle like some useless novice but her limbs didn’t want to work yet.
        Something metallic snapped past her eyes and they fell in a heap as it buried itself in Garryk’s shoulder. He fell back w/ a cry, pulling her on top of him. Lady Death moved her head w/ effort and saw an Akerian fifty metres away, coming towards them w/ a huge serrated machete. She could fry him w/ one blast. She strained, and found she could barely raise her hand. She felt Garryk squirming underneath her, his body grinding against hers in a not wholly uncomfortable way. One of his hands was between them, touching the back of her thighs.
        "W…what a-are you…"
        He pulled her over slightly and his hand came free, coming into view clasping a large black pistol. It slammed three times in rapid succession, hurting Lady Death’s ears and spitting out hot casings that smoked in the cold air. She blinked rain out of her eyes and saw the cat topple, the top half of its skull missing. Garryk’s arm slumped and Lady Death felt the cool metal of the barrel on her belly. The fingers holding Apocalypse shuddered and loosened. She flexed both hands experimentally and got movement.
        "Garryk?" She managed to roll off him and saw him gasping, a large viciously pointed shuriken in his shoulder.
        "P-pull…pull it - OOWW!!" Garryk howled as she yanked the blade out and threw it in the mud.
        "Are you alright?"
        Garryk lay panting. "N…o..th…ink…p-poison…"
        Lady Death felt a chill in her stomach. "What type? What can I do?"
        Garryk could only shrug weakly. The rattle of gunfire and the clash of swords came from all around them. Lady Death lay over Garryk, shielding him as the feeling gradually returned to her body, pretending to be corpses until she could think of a plan and returned to full strength. She looked at the Gate hatefully, completely at a loss.

        Cobra flicked blood off his swords and knelt still in the dark, waiting for the next target. It came from the left, a Blood Warrior armed w/ a rifle - one of the Jackals. The Blood Warrior passed in front of him and he leapt, locking the stick around its throat and dragging it down. A female. She dropped her weapon and slammed him a good one on the chin, but by then he had his fingers on her temple and she spasmed wildly as the sorcery burned into her. Cobra released her and put his hand over her mouth.
        "Ssshhh."
        She blinked and looked at him in confusion. Shadow wrapped them both and Cobra whirled in surprise. Purgatori slapped his weapons away.
        "Empress!"
        "What are you doing her?" Purgatori snapped. "Why is the WinterHaven Gate still standing?"
        "I don’t know, Empress," Cobra said. "We came here because we heard Garryk’s team was in trouble but we ran into a problem ourselves." ‘Problem’ was apparently a Snake Eyes euphemism for a squad of human Blood Warriors.
        Purgatori snarled, and for a moment Cobra thought that she felt he was personally to blame for the problems and was about to deal w/ him appropriately. Then, mercifully, she got herself under control again.
        "Head to the main Gate. I will deal w/ Garryk’s team. We MUST prevent Drakkan from reinforcing the Gate, or using it to bring fresh troops."
        "Yes Empress."
        Purgatori turned and launched herself into the sky w/out waiting to see if Cobra had any other queries or needed any help.
        "Who are you?" the female asked him. "What’s going on?!"
        "War’s going on. Y’alright?"
        "Yes…"
        "Then move it. We ain’t got time to waste."

        The elevator chimed, surprising the guard. The doors parted and Diabolica kicked Demonica out into the narrow corridor, sending her sprawling w/ a pained cry.
        "Halt! No-one’s allowed down here!"
        Diabolica stepped out calmly, Mr Head Burster levelled at her sister. "At last! Are you the ONLY guard on duty tonight? Come here and - "
        "Stop where you are!" the Blood Warrior growled as Diabolica prodded her sister forward roughly. "No one’s allowed down here, not even you Diabolica."
        Diabolica appraised his levelled weapon w/out emotion. "Our city is under attack, guard. I - "
        "What?!"
        " - I have been given custody of this rebel scum and Drakkan himself told me to take her to the torture chambers to get information out of her. You are the only guard on duty here - everyone else is out fighting, it seems. Now - are you going to help me get this bitch to the torture chambers before she recovers, or do I have to tell Drakkan you refused to help me?"
        The guard hesitated, eyes flicking between the girls. "No," he said finally. "Drakkan himself gave me orders to guard this door and - "
        "Oh shut up," Diabolica said, and fired. The slam of Mr Head Burster’s recoil knocked her back a step and in the enclosed corridor even the suppressed blast was impressive. The bullet punched clean through the guard and hammered into the door a second before the guard’s ruined body hit it, flung by the impact of the shot.
        "Damn, that thing kicks like a unicorn!"
        "Gimme him back," Demonica said, snatching the rifle off her sister. "Get his gun, quick."
        Diabolica picked up the weapon as Demonica unclipped the big keyring from the guard’s belt.
        "Ready?" Demonica asked as she slipped the key in the lock.
        "Yeah."
        Demonica turned the key and hauled the door open, stepping back to allow Diabolica a clear field of fire. A weapon blast swept past her head, so close its heat prickled her skin, and beside her Diabolica’s gun roared. Demonica had formed a mental image of the mages being a fairly stereotypical type - quiet, smallish men resembling aged scholars, perhaps w/ silver hair or shaved heads. What she saw were three creatures like Drakkan : seven-foot tall lion-like warriors, dressed in green robes. Diabolica’s gun chewed them up, sending wet chunks of fur and meat all over the room.
        "Damn, these are fun," Diabolica said approvingly, hefting the weapon. "I’m gonna keep this for - "
        A huge cat leapt out from one side of the doorway and ripped the gun out of her hands. He swatted her and sent her flying into Demonica, four deep claw slashes running from her shoulder to her sternum. The girls tumbled into a tangled heap and Mr Head Burster skidded along the floor all the way to the elevator. The Akerian stepped forward, snarling something in a thick guttural language, flexing its razor-tipped fingers.
        Diabolica pulled herself free and craned her head to look up at the mage. "Ooh no! No please!" she whined. "Please don’t hurt me!" she scrambled to her knees, hands clasped together in supplication.
        The cat cocked its head and spat something else. It cuffed Diabolica across the cheek, knocking her over, and she wailed in pain.
        "No! Please!" she sobbed, clutching feebly at his leg as he stepped up. "Please don’t hurt me! I’ll do anything! Anything!"
        The mage chuckled contemptuously, a sound more ominous than humorous. It retracted its claws, reached down and yanked the girl to her feet by her neck, holding her kicking and squirming at eye level as it bared its fangs intimidatingly. Diabolica reached out w/ one finger and a bolt of energy incinerated the cat’s skull.
        Diabolica landed nimbly as the juddering creature collapsed and reached down to help Demonica stand. "You okay?"
        "Yep. Nice one, sis."
        "Hah! Typical bloody male. Always fall for the ‘I’m a helpless little girlie’ routine."
        "You’re cut."
        Diabolica looked down and grimaced. "I know. Hurts like a bitch. Come on, I’ll get it treated later. Let’s head for the Gate, see if we can help Purgi."

        She almost didn’t see it in time. The rain was pounding down out of the pitch black clouds, driven into her eyes by the still-strengthening winds. Her hair was a tangled rat’s nest, clogged w/ mud and gore. She flicked her head back and at the very periphery of her vision she saw the cat charge out of the night, two large cutlasses in its hands. Lady Death spun and blocked one of them, trying to keep herself between the cat and the helpless Garryk. The second blade slashed across her thigh, denting her armoured boot w/ an unearthly shriek as the blade scraped across it. She swung Apocalypse in a tight arc and reeled under the impact of another double blow as both cutlasses slashed down in a blow that was supposed to take both her arms off. She jumped to one side and fried the cat w/ Arcane Energy.
        A thundering rumble. She looked up to the heavens, wondering why she hadn’t seen a lightning flash and realised her mistake a microsecond too late. The large reptilian beast clamped its massive jaws around her shoulder and Lady Death screamed as she was lifted off the ground, three rows of dagger-like teeth jammed in her flesh. A searing burst of purple flame washed over her but it did little more than warm her. She fell to the ground in a cloud of violet ash that scattered on the wind. Gagging and coughing she reached out weakly for Apocalypse and looked over to see Purgatori, calmly flicking the blood from her katana. There was no sign of the creature, save for the dusty remains that had stuck to Lady Death’s wet skin.
        "Why is this Gate still standing?" Purgatori snapped, ignoring Lady Death’s wound. Her sword vanished in a flash of purple flame.
        Lady Death grimaced as Energy licked over her shoulder, pulling the mangled muscle back into shape. Her shoulder guard was a crumpled mess. "Bitch! It’s protected by magick!"
        Purgatori surveyed the Gate for a second then raised her hand. Violet skeins of energy leapt from her fingertips and wrapped themselves lovingly around the Gate, slithering and crackling. The stonework glowed momentarily then imploded w/ a sharp bang. The whole structure collapsed instantly, thumping to the wet ground and throwing up small waves of red-tinted water.
        Lady Death could only gape.
        "Now perhaps you can stop wasting your time here and help my troops at the main Gate."
        "Wasting my time!" Lady Death exploded. "You impudent wretch! Count the bodies around you, slut, does that look like I’ve been wasting my time?"
        A Blood Warrior ran at Purgatori, coming at her from the left and slightly behind her. Lady Death could have blasted him in a second, but right now she didn’t feel like it. Purgatori looked around at the sound of splashing footsteps, showing no particular interest in the man or his axe. At the last possible second she side-stepped and whirled, catching his arm and grabbing his neck, throwing him to the ground w/a powerful ju-jitsu hip throw. She was on him in a moment, hands to his head, and suddenly they had another recruit.
        Purgatori stood up, ignoring the soldier, and flicked her eyes around the battlefield. The few scattered survivors were gathering around her, pitifully few of them. "Where’s Garryk?"
        "Here," Lady Death said between clenched teeth, still furious. "He’s been poisoned."
        Purgatori brushed past her and knelt in the mud, cupping Garryk’s head. He was shuddering, pale, blood flowing from his mouth. Purgatori wiped some of the blood off his chin w/ her finger and licked it.
        "Can you do anything?" Lady Death said as Purgatori spat it out w/ a grimace. If Purgatori heard the concern in her voice she didn’t comment on it.
        "Yes," Purgatori said looking at Garryk. "I can."
        Garryk’s fevered eyes locked w/ hers and he opened his mouth. A thick rivulet of blood flowed over his lips. "Y…esss," he croaked.
        Purgatori raised her index finger, extended her talon and slit his throat w/ one swipe.
        "NO!!" Lady Death leapt at her and kicked her in the side of the chest, knocking her flying. "You callous miserable bitch!" She knelt by Garryk, trying to staunch the flood of blood. Garryk’s arms scrabbled weakly at her, almost as though he was trying to stop her. His mouth was working but the words weren’t making past the hole in his neck. He was going fast. "No Garryk, hold on!" It was useless - she was making absolutely no impression at all on the wound.
        Lady Death squealed as Purgatori yanked her to her feet by her ear and threw her through the air as if she were a rag doll. She squelched down in the mud and scrambled to her feet, staggering and slipping in the bloody slime. She spun, her hands aflame w/ scalding power…and stopped dead. Purgatori was cradling Garryk, supporting his back as he drank from a cut on her forearm. When he finished drinking she held him in a tight embrace as he kicked and flopped like a landed fish. Lady Death’s hands dropped as she watched numbly as his neck healed. Garryk opened his eyes. They were blank white.
        "Empress," he said
        "I was nearly too late. How do you feel?"
        "Good. I thank you."
        Purgatori squeezed his arm and stood, helping him to his feet, then walked over to Lady Death, eyes cold.
        "Well done, idiot. You almost killed him."
        "I thought you - "
        Purgatori drove a fist into her gut that seemed to have more force than the bullet that had hit her. Lady Death folded w/ a whoof, but Purgatori grabbed her by her hair and kept her upright. "Your stupidity almost cost a good man his life. You put your hands on me again, and I’ll crucify you w/ your own ribs." She slapped Lady Death across the face and let her drop in the mud.
        Lady Death gave a shriek of rage and reached a hand out. Apocalypse flew into her grip as she got to her knees, but a strong hand gripped her arm before she could swing it. She dragged her muddy hair out of her face, ready to pull that whore’s arm out of its socket, and saw it wasn’t her at all.
        "Are you alright?" Garryk asked.
        She strained for a second then subsided. "Yes." She looked up at him. "I…thought she was killing you. Putting you out of your misery like a lame horse."
        Garryk shrugged. "It’s okay. You weren’t to know." He smiled wryly and she saw how pointed his teeth were. "Purgatori seldom bothers to explain herself to people anyway."
        Lady Death got up fast at the mention of her name. "That slut! I’ll - "
        "No," Garryk said emphatically, tensing his muscles to keep her back. She could feel the increase in his strength. "Leave her Lady Death. Please."
        Lady Death gradually relaxed. She just stood looking at Garryk.
        "What?"
        "Never mind," she said dully. I can’t believe it. At last, I meet someone who seemed to be genuinely in love w/ me, and that tramp turns him into a vampire.
        Garryk saw her looking at his eyes, and glancing at his lips as if she could see the teeth behind. "Would you rather I was dead?" he asked quietly.
        "You are."
        Garryk shrugged. It was just something she would have to deal w/ in her own time…if she wanted to. "Don’t like vampires, huh?"
        "The ones I’ve met have been nothing but trouble" Lady Death said acidly. "One in particular."
        "Garryk!"
        "Yes Empress?"
        "Stop chatting and get a weapon. We move NOW!"
        "Yes, Empress." He looked at Lady Death for a second longer then turned to find a gun.
