Paris

As Demona held the whip aloft, Yama's mouth hung agape. After regaining his composure, he briefly slipped his hand into his pocket. "The destruction of humanity?"

"This whip once belonged to the original ruler of the Third Race." Demona grinned. "Queen Mab was, quite possibly, the most powerful being to ever walk the Earth. But while she has long since faded into myth, this whip remains, and her power courses through it."

"But how can it accomplish this task?" Yama asked, readying himself to go for his sword at a moment's notice.

"Among her many titles, Mab was a mistress of dreams," said Demona. "With this whip, I can influence the dreams of anybody on the planet. And with the Eiffel Tower as a conductor..."

"You will be able to influence everybody," said Yama.

"Just think. Heads of state and military leaders under my thrall," she was practically basking. "Humans are already barbarous. I will simply give them all that final nudge and they will be killing each other in the streets!"

"If what you say is true, the power at your disposal..." Yama trailed off in frightened awe.

"Yes, and I am eager to discover the extent of my newfound power," she said. "But I know that as long as I possess the whip, my enemies will die. Humanity will die!"

Demona cracked the whip and the magical energy coursed through it, she then began channeling it through the Eiffel Tower. The clouds above them began to reflect the green glow of the whip's power, illuminating the sky.

Yama quickly drew his sword and stepped forward. "I never claimed to be fond of humanity, but I cannot allow this genocide." She whirled on him, her eyes burning like hot embers and her snarl piercing his soul. Before Yama could react, Hellhound growled. Yama turned towards the sound, but the beast pounced and pinned him to the floor. Losing his grip, his sword slid from his hand.

Demona flicked the sword over the side of the observation deck and sneered at the Tengu. "I had hoped that you would understand," she said as she reached towards the steel box that she had eyed earlier. "More than I would have expected Goliath to understand." Opening the box, she removed a particle beam rifle from inside. "Or those fools in Ishimura."

"How do you know about Ishimura?" Yama cried.

"My daughter told me about a clan in Japan that lived 'peacefully' with humans," she checked the battery on her particle beam. "The leader of the Xanadu Clan told me even more, including their location. She considers them to be a clan of fools!"

Yama struggled against the beast, but Hellhound was too strong. The Fu-Dog glared into Yama's eyes, the glow betraying a murderous hunger.

"If your clan chooses humanity over their own kind, then they will die alongside Goliath's clan!" Demona said, coldly, as she pointed her particle beam between Yama's eyes.

The sound of a gunshot cut off Demona's ranting as the gargoyle took a bullet in the side, and collapsed to the floor, still gripping the whip. She looked up, and her eyes narrowed and glowed at the sight that stood before her. "Hunter?"

Hunter advanced on Demona, gun in her hand, ready to finally finish the work of her ancestors. "You could have signaled me earlier, Yama," she said. But Hellhound was up, and leaped towards Hunter, knocking the Scotswoman to the ground. She held her weapon, but was unable to point it.

Demona coiled the whip, and pressed it to her wound. The bullet suddenly emerged from her skin and the wound closed. She stood up, and cracked the whip at Yama, as he attempted to tackle her. The whip coiled around his throat, and he cried out in pain as magical energy coursed through it.

"A gargoyle allied with a Hunter?" she cried. "Never before have I witnessed such an obscenity!"

"And never have I met a gargoyle as pitiable as you," Yama growled as the whip cut off his breathing.

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

As hundreds of Quarrymen began to swarm them, Goliath's eyes glowed and using his newfound strength, he broke free of his shackles.

"My friends, follow me and we shall survive!" Goliath cried as each of the gargoyles began tearing free of their shackles while he personally saw to Dominique and Angela's shackles.

"A sporting chance," said the Archmage with a smug grin. "Why not? Let my Quarrymen prove their worth."

"Come on!" Dominique cried as she took Angela's hand. "We have to get out of here!"

But they were set upon by all sides as hammer-wielding Quarrymen attacked. And one-by-one each of the gargoyles began to fall.

Goliath gasped as the human child called Gunther assaulted Nashville with his hammer. Nashville? Why did he know that name? He roared to the heavens as Gunther smashed his hammer down on the young gargoyle's chest. Nashville convulsed in pain and then was still.

