"No one move too quickly," Hall commented, taking measure of the newest intruder on the Eternal Wanderer. "Whatever you do, take no hostile actions against it."
The creature looked over each crewmate and hordling gathered on the bridge. It's dog head snorted as it examined each person impassionatly. The snake head hissed at several Hordlings gathered behind him. Both heads looked as though they were surveying the area, looking for something in particular.
"Hall, what the devil is that thing?" Belieth whispered.
"It's called a Molydeus, Belieth," Hall replied, speaking in a normal voice. "Tana'ri. They are the enforcers for the Tana'ri, sort of their police force. No Tana'ri are above their rule. They are extremely powerful and extremely dangerous.
"Curious," Normakon added, floating beside Hall. "The Bringer of Doom should only open a gate into Hades, but this is a creature of the Abyss. What is he doing here?"
---A QUESTION I TOO HAVE NO ANSWER FOR, BEHOLDER.---
The voice rang through the minds of everyone gathered, penetrating their heads with such a force that all gathered had headaches. Estress cried out in pain from the mental intrusion, while Meribor collapsed. All around were stunned.
"What in the name of the gods was that?" Phantom said, holding his ears, his face contorted in pain.
"Tana'ri communicate using telepathy," Normakon replied. "Sometimes, quite forcefully."
---WHERE IS THIS PLACE! I DEMAND ANSWERS AS TO WHY I HAVE BEEN BROUGHT HERE!---
"This is the Dreadnought Eternal Wanderer." Hall replied. "We are currently orbiting the planet Omni in the Omnispace system."
---WILDSPACE. I HAVE NO USE FOR WILDSPACE. THE BLOOD WAR HAS NOT YET CROSSED THE DIMENSIONS INTO THE PRIME MATERIAL PLANE. THIS IS NOT THE CLUSTER. WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE TO BRING ME TO THIS PLACE?---
"The Bringer of Doom was used to open a dimensional portal to this planet," Hall explained. "It weakened the dimensional barriers between worlds. At first, we thought it was contained to Hades, but it seems to be stretching into the Abyss."
---PRIME MATERIAL PLANAR CREATURES ARE BENEATH MY NOTICE. I MUST ENFORCE THE ETHICS OF THE Tana'ri. THE BLOOD WAR MUST BE KEPT SACRED. I MUST RETURN TO THE ABYSS.---
"Anyone have any suggestions?" Blaise asked. Just then, one of the hordlings took advantage of the lull to sneak behind Grimmore and push the illusionist into the Molydeus. The snake head looked down at the fallen mage, then to the hordling.
With no warning, the snake head reached out and attacked the hordling, biting the creature in the face. It cried in pain, as blood and venom flowed out from it's mangled face. The molydeus dropped the disfigured hordling to the ground, its body convulsing in spasms.
"Whatever we do, it better be quick," Tabatha commented. She, Taraq, Phantom and Illeria were huddled near each other near the molydeus. Grimmore crawled away from the guardian tan'nari quickly.
"Dismissal would work," Illeria began, "but I don't know that spell. I know a form of it, but it won't work on the creature willingly. He would have to be preoccupied for the spell to succeed."
"Then, Preserver," Taraq replied, "begin to cast your spell. If you need a diversion...(the mul took his blade in hand)...a diversion is what you shall get."
Phantom tried to stop him. "Wait! You don't know what you're up against..."
Phantom's last words fell upon deaf ears. Taraq leapt at the molydeus, blade cutting through the air around him. The creature, ever vigilant, saw the gladiator coming, and stepped out of his attack.
--WHAT TYPE OF MORTAL ARE YOU TO ATTACK ONE OF THE SACRED GUARDIANS!--
Taraq didn't reply, but gathered himself up for the next charge. He studied the molydeus carefully, noting his defensive stance, the way he held the axe, everything. Taraq faked a lunge forward, then dove for the tan'nari's feet. The creature read the fake, and swung the large blade straight down on the gladiator's back. It was a glancing blow, but the mul still cried out in pain.
"Help him!" Hall cried out.
"This is my fight! Stay out of it!" Taraq cried back. "The code of the gladiators demand that no others interfere!"
Illeria recognized her chance, and began preparing to cast her spell. Taraq saw the mage begin to concentrate, then turned back to his opponent. The molydeus swung the huge, double headed axe around him, lunging for the mul. Taraq was quicker than the blade, and rolled out of the way. The deck of the Wanderer buckled from the molydeus' blow.
Taraq stood, looking toward the tan'nari. Both men took long moments to examine the others fighting ability, each others defenses.
---WHATEVER TYPE OF CREATURE YOU ARE, YOU ARE AN EXCELLENT WARRIOR. I SALUTE YOU. YOUR DEATH WILL BE GLORIOUS.---
"I don't plan on dying today, monster." Taraq leapt into the air at the same time the molydeus charged. Taraq looked like he was going for one of the creature's heads, but instead ripped the blade from its grasp. Once the molydeus realized its weapon was gone, it turned toward Taraq, howling. Just then, Illeria cast her spell. The molydeus faded from sight, leaving a battered deck, a dozen remaining hordlings, and a mul holding a large, rather nasty double headed axe.
The remaining hordlings were taken care of in no time. Normakon took out two with a disintegration ray from an eyesprout, while Sylissia and Iesia took out another three. Whisper appeared, pouncing on one of the shorter hordlings, while Delvin caved in the skull of another. Zebart was busy constructing a complicated hordling-killing device when it fell in upon itself, crushing four monsters. Hall killed the last one, using a modified magic missile spell.
Shouts of joy and celebration filled the bridge as the last of the creatures was killed. Hall and Belieth embraced, but then Hall realized that Onestar was still down on the planet, looking for Colicor.
Taraq, meanwhile, stood on the main deck, holding the molydeus' weapon. He examined its details, its cut. Normakon floated over to the mul, who seemed lost in thought.
"You realize, Taraq," Normakon began, "that the molydeus will not rest until it has recovered its blade, and killed you for stealing it. It will probably track you down wherever you go."
"You don't have to worry about it returning right now, Taraq" Illeria commented. "The spell I used banished the creature from our plane for the next couple months. It won't be back soon."
"But it will return someday, preserver," Taraq replied, looking at the weapon. "When it returns, I will be ready for it."