        Lady Death watched him go and then followed the rag-tag team trailing after Purgatori. She kept her distance from the vampiress, knowing that is she got put herself w/in sword-distance of her, she would probably do something unfortunate. Lightning slashed overhead, bleaching the night whiteblue as the pounding rain did its best to wash the filth from her body.

        Purgatori strode through her city, anger and hate building inside her w/ every step. Pockets of fighting seemed to be everywhere : her rebel teams had infiltrated many parts of the city and had begun converting and fighting. They were outnumbered and in a lot of cases outclassed and fighting w/ inferior weaponry, but for a wonder it seemed as though the citizens of New Necropolis had finally rebelled against Drakkan. Perhaps all it had taken was someone to give them the initiative. Lady Death and Garryk walked slightly behind, flanking Purgatori in an arrowhead. Between the large gun Garryk had recovered off a cat corpse, Apocalypse and Purgatori’s burning katana, they made an intimidating vanguard.
        Lady Death tensed as one of the buildings ahead of them erupted into flames on the first floor, blowing the windows out in a cascade of silvery shards. The ground floor window exploded too as a large figure jumped through it. The Akerian landed gracefully, turned and fired into the building. Garryk raised his rifle but at that moment an arrow smashed into the cat’s shoulder. It reeled back, its bullet going into the pavement, and four figures raced out of the burning building. They fanned out swiftly and smoothly, forming an arc around the Akerian, then moved in fast and cut it down.
        "Cobra!"
        One of the figures turned at Purgatori’s call and ran over. In the time since she had last seen him, he had acquired a scrape on his forehead and a long ragged slash on his left arm.
        "Empress! They drove us back from the Gate Empress. Most of the cats are there and - "
        "Where is Drakkan?"
        "Dunno," Snake Eyes shrugged. "Ain’t at the Gate. Met up w/ Anton’s team briefly, he said he thought Drakkan was at the Palace."
        "He was. I want to know where he is now."
        "Remember our deal, vampire," Lady Death said from behind.
        Purgatori ignored her. "Have we secured the other Gates?"
        "’parently, yes. Fighting’s still going on at one of the others but it looks like all the defenders gave them up to secure the main one."
        "Of course. He can build new Gates to the other worlds, but w/out the link to his own world he is lost."
        "You knew he’d do that?"
        "Hoped. This should work in our favour, unless he already managed to send messengers through to the other worlds to bring back some of his forces." Purgatori’s eyes glowed coldly in the dark, tinted yellow by the fire. "Send messengers - bring all our forces to attack the main Gate. We will encircle him and chop him to pieces."
        "We’re taking heavy losses Empress. The Gates have magickal shields."
        "Do as I say Snake Eyes! Let ME worry about the magic!"
        "Alright alright, keep your horns on." He turned to the other members of his team. "Yo, Shrapnel! Get over to - " Something hit the girl next to Shrapnel and her head exploded, soaking Snake Eyes and Shrapnel. One of the men standing next to Lady Death suffered the same fate.
        "Back up! Defensive formation! Spread out!" Purgatori yelled. Crossbow bolts snapped through the air, nearly invisible in the dark. One punched a hole through her right wing and she spat a curse, shoving a blast of power in the direction the projectile had come from. A searing burst of Arcane Energy slammed into the side of the building opposite the one that was on fire and it collapsed, pulping the feline figure that had appeared in its doorway. Purgatori snarled at Lady Death and she sneered back, about to snap some sarcastic comment. Garryk stepped in front of Lady Death and an arrow thumped into his shoulder. He fired from the hip and a shadow in an alley ducked out of sight as bricks shattered around it. One of the women behind Purgatori shrieked as a bullet tore off her right leg at the knee. As she fell screaming Purgatori gestured and the cat dropped its weapon, mewling as its eyes burst.
        "Sht! We’re surrounded!" Garryk yelled.
        Lady Death looked around and saw it was true. "We have to get off the street! They’ll massacre us!" She turned to Purgatori and gaped as she saw the vampiress launch herself into the air and speed off into the night. "NO! You traitorous whore!" She raised her fist in fury but Cobra pushed her aside before she could loose her power. "How dare you shove me, insect I’ll - "
        "You’ll nothing if you don’t help kill these cats," Cobra snapped.
        Lady Death hesitated and hefted Apocalypse. "You will live just long enough to see your Empress lose her head."
        "Save your dreams for when you’re sleeping," Cobra said dismissively. "Get in here!" he screamed at the others. A bullet tugged at his jacket as it snapped past, missing him by a centimetre at most. "Garryk, Shrapnel, cover them!" Three huge figures charged up the street at him and he fell into a ready stance, shoulder-to-shoulder w/ Lady Death.
        "I’ll try not to cut you by mistake," Lady Death said tightly.
        "You cut me, you better kill me," Snake Eyes said simply, and then the cats were upon them.

        "Hey, asshole!"
        The Akerian hurrying past the cells took no notice of the call. The heavy boot that flew through the bars and bounced off its head, however, DID get its attention. It turned w/ a thunderous snarl and the people in the cell shrank back from its furious gaze.
        Lance stood in the middle of the cell, prominent as everyone else was lying or sitting. He was white, his mouth paper dry.
        "Oh sht."
        The cat glared at him, as though unable to believe this puny little creature had assaulted it. Faint gunfire and a louder crump of some building falling drifted in from outside. The cat looked towards the noise then back at Lance, needing to get out to the battle but unwilling to let the attack go unanswered. As it paused, considering, Lance hit it w/ a beautiful throw of his other boot and that decided the matter.
        W/ a roar of fury the Akerian jammed its key in the lock and wrenched the door open. People scrambled frantically out the way, parting before him as he strode in, kicking aside those who didn’t move fast enough. Lance backed off a step and his back hit the cell wall. The cat raised its paw, claws gleaming.
        "Goddammit Rourke - !"
        Rourke leapt at the cat from behind, Lance’s leather belt clenched in his fists. Lying flat on the floor and obscured by several other prisoners placed strategically around him he had been overlooked by the Akerian as it stormed into the cell. He drove his knee into the base of its spine and at the same time threw the belt over the cat’s head and yanked back, garrotting it. The animal’s roar of pain was choked into a squeak as though it was trying to cough up a particularly large hairball. It rammed its elbow back and caught Rourke in the side. He staggered back and the belt slipped out of one hand, whipping off the cat’s throat as he stumbled back. The cat spun and slashed at his face and Rourke fell back w/ a cry of pain. It reached for its waist, drawing a long, twin-bladed dagger from its belt. Rourke blinked blood out of his eyes just in time to see the knife raised…and then Lance jumped up and grabbed the cat by the ears, dragging its head back. The cat yowled and slashed over its head, trying to reach Lance, then Rourke speared his fingers into its throat. The cat dropped like a felled tree, gurgling wetly. In less than two seconds, Rourke had twisted the knife out of its hand and had buried it in its skull.
        "You alright?"
        Lance was standing but bent over, hands on his knees, panting and shaking like a man who had just ran two miles further than was good for him. He managed a shaky nod. He couldn’t take his eyes off Rourke’s face. Thick blood masked most of the damage, but what Lance could see of the deep raked trenches was bad enough. He tore off the left sleeve of his tunic and passed it to Rourke to use as an improvised bandage.
        "Thanks." Rourke held the wadded-up cloth to his face w/ a wince and handed Lance the knife in return. "That took balls Lance."
        "And extreme terror," Lance said, managing a weak grin. "I didn’t know I was going to do it until I actually grabbed it."
        Rourke pushed the Akerian over and took the weapon that was slung over its shoulder. He checked it over and found it was fairly generic - a simple trigger system, a switch that seemed to be a firing selector and another that appeared to be a safety catch. He looked up and saw everyone staring at him wide-eyed, faint hope mixed in w/ the wonder and fear.
        "I’m going to help whoever’s fighting Drakkan. I’ll take care of the guards and clear a way out of here - after that it’s up to you. You can help me or you can leave - my advice would be to get out of the city."
        They sat in silence. Rourke shrugged and headed for the door. A human Blood Warrior appeared, running in the same direction that the cat had been headed. He saw the open cell, skidded to a halt and fell dead as Rourke blew his head off. Rourke darted out, alert for any others that might come to investigate the gunshot. None did. There was a footstep behind him : he turned to see Lance, hefting the knife uncertainly.
        "I’ll help you, if you want me :  I’ve never fought before…I don’t want to get in your way."
        Rourke clapped him on his shoulder. "You won’t. Come on - there are guards quarters in the next block over and they have an armoury. We should be able to get you a gun or something better than that knife."
        "That would be appreciated!"
        Rourke looked past him as the others shuffled to the cell door, hesitating before they stepped out as though they still suspected some trick. One of them picked up the Blood Warrior’s axe and stood beside Rourke.
        "Listen to me," Rourke said, raising his voice above the rising chatter. They fell silent immediately. "I will go first and check for danger. We should be okay - if the city’s under attack I doubt they would waste troops guarding locked up prisoners. Once we’re outside, those of you who want to leave do so - you’ll be on your own, so move fast. Those of you who want to fight, follow me to the armoury. We’ll get whatever weapons we can and then see if we can meet up w/ these fighters." They just stood in silence, perhaps not wanting to be the first to run away yet still not willing to commit themselves to a battle that might well get them killed. "Lance, get the guard’s keys and unlock the other cells."
        Rourke headed for the door w/out further comment. If they all left he would have two volunteers w/ him. If more of them stayed, he would be leading a team of inexperienced civilians. There was a good chance some would die. He would have the blood of more innocents on his hands. Rourke pushed that thought away and focused on the battle, on his training and abilities. In that moment, he reverted to warrior again, nothing but a seven-foot highly-trained killing machine. The people around him were nothing to him - all that mattered was getting out and retaking his city, and finding his Empress.

        Drakkan hacked at the rebel in front of him, his powerful blow cleaving the man in two. A small-calibre bullet hit his chest. He reached out and a wave of energy set the Marshal alight, enveloping him in a shroud of flame. Of the eight Akerians that had escorted him from the Palace, two were dead and two more were injured, though still fight-capable.
        He strode past the Temple of Anubis, hurling a blast of power at it angrily, almost petulantly. Two of the pillars supporting the stone portico over the entrance vapourised and the canopy fell, ripping out a fair sized chunk of wall. There - that would annoy the red bitch!
        The Gate stood ahead. His forces were gathered around it. It stood in the middle of a wide road, one of the main highways that led out of the city. This Gate was much larger than the others, built stronger in order to contain the spells and magick that he and Seance had devised, and built bigger to allow easy and rapid transport of large numbers of troops and equipment. The buildings that lined the road had been emptied, reinforced and manned w/ a permanent guard, and a small outpost had been constructed between the Gate and the Temple - nothing dramatic, just a fortified block of stone to help defend the Gate. They were token gestures - Drakkan was more than confident in the abilities of his mages.
        The troops were spread out around the area, manning positions in the buildings and surrounding the Gate itself. They saw him coming and jumped to attention. He stormed past the outer ring of guards and snarled at the number of troops there. One of the Blood Warriors ran up and saluted.
        "My Lord, we - "
        "Where are my reinforcements?" Drakkan spat, advancing on him threateningly.
        "B-but…we received n-no orders to s-summon any!"
        Drakkan smashed him to the ground. "No orders?! NO ORDERS?! Where’s that dog Vulnavia?"
        "She...we...haven’t seen her," the guard gasped, his head spinning.
        "WHAT?!" Drakkan reached down and snapped the man’s neck. "You!" he snarled, stabbing his finger at an Akerian. "COME HERE!" The warrior came over immediately, a look of worry on its face. Drakkan spat his spell like an oath and the Gate flared into life. The image inside showed a wide area of grassland, w/ a large, low complex of ugly buildings far off to the left. "Go through. Bring me warriors. All you can find. NOW!!" The warrior raced through the Gate, heading for the buildings. Drakkan watched him, bristling w/ fury. His senses twitched w/ the feeling of magick : that white whore’s power, and nearby, too. He couldn’t sense Purgatori’s magick : if she was still alive then she wasn’t using it…
        …magick…
        He gazed at the Gate and suddenly his eyes widened in horror. The protection magick was gone. He couldn’t detect a slightest trace.
        "No!" he whispered. It couldn’t be - how could it be true, his mages were hidden safely away…That bitch. That utter bitch. She had done it again. He had done it again, by underestimating her. Again. He had underestimated her and her friends - she had escaped. He had dropped her in a volcano, thinking that that would finish her off - she had gotten out. He had assumed he had protected his Gates - they were vulnerable. They could be destroyed. They would be destroyed : he knew she would do it, to try and bait him. "No," he hissed again. He wouldn’t let her beat him. She could destroy all the Gates to the other worlds - he would build more. This was the important Gate, and this one would remain standing.
        Movement caught his eyes : a Blood Warrior general jogged from the street opposite the temple, weaving past the Akerians and heading towards him. Drakkan straightened and turned to face the soldier, preparing to pull the man’s entrails out if he reported any sort of bad news whatsoever.
        The warrior trotted over, glanced at the Gate, then in one blinding movement hurled his spear at the nearest cat and landed a powerful flying kick to Drakkan’s head.
        Drakkan reeled back and fell heavily as the feline toppled, choking on its own blood. Gunfire chattered, and bullets and arrows stitched across the road. He dropped to his knee, sword held out in front of him, his rage almost matched by his disbelief that a lowly warrior would dare attack him. His eyes swept around and locked on the figure, flat on the ground to duck under a hail of arrows, and then it jumped up and rippled and shifted and he saw it wasn’t a lowly warrior at all.
        "Get up, mongrel," Purgatori spat. Two bullets thumped into her, one in the shoulder the other in her chest. She ignored both. One of the Akerians raced towards her, his gun raised. She looked at him and he staggered and dropped instantly, his heart pulped in his chest.