"You'll pay for that!" hissed the marriage counselor, she took to the air, roaring in rage and grief. But Katana... the counselor was quickly shot out of the sky by John Castaway. Her husband roared and his single eye glowed, but he was quickly slain as the Hero of Ulster hurled his Spear of Light through Brooklyn's gut.

Goliath winced, he did not know it was possible to be impaled by light. Bud Demo... Dominique took his hand. "We need behead the snake!"

But before Goliath could respond, Elisa rushed him with her hammer. He cried out in pain, but she was quickly driven back when D...ominique slashed her across the face with her talons. The Quarryman clutched her face with her hands as she fell to her knees.

"Oh no," Angela whispered as Lexington and Staghart were trampled underfoot by several Quarrymen.

"If I am to die, I shall take a hundred of you with me," Hudson growled as he dove headfirst towards his tormentors.

"They will kill us all!" Dominique shouted. "We need to fight back, to protect what is left of our kind!"

"How?!" Goliath cried as Hudson now lay dead at the feet of Jeffrey Robbins. This was odd, for some reason had Goliath thought that man was blind.

"We need to be one, Goliath," Dominique said. Why did she call him by that ridiculous name? She reached out her hand, and he slowly reached back. But he hesitated.

Their surroundings turned into a blazing inferno as the Archmage appeared before them. "Why allow my hunters to have all the fun?" he said before blasting Dominique with a bolt of lightning.

Goliath gasped at the sight of his angel love in pain. He whirled on the Archmage and... now where did that memory come from? He didn't ask, he just threw himself at the sorcerer and grabbed the Eye of Odin from his brow.

He cried out in pain as the Eye resisted his attempts to take it. But Goliath was relentless. "No matter what it takes, I will not let you destroy my people!" and with one clean motion, he had torn the Eye off of the Archmage's brow. The sorcerer cried out as he burst into flames and then disintegrated.

Goliath helped Dominique to her feet and looked around. The Quarrymen were gone. All that was left were the corpses of gargoyles. "Is it over?" Angela knelt on the ground over Broadway's corpse, holding what remained of him in her arms.

Suddenly Elisa Maza burst out of the shadows, an expression of raw hatred on her newly-scarred face. She swung her hammer at Angela's skull quickly ending the life of the young gargoyle.

"No!" Goliath screamed as he disarmed Elisa and lifted her off the ground by the scruff of her neck.

"Kill her," Dominique said. "You saw what she did to our daughter!"

Goliath looked Elisa in the eye and then hesitated, and the Quarryman spat in his face.

"I told you that we needed to behead the snake, Goliath." Dominique spoke very tenderly. "She is the cause of all of our woes. Kill her and we will survive, kill her and we will thrive."

Goliath looked to Dominique and then back to Elisa. But the Quarryman just glared daggers at him in defiance.

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

Paris

"Alone, neither of you stood a chance against me," Demona gloated as Yama struggled to breathe while Hunter tried, in vain, to remove Hellhound from her person. "Let alone with the whip at my command."

"I've missed you, Robyn," Demona sneered. "You were quite the efficient assistant. For old time's sake, you can assist me with feeding my pet."

Hunter gasped as she felt the beast's hot breath on her face and understood the implications of Demona's comment.

Despite not being able to breathe, Yama hurled himself at Demona and wrestled her to the ground. The two of them struggled as they rolled across the observation deck, as he tried to disarm her. But try as he might, she was not releasing her hold on that whip.

Yama cried out in pain as Demona sent another bolt of energy through the whip. She kicked him off of her, got to her feet and grinned at the sight him lying on the ground in agony.

"Enjoy your meal, my pet." Demona picked up her particle beam and approached Yama.

"Allying with a Hunter. Is there a greater act of treachery than that?" Demona seethed as she got closer to the Tengu. "You are going to take a very long time to die." Her eyes burned red. "And when you do, I'm going to throw you into a hole. You have forfeited your right to a Wind Ceremony."

But her voice was drowned out by the sounds of a helicopter hovering overhead. A spotlight shined down on top of her. She snarled as she shielded her eyes, then fell backwards as a bolt of electricity zapped her in the chest.

