"If the radios reach outta here at all," said Halvorson to Baz.  As the gunfire continued to sporadically rattle from down the hall, he strained to hear for any response to his cries.  Nothing... nothing... there!  The door up the hall a little further and to the left!  He rushed forward, snatching the keys from Baz as he moved.  He kicked and banged on the door, then screamed, "MARK KAROGEN?"<br/><br/>Back in the funeral corridor, the medic stopped tending to O'Toole and pulled his 9mm handgun, moving up to support Feign.  Over the gunfire, he heard Sara's cries, and, shocked, poked his head around the wall, seeing her run behind a pillar in the chapel and go for her guns.  Two guards were advancing on her position quickly.  They saw the medic.  He pulled back behind the wall as they opened fire.<br/><br/>"That Sara chick's in trouble," he said to Feign, sweating visibly now.  "If you've got another magic trick, now's the time."<br/><br/>Part of the guards attacking the chapel and funeral corridor broke off in the opposite direction, heading through the blasted hole that led into the dungeon.  Mad and Baz would no doubt be able to hear them coming... and if Mad was tuned in to their thoughts, she could tell they were spreading out to search the dungeon cell block by cell block.<br/><br/>-----<br/><br/>One private nodded at Jenten and rushed down the stairs, calling for help.  The other one remained, keeping his blade up as he muttered, "Someone's gotta stay back and protect you, right?"<br/><br/>Marice heard the beast groan in pain and the hand holding her leg let go, just as the other swung up and smacked her full in the chest, knocking her off the creature's back and into a pile of musty crates.<br/><br/>A gurglin howl resounded throughout the warehouse as Raice tore open the creature's throat.  Both powerful hands seized Raice by his flanks, the functional one digging its claws in as best it could considering Raice's draconic scales.  The arms pushed mightily, pulling him away from the creature's body and then they spun, throwing him across the room.<br/><br/>Jenten's sharp acoustics could hear the whole scene through the open doorway.  The creature was stumbling toward the open door, gurgling.  Then it let out a low, quiet moan.<br/><br/>After that, gurgles.  Groans.  Strange sounds, like leather and wood straining as if being stretched.  Brief silence.  Then they could all hear it - labored human breathing, coming from the floor in the middle of the room.  Marice, if she was still conscious, could see two human figures on the floor in the center of the room, one bound down with strong cables, bristling with needles from various pressure points.  Another, crouched over that figure as it half-lay prone, propping itself up on its arms, leaning over, its head bowed between its shoulders, hanging over the bound figure's chest.  From her angle she couldn't see much else.<br/><br/>There came a voice, Jenten could tell it was from the hunched figure.  The voice was deep, raspy, and gurgling as it came through the blood entering its throat.  "Well met," it said, panting its rattling breaths.  It waited, the figure's head bobbing and its chest heaving.<br/><br/>-----<br/><br/>Alhanda's nose wrinkled as a plume of smoke blew into the viewing area, causing the blue field around the bars to crackle slightly.  Her eyes fixed on the wounded half-dragon in the arena as her prized toy moved in for the kill.  That bit of resistance had been frustrating, but Mag would not hesitate to fulfill her command as she had done so many times in the past.<br/><br/>One of her guards coughed quietly into a hand.  She curled one corner of her mouth into a smirk.  It was at these times she felt she could afford some mirth.  With Chiro dead, it was only a matter of drawing out his sister into the open.  There was a reason the dragons hadn't become the ruling force many had feared they would - old world tricks and lucky twists of genetics were no match for technology.  It was the same reason Mag and all her kind were no longer a threat to Alhanda.<br/><br/>She ran a claw absently along the controls before her.  Not long now...<br/><br/>-----<br/><br/>The guard now wielding the sword smiled.  "Outta luck, half-breed," he said lowly.  His friend at the door laughed once, now recovered enough to hold his dagger in a ready position.  The guard sidestepped quickly and positioned himself between Arget's only other means of escape - the air handler.  "There, I made this easier for you.  Drop the wrench and come quietly.  The Lady's gonna want to have a chat with you.  Don't try anything stupid, or you'll get a blade in your back."<br/><br/>In Arget's periphery, he could see this room's layout was very similar to the first room he'd broken into, and he found himself standing right next to a circuit-breaker box like the ones he'd smashed earlier.  It was a chance.  It was something stupid.  But it was sure as hell better than having a leisurely "chat" with the Lady of Kazmer, perhaps over some bloody tea and entrail-crumpets...<br/><br/>-----<br/><br/>Janus and Fenson watched Bachera go look for Heretic's serums.  Fenson smirked.  "Son of a bitch..." he said in disbelief.<br/><br/>Then they both looked at each other, uncertain about their immediate futures.  Janus' lip twitched as he said, "So... I'm gonna be stuck like you?  Stuck with the blood curse, as you said?"<br/><br/>Iln suddenly spoke to Heretic.<span style="font-style: italic">"You claim to know how my ability to heal works. It does not work off of the flesh of the memory, but the soul of the body. Do not claim to know Dragons."</span><br/><br/>Janus' eyes brightened and his heart leapt.  Maybe he wasn't cursed forever, after all!  And maybe this was Heretic's chance to return to normal!<br/><br/>-----<br/><br/>Maeve accepted Dreamer's arms with little change in her demeanor.  As he settled her into the back seat, she tried to her best to silence her sorrow - it wouldn't do them any good to have to talk over her sobs.  But she shuddered.  The sleeping bag rumpled as she drew it up over her, clasping it to her face as she tried to stifle her sobs.