        "NO!!" Drakkan yelled as the rest of his guards ran up to take aim. An arrow flashed past Purgatori’s head as she side-stepped fractionally at the last moment. The guards faltered and stopped. "This whore is MINE!"
        Purple fire flared from her fist and her sword gleamed in the dark. "Come get me."

        Lady Death pulled her sword from the cat and looked over to where Cobra was fighting w/ the last one. He was dwarfed by the animal and he had no magick to even the odds, but by the look of it he didn’t need it. He fought well, awesomely well, and Lady Death wondered briefly if he might have been the one who taught Purgatori. He ducked and blocked, struck and parried, then speared one of the cat’s arms on one of his blades and slashed its throat w/ the other. He cleaned the blades and backed up, scanning the battle around him. The cats were down, but more Blood Warriors had appeared to replace the fallen, delaying their retreat into the building.
        Lady Death pointed at the door and it wrenched itself open "Back up! Get into cover!" she snarled. One of the fighters dived past her and she dodged a sword swipe as his Blood Warrior opponent chased him. Blue Arcane Energy smashed into the warrior and he staggered back, screaming as his flesh seared. She took his head w/ a snarl, cursing Purgatori’s ability to create armour that could almost render her power useless. Almost, she thought w/ satisfaction as she looked at the smoking body, but not quite.
        She waded into the fray, finding herself by Garryk as he crouched behind a stone drinking fountain. He loosed off a couple of shots and twisted around, signalling Shrapnel to cover him while he backed up a couple of steps.
        "How are we doing?" he asked.
        "Poorly. If you can cover us until we get into the building we should be okay."
        One of the Blood Warriors stabbed a rebel and swung for Lady Death. His sword clanged off Apocalypse and Garryk shot him in the thigh, felling him. Lady Death raised her sword and Garryk grabbed her arm.
        "No - drag him in and we’ll convert him."
        Lady Death curled her lip and pulled free. She smacked the flat of her blade across the Warrior’s helmet, stunning him, and left him lying there. A bullet slammed into the ground by her feet. Garryk dropped to one knee and fired a volley at an upstairs window across the street.
        "Fk it! Lady Death - help our fighters, I have to pin those snipers down!"
        Lady Death strode off w/out a word. To her left, Sabre slashed the chest of a vampire Blood Warrior - he barely faltered. Lady Death kicked him to the ground and used the same tactic to stun him.
        "Get inside!" Lady Death ordered. "Drag that maggot w/ you." She jumped at another Blood Warrior and ran him through. Someone banged into her and she whirled, coming w/in a hair of decapitating Shrapnel. His gun roared and a figure fell out of a window across the street, screaming all the way to the ground.
        "Watch your ass, girlie," Shrapnel growled and aimed at one of the Blood Warriors fighting a few feet away.
        "Watch your mouth, worm," she shot back and moved away to confront a pair of Blood Warriors who were crossing the street at a run. Most of their team were inside now. She cast Arcane Energy at the Warriors but they jumped out the way, moving w/ the uncanny speed of vampires. Lady Death ran to meet them, swinging her blade and cutting one of them down. She was grinning savagely, the bloodlust raging w/in her as she rejoiced in both repaying Drakkan some of the torment she had suffered, and cutting down some more of Purgatori’s warriors.
        To her left she saw Cobra out in the middle of the street, cradling the unconscious body of the girl whose leg had been shot off. He was unarmed - his blades had been stowed away so that he could carry her. If nothing else, she thought grudgingly, he was a gutsy fkr - one of his people was down and he had gone into the middle of a killing zone to get her, not knowing if she was even still alive. An arrow hit the sidewalk by his feet and ricocheted, its steel broadhead sparking off the stone. From where she stood, Lady Death had a clear view of everything going wrong. One of Snake Eyes’ team saw what was happening and ran to cover him. He fired his crossbow and the Blood Warrior that had been cocking his arm to hurl a javelin was knocked backwards by the impact of the bolt. The warrior reloaded the crossbow, covering Cobra as he jogged for the building. Cobra was right by Lady Death when it happened. His eyes met hers coolly and he opened his mouth. Over his shoulder she saw his friend turn and begin jogging towards them. She saw the muzzle flash from a window down the street. The bullet hit the rebel squarely, right at the base of the neck. He was knocked off his feet rudely, his limbs spasming, his finger clenching on the trigger involuntarily, loosing a bolt that slammed right through Cobra’s chest. He coughed and stumbled to his knees, dropping the woman who flopped onto the ground, cracking her head off the kerbstone. Cobra knelt shuddering, head bowed, blood flowing from his nose and mouth. Lady Death hesitated a moment then bent down to grab him. A bullet sliced through the air where her head had been. She picked him up and dragged him into the building. Two arrows thumped into the doorframe.
        "Fk! Cobra!" Garryk ran to support him as Lady Death put him down.
        "Get - g-get ups…stair…" Cobra slurred between clenched teeth. "G-go high - "
        Garryk ran for the stairs w/ a curse, wanting to stay and help if he could but knowing that if they couldn’t hold the enemies off they would all die.
        Sabre took his place, her face green. Her fingers shook as she inspected the wound.
         "Can you help?" Lady Death said as she crouched down. "Should we pull the arrow out?"
        Sabre looked up, her eyes big and wet. She shook her head.
        Lady Death looked at Cobra. "What a pity. This probably wouldn’t have happened if your beloved Empress hadn’t run off like the cowardly dog she is."
        Cobra’s hand flashed out, amazingly quick, and grabbed her tunic. "Ra - n - off?" he spat. His voice was weak but his eyes blazed. "You s-stupid white w-worm, she went to…t…to k-kill Drak…kan…"
        Lady Death slapped his hand away. "Pah. You think too highly of her."
        "Get out of my sight," Cobra said, his voice steady but little more than a whisper. "S-sabre?"
        "Cobra, you shouldn’t talk. Rest and - "
        "Ssh. Get…get out the back b-before they attack. You - ugh! - you-re fast. R…un to the other G-Gates as Purgatori said. Rally our f-forces, bring them here. Help P-Purgatori."
        "But…we can’t leave you!" A rattle of gunfire from upstairs punctuated her words. "If your wound doesn’t kill you, the first Blood Warrior through the door will!"
        "Y…ou’re was-asting time," Snake Eyes grimaced. "Go. Send medics back if you…can but g-go…NOW! The…a-attack will draw off the Blood…Warriors."
        Sabre stood up and pulled a pistol from her belt. She put it in his hands and turned away, unable to speak.
        Lady Death stood up and looked down at him. "Don’t die yet. I promised you would live to see me take Purgatori’s head."
        Snake Eyes grinned, showing his fangs. They were coated w/ blood. "Then I…must…be immortal."
        "Everyone!" Sabre cried. "Retreat now! We head for the Gate!"
        Cobra lay back as best he could, slowing his breathing and taking shallow breaths. He closed his eyes, ignoring the pain and the running feet around him. He concentrated on someone, someone worth hanging on for, someone worth fighting for every extra second of life. Demonica. Where was she? Still in the Palace? Had she been captured? Had she been killed?
       No. She’s alive. She IS alive.
        It was quiet around him. Everyone had gone from the building and the Blood Warriors had stopped firing, perhaps trying to determine what the rebels were doing, perhaps just saving ammunition.
       Hang on, Cobra. You’ve had worse. Got three bullets in you from that rapist you were hunting a couple years back. Got fairly well mauled by that jaguar when I was w/ Lexus and Purgatori that time, the one she skinned and turned into those sexy panties. Heh. So this arrow? It’s nothing man. Just hang on. You wouldn’t go break Demonica’s heart by dying, would you? She would -
        Footsteps outside, gritting on the glass fragments from the shattered windows. He thumbed the safety off the pistol and opened his eyes. He sucked air and tasted someone close by the window, probably looking in. He was invisible, wearing black and lying in shadows. Movement. The Blood Warrior crossed near-silently to stand at the edge of the doorway, listening. Cobra raised his pistol, sighting on the doorway, the barrel wavered as his body shuddered. He could feel blood trickling down his throat. Oh fk. Don’t cough don’t cough don’t -
        A silhouette appeared. He shot it in the head. The Blood Warrior tumbled back w/ a squawk and immediately the stormy night flashed and flickered w/ gunfire. Snake Eyes coughed, spat blood and flopped, ignoring the bullets that were tearing up the scenery around him. Running steps. More gunfire, different direction. Snake Eyes stared into the night : someone was firing at the Blood Warriors. Sabre? Please no, she needs to help Purgatori.
        Figure at the window. Snake Eyes raised the gun and fired. Missed. Fk! He loosed off two more shots and thought he hit it, but his vision was bad and his hand was shaking so it was by no means definite. No : he could taste them…and another coming up fast to the window. Blam of gunfire again. A body staggered across the doorway and crumpled as an arrow thumped into it. Snake Eyes coughed wetly and saw a huge shape edge around the window and peer in. Only one person Snake Eyes knew was that big. Someone who had been an enemy…but had now shot a Blood Warrior.
        "R…ourke?"
        The figure jumped in through the shattered window and scanned the interior. "Snake Eyes? Where are you?"
        "H - ere."
        "Oh sht!" Rourke knelt down and inspected the wound. "Damn, this is bad."
        "Th…that’s re…assuring."
        "Hold on, we got a nurse w/ us."
        "No…help…P-Purgatori - " But Rourke was gone.
        Cobra laid his head down and closed his eyes. So tired. Need to sleep. His breath rattled wetly in his lungs. Demonica…wanna see you again. Hurry Rourke. Don’t let me die and leave her…

        Drakkan lunged at Purgatori, casting magick at her as he slashed. Purgatori blocked both, backing up under his attack. There was a ring of Akerians and Blood Warriors around them : one raised his gun and slammed the butt down on the back of her neck as she stepped closer. Purgatori snarled and spun, cutting his weapon in half but missing the soldier. She jumped aside and Drakkan’s blade sliced down like a guillotine, missing her by centimetres. She flew at him in a shoulder charge, driving him to the ground. She pushed off him using her sword and Drakkan roared as the razor-sharp steel sliced through his tunic and down to his ribs. Purple fire flared and died, smothered by yellow magick. Drakkan sprang to his feet, eyes smouldering.
        "Bitch. Is that the best of your magick?"
        Purgatori said nothing. This was not a fight about magick - she wanted to dissect him and bathe in his blood. He cast a ball of pure Chaotic power at her and she jumped, using her wings to leap up and over him. The power hit one of the cats in the circle and utterly vapourised it. The others suddenly began to wonder whether being here was going to be so much fun after all.
        Purgatori twisted in mid-flight and cut, taking off half of Drakkan’s left ear. He howled and swung at her but she had already landed and his blade barely blocked hers in time. The clang of steel rang out across the open space as the two combatants sized each other up, their blades touching. Purgatori’s senses were alive. She felt him gathering his power and she moved, pressing her sword against his hard, as if seeking to open his guard. He fell for it, pushing back strongly to block her. Purgatori’s blade was gone in a microsecond and Drakkan’s blade jarred outwards, leaving him open  - she stepped in and to the side and her katana sliced open his belly. Purgatori grinned as Drakkan reeled back w/ a scream, swathed in violet fire : an excellent move, one she had always fallen for herself when she had been learning kenjutsu from Kurosawa Sensei.
        Drakkan leapt back, using his magick to smother the flames on his body but not the jacket : he shrugged it off and threw the burning leather at Purgatori.
        "Have your skin back, bitch. You’ll need it by the time I’m finished w/ you."
        Purgatori slashed upwards and the jacket vapourised. She circled, making sure she kept out of range of the ring of warriors. Drakkan circled w/ her, sword outstretched. She saw the concern in those burning red eyes, saw how wary he was of her : her martial talents had taken him by surprise. She saw him glance behind her, saw his eyes flicker, saw the faint twitch of a smirk.
       Not falling for that. Just his guards behind me, the ones he ordered not to -
        - the Gate!!
        She had her back to the Gate.
        An energy blast smashed into her left shoulder, spinning her a full  half-turn and almost tearing the limb off. She saw them on the other side of the Gate, perhaps six hundred metres away : over a hundred Akerians, one in front kneeling w/ a large scoped rifle. He fired again and missed as Purgatori collapsed. The energy bolt zapped past Drakkan and took out an Akerian to his right.
        Drakkan bounded forward, his sword slamming into the ground by her head as she moved at the last possible moment. Her blade cut up at him and he dodged, stabbing down as she tried to heal herself. His sword caught her below the ribs and gashed her vertically to mid thigh. Drakkan rasped laughter as Purgatori fell on her back w/ a shriek. He motioned at her and she spasmed violently as her blood contracted inside her, twisting her limbs and organs.
         "Hah! Writhe, bitch! Once again your stupid impetuosity proves to be your undoing!"
        Purgatori shrieked w/ rage and burned his sorcery out of her w/ her own power. She jack-knifed up off the ground using her wings  and cut at him. Her steel slashed through his biceps and fire leapt up his arm. Lightning seared overhead. Purgatori gestured at it and another massive bolt veered in mid-direction and crashed into the Gate just as the first of the reinforcements ran through. The Gate shimmered and sizzled as the raw power shorted out the magical web holding it open and Drakkan howled as the Gate went blank, leaving a neatly bisected corpse to flop onto the ground. The heavy acrid smell of ozone clogged the air. Drakkan clamped his hand to his arm, extinguishing the flames and saw w/ relief the image of his world slowly beginning to materialise in the jaws of the Gate. Obviously the lightning had just scrambled the spell, not destroyed it. He screamed as Purgatori rammed Kintaro through his chest and twisted her. He fell to his knees and Purgatori pulled her blade out, swinging it above her head in a tight short arc in readiness to decapitate him. Three of the cats fired at once, their energy weapons blowing huge smoking craters in her body. She was knocked sideways and twisted, landing on her belly and dropping her sword. Her wounds sizzled in the pooling rain water. Drakkan stood up slowly, yellow energy swirling over him.