Fang landed on the observation deck with a grin. "Hey, look, it's my favorite cellmate."

Yama slowly got to his feet and snarled at Fang. "I did not require your assistance, louse."

"Sure ya didn't," Fang sneered. "Don't worry, I'm not expecting any gratitude."

Dingo leaped from the helicopter, guns firing. Hellhound growled and leaped off of Hunter just in time for Dingo to help her to her feet. "So this is what you do when you send me away?"

But Hunter ignored him and raised her weapon. "I don't think I need to inform you all who our target is."

"Don't tell me we're offering this witch redemption, too," Dingo muttered.

Demona was quickly back on her feet and fired her particle beam at the squad in a mad frenzy. Her glowing eyes betraying her rage. But she didn't notice Matrix rise from the ground and swallow up her particle beam cannon. She snarled as she let go.

"Subject identified as the rogue gargoyle: Demona," Matrix said. "In order to best serve law and order, we must neutralize her."

With her particle beam gone, Demona cracked the Whip of Mab, firing a bolt of magical energy into the sky, a bolt so bright it turned the night to day.

"Enough games," she snarled. "I am going to enjoy killing every last one of you!"

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

"Kill her, Goliath!" Demona yelled, as she continued to hold out her hand. "What are you waiting for?" Goliath looked Elisa Maza in the eye, then let her go, and turned on Demona slapping her hand away.

"I do not know what manner of magic this is, Demona," Goliath growled. "But whatever you are up to, you have failed!"

Demona growled and pounced on Goliath, talons bared, but he used her momentum to throw her onto the ground where she appeared to disintegrate just as the entire dream began to dissipate. As it did, his life, his memories, all of it began flooding back to him.

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

Matrix expanded himself as quickly as he could, taking the bolt of magical energy meant for his teammates. He exploded on impact, chunks of his nano-tech raining down across the observation deck.

Demona grinned as she raised the whip once more. Yama reached into his belt for a shuriken and threw it just as she struck. Piercing the bone-handle of the whip, and the flesh of her hand caused some of the whip's magic to feedback into her.

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

Demona stood alone in the middle of a grassy field, this could only be the Scottish highlands. She gasped as stone zombies of gargoyles from Wyvern Hill erupted from the soil, alongside the gargoyles massacred by Canmore after she dissolved her alliance with Macbeth. Their roars echoed through the night.

"Betrayer!"

"Murderer!"

"No!" Demona cried. "I was trying to save you! All of you!"

"You destroyed us!" shouted the stone remains of the gargoyle that had been her second-in-command throughout the 11th century.

"You abandoned us!" came the small but angry voices of thirty-five hatchlings as they suddenly appeared behind her.

"No!" Demona cried as she sank to her knees. "Please... forgive me."

"There can be no forgiveness! No redemption!" the crumbling stone remains of the Sruighlea cell growled as they grabbed her by the throat, and stretched her out. Their stone seeming to infect her as she become an immobile stone statue, yet still aware of her surroundings. The hatchlings threw ropes around her immobile form, and dragged her to the ground where she shattered on impact.

Then they were gone, her immobile head was all that remained. But she was no longer on the Scottish highlands. She was now lying in the middle of a path in Central Park. She gasped at the sound of familiar laughter.

Angela and Elisa Maza came strolling down the path, both cheerfully enjoying each other's company.

"Thank you for the picnic, mother," Angela said, as she hugged Elisa tight.

Mother? How dare she! How dare they!

"What's that over there?" Elisa asked, as she pointed towards Demona's head.

"Oh, nothing," Angela said as she flicked the head aside with her tail. "Just some worthless trash."

"She's not your mother! I am!" Demona cried as her head rolled down the hill and into the pond.

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

Paris

The final crack of the whip's energy blasted into the sky, slicing through the Redemption Squad's helicopter like a hot knife through butter, cleaving it in half.

"Matrix, any time now!" Dingo called.

"Understood!" Matrix said as he quickly pulled himself together, and expanded outwards from the Eiffel Tower, absorbing the chopper's debris before any of it could hit the ground.

Hunter breathed a sigh of relief then drew her gun and turned towards where Demona had been standing. But she was gone. So was Hellhound. All that remained was the Whip of Mab. Yama bent over and picked it up, examining the lash and then the bone handle. His eyes narrowed once he realized exactly what he was holding.

