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[Arcalian]

Sarevok and the Reaper stood side by side staring down at the vast, carefully maintained plaza that led to the entrance of Abazigal's lair.

Each of them had lived for bloodthirst in his own way, but now they shared an uneasy look.

"Perhaps we should've gone after Sendai first," Sarevok suggested.

"I wonder what Viconia would say to that," the Reaper mused.

"She says," came the voice of the Drow from behind them, "That we will face my people, soon or late. Whenever we do, best to be prepared. A dragon will be a lesser threat."

"Such arrogance," said Sarevok, but there was no venom in his words.

Viconia laughed. "You should talk! And besides, I said a dragon would be a lesser threat. Which is true."

"And if there is more than one Dragon down there, as this open platform would indicate?" Reaper asked.

"Then we'll take them one at a time." said Viconia, not unreasonably. "After all, Dragons are known for their own arrogance, hmmmm?"

"I must admit," said Edwin from behind her, "That I am looking forward to gathering more dragon scales and blood samples for my spell components."

"You would," Sarevok said.

"Of course he would," agreed Giovanni, joining the others. "The only question now is, do we wait for cover of dark?"

"Thanks to your spell protections I and my children no longer need to fear the sun," Bhodi reminded him, stretching luxuriously in the sunlight. Even Giovanni, a Necromancer of the first order and an ice-cold Bhaalspawn to boot, found the site of Bhodi walking unscathed under the sun was slightly odd, and slightly wrong.

"But we are still at our strongest under the stars," Bhodi responded. "And I think all can agree," here she turned to Viconia, "That it would be best to face a dragon at full strength."

"Oh, absolutely," the Drow agreed.

"How's our little army doing?" Giovanni asked.

"As well as can be expected, bro," Imoen said, coming up behind Bhodi.

"Have any of yours threatened to desert over recent developments?" Bhodi asked her.

Imoen laughed and shook her head. "Anomen's kinda sad, but all of em know there's too much at stake to back out now. Viekang was positively enthusiastic, once I explained the advantages of the situation to him."

"Well, he would be, wouldn't he?" Bhodi smiled.

-----

A tall, thin wiry man stood in the center of the platform.

"More emmisaries from the cloistered Monestary?" This man sneered. His eyes were an unnaturally bright shade of blue. "After the last batch did not return, surely Balthazaar would've learned his lesson."

"We passed through that place, and used it as sanctuary, but we are not his servants," said Sarevok. "Not that it makes any difference to you."

The man nodded thoughtfully, and sniffed the air. "As you say, I sense I am wrong. You are not brothers of the tatooed one; I smell the taint of Bhaal on you."

"And the taint of undeath, and several other things," Bhodi agreed, extending her claws and fangs. "None of which you are prepared for..."