        "Pathetic wretch," he growled. "If you were hoping to hit my heart, you missed. You shouldn’t assume MY heart is in the middle of my chest just because yours is."
        Purgatori blinked water out of her eyes and still found her vision blurry. Sword - where was her sword? She turned her head and saw her a few feet away, raindrops glinting on her blade like studded diamonds. Daggers of yellow power rammed into her and she screamed as the fire ripped through her.
        Drakkan watched her twist and writhe, his eyes glittering. "You should have stayed hidden, bitch," he snarled, walking towards her at a leisurely pace. "This is MY world now. You are nothing but a petty trespasser. You will be punished accordingly." He watched Purgatori flop as the Chaotic power vapourised, negated by her own sorcery. The effort had exhausted her but still she reached for her sword, her hand creeping slowly towards the katana like a wounded spider. Outnumbered, severely injured and exhausted, she still refused to give up Drakkan thought wonderingly. Perhaps I should have converted her instead. What an asset to my army she would have been. What an ironic humour it would have been for Isis to have her precious prophecy girl fighting against her!  He jammed his sword down into Purgatori’s reaching forearm, pinning her to the ground a few inches away from her weapon. She gasped in pain and slumped, her head splashing into the puddle. Drakkan toed her body w/ a smile and looked at the Gate. The image was still flickering and jumping like a badly tuned TV. Drakkan raised his hand and then hesitated : he could recast the spell as Seance had told him, but in its unstable state, what effect would the extra power have on the Gate? He lowered his hand slowly. Better to wait, let the thing stabilise before acting.
        There was a strangled yelp from his right. : one of the human Blood Warriors fell w/ three arrows in her back and suddenly gunfire erupted all around them, felling four felines. Drakkan swore in fury and yanked his sword out of Purgatori’s arm as his troops returned fire. He kicked her sword away and threw a huge blast of Chaotic fire in the direction of the muzzle flashes. The yellow missile hit a building and erupted, spraying smoking shrapnel in all directions. Large flames leapt into the night and the adjoining building began to collapse too. A Doom Magistrate fell in front of him and Drakkan cursed through gritted teeth : he had troops waiting right on the other side of the Gate, a scant few metres away, and he couldn’t get to them. It was maddening.
        Blinding blue light slammed into his chest and knocked him flying. He landed heavily and scrambled up, somehow still holding his sword. Lady Death dropped out of the sky right in front of him, putting all the speed and power of her descent into her cut. Apocalypse clanged against Drakkan’s sword w/ a blow that shuddered her arms.
        "Now, you flea-ridden vermin," she spat. "Now you will face my wrath!"
        "How intimidating," Drakkan yawned, slicing at her. His blade hit her shoulder pad and cut an inch into the armour, jarring her neck. "If I can defeat Purgatori, you will present no trouble at all."
        Lady Death knocked the blade aside and kicked out at him, her fury and hate giving her strength. "You beat her?" she sneered. "Funny, those don’t LOOK like sword wounds to me!"
        Drakkan hissed in anger and hurled Chaotic power at her. She got Apocalypse up just in time and the energies exploded around her like a gaudy firework. The bright red-orange flames cleared just in time for her to see Drakkan’s blade before it hit her midriff, slitting her skin and breaking four of her ribs. She cried out and parried, cutting open his forearm. Drakkan danced aside a step to avoid her second slash and kicked her hard on the hip, sending her staggering. She recovered fast and dropped into an on-guard stance, her teeth clenched in pain.
        Drakkan mirrored her stance and grinned at her. "Come on, witch." An arrow hit his thigh and he vapourised it w/out even looking at it. Lady Death raised her hand, the light from her Arcane Energy bathing her in a sickly blue light that turned the rain into sapphire chips. "Ah, your petty energy. You think that will be effective against ME?"
        "Against you? No," Lady Death spat, shoving the whole of her power out from her hand.
        Drakkan braced himself then sidestepped the energy easily. Hah - the stupid cow had expended all her power in a reckless gamble that would hit nothing but -
        The Gate!!
        Drakkan shrieked in horror as he realised he had not been Lady Death’s target at all. W/ all the fighting, he had gotten disoriented and had not realised what stood behind him. The scorching sapphire energy collided w/ the obsidian construction, swept over it and enveloped it, and a fraction of a second later the whole device detonated in a blinding flash of blue and yellow. A corona of power slammed outwards, washing over the warriors and scattering them like tenpins. Lady Death threw herself flat, using Apocalypse’s power to shield her from the brunt of the blow. She saw Drakkan vanish in the inferno, saw a Doom Magistrate splattered in half by a whirling chunk of obsidian shrapnel the size of a dinner table, and then the power of the blast thumped through her body and left her lying dazed in the mud.
        She didn’t know how long she lay there, but when her eyes opened the pounding rain was beginning to settle the swirling dust. She coughed and felt her ribs jar in protest : it felt as though she had been clamped in a vice for a couple of hours. She sat up w/ a wince and managed to force a grin when she saw the jagged ruins where the Gate had once stood. Hah! Like that, did you, you scabrous mongrel? Now you’re stuck here and -
        Something yanked Lady Death into the air and hurled her into the shattered remains of the right hand pillar. She felt bones snap and Apocalypse went spinning into the night as she flumped to the ground.

        Purgatori lay on the ground, thin mist swirling in front of her eyes where the wet ground had been seared dry by the explosion. She lay still, sensing her surroundings while her body healed rapidly. She had seen Lady Death’s attack, felt her gathering her Arcane Energy for a strike, had realised what she intended to do, and while Lady Death attempted a spell to shield her from the blast, Purgatori prepared one to embrace it. A potent cocktail of raw Arcane Energy and chaotic power swept over her and as before, on Earth, it swept into her ravaged body and recharged it, merging w/ the Chaotic power she had received from Armageddon and Isis, harmonising w/ her instead of reacting against her and ripping her apart.
        Armageddon’s power. Drakkan’s magick. Isis’s sorcery. Honey sweet power.
        The craters in her body sucked back the blood that had leaked out of them and filled in seamlessly. She reached out and her sword snapped through the air and slapped into her palm as she stood up. There was devastation all around her. The blast had demolished most of the buildings surrounding the Gate and a few beyond. Fires burned brightly, trying to get the upper hand against the driving rain. There were a few bodies around her. Most of those closest to the Gate had vanished completely, obliterated by the energy blast. The Blood Warriors had fared slightly better, probably due to the Blood Armour. The human ones looked dead but the vampiric ones, though badly wounded, looked salvageable. Various Akerians and Doom Magistrates were scattered about. A few of the felines were obviously dead but the insects looked stunned, their impressive armour having obviously protected them.
        There was a cry of pain and thump of impact behind her. Purgatori turned to see Drakkan picking up his sword. His back was smoking, the fur singed almost black. He strode over to the Gate and she saw a glimmer of blue there as Lady Death tried to summon enough energy to heal herself.
        Drakkan rammed his blade through Lady Death’s chest just below the left collarbone and lifted her into the air. "You insignificant maggot," he hissed, slashing open her arm as she tried to support herself as she writhed and shrieked. "You think yourself so clever. You think you have finished me? Idiot child. My very first act on creating the Gate was to send detailed plans and spells back to my most trusted general and mages. You think I was going to leave myself vulnerable to the whims of Seance and Pagan? You have achieved nothing save a postponement of the inevitable."
        "Don’t you ever cease your banal prattling?"
        "Huh?!" Drakkan whirled at the voice and gaped as he saw Purgatori standing a few feet away. Her clothing rippled and shimmered and when they settled she was wearing her customary garb of black leather and armoured shoulder pads. Her sword flickered, barely a blink of movement it seemed, and Drakkan looked around in confusion as Lady Death fell to the ground. His sword was still stuck through her body and his hand was still clutching it. Hot rich blood jetted from the stump. It paused in mid-air and snaked straight into Purgatori’s mouth.
        "Ugh! You BITCH!" Drakkan snatched up the sword and pressed his hand to the stump. The two pieces of meat melted together and he snarled at Purgatori. "Whore! I will send your carcass to Isis for that!"
        "Really?" Purgatori grinned, licking her scarlet fangs w/ relish. "And when might that be? You’ve been fighting several billion years and still haven’t managed to get your hands on her."
        Drakkan leapt at her w/ an outraged growl. He slashed at her w/ a flurry of fast cuts and immediately cast his power at her. Purgatori hissed in pain as the crackling yellow energy blanketed her and flapped into the air, knowing that he would strike while she was blinded. She was right : Drakkan’s sword swept down and the slash that was supposed to have taken her right arm off merely cut through her wing membrane instead. The yellow magick burst as Purgatori cast her own spell. From up here she could see flickering orange in several parts of the city. In several parts of her city. As she had suspected, much of it would be damaged, if not destroyed outright. Her people, stolen from her; her city, ravaged; her empire, decaying. Her friend, dead. She hovered, glaring down at Drakkan in hatred.
        "Come down here, coward," Drakkan spat.
        Purgatori obliged, speeding out of the sky w/ a thrust of her wings. Drakkan dived aside and cut, but Purgatori had already moved and as his sword cut air Purgatori’s cut his chest under his armpit. He slashed at her in fury and missed again. She flitted backwards out of range and landed nimbly, that infuriating smirk on her face. Drakkan bared his fangs at her and circled warily as his wound healed. The fights had weakened him more than he had expected and somehow that bitch looked as good as new.
        "Any more clever comments?"
        Drakkan roared and jumped. His sword clanged off her shoulder pad and he kicked her thigh hard as she parried, driving her down. Purgatori retaliated immediately, blocking his legs and kicking him behind his kneecap. Drakkan fell hard and rolled, scrambling to his feet only to find Purgatori already waiting. Silver flickered in front of his eyes and suddenly his throat opened, spurting steaming blood into the cold air. He croaked in alarm and ducked back, clamping his hand over the gash. He felt a sickening suction and slashed wildly at Purgatori as he realised she was pulling his blood out. A jagged yellow lightning bolt slammed from his fingers and hit Purgatori in the stomach, knocking her ten feet backwards. Drakkan healed his neck and charged at her, sensing an opportunity to prevail. He turned his sword, holding it in a reverse grip and drove it down w/ all his might. His foot skidded on the jellied innards of one of the Akerian guards and his aim faltered. The tip of the sword sank into Purgatori’s right biceps and ploughed all the way to the wrist, dredging a deep furrow in her meat. She screamed and dropped the katana.
        Lady Death coughed and blinked rain out of her eyes  she could feel her power inside her, healing the last of her wounds. A scream nearby. She raised her head w/ a jerk and saw Purgatori on the ground, kicking Drakkan in the groin and rolling out of range as he fell back.
       Bitch! We had a deal! Apocalypse - where was her damned blade? She sat up and looked around frantically, her senses still fuzzy from the magical blast. Her eyes caught movement; she squinted, trying to determine if it was just the jumping and dancing shadows caused by the firelight. It wasn’t. Akerians. Lady Death swore and scanned the dark surrounding her faster, trying to keep low so they wouldn’t see her. Damn you, sword, where are you?! Another flicker of motion, past Purgatori and Drakkan : more cats. Looked like the rest of the remaining forces were congregating here, attracted by the fall of the Gate.
        There! She saw the dull pewter gleam and snatched up the sword. She looked at Drakkan, torn between the desire to jump into the battle and slice him up, and the need to prevent the enemy from encircling them. she saw more cats joining the original group, and the gleam of red armour, and that made her mind up. Be careful. They have guns. I’m still weak from that bastard’s power. She crouched down and slinked towards the cats, painfully aware of how her white skin and hair would stand out in the gloom.
        Purgatori was on her feet in a moment, snatching up the katana w/ her left hand as the right healed. Their swords rang together, each of them cutting and parrying blindingly fast. A long golden whip of Chaotic energy snapped around her sword and tore her out of Purgatori’s grasp. Purgatori howled in rage and shredded the whip w/ her own power. The sword twirled through the night and fell by one of the burning buildings, reflecting the flickering orange fire in a graceful arc. Purgatori reached out then snatched her hand back as Drakkan stabbed at it. He sliced again, catching her above the breasts. She snarled and leapt straight at him, unsheathing her talons and sinking them deep into his forearm as he swung down at her. Drakkan yelled as she tore the muscle off the forearm. His other fist hammered down on the top of her head and she crumpled, stunned. Drakkan kicked her in the face and reeled away, trying to work his magick.
        Purgatori shook her head and looked up blearily, hunting for the katana. Her head thumped queasily and she had to struggle to concentrate on her healing spell. Gunfire suddenly rattled from the other side of the clearing. She heard a strangled cry and more firing - Akerian weapons this time. Her eyes fixed on a rainbow of fire and she struggled to her knees, crawling towards the sword. The big silhouette of a Doom Magistrate stepped in front of her, shielding her from the heat of the fire. Its long javelin-like arm jabbed at her, scraping along her side as she twisted away. It said something in its own language, a rapid series of clicks and rattles she didn’t understand, then she focused on it and some invisible force cannoned into it and flung the bug deep into the raging inferno behind it. She picked up the katana and turned, feeling her strength beginning to flow, slowly. Drakkan was hunched over, yellow power slithering over his wounded arm. Beyond him, Purgatori saw a ghostly figure briefly illuminated by a muzzle flash : Lady Death. A large spiky shadow rose up behind her as she fought w/ a Blood Warrior. Purgatori saw her kick the warrior away and whirl, staggering back under the powerful blow of the Doom Magistrate. Something went over Purgatori’s head w/ a loud WHUUP! and she saw the insect’s head explode like a dropped pumpkin. So, at least Demonica’s still alive. I’m surprised that bullet wasn’t a couple feet to the left… She cocked her head to one side, her acute hearing picking up faint sounds over the crackling fire and raging storm. Is that…what I think it is…?
