The Queen looks at her daughter (the hologram now showing what Exotica
looked
like before the "artists" got to work on the image). "Exotica!" she
gasps. "What
are you doing here? And who are these people?" Before Exotica can reply,
Emry,
Blondin and the guards make their presence felt.
The party is there to put an end to the Queen's life. With Exotica apparently now a prisoner of the dragon, the Queen's usefulness as a hostage is at an end. Many years ago, the love between King and Queen had turned to indifference and finally to hatred, so Emry had no qualms about having his wife killed. His only worry was that his plan to ensure he didn't get blamed for her death should pass off smoothly. But a guard lies unconscious outside the door, which hangs open. Emry hears a voice from within saying: "Mother, we've come to rescue you!" Exotica's voice! The bitch has betrayed him. She must have formed an alliance with the dragon and staged her own abduction. "You have two to kill, not just one," he whispers to Blondin. Blondin had taken the precaution of placing a stealth spell on Emry, the guards and himself, so the Champions are taken by surprise when the mage appears in the doorway and unleashes a fireball at the Queen. "Forgive me, Highness," he mutters. "Mother!" Exotica shouts, and attempts to sacrifice herself for her mother by diving into the line of fire. For the moment she has forgotten that she is not really there. The fireball goes right through "her". En route the fireball also hits the invisible emitter, though, so that Exotica doesn't actually see whether her mother is hit. Suddenly she loses the video and audio feed. She is going to have a terrible time until contact can be re-established and she can find out if her mother is all right. A startled Blondin sees Exotica apparently disappear. Has she magicked herself away at the last instant?
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12/31/2001 9:25:23 AM
Extending Enabled
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