Hunter held out her hand, and Yama hesitated before handing it over to her.

"Demona has a chateau in the north west of Chambly," he said. "There is a fairy ring on the grounds."

"Dingo, Fang, Matrix, you heard him. I want the location secured," Hunter ordered. She placed a hand on Yama's shoulder. "Come with me."

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

The Eyrie Building

As the sun vanished beyond the western horizon, the Manhattan Clan awakened. Goliath briefly rubbed his brow, and then turned to see a visibly saddened Elisa standing behind him.

"Elisa, I," he thought he would struggle to find the words, but they came easily to him. "I am so sorry."

"What was wrong with you last night?" Elisa asked.

"Sorcery," he said. "Demona had my mind under her thrall."

"Controlling your dreams?" Brooklyn asked.

"Yes," Goliath asked.

"Whip of Mab," said Brooklyn. "I suspected."

"I owe all of you an apology for my behavior," Goliath said as the clan gathered around him. "But for now, we must fortify before she unleashes the whip's power again."

"If you're free now, then I don't think she has the whip anymore," Brooklyn grinned.

"Take the evening off," Angela said. "We can patrol the city tonight."

"I will," Goliath smiled. "But first, there is something I need to do." He held out his hand to Elisa. "Will you come with me?"

Elisa smiled and climbed into his arms as they took off over the city.

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

Half a mile away, Coldsteel hovered as he watched the Manhattan Clan, and sighed. "Pity," he said. "I do wonder how dear sister managed to screw things up this time."

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

Paris. May 6th

"We found the joint," Dingo said over the radio. "The house was mostly empty. Only a few guns, and some trinkets. Maybe they're magic, maybe they're not."

"Good," Hunter replied.

"We also found two people being held captive in a barn," Dingo sighed. "I figure they're going to need many years of counseling. We're taking them to a trauma unit and we should be back in twenty minutes."

"And the demon?" Hunter asked.

"No sign of her," said Dingo. "No juicy clues as to where she could be, either."

Hunter ended the call as Yama entered the office and took a seat across from her desk.

"I thought you didn't believe in 'the hunt' anymore," said Yama.

"I don't," Hunter replied. "But the demon is a monster. She needs to be hunted down before she can hurt anybody else."

"Demona is not a demon," said Yama. "Just a pitiable creature. But you are correct that she must be stopped." He stared at the whip, lying on Hunter's desk coiled up. "I am requesting to conduct a Wind Ceremony for that thing."

Hunter raised an eyebrow behind her mask. "Why?"

"That whip's handle was made from the bone of a gargoyle," he said. "And in case you were unaware, the lash is human skin. I believe we should show respect for the victims of whoever created this thing."

Hunter smiled and shook her head. "If my ancestors could see us. A gargoyle and a Hunter on the same side," she said.

"Do you regret recruiting me?" Yama asked.

"No," she replied. "I actually enjoy our working relationship."

Yama didn't quite know how to respond to that, so he changed the subject. "For a moment, I thought that if I did work with Demona, I could achieve everything I ever wanted. She told me everything that I wanted to hear."

"Demons often do," Hunter replied. "Validation is a powerful thing."

"Please don't use that word," said Yama. "I miss my clan and I still hope to some night return to their side." He got up, and was prepared to leave the office when Hunter asked him yet another question.

"Do you believe you've regained your lost honor?"

Yama said nothing. He had one foot out of the door when he stopped. Considering everything that had happened these last two nights, he didn't have time to stop and think. "Where was the rest of the Squad throughout this mission?"

"They were on their own separate mission?" Hunter replied. "Tracking Geraldine FitzGerald. Unfortunately, she slipped through their grasp."

"Did your superiors assign us to go after Demona?" he asked. Hunter did not respond, and Yama ran towards her desk and slammed his palms down on it. As he stared into his leader's masked eyes, the memory of Griff's terror for his clan at the mere sight of her flashed through his brain. "By exposing myself to Demona, I compromised the safety of my clan to her."

"You said she already knew about them," Hunter replied.