        Drakkan had heard it too as he straightened up, flexing his fingers experimentally. It sounded like the clamour of voices, human voices. There was renewed fighting all around them now. His troops, alerted by the destruction of the Gate, had come to investigate. That red bitch’s troops had come too, either for the same reason or because she had ordered them to. There was also the possibility that they were here because they were chasing his troops, but Drakkan didn’t want to consider that because it would imply that he was losing, his army on the run. He saw a pair of Akerians crouching by burning palm trees, saw one of them slammed backwards by a powerful gunshot, and then his attention was taken by Purgatori. She stood like some infernal demon, backlit by the burning building, eyes glowing balefully. She looked dangerous, powerful, stronger than he felt. He had lost blood : she had taken it. Drakkan circled away warily as she strode towards him. He jumped at her and slashed, grinning as he saw his blade slit open her stomach. She cupped the wound and flung the blood at him as she sliced, her Kathos sorcery turning the liquid into a steel-hard shuriken that sank into his cheek. Drakkan jerked back w/ a yowl and screamed as fire burned his arm. His hand fell to the ground w/ his sword. He made a grab for it but had to jerk back as the katana sliced past his nose, close enough to singe his whiskers. He backed off w/ a grimace, trying to quell the violet flames that were covering the severed stump and were beginning to creep up his arm. Purgatori flew at him, taking to the air and driving her bootheels into his chest w/ a blow that fractured his sternum. Drakkan hit the ground hard and rolled, coming to his feet w/ a slight sway. Scalding pain seared his back as Purgatori slashed him open from shoulder to hip. Drakkan screamed and spun, managing to club her across the face. She smashed into a pile of rubble w/ a series of sharp cracks as her bones broke. Her head smacked against a lump of sandstone and he saw blood darken the rock.
        "You can’t kill me!" Drakkan screeched, kneeling on her chest. He slapped her across the face and tore her cheek open w/ his claws. "You imbecile child. Your own prophecy stated I would die on my own world! That slut Isis never told you that, did she? It was one of her definite points, one she said could never be changed! That’s why I worked so hard to get here! Now, you fool, you have destroyed my Gate and cannot reach my world! Hah! You yourself have derailed that whore’s precious prophecy!" He leant closer, saliva dripping off his sharp teeth. "You will not live to rebuild a Gate to my world, bitch."
        Purgatori glared at him, her eyes still burning. Her split bruised lips labouriously pulled back in a sneer. "What did you tell me after I had been shot?"
        "Huh?" Drakkan paused at the unexpected question and that slight lapse in concentration was all Purgatori needed. She heaved her body up against Drakkan’s weight, getting enough space to free her arm and in one flash of movement she extended her talons and gutted him like a pig. Blood and entrails flopped onto her. She felt the dark rich liquid sink into her, felt the immediate rush of power. Drakkan staggered back w/ a chilling howl, his hand scrabbling at his unravelling intestines. Purgatori pushed herself up and winced as her bones pulled themselves back into position.
        Drakkan stumbled, hunched over as he tried to get his power to flow. Pain shot through him, making his mind whirl. No NO NO! Concentrate! That whore will NOT kill me!! she will not will not will not will -
        He saw a pair of boots right in front of him. He managed to raise his head and he saw Purgatori less than a foot away. He felt her hand punch into him, shoving sickeningly into his innards. He let go of his intestines and grabbed at her throat. She slapped the arm away and Drakkan croaked in sick fright as he felt her claws spread out inside his body then lock around his spine, her long claws tearing out of his back as they gouged holes in the thin flesh covering.
        "N-N-!!" Drakkan looked down at her and saw no gleeful victory on her face, no satisfaction or insulting humour. Only hate, pure ice-cold black hate. "You…bitch…."
        "That’s right." Purgatori yanked hard and snapped his spine w/ a sharp wet crack that seemed to echo around the battleground.. Drakkan bellowed and collapsed as his legs suddenly stopped working. He slid off Purgatori’s fist, leaving ropes of intestine looped over her fingers and impaled on her claws like some ghastly tinsel on the branch of a nightmarish Christmas tree. Faintly, he heard the roar of an Akerian, half surprised, half outraged. A weapon fired and Purgatori doubled over as the cat's shot hit her in the stomach. Ha! Die bitch! Drakkan thought dizzily. She looked up as though she had heard him, ignoring an arrow that smacked into her arm just below her shoulder armour. Far off, strangely much further far off than it should have been it seemed, he heard guns kill the cat. Purgatori dropped to her knees, holding onto his good arm. He saw her fangs glinting and tried to pull away but horrid sparkling numbness was spreading quickly, faster than his failing magick. She grabbed his head, sinking her talons into his face and popping one of his eyes, then shoved his head back. He felt her lips on his fur, the searing pain of her teeth tearing into his flesh. He heard his carotid crunch open and then a horribly erotic sucking as she clamped her lips over the wound and drank his blood.
        Purgatori gulped the hot liquid, hating the alien taste but relishing the flood of power. She could feel him weakening, feel his pulse beginning to stagger. His fingers wrapped around her hair and he yanked, trying to pull her away, but she resisted easily. She sank her claws in deeper and bit again, gnawing at the wound to open it up.
        A hard kick knocked her sprawling. She twisted and got to one knee, hands held up defensively, her scarlet fangs bared.
        "We had an agreement, slut!" Lady Death snarled. She hefted Apocalypse and for one brief second she felt a horrendous pulling feeling, the feeling of her blood suddenly moving towards her skin as if by a sudden change of gravity, and then it was gone, and Purgatori was just kneeling there smirking the infuriating smirk that Lady Death hated so much.
        "Does he look dead? Go ahead and finish him off. I softened him up for you."
        Lady Death clenched her teeth, every muscle quivering w/ absolute fury, then she turned to Drakkan - who did, as a matter of fact, look dead - and swiped his head off w/ one brutal angry blow and stamped away. She didn’t know where she was going, she just had to get away from that wretched buzzard. That BITCH!! As soon as we reach WinterHaven I am going to skin her alive! Tramp! Bitch! How DARE she! After all that had happened, all he had done to her, Drakkan’s death had been completely unsatisfying. She had wanted to best him in combat, humiliate and crush him, then kill him w/ carefully measured cuts and stabs, letting him savour the excruciating pain and knowledge of failure. But, ultimately, he had been near death - if, in fact, he WAS actually still alive - thanks to that miserable, wretched tramp of a vulture. That cow! Sitting there w/ that maddening smirk on her face, laughing at me! Just you wait BITCH! As soon as we’re on my world and you don’t have your troops and snipers and scabby citizens to cower behind I WILL kill you.
        Lady Death stomped past the carcasses of the cats she had killed and shoved one of Garryk’s Blood Warriors out of the way. Where am I going? The Gate to WinterHaven has gone, and even if it were still there I do not possess the power to work it! In an utter rage she cast her Arcane Energy at the most lavish building she could see and gained a small measure of satisfaction as she saw it implode and collapse.
        Purgatori flapped into the air and soared high, high, hovering just below the cloudbase to inspect her city. She had feared the worst, but actually the damage didn’t look all that bad, considering. Her Palace was a mess, still plated w/ that noisome metal that so effectively fkd w/ her powers and most of the statues of her had been destroyed. Fires speckled the scene and a couple of them seemed to be gaining hold and growing. Perhaps a year’s work, that’s all, Purgatori thought as she dropped back towards the ground. We got off lightly. I would have razed everything if I had been him.
        Fighting was still going on in isolated pockets all over the city. It looked like the sudden attack had really caught Drakkan’s forces by surprise and the loss of the main Gate had demoralised them : there were few things that weakened an army’s resolve more than realising they were trapped w/out backup in an enemy land. And, presumably, word of Drakkan’s death would be getting around too. She saw a large mob of people running through the streets chasing a few Blood Warriors - as she thought, the citizens had finally rebelled and helped to turn the tide of the battle in her favour. Mobs. She had seen what they were capable of in Alexandria, and useful though they had been she would have to do something before they got out of hand.
        Purgatori landed by Drakkan’s body and looked around for her sword. There she was, stuck almost vertically in the ground a few metres away, serenely reflecting the chaos around her. Purgatori retrieved her w/ a sigh of relief and inspected her for damage. She was perfect, not a nick or chip in the blade. Truly, Wolf’s friend had been a genius. And another person who died because of me. She felt that hateful despair snuggling up to her again and she shrugged it away angrily. Later, for the moping. I have a maggot to hunt down first.
        Movement : she saw a huge shape walking towards her, arms held wide and empty.
        "Rourke."
        "Yes Empress."
        "You look like sht."
        Rourke stalled at that but Purgatori just ignored him and began walking towards where she had last seen Garryk and his team.
        "…Empress?"
        "What?"
        "…"
        "No Rourke," she said, turning to look at him. "It wasn’t your fault."
        "I…was negligent. I should have known something was wrong."
        "I can see inside minds, and I couldn’t detect anything."
        "…but I…"
        "Rourke, I’m not going to punish you, much less kill you for what you did. If I were, I would have to kill virtually everybody else in the city. Save your guilt for later, I have a job for you."
        "Anything Empress."
        "Take people, spread out across the city and keep the mob under control. Keep them from killing Blood Warriors, we can convert them back."
        "Uh…yeah. I’ll get Garryk to do that if you don’t mind, Empress. Some of the citizens might…not be too happy to see me."
        Purgatori raised an eyebrow. "And what have you been getting up to?"
        "Well…y’know, getting people eaten alive and stuff."
        "I don’t EVEN want you to explain that. Fine, get Garryk to sort it out. Is Cobra here?"
        "No, he’s hurt."
        "Badly?"
        "Aye."
        "Fk. Alright, listen : stop the mob. I don’t want them getting…over enthusiastic. Get word around the citizens : we need anyone w/ medical training immediately - get our people seen to. If you come across any Akerians that surrender, take them alive and lock them up."
        "Alive, Empress…?"
        "Yes, once things are back to normal, we’ll put them in the Arena and let the people tear them apart. It should be quite cathartic."
        "Aye. What are you going to be doing, milady?"
        "I need to travel back to that white brat’s world. I have business to take care off. Place guards on Drakkan’s Gates, in case patrols come through. If they do, take care of them, but if things look to be getting out of control, destroy them."
        "Why not destroy them anyway?"
        "I have plans for them."
        "Sure….Empress, can’t your business wait? It would rally the people to see you alive again."
        Purgatori considered that, once again finding herself having to decide against a thirst for vengeance. "You’re right. I will fly out to the mob and tell them - kill two birds w/ one stone. You, get your face tended to then keep out of sight. Make yourself useful in whatever way you can. The fires : you can - "
        "Mistress!"
        They turned to see Demonica and Diabolica weaving their way through the rubble.
        "Woo-hoo! Told you we’d kick their ass!" Demonica crowed. "Hiya Rourke! Oooh, look at your face! Was that a cat? We fought ‘em too, look at Di’s chest, she got raked by - "
        "Demonica, save your babbling girl."
        " - a big - um, oh."
        "I see you converted your sister, despite what I said."
        "I had to! She attacked me!"
        "Hmm."
        "Honest! Um, where’s Snakey?"
        "Hurt," Purgatori said. "Get the emergency services sorted out : I want those fires out before they spread."
        "No! I want to see Cobra! Where is h- "
        Purgatori whirled and her hand clamped into Demonica’s shoulder, making her squeal. "I gave you an order, girl!" Demonica stood quaking in her grip, her eyes wide and terrified, her throat locked. Nice, Purgatori. This girl saved your life. All she was doing was being concerned for someone she loves. You DO remember what love is, don’t you? Purgatori felt a clench of self-disgust and let go of  Demonica. She scuttled away, bumping into her sister. "Rourke, take her to Cobra," Purgatori said quietly. "Diabolica can sort out the fires."
        "Yes Empress." Rourke bowed and left w/ Demonica, the blonde keeping close to him as though he might protect her if Purgatori decided to attack her.
        "Are you alright, Empress?" Diabolica asked hesitantly.
        "No," Purgatori said dully, watching Demonica leave. My, what a surprise : another fkd up relationship.
        "I’ll get some fire service crews going, then," Diabolica said after a pause.
        "Head East and South. I can take care of the North and West."
        "Okay." Diabolica hesitated, watching Purgatori. "She’ll be okay, Empress. She knows you’ve been through a lot."
        Purgatori looked over and gave a little smile of thanks. It was the best she could manage. "Diabolica, Lady Death is here : get someone to find that white brat and tell her to wait for me at my Gates. And NO fighting."
        Diabolica gave an innocent "Who? ME?" look, but her eyes were sparkling wickedly. "Trust me," she grinned as she walked off.
        Purgatori managed a brief smile back before turning her attention to more important matters. Fires. Mob.  She took to the air and headed across the city.

        "Where have you been, whore?" Lady Death snapped as Purgatori walked in w/ an escort of Blood Warriors. Her voice echoed slightly in the large central atrium of the Gate Building. One of the guards drew his sword at the insult but Purgatori motioned him back.
