[FFnut]

****************************
Palis, The Year 699 Ishia, Gracia Gate

Magus cut down a few more demons with his scythe. Suddenly he felt a breeze he knw nobody else could feel - the black wind, once again. Only this time, there was a voice in it. He listened intently.

****************************
Palis, The Year 699 Ishia, Somewhere

Schala cried softly into the black wind for help. She wanted someone, anyone to hear the wind and her voice. Soon a soldier stepped into her chamber.

"Ah, miss, I was hoping you could be of some assistance to us..."

Schala blinked. "Who are you? Why do you need my help? Why..."

The soldier gave a huge bow, a grin on his face. "My name is Gamma," he said. "I work for Lord Kain, one of the great demons of Draconis."

Schala recognized the strange tinge to the man's voice. "You... you're... you're the same as..."

The man grinned, showing rows of sharpened teeth. "Miss Zeal, Kain requires your magic. I know what it is like, having felt it myself back on Earth. You can either work with us willingly..." He held out his arm, which turned into a powerful claw. "...or I can rip the magic from your body myself."

****************************
Palis, The Year 699 Ishia, Gracia Gate

Magus chopped down demons, a new fury blazing within him. Schala was in danger, calling for help when she was suddenly interrupted. He felt nothing more than hatred welling up inside of him.

A giant shape-shifting demon appeared. Its form didn't seem to be able to stabilize itself, continually shifting to become more and more powerful. Magus continued to strike at the other demons, trying to ignore the larger one until he heard a rasping voice carry over the heads of the demons; "Janus Zeal... how nice to seeeeeyyoouuuU!" The shapeshifter cquickly mowed down several soldiers in front of it and started knocking away human and demon alike to get at Magus.

Magus stumbled back, actually afraid for once. Thousands of thoughts flew through his mind, the most prominent being How does this thing know my real name?

The shapeshifter howled, chomping down on a soldier and shifting away its mouth with the soldier only halfway inside - Magus looked at the gruesome half-corpse before he dove at the monster.

A claw extended from the transforming monstrosity and knocked Magus back. Suddenly it reared an arm, which was slowly changing into a head, to the sky. "I muSt lEave yoU Now JaNus... buT I wiLl RetUrn!"

Two of its extra heads transormed into wings as the creature began to fly. Even as these wings transformed, more would appear, keeping the thing aloft. Magus immediately turned his attention back to the hordes pouring through the gate. He shot a quick glance to Aikia, who he suddenly realized was nowhere to be found. "What the..."

********************************
Palis, The Year 699 Ishia, Somewhere Else

Gamma strapped Schala down to a large slab. He grabbed her pendant from around her neck and called out to the sky. "Beta! Come here!"

Schala let out a muffled cry before Gamma shot a jolt of electricity into her. The world soon went black.