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thither in a last desperate race to gather all they could take, the sounds =

of urgent voices interspersed with the crack of a teleport as those =

prepared and ready leaped into the great hall in the centre of the =

stronghold, most careless of the air they displaced, so desperate were =

they not to be left behind. Uranite reached briefly to Zeolite, confirming =

that the others were ready and waiting, catching the brief flicker of =

Tellurite's power as the warrior-commander reached to recall the scouts, =

even as Uranite prepared to leap to the hall. He felt their =

acknowledgment.

Then in the next instant a wave of agony crashed over him, and in the same =

moment a cataclysmic detonation split the air, and a brief terror smote =

him, slashed into nothing as those beyond the stronghold ceased to exist.

`By Metallia!' he flashed wildly to the others. `It's here! We're out of =

time!'

Then he was running; not daring to leap, as reality lurched and groaned, =

while all about him, shouts turned to screams as panic took those still in =

the passages. Youma leaped blindly, some reaching the hall, others losing =

the coherence of the jump in their panic, and vanishing into the =

nothingness. Almost before them, Uranite saw a pretty humanic barely =

full-grown tense as though to leap, then turn suddenly inside-out, her =

ruined mouth opening in a petrified rictus of agony, a thin, horrible =

keening he was certain would haunt his darkest dreams for the rest of his =

days, filling the air before she exploded with a sickening tearing that =

left him wanting desperately to be sick.

Then another flash and crash thundered about them, and Uranite knew they =

could not reach the great hall on foot. From behind, a great thrumming =

began, a bone-deep, throbbing rumble that rose and waxed, until at last, =

with a cataclysmic roar and crash that shivered rock to splinters and =

struck youma in their dozens to the floor, the fabric of reality quaked =

and lurched, gaping suddenly wide like some hungry maw of nightmare.

For one terrible moment as Uranite and Kalleth looked back, the =

nothingness gaped wide before them, a window into a blackness of ruinous =

oblivion more absolute than the mind could hope to comprehend. And from =

the blackness something came: a bloated corruption of the very fabric of =

existence that writhed and quivered: a shapeless impossible something that =

surged and waxed, blazing with a lurid, livid fire: a blight that burned =

the very soul, and turned every sense to reeling, screaming madness, and =

every thought to horror and gibbering despair.

For Kalleth it was too much. Screaming: her mind on the knife-edge of =

breaking, she turned, fleeing wildly along the passage before her terror =

became too great even to run, and she leapt, vanishing in one last, =

hopeless lunge for the great hall, and a respite from the fear.

Fighting with everything he had, Uranite wrenched himself from his own =

paralysis, and catching her in mid leap, he directed her with his own =

reeling power, even as he fought to control his own senses enough to guide =

himself to a safe landing at her side.

A moment later both stood in the great hall, while beyond its bounds could =

be heard the screaming roar of ruin, as all that remained of the Kingdom =

erupted and vanished in twisting, howling nightmare and oblivion.

"Now! It must be now!" Uranite heard his own voice scream, even as he =

leaped to the dais and summoned the power needed to open the gate.

"But Vedris and--" Apatite began.

"You come with us now, or stay to die!" Uranite shouted, relief almost =

driving him to his knees as the gate flashed into being before him.

It was stable, and showed no signs of succumbing to the roiling madness =

about them.

"He's right; we have no choice, and no more time," Cried Tellurite. =

"Zeolite shall lead, then Cryolite, Apatite, and Halite in that order. If =

all is safe, don't wait for us; we'll be right behind you."