        "None of your business brat," Purgatori snarled back. Now that the main battle was over her mind had been freed to concentrate on other things : Pagan and Wolf. Her hate was growing quite nicely, and she was in no mood for this brat’s attitude. She swept past Lady Death. "Follow me," she instructed over her shoulder, deliberately adding a condescending and imperious tone to her voice just to infuriate her. It worked - she could feel the fury coming off Lady Death in waves and that gave her a appreciative feeling of amusement
        Purgatori walked into the room and walked up to the Gate, inspecting it for damage or any spells Drakkan might have added. Lady Death stomped up behind her, her knuckles white on the hilt of her sword. Purgatori whispered an incantation and the Gate rippled into life w/ unnerving suddenness. Bright light flooded the chamber, making Purgatori hiss in distaste. In that world it was daytime, and an unobstructed sun somewhere to the right of the Gate blazed down from a blue sky, glaring blindingly off the white snow. Purgatori squinted and scanned the landscape and saw nothing moving, though she had not really expected to. She felt hands between her shoulderblades and a hard push shoved her rudely through the Gate. She stumbled into the light, a momentary lurch of panic as she felt the warmth on her skin and wondered if the fight had drained enough of her power to make her vulnerable. It hadn’t. Although weakened by the fight and her injuries, Drakkan’s blood had more than compensated and she was now in possession of her own powers as well as some of Isis’s and Drakkan’s. Purgatori turned in fury, ready to pull that pasty tramp through and claw the meat from her bones, but the look of depressed surprise and stunned disbelief on Lady Death’s face was so comical that Purgatori couldn’t help laughing out loud.
        "Nice try, brat," she grinned mockingly as Lady Death stepped through before the guards could reach her. "Well up to your usual standards of effectiveness." Her grin widened as she noticed Lady Death kept a cautious distance.
        "Shut your mouth bitch," Lady Death spat, trying to recover from her shock. She glanced around for signs of Purgatori’s troops and the Gate died as the vampiress deactivated the spell.
        "Ooh. You look so cute when your lip’s hanging out in disappointment."
        "Shut up!"
        "I won’t wait for you to make me. Life’s too short."
        Lady Death raised Apocalypse w/ a snarl and took a step forward. Purgatori didn’t move a muscle or even look remotely concerned, and Lady Death hesitated. She had nothing against fighting Purgatori, but as she herself had said, the vampiress was full of nasty surprises and Lady Death didn’t like getting into battles when she didn’t know her enemy’s capabilities. "You’ve done your job," she snapped haughtily. "Run off back to your cesspit of a world like a good little leech."
        "When I’m good and ready."
        "This is MY world slut, you - "
        "Will do as I please. I told you before : I want Pagan and I am not leaving this frigid dump until I have him."
        "Assuming I allow it?"
        "Hmm. Could you prevent it?" Purgatori asked w/ what seemed like genuine interest.
        "I still have your whore at my castle. If you cross me I promise you will never find all of her pieces." Lady Death watched Purgatori carefully as the vampiress stood very still, her expression unreadable.
        "Do I look bothered?" Purgatori said finally.
        Lady Death’s eyes narrowed, wondering if Purgatori was bluffing. Surely she had to be - she had seen for herself how Lexus cared for Purgatori. "Fine bitch, I’ll dispose of her now. She has been fouling my castle’s air for long enough." Purgatori just stood there silently. "Right! You traitorous bitch! I’ll be sure to tell her what you said before I dispatch her! I’ll send you - "
        The heavy blam of a gunshot cut her off and a geyser of snowflakes spat up where the bullet hit the ground.
        "Whoo! I LOVE to see girls fighting! ESPECIALLY you two!" They both turned to see a slim figure untidily wrapped in a fur cloak. "Boy! How can you stand out here in a bikini Purgy? Don’t you get cold? Looks like you’re cold, if you know what I mean!" Pagan snickered, but the strain of pain in his voice turned it more into a cough than a chuckle.
        Purgatori regarded him icily. He stood beside a huge boulder that jutted out of the snow at the head of a deep wide gully that zig-zagged steeply downhill to where the ground levelled out briefly before plunging into the deep chasm that afforded WinterHaven some of its protection. She could sense a whisker of her sorcery on him, and judging by the grimace on his face it seemed as though her sword strike hadn’t missed completely after all.
        She began walking towards him unhurriedly, her boots crunching through the deep snow.
        Pagan raised the Desert Eagle at her. "Stop right there toots," he said. She walked on. Pagan licked his lips and held the gun up. "Recognise this, toots?" He didn’t know if she would - she was about one hundred metres away. "I’ve got your pretty pet here; if you want to keep her alive, stop - now." She walked on. "I’m not bluffing woman!" Her talons slid out smoothly.
        Lady Death had been watching the events warily. After what Purgatori had said in the cave she knew it would probably not be a good idea to try and stop her. She had her own score to settle w/ Pagan but for the moment she thought it might be interesting to see what Purgatori did to him. She saw him turn and he seemed to be talking and gesturing to someone out of sight in the ravine. He reached down and yanked Lexus up beside him. Her arms were chained behind her w/ some of Brock’s enchanted bonds and a coarse rope noose circled her neck tightly. She shivered violently w/out her furs. She fell to her knees and Lady Death saw her look pleadingly at Purgatori. A twisted rope of cloth gagged her uncomfortably. Pagan put the gun to her head.
        "I’m warning you toots. I’ll smear her head all over this mountain!"
        "You’re wasting your time maggot," Lady Death called pleasantly. "She doesn’t care about her whore." Despite the gag and the distance Lady Death could hear Lexus’ moan of despair.
        Pagan shifted uneasily. Purgatori was less than fifty metres away. "Stop her!" he cried to Lady Death.
        Lady Death barked laughter. "And why would I do that?"
        "Because I’ll kill your playmate too if you don’t."
        He gestured at someone behind him and Lady Death’s jaw dropped as Cremator stepped up beside him, one massive hand clamped around Vandala’s neck. The Valkyrie was bruised and battered and like Lexus she was tied up securely. Cremator! But why?! The answer came immediately - the conversion spell. Somehow, Pagan had managed to sneak into WinterHaven and convert the warrior. Lady Death’s lip curled at Pagan’s chuckle and she raised her hand to fry him w/ Arcane Energy.
        "Now now toots!" Pagan called, ducking behind Vandala. "Careful who you hit w/ that!"
        "Pagan you worm! I will feast on your heart for this!"
        "Yah, yah, heard it all before." He glanced across nervously and fired at Purgatori. They heard the smack of the bullet hitting her but the vampiress never broke stride. He aimed directly between her eyes and the Eagle twisted out of his grip at her gesture. "Oh sht! Whitey! Stop her, NOW, or I’ll get this big brute to pull this angel’s wings off!"
        Lady Death swore in impotent frustration. Could she try and blast Cremator, just enough to stun him? What if she misjudged? Cremator was entirely capable of pulling Vandala limb from limb. Goddammit! "Purgatori!" The vampiress took no notice, now less than thirty metres from Pagan. "Purgatori! Wait!"
        Pagan motioned and Cremator tightened his grip, arching Vandala’s back.
        Lady Death levitated and sped at Purgatori, a blast of Arcane Energy hurtling from her hand. Spurred into action now she accepted the battle - it was time to settle her score w/ Purgatori once and for all.
        The blast cannoned into Purgatori and smacked her into the deep snow, her cry of pain fuelling Lady Death’s bloodlust. She landed just as Purgatori got to her knees and swung, meaning to decapitate the vampiress. Purgatori saw the blow coming at the last possible second and moved w/ her unnatural blinding  speed. The blade crunched into her collar bone and cut down to her chest. She shrieked and kicked out at Lady Death, hitting her knee and driving her to the ground. Lady Death was on her feet in an instant but even so she saw that Purgatori was already healed. She stepped inside Lady Death’s cut and slashed four deep furrows across her breasts. Lady Death howled in pain and punched Purgatori w/ her other hand. Purgatori barely flinched. She grabbed a double handful of Lady Death’s hair and headbutted her in the face. Lady Death staggered back, eyes flooding w/ tears of pain. She slashed out, felt hands grab her from behind (Fast! She’s too fast for me!) then Purgatori yanked her head back and Lady Death screamed as Purgatori bit her throat open.
        Purgatori swallowed her sweet blood w/ relish, the squirming body and screams making her breasts tingle. She grinned down at Lady Death, thick rivulets of blood running down her chin and throat, and threw her on the ground.
        "Yo…u…wh…ore!" Lady Death sobbed hoarsely, trying to staunch the blood flow. Her Arcane Energy crackled weakly over the wound, healing it slowly.
        "Brat. I told you Pagan is MINE. I’ll deal w/ you when I am done w/ him," Purgatori hissed. She gestured at Lady Death and ropes of her blood snaked out of her neck and bound her tightly. Vandala was right, Lady Death thought dizzily - it felt horrendous. A thick  rope forced its way into her mouth and she gagged at the salty taste of her own blood. "Don’t worry," Purgatori said w/ icy pleasantness. "I’m NOT going to kill you." She smiled as she say the fear register in Lady Death’s eyes. "Yes, brat. You can make yourself useful as my -" A boulder slammed into the nape of her neck, smashing her down. She fell on Lady Death and the white woman writhed around, trying to kick her off. Purgatori rolled off and looked up groggily as a shadow fell over her : not a boulder - Cremator’s fist. Magick flowed. She felt her crushed muscles reform and the dislocated bones realign, and then Cremator reached down, grabbed her around the throat and lifted her up. He crushed her to his body, one massive arm locked around her neck, his other hand cupping the top of her skull. Purgatori sank her claws through his leather arm guards and deep into his arm, then screamed as a blast of Hellfire scorched her head.
        That infuriating titter, close behind her. "I wouldn’t struggle if I were you, toots! Not unless you want your head turned to ash!" Pagan walked around in front of then, eyes crawling up and down her body. He gestured to someone behind her. "Get that working, troll, now!"
        "Yes, Lord."
        Purgatori growled as she saw Brock trot over to the Gate. She pointed at him but before she could unleash her power another scalding wave of heat engulfed her head.
        "Tut tut, none of that naughtiness!" Pagan’s titter trailed off into a groan. "Listen toots, let’s just make a little deal. You heal this burn and let me go back to Hell and I’ll let you and your girlie go free, okay? No hard feelings, eh?" Purgatori just glared blearily at him, her hands locked around Cremator’s wrists to try and ease the pressure on her neck. "Oh come on! I’ll even let you keep Whitey to play w/!"
        Purgatori just looked at him, her eyes shining w/ hate. That’s right, turd. Keep babbling : give me time to heal.
        "Come ON Purgy-baby. Heal this wound NOW or I’ll start cutting bits off your lovetoy there. And if you REALLY don’t care about her, I’ll start draining your blood." He tittered as he saw Purgatori’s expression flicker. "That’s right sugar : I know how to kill vampires." There was a flicker of purple behind him and he turned to see the Gate active, a stark landscape of jagged black rock and sullen red sky w/in its beams. "Woo hoo! Home sweet home baby!" He turned back to Purgatori and reached inside his cloak, pulling a long serrated knife from an internal scabbard. "Last chance, bitch," he said, shrugging the cloak off. "Heal me or I’ll start slicin’ and dicin’. If you don’t help me, Seance probbly can anyhow, so why don’t you?"
        "Come here then."
        "Er, no!"
        "I need to put my hands on you."
         "Nice try, toots. I don’t think so."
        "Trust me. Come here and I’ll end your suffering."
        "Very funny bitch. Heal me - now!"
        "Fk you."
        Pagan blinked at her for a second then snarled. "Alright bitch! Alright!" he turned angrily and stamped over to Lexus who was still lying in the snow, almost unconscious from the cold. "You think I’m bluffing, bitch? I’m going to leave you a pretty jigsaw to play w/. Cremator, be a good chap and burn that scarlet harlot a bit until I get around to her, will you? I like the sound of screams while I work!"
        "Yes my Lord."
        Purgatori tensed and concentrated on the huge figure holding her. "You don’t want to hurt me," she said calmly.
        "…no, mistress."
        Purgatori grinned - she hadn’t used her powers of persuasion since she had arrived at that delightful nightclub in San Fransisco and she was pleased to find out it worked as well as ever. Perhaps she should use it more often. Persuade Lady Death to be her whipping girl, for example. "You want to let me go." The hands released her and she dropped to her feet.
        Pagan slapped Lexus hard across the face. "Wakey wakey, time to scream!" She mewled as he dragged her to her knees by her hair. "My, you’re pretty! If Purgy there doesn’t mind me cutting you up, maybe she won’t mind me playing w/ you in other ways too!"
        "G-g-go to H-Hell!"
        "Soon, darlin’, soon." He dragged her around and gaped as he saw Cremator standing complacently, his arms empty. "Oh crap! Cremator you moron!" Where was that bitch? He got behind Lexus fast, pulling her head back and putting the knife to her throat. "N-now Purgy-baby, don’t be rash!" The wind blew slyly around him, carrying no sound. "Where are you, where are you?" he breathed to himself.
        "Right here," a voice hissed, right in his ear. He yelped in surprise, the knife already torn from his grip. He squirmed away and yowled as the blade jammed down into his neck. Purgatori picked him up w/ one hand and threw him hard, slamming him into the large boulder.
        Pagan smashed into the rock and tumbled limply to the ground. Screw this - he had to get out NOW. He was on his feet in a second, opening a transvection spell that would teleport him right to the mouth of the Gate. "See ya too - UKK!!" Pagan choked as her katana blade rammed through his neck. Flames licked up his windpipe and into his mouth. His transvection portal vanished w/ a slight pop. He grabbed at the blade to try and pull it out, and three of his fingers fell in the snow, severed by the razor-sharp steel.
        Purgatori stepped back and in one fluid movement pulled the sword out and took his left arm off. Pagan fell to his knees, gabbling at her unintelligibly : purple flames came out his mouth instead of words.
        "Sakkara!"