"But YOU did not know that!" Yama's eyes burned white as he yelled. But if Hunter felt any remorse, she did not show it. He then turned around and left her office. Not another word passed between them.

Once he was gone, Hunter picked up her cell phone and dialed a number. "Sir?"

"I heard you and Yama went off the reservation," the Director replied.

"We did," she said. "But we stopped a plot by Demona to cause catastrophic damage to human civilization."

"You don't need to explain yourself, Hunter," the Director replied. "But I do look forward to reading your report."

"I will make sure it's on your desk by tomorrow night," Hunter said as she stood up and picked up the whip. "I would like to request permission to hand the whip over to Yama so that he may dispose of it."

"Request denied," the Director replied. "You know where to put it."

The call ended and Hunter took the whip and exited her office. Making her way to the north wing of the headquarters she approached a large steel vault. She entered a code, then lowered her mask for a retinal scan before the door opened and she entered the large, airtight chamber, the home for many other "spoils of war."

She set the coiled whip down on an empty pedestal and then made her way back to her private bedroom. Stripping off her uniform, she took a long, hot shower, but found no joy in it. When she finished, she dried off, donned a white tank-top and a pair of black yoga pants, and sighed at the sight of the newspaper she received yesterday.

Jason Canmore had just been sentenced. Despite pleading guilty, despite saving Elisa Maza's life, he was still sentenced to fifteen years in Riker's Island. Terrorism, over a hundred accounts of assault on police officers, and a slew of other sentences. She held her hand over her eyes, but she did not cry.

Figuring that the rest of the squad had returned to base by now, Hunter left her room, walked down the hall and knocked on a door. Dingo opened the door and smiled at the sight of her.

"Well, fancy seeing you here again," he said with a grin. She said nothing, and just entered.

"Something wrong, boss?" he asked.

But Hunter pulled his head down towards hers and just kissed him. After a moment, she let go. "No, nothing."

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

Manhattan General

"So far you've pulled through quite nicely." Dr. Sato said. "But I'm afraid you're going to need a new hip."

"I've had worse things happen to me," said Mr. Jaffe.

"And of course we'll be happy to pay for all of your medical expenses," John Castaway said, as he leaned against the wall, Banquo and Fleance flanking him. "We always take care of our wounded."

"Can I just be alone for a little while?" Jaffe asked.

"Of course," Castaway replied. He waved as he left the room. "I am certain that we will speak shortly."

"That's awfully generous of you, Mr. Castaway," Banquo said as they walked down the hall.

"Pity that he didn't die," Castaway said. "An upstanding pillar of the community like Mr. Jaffe would have made for an excellent martyr."

The elevator doors opened and Matt Bluestone exited, glaring at Castaway as the Quarrymen entered. The glare was returned in kind.

Matt made his way down the hall to Mr. Jaffe's room. But Dr. Sato tried to usher him out. "I'm sorry, but he's not seeing anyone right now."

"I always have time for Matthew," said Mr. Jaffe.

Matt pulled up a seat. "Good news, Mr. Jaffe. I pulled some strings and the city isn't pressing charges."

"Thank god," Jaffe said.

"But tell me why," Matt said. "Why did you join the Quarrymen?"

"I just wanted to protect people," said Jaffe. "But my hood-wearing days are over."

"If you needed protection, you could have just called me," Matt said.

"Let me ask you a question," said Jaffe. "Are the rumors true. Are you running interference for the gargoyles?"

"I," Matt looked around. The only other person in earshot was Dr. Sato. "Yes," he said. "I am."

The silence was deafening as Matt waited to hear the next words out of his old friend's mouth.

"Then maybe I had them all wrong," said Mr. Jaffe.

Just then the window opened and Elisa Maza slipped in. Goliath quickly followed, cloaking his wings and hanging his head in shame.

"Whoa," Matt said. "What are you two doing here?"

Goliath slowly approached Mr. Jaffe's bed. "I have come here to apologize," he said. "For my assault on you. In my rage, I proved no better than what Castaway always said we are."

Elisa smiled, but Matt was still stunned.

"I know that what I have done cannot be forgiven, but I wanted to tell you that it was your courage in the face of constant robbery that made me remember my purpose. To protect my community as you serve yours." Goliath stopped. "I will go now."

