Janus and Fenson eyed each other in dismay.  If Heretic was going to be stuck like that forever, how was he ever going to survive?  They weren't too keen on seeing him stuck like that.<br/><br/>"Maybe you can go talk with Chiro's sister," Janus offered.  "She could try... although..." He looked over at Iln, who was still in distress over Merelli.  "She's got a lot on her mind right now."<br/><br/>Fenson looked at the wolf.  "So what's so special about that dude?" he asked.<br/><br/>-----<br/><br/>Maeve tugged at Dreamer's arms, her sobs unabated as she stammered, "L-let's... let's g-... go..."  It was almost physically painful for her to get up on one foot.  Her eyes opened and she looked into Dreamer's, seeing the tears that fell from them also.  She couldn't linger there - she looked away, down at her feet, those immobile things she couldn't lift.<br/><br/>The car hummed to life obediently, whirring to itself in the morning sunlight.  Kitten could see that there was only a quarter tank of fuel left, something that could become a problem if they left Sombquist without filling up.<br/><br/>-----<br/><br/>Feign could only see a dead guard, his body smoking slightly, lying partially exposed from behind the bend in the main hall up past the steps.  Apparently his trick with the grenade had wholly succeeded.  But they'd come first with blades, then guns, then grenades...  This was the Palace of the Wolf.  If they were going to escalate, the sky was almost the limit here.<br/><br/>It didn't take Baz long to find the keys to the whole cell block on one of the guards, both of whom seemed to have passed out from shock.  Halvorson covered Baz and Mad from both directions, while also banging on cell doors, calling out, "KAROGEN!  MARK KAROGEN!"<br/><br/>The temporary lull on Feign's end was rudely interrupted when a gaggle of guards leapt from around the corner and opened fire.  The medic shouted something in surprise, unintelligible over the din.  O'Toole lay motionless.  Sara was nearby.<br/><br/>-----<br/><br/>The pain of Jenten's stabs at its ankle caused the wolf-like hulk to jerk down and to the side, throwing Marice's aim and causing Raice's stab to be slightly off-target as well.  The bullet shattered through the creature's long muzzle, while the kukri lodged in the side of its thick neck.  It howled, a clawed hand seizing Marice by her leg and ripping it off its shoulder with superhuman strength.  The other hand pulled the kukri from its neck, pulling on the chain to draw Raice close.  The foot crushing Jenten's leapt away as the creature staggered, freeing the bat-morph while also trying to keep the hulk balanced, the tendons in its ankle thoroughly shredded.  It pulled Marice and Raice with it into the darkness of the room it had come from.<br/><br/>The two privates were able to score ineffectual slashes on its chest and thighs as it retreated, but as it withdrew they faltered in their pursuit, unwilling to subject themselves to the darkness.  One of them looked down at Jenten, then at the First Sergeant's remains, a horrified expression on his face.<br/><br/>-----<br/><br/>Alhanda scowled.  She pulled a few switches on her control panel and the arena began to drain, fixtures previously unseen in the floor letting the sprinkler water out through small vents in the side of the building.  Her guards on watch outside would have to step out of the way of the draining flames, but she cared not, no spared them much thought.<br/><br/>She screamed at Mag, "Uncoil, you worthless naga!"<br/><br/>-----<br/><br/>The guard holding Arget's gun threw it at the young halfbreed, trying to distract him as he spun and whipped his pained fellow's sword out of his hands.  Then he spun, slashing in a low-to-high arc across Arget's frame, aiming to do some real damage; at the end of the spin he angled the sword out and behind him to guard his head and shoulders, a parry to any obvious counterattack the halfbreed could have in him.<br/><br/>The other guard recovered just enough to move to block the exit, leaning heavily against the door and pulling a dagger from a sheath on his calf.