        Purgatori’s katana flickered and Pagan toppled into the snow, neatly bisected just below his ribcage. He twitched and spasmed then lay still. Purgatori looked at him silently, watching flames dance over his wounds.
        "Sakkara!"
        She turned and looked at Isis, her expression still black w/ utter hate.
        "Come to me child." Isis tensed as Purgatori just looked at her…then came towards her. Isis opened her arms, but Purgatori veered aside and brushed past her. Heading for Lady Death. Isis caught her arm. "Sakkara, no."
        Purgatori jerked her arm, but Isis’s grip was tenacious, though gentle. Purgatori glared, her sword half-raised. "Let go!"
        "My child! Please, do not spoil everything now! I know you - "
        "Let go of me!!"
        Isis looked deep into her eyes then let go, her head drooping slightly. "Do what you must," she said quietly.
        Purgatori backed off w/ a snarl, looking at Isis w/ a mixture of torment, confusion and anger on her face. The katana vanished from her fist in a burst of fire.
        Lady Death saw Purgatori come towards her and knew she was in deep, deep sht. She gathered the last vestiges of her Arcane Energy and applied it tentatively to the bloodropes, hoping to burn out Purgatori’s sorcery. Fierce pain lanced through her and she shrieked as the Arcane Energy seared the blood - she was, in effect, using her Arcane Energy against her own body. She blinked her vision clear and saw Purgatori turn towards her, and the expression on her face chilled her more than the snow. She saw the talons slide out. Gods, no! She strained massively against the bonds - they gave very slightly, as might be expected of a liquid, then tightened the instant she relaxed. Lady Death squirmed helplessly in the snow as polished high-heel boots crunched down by her head. Sunlight sparked off Purgatori’s teeth. That hateful feeling again, churning her insides : not fear this time - absolute terror. Those dreadful talons reached out and Lady Death squealed, trying uselessly to wriggle away. Purgatori wiped her hand almost lovingly over Lady Death’s breasts, then moved away. What? Why? She got the answer a second later : Purgatori picked up Apocalypse, Lady Death’s own blood on her palm fooling the sword into thinking its mistress held it. The vampiress upended the sword, holding it point-down over Lady Death’s head, an inch or so above her skin. Lady Death’s eyes watered at the tingling feeling above her nose. Bitch. Red bitch. No. She can’t kill me! I - I’m Lady Death! She watched hypnotised as Purgatori lifted the blade up. No no you bitch! Not you! I don’t want HER to be the one to kill me, not her of all people! She saw Purgatori’s eyes blaze, saw her muscles clench as she powered the blade down like a pile-driver. Lady Death clenched her eyes shut. At least the pain would be short.
        A solid thump of impact.
        Lady Death opened her eyes hesitantly. Apocalypse quivered in the ground a centimetre from her temple. Gods. Why?
        Purgatori squatted down beside her, gripped Lady Death’s chin and turned her head to face her. Lady Death could feel the tension in the fingers, feel the stress in the vampiress’ body that made her hand tremble, vibrating the claws against her skin. Purgatori’s eyes blazed seemingly brighter than the sun, that stupid worthless sun that beat down impotently on Purgatori’s red skin instead of charring it to a cinder. Lady Death lay still, very still, unable to take her eyes off those long sharp canines.
        "I let you live, brat," Purgatori grated, her voice like a December wind. "Remember that every time you wake up in the morning, every time you look at your ugly face in the mirror." She shoved Lady Death’s head back w/ a half-push, half-slap, got up and strode to the Gate.
        Pagan opened his eyes as he heard the footsteps pass him. Scalding agony wracked his body, worse than anything he had endured in Hell. But that bitch had made a mistake - he could reform himself when dismembered.
        It took all his strength and willpower not to writhe and scream as the flames licked over his cuts. He heard a thud and a cry of pain from Brock and out the corner of his eye he saw a purple flicker as Purgatori did something to the Gate. Quick - reform and get out of here! Anywhere! He concentrated. The severed left arm rolled over, slid slowly across the scarlet splashed snow and into position on his shoulder. Now, if he could just get his torso to -
        The arm wasn’t joining. Panic washed over Pagan. No! No! He concentrated harder, powering his healing magick. The arm wouldn’t join. He turned his head fractionally and saw w/ dismal horror that the wet blood on the shoulder and arm had formed into inch-long spikes that jammed against each other and prevented the wound from sealing.
        "No! NO!" Shadow fell over him and he looked up to see Purgatori flanked by four Blood Warriors.
        "You think I’m stupid? You think I don’t know about your petty tricks? Did you actually believe I would kill you straight way? Did you think you would not suffer for what you have done?"
        "N-now, toots, w-wait a m-m-mom-ment! Seance and the w-whole of Hell’s forces are e-expecting m-m-me! If I d-don’t  - "
        "Shut up, maggot." Purgatori kicked him into unconsciousness and motioned to her Blood Warriors. "Take him. Lock him up SECURELY. Put each part in a different cell and nail it to the floor. If he gets away, I will do to you what I was going to do to him, is that clear?"
        "Y-yes, Empress!"
        Purgatori turned away from them and looked at Cremator, who was standing by apathetically. She strode over to him, talons flexed, then paused w/ a nasty grin. She reached out and magic rippled over him. He blinked and looked around in confusion, backing off rapidly and reaching for his axe when he saw Purgatori in front of him.
        "You! What…what happened?"
        Purgatori spat on him and turned away, clawed a rift in the air and vanished from sight, leaving only the gathering wind and Lexus’ distraught wail to break the silence.
        Cremator turned to see Isis bending over Lady Death. She made a gesture and Lady Death’s blood slithered back into her. Cremator rushed over and saw his mistress smack Isis’s helping hand out the way.
        "Get your hands off me!" She winced as she got up, pulling out the hair that was jammed under Apocalypse. She had to strain hard to yank the blade out of the ground. "Where is your slut daughter?"
        "She is not a slut," Isis said neutrally. She turned and motioned at Lexus and Vandala and their bonds fell away.
        "Where is she!" Lady Death shrieked, her hand pressed to the bite wound. "I’m going to cut her miserable stinking head off and -"
        "She is w/ Wolf," Isis broke in coldly. "Disturb her now, and even I would not be able to stop her from killing you."
        "I don’t NEED your intervention, bitch! Get out of my sight before I carve my name into your face!"
        The crunch of boots in snow broke into their argument. Lady Death looked around and her face softened as she saw Vandala.
        "Sister! Are you alright?"
        Vandala gazed at her for a moment, looked around as though searching for someone then  pulled out a long knife from her belt.
        "Vandala?"
        "I have a present for you. From my Lord." She grinned, and her voice was horribly reminiscent of Pagan’s own.
        "What? What is wrong w/ you?"
        "My Lord prepared a present for me to give you as soon as he had left. This is for you," Vandala said in a hollow tone, then turned the knife around and plunged it into her heart.
        "NOOOO!!" Lady Death leapt at Vandala and grabbed her body as she collapsed. Vandala jerked and kicked, her skin already turning a hint of cyanotic blue around her lips and eyes. "No no no Vandala!" Lady Death pulled the blade out and flung it away. A gout of blood spurted up weakly and Lady Death pressed her hand over the wound futilely, knowing her sister was already seconds from death. "Vandala…" she sobbed softly. The body convulsed.
        A strong hand pulled her own away from Vandala’s breasts. Isis cupped her other hand over the wound. Lady Death saw the bright light of her sorcery glowing around Vandala’s chest and then her sister jerked and coughed in her arms Isis moved her hand and Lady Death blinked the tears away to see the hole had gone, the skin healed. Pale power danced around Vandala’s temples and her eyes fluttered open.
        "H-Hope?"
        Lady Death hugged her tightly, the relief making her cry even harder. "Vandala! I thought you dead!"
        "The body can live a very short while after the heart stops," Isis said quietly. "We were extremely lucky."
        "What happened to you?" Lady Death asked.
        "I…it’s hard to remember," Vandala said slowly. "I left to start recruiting as you said, and I came upon a figure out in the snowfields. He called himself Pagan; he cast some sort of spell on me. He was going to use me as a hostage, in case you turned up again, but he planted something in my head as a little joke."
        Lady Death’s eyes blazed. That little piece of sht. I thought there nobody in the world that I could hate more than Purgatori. I was wrong.
        Isis walked over to Lexus and helped her to her feet. She was shaking, tears flowing down her face. Isis put her arm around her shoulders and drew her close and Lexus felt warmth seeping into her. It didn’t stop her shaking.
        "My child, are you hurt?"
        "N-not much," Lexus sniffed. "That feathery trollop was hiding on the mountain trail from Winter Haven. Pagan must’ve caught her and left her to prevent anyone escaping."
        "Yes. You are still shaking."
        "Sh-she said P-Purgatori did-didn’t care if I d-died!"
        "And did you believe that?"
        "But…she - she didn’t even come over to see me!" Lexus sobbed. "We fought before we parted! I…I think she hates me…"
        Isis pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "Ssh, child. I know my daughter and I think I know what is eating away at her. We must go and see her, but it may be best if you let me talk to her first."
        "A-alright."
        Isis squeezed her reassuringly and walked back to Lady Death. "We must leave now."
        Lady Death stood up, her expression hostile. "Listen Isis. I owe you for my sister’s life, a debt I doubt I will ever be able to repay. But if I EVER see your bitch of a daughter again, I WILL kill her. As painfully and as slowly as possible."
        Isis let that go, knowing further reasoning was futile and any warnings regarding Purgatori’s powers and abilities would just be taken as a challenge. "You owe me nothing for the life of your sister. I love all life, despite what you may believe. That is what triggered our whole war in the first place."
        Lady Death absorbed this silently. "This battle is far from over."
        "Yes."
        "I will continue to fight, as I agreed." She looked pointedly at Isis. "But I do so for my own reasons, not for your quest nor that bitch’s. I still owe Drakkan, and if I cannot take my full measure of revenge out on him, I will do so on his army and followers."
        Isis nodded. "Whatever your reasons, I thank you. Brock knows how to work our Gates, I will return in due course to advise you of the battle’s progress on the other worlds so that you can best plan your strategy.."
        "Come alone."
        "I will. I suspect my daughter will be occupied w/ the reconstruction of her empire for some time yet…and, I fear, w/ Pagan."
        "Hmph. That is one occasion that I hope she does a thorough job."
        "She will. She is…attentive to such matters." Her expression clouded and Lady Death’s coldness abated slightly as she again saw a similarity to her own mother : that pained sorrowful expression was the same one Marion had worn when she had seen Hope give in to her dark nature and become Lady Demon. "I will return soon," Isis said. She made a sign at Brock and he came around w/ a start as the conversion spell burned away. "I will give you destination spells for the other Gates upon my return…I would suggest, however, that you do not travel to New Necropolis…regardless of your feelings or lust for revenge."
        "I will take that under advisement," Lady Death said stiffly.
        "As you wish. Be well, Hope. We shall meet again soon."
        Isis walked back to Lexus, who was brushing snow off the Desert Eagle w/ sad movements. "Come child. We will go and see Sakkara now." Lexus hesitated and Isis cocked her head to one side questioningly.
        "I…I want to see her alone," Lexus said haltingly. "Forgive me, Goddess, but…I…"
        "You want her to accept you because she wants to, not because I talked her into it," Isis finished softly. "Perhaps that would be best. I will take you to her and leave you to talk. I will visit you again in New Necropolis."
        "If I make it there."
        "I will see you again in New Necropolis," Isis repeated w/ a smile. "Come."

        Purgatori knelt in the cave by Wolf’s body. He lay in a circle she had clawed into the rock floor, her spell protecting his body from roaming scavengers. She hadn’t moved a muscle since coming here. She had meant to pick him up and take him through the Gate, to be properly buried w/ due ceremony in New Necropolis, but sorrow and self-loathing had overcome her and she had knelt by his body, wondering if prayers for forgiveness would be heard and answered.
        "Purgatori?"
         She didn’t turn at the quiet voice. Go away. I don’t want you here. Leave. Please.
        "Purgatori?" Lexus swallowed w/ difficulty and stepped closer, her legs trembling quite badly. She saw Wolf’s body and her stomach clenched in a knot. Heart ripped out! Oh Goddess! That’s HER favoured method! Goddess, did she kill him after all?!
        "Yes, I did."
        Lexus jumped. "P-Purgatori…please…"
        "Go away Lexus."
        Lexus’ eyes brimmed w/ tears. "No." Purgatori turned to look at her and she took a step back involuntarily. Her teeth were chattering. "P-please Purgatori. I-I-I’m sorry for what I said. I just, I - "
        "Leave Lexus. I don’t want you around me."
        Lexus’ legs gave way and she fell to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks. "No! Why? I didn’t mean what I said, you just hurt me!" She saw Purgatori just look away and the tears came harder. "Why do you hate me so much?"
        "Hate you?" She said it so softly Lexus almost didn’t hear it over her sobbing. "I don’t hate you. I love you more than anyone I have ever loved."
        A burst of hope flashed through Lexus’ heart. "But…then why do you want me to leave? Why won’t you even look at me?"
        "Because I’ll kill you." She saw Lexus jump and she shook her head. "No, not like that. I wouldn’t murder you…but I will kill you. Somehow. Everything I have ever loved has died in some way or another. I killed Wolf. I will not be responsible for your death too."
        Lexus wiped her eyes w/ the heels of her hands. "If you turn me away, you will  kill me." She saw Purgatori look up sharply and she got up and walked over to kneel beside her. Her eyes scrutinised Purgatori’s face, looking deep into her eyes. That feral, psychotic creature seemed to have gone, but Lexus wasn’t sure she liked what it had left behind. Purgatori seemed as though a part of her had died. Lexus reached out and took one of Purgatori’s hands, holding it tightly between her own. "Yes. I love you more than you love me. If you don’t want me, I don’t want to live."