"Wait," said Mr. Jaffe. "I accept your apology. And maybe I shouldn't have jumped the gun and misjudged you."

"I know that we may appear to be monsters to many of you," said Goliath. "I did not mean to frighten you the other night."

"I was stupid, too," said Jaffe. "I should have talked to Matt first, or done anything else besides join the Quarrymen. But I am leaving the organization, and I plan to encourage others to leave, too."

"I thank you," said Goliath. "I only hope that we can do an iota of good for this city in return."

"'Because six monsters just told me to,'" Jaffe mumbled.

"What?" Goliath asked.

"The way I see things now, you and your kind have already done a lot of good for the city," said Jaffe. "Thank you."

Goliath was taken aback as Mr. Jaffe reached out to him. He smiled and proceeded to shake the older man's hand.

"For a brighter tomorrow," said Goliath.

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

Paris

Inside Nightstone Unlimited's Paris headquarters, the offices were bustling with life, all under the watchful eye of the company's Parisian director, Sandra Dumont. She sat at her desk, answering phone calls.

"No, I'm afraid that I do not know the current whereabouts of Mademoiselle Destine," she answered. "Have you tried New York?"

Behind the office was a secret command center, just like the Manhattan headquarters. And also like the Manhattan headquarters, there were private chambers.

The room was mostly spartan, save for the stone statue of Hellhound and the four-poster, king-sized bed. Dominique Destine tossed and turned as she slept.

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

Demona soared through the clear night sky, over the Scottish Highlands. As she enjoyed the wind beneath her wings, her thigh was struck by a harpoon. Then her forearm. She gasped in fear as a legion of Hunters dragged her out of the sky down to the ground. She stared up at them. Every Hunter she had ever encountered, including the ones that she had killed.

"We've got the demon!" Gillecomgain shouted.

"Burn her!" exclaimed Fiona Canmore.

The Hunters all ignited torches, ready to set her ablaze when the ground started to shake. The shaking became rumbling as the soil beneath her erupted, forcing her back into the air.

The tower of earth morphed into a giant hand that closed around around the gargoyle, and pulled her up towards a gigantic feminine face. The face was harsh, pale blue skin, long white hair, and glowing white eyes that matched the hair. Demona quivered in fear as the face smiled ominously. Then a voice echoed throughout the land.

"Soon," it said.

It let Demona go, and she cried out in terror as she fell towards the flames of the Hunters.

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~ : ~

Dominique bolted upright in bed, hugging the blankets around her bare body. Cold sweat ran down her brow.

She breathed deep, labored breaths. The prospect of further sleep was terrifying.

Never the End...

Featuring the voice talents of:

Ed Asner - Hudson
Brigitte Bako - Angela
Jim Belushi – Fang
Jeff Bennett – Brooklyn, Matrix
Xander Berkeley - Coldsteel
Scott Cleverdon – John Castaway
Jim Cummings – Dingo, Gillecomgain
Keith David – Goliath, Officer Morgan
William Devane – The Director
Sheena Easton – Hunter/Robyn Canmore, Fiona Canmore
Bill Fagerbakke – Broadway
Matt Frewer - Jackal
Charles Hallahan – Mr. Jaffe
Lena Heady – Queen Mab
Yuri Lowenthal - Nashville
Ming Na – Katana
John Rhys-Davies - Second
Salli Richardson – Elisa Maza
Marina Sirtis – Demona/Dominique Destine
Cree Summer – Hyena
B.J. Ward – Fleance
David Warner – The Archmage
Frank Welker – Bronx, Hellhound, Banquo
Tom Wilson – Matt Bluestone

Acknowledgments: I would like to thank Todd Jensen for continuing to be my editor. He also had more of an influence on this story than my previous ones, as the dream sequences were loosely inspired from an idea he had in the Station Eight Comment Room way back in 1997. It made quite the impression on me at the time, and the imagery stuck with me all these years. Also, how about that cover art? Check out DTaina's gallery on DeviantArt to see more. And, of course, don't forget to check out Algernon84's fanfiction, Masterdramon's epic "Hawaiki" and Gryphinwyrm7's "Bloodstone" and "Crystal Cave".