        "You’ll die. I’ll get you killed. I couldn’t live w/ that."
        "Purgatori you won’t! We’ve been together thirty years. We’ve had troubles, we’ve been through some tight scrapes. I trust you. I love you. You’ve got to stop this Purgatori, this self-doubt. I don’t know why you killed Wolf but - " Lexus broke off w/ her heart in her mouth as Purgatori yanked her hand free, but the vampiress subsided almost immediately.
        "I was consumed w/ rage. I left him to pursue my own goals. He warned me. I ignored him. He got killed. That fkr Pagan took my form and killed him." Her eyes were blazing, every muscle rock hard w/ tension. "All Wolf did for me, all he gave up. He saved my life, released me from torture, fed me and brought me a potent weapon. He gave up everything for me, crossed a world of the living dead for me...and he died believing that I just used him and cast him aside like a piece of litter." Purgatori closed her eyes, squeezing out a tear, her hands clenched into tight fists. "That hurts me so much."
        Lexus reached out, the wetness in her eyes now tears of sympathy. Touching Purgatori was like touching a stone statue. "You couldn’t have known what would happen."
        "Lexus. Please. I don’t want the same to happen to you. I would kill myself."
        "No. Listen." She opened Purgatori’s fist w/ great difficulty and saw her talons had sunk deep into her palm. The wounds were deep but her sorcery kept them from bleeding - though, Lexus suspected, not from hurting. "Look at me Purgatori. Look at me." Purgatori opened her eyes. "I love you. I will not go away Purgatori. EVER. I have fought by you for thirty years, been almost killed twice. You aren’t responsible for every little thing Purgatori, you aren’t. If I die beside you I will die content. If I die away from you I will die miserable." She felt Purgatori’s muscles relax fractionally. "Don’t make me go, Purgatori. Please."
        Purgatori’s hand took hers and Lexus could see that old familiar love in those gorgeous white eyes. Still mine. Still mine. After all that happened, all I said, she still wants me. She leaned over and hugged Lexus tightly, just holding her. Lexus almost melted w/ relief and she held Purgatori fiercely, relishing the feel of her body again.
        "Come," Lexus said finally. "Let’s get off this hateful planet."
        "Where is Isis? And that white brat?"
        "Isis returned home. Lady Death was on her way to WinterHaven, last I saw."
        "W/ Cremator?"
        "Yes…"
        "Good."
        Lexus was silent for a moment, remembering what had happened when Purgatori had sensed Cremator at WinterHaven. "Good why?" she finally had to ask.
        Purgatori’s grin was both arousing and chilling. "When I burned out his conversion spell, I left a little something in there for him."
        "A little something…?"
        "Just a little spell. Should prove quite…entertaining."
        "You’re an evil bitch."
        "Thank you." Purgatori stood up, the smile evaporating as she tenderly picked up Wolf’s frozen body. "Open a portal to the Gate."
        Lexus did so, watching Purgatori’s face closely. She still seemed haunted and Lexus wondered how long it would take for her to fully recover….if she ever did.

        Lexus found Purgatori out on the balcony, gazing out over the city. Gazing out over her city.
        "Sweetheart."
        Purgatori turned her head and smiled, a weak and somehow sad smile. Lexus walked up and put her arms around Purgatori’s waist. Purgatori hugged her shoulder, winding her fingers idly through Lexus’ hair.
        "It’s coming on well," Lexus remarked.
        "Yes."
        Already much of the structural damage had been repaired and reconstruction of the buildings that had been totally destroyed was well under way. The decorative features and the replacement of the statues would take longer, but everything would come in time. The Palace itself had been cleaned up and stripped of that enchanted metal and Purgatori had taken back her quarters. The elevator had been repaired and all that remained was the fixing of the hole in the audience hall and repairs to the casing stones that had been damaged by the Doom Magistrates.
         Lexus paused, waiting for Purgatori to elaborate or show some satisfaction, but she just stood there gazing out over the landscape. Gazing at one building, a brand new one being erected close to the Palace. Wolf’s mausoleum. "Coming to bed?" she asked finally.
        "Mmm, in a little while."
        Lexus paused again, sensing Purgatori’s depression. "Well…are you alright?"
        Purgatori smiled, but again it was brief and unconvincing. "Yes."
        "You’re not. Do you want me to massage you?"
        "No, I’m fine."
        Lexus floundered - Purgatori always liked to be massaged. "Well…do you want me to dance for you?" She gave her a dark, deeply seductive smile. "Perhaps do a striptease?"
        Again that diluted smile. "Perhaps another day."
        "Oh Purgatori," Lexus sighed. "It’s been two weeks now. I thought you had made peace w/ yourself."
        Purgatori was silent for a long time, her hand gently caressing the contours of Lexus’ back through her diaphanous robe. "How can I?" she said at last. "Every time I see myself I remember that I am alive because of him - and you, of course. I…can’t bear the thought that he died thinking I used him."
        Lexus swallowed w/ difficulty. She knew exactly what Purgatori was feeling : hadn’t she herself sat in WinterHaven and feared Purgatori might get killed, and die thinking Lexus hated her? "Purgatori, this is eating you alive. Is there nothing that might calm you?" Purgatori shifted, and this time it was as though it was Lexus who did the mind reading  "Your sorcery. Can you not raise his shade? You dabbled in necromancy many years back..."
        "Yes," Purgatori said in a strained voice. "I could, I believe."
        "But you’re afraid of what he might say," Lexus said softly, a large tear running down her cheek.
        "Yes," Purgatori said simply.
        "Oh Purgatori." Lexus eased free and stepped in front of the vampiress. "You have to, lover," she said quietly. "You cannot go on like this. It will rip you apart. Surely it would be better to know for sure?"
        "Would it? Supposing he does hate me?"
        "But, what if he doesn’t? You know him better than I, surely you must think he could be reasoned w/. Surely you could explain." Purgatori just looked at her, and that stricken, haunted look made Lexus’ heart break. "Purgatori, please. He seemed kind and loyal to me. If he is angry, you could explain, he would forgive you, I’m sure. And…and if not, at least you will know for sure. You can at least work to…I don’t know, atone or placate him. To do some penance." Purgatori tried to disengage herself from Lexus, but the brunette held on. "It’s hard Purgatori, I know. But you’ve got to. Indecision will torment you forever."
        "Yes," Purgatori breathed. "I…I…"
        Lexus let go and kissed her lips. "Go to him. Talk to him. If he is even half of what I suspect, he will not hate you."
        Purgatori backed up a step, hesitated, then w/ one last uncertain look at Lexus she turned and left. Lexus blew out a shuddering sigh and cupped her elbows in her palms. She found she was trembling slightly. She knew she had done the right thing - Purgatori had to know for definite - but at the same time, if it turned out badly and Purgatori was devastated by Wolf’s hatred, she would be to blame for urging Purgatori to go. Oh Isis, what have I done? Lexus thought as she walked into the bedroom. What I had to, she thought firmly as she slid in between the satin sheets. What I had to. I’ll just…just lie here and wait for her to come back…and pray.

        Purgatori knelt in the funeral house, a few scattered torches holding the pitch blackness at bay, fluttering and popping somnolently. Wolf’s body lay in front of her, wrapped like a mummy in specially prepared bindings and circled by five candles. It took her ten minutes to work up the courage to begin her incantation. She bit her finger and drew a sigil on the bindings over Glenn’s forehead and whispered her spell then sat back, head bowed, waiting to see if he responded.
        The candles guttered. Her skin goosebumped as the air temperature fell about five degrees, but it wasn’t the chill that caused it. She raised her head hesitantly and saw him kneeling in the gloom on the opposite side of his body. He was dressed as he had been and his chest bore that same horrific wound. His eyes were white; she could see through him.
        "Purgatori." The voice was dry, hollow, not at all like the voice in her dreams. It sounded as if he was at the far end of a long corridor.
        "Glenn," she whispered. Her mouth felt like wool. There had been no inflection in his voice save slight surprise, and now she searched his face for signs of emotion.
        "What are you…what am I doing here?"
        "I need to talk to you," she managed.
        "To say what?"
        "I need…I…I need you…to…to forgive me." Her throat was locked. So hard to say, like the first time they met, when she apologised to him. She hung her head, trying to swallow.
        "No."
         Purgatori raised her head w/ a jerk, her eyes frantic. "But Glenn listen to me! It wasn’t me, I didn’t mean to - "
        "There is nothing to forgive, Purgatori." She stared at him, not daring to move. "I know you didn’t kill me."
        "You…know?"
        "When I died, I left my body. I saw all that happened." He paused, his head tilted to one side. "It was pretty weird. I tried to talk to you, but I guess you couldn’t see me."
        "But I…if I hadn’t left you…"
        "Listen to me Purgatori. You saw a chance to avenge yourself against one of the fkrs who took your empire and tortured you. I asked you not to go, yes, but I had the luxury on not being you, do you understand?" She just looked at him in silence and he sighed. "Purgatori…sometimes what we need to do isn’t what we should do. It isn’t always the wisest choice. If we had been at the Gate and I had seen the men who killed my Sensei, you would not have been able to drag me through the Gate. I would have left you in a second to try and kill them, even if it meant giving up a chance to escape. Yeah, the best decision was to get out and regroup…the best logical reason. But logic doesn’t ease the heart. Believe me Purgatori, vengeance is a concept I’m very familiar w/."
        Purgatori lowered her head again and closed her eyes. "It hurts so much that you’re dead. I…I loved you…"
        "’Loved’. Past tense?"
        "No," she said emphatically, looking at him. "You know what I mean."
        "Yeah…well, if you still love me, do me a favour."
        "Anything."
        "Let go of this Purgatori. You didn’t do what you should have done, you did what you had to."
        "But it got you killed regardless! How can I…atone for that?"
        "Christ, Purgatori, haven’t you heard a word I’ve said?"
        "Yes," she whispered, "but…"
        He rose to his feet and she stood up too as he came over, stepping through his body. He reached out to stroke her cheek and she felt a delicate sensation like smoke brushing across her skin.
        "Look at me Purgatori. I’m dead, but so what? I’ve not vanished. I’m still around - you can call me anytime you want. My blood is in you - I’ll always be w/ you, always be part of you. I was p*ssed when a first got killed, but I’m fine w/ it now - everything didn’t end, it just changed. I still see you, I can still help you if you want. It’s fascinating here Purgatori : I’ve seen things I’ve never dreamt of."
        She reached out to hold his arm and clutched only air. "Do…do you forgive me?"
        "You didn’t kill me Purgatori. Your actions didn’t kill me, that fkr Pagan did."
        "Do you forgive me?"
        Glenn gave up. "Yes Purgatori, I forgive you. I forgive you, I exonerate you, I don’t blame you, I still love you, and whatever the fk else you want. Now go away if you’re gonna be all mopey, you’re making me depressed."
        Purgatori closed her eyes and felt as though she might faint.
        "Get over it Purgatori. It was an accident, an unforeseen accident. That’s life Purgatori - sht happens."
        "I will. Now I know how you feel. Lexus was right."
        "Yeah? She’s a nice girl. Be happy w/ her Purgatori, don’t sulk and spoil things because of me."
        "I wish you could have been here," Purgatori whispered. "What a fine general you would have made."
        "General? Christ! Well, I’m still around Purgatori, if you need me. You need a general though, try and find Akira."
        "I have already sent scouts."
        "Good call. Now - go and rest. You’ve been wound up about this for too long. Go and cuddle up to Lexus and sleep well. We can talk later."
        Purgatori nodded silently. She closed her eyes and wiped the dampness from the eyelashes, and when she opened them again she was alone. She stood in the middle of the room, feeling the warmth gradually return, feeling her muscles trembling minutely from the release of tension.

        Lexus heard the elevator and her stomach knotted again. She rolled over onto her side, back to the door. If Purgatori was depressed she might blame Lexus for it - she would just lie and pretend to be asleep and see what Purgatori did. Give her a chance to cool off if she was upset. Purgatori was the last person you ever wanted to get into an argument w/. Oh Isis - she probably won’t hurt me, but I couldn’t bear it if she resents me! I was only trying to help!
        The clocking of her bootheels crossing the floor, then the soft and erotic sounds of the vampiress removing her clothing.
       Oh Isis…
        The bedclothes moved and Lexus felt the mattress give slightly as Purgatori slid in beside her.
        A cool arm slid around her waist as Purgatori pulled herself up close and Lexus thought she might cry w/ relief.
        "Purgatori? Is - "
        Soft lips kissed her ear oh-so-gently. "Yes," Purgatori breathed. "Everything is fine."
        Lexus’ entire body seemed to melt as she blew out a huge sigh of relief. She started to roll over but Purgatori stopped her.
        "No, lover. Let’s just…lie together. I just need someone to snuggle up to tonight."
        "Of course, sweetheart." Lexus relaxed and eased back, pressing her bare skin against Purgatori’s. She closed her eyes blissfully, relishing the curves of Purgatori’s body, the silky touch of her hair, and the reassuring weight of her arm around her waist, the hand gently stoking her belly. Lexus felt Purgatori nuzzle up to her neck, and felt how calm and relaxed the vampiress felt; so different from the tension-filled and guilt-wracked creature that had shared her bed these past couple of weeks, twitching fitfully and mumbling and crying out in her sleep.
       Thank you Goddess. Thank you. We have lots to do to get the empire back to full strength, but none of that matters. Only Purgatori matters. She’s fine again. She’s at peace again. She still loves me. She still loves me - that’s the only thing that matters.
        Lexus closed her eyes and drifted off into a deep serene sleep, wrapped up in the protective loving arms of her vampire goddess.