Mira noticed the glimmer and hurried over to the cluster of dead demon raiders. Yuck! Raiding the dead... She pushed things aside until she found the handle of the lantern and yanked it out. Better than being caught up there with two dragons fighting I suppose. Turning, Mira ran back up the stairs, her muscles burning as she pushed herself to run faster and faster. Up is harder. Definitely harder... She finally reached the top, lantern in hand, and, not knowing what else to do, held it between herself and Malistyrax, figuring that, if the voice had told her to get it to save the others, it must be a weapon of some sort.

The dragoon disappeared and reappeared closer to Malistyrax's face.
"Can't catch me, but try catching this!"
He launched the large orb of NX at Malistyrax's face.

Malistyrax rather than evading simply opens his mouth. Calling on powers he absorbed in hell, Malistyrax spits a cloud of silver hellfire at Max/Dragoon which not only incinerates physical materials, but also metaphysical materials.
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Take the lantern and capture a spark of red dragonfire inside to save your companions , the voice orders Mira.

The NX orb absorbed some of the fire before it disappated. Max pulled out his shield and ducked to the floor. His shield deflected most of the flames, but it melted in the process, leaving scorch marks on Max's armor and skin. He lost a couple patches of his armor, revealing a slightly scaly and dragonic skin. Max rolled away and shielded, what was left of his armor turning invisible along with his body.

Well how the heck do I do that? She watched Malistyrax shoot silver hellfire at Max. All he's breathing right now is that silvery stuff... Holding the lantern between herself and the dragon, Mira moved so that she was within the dragon's sight. Maybe if I can get him to breathe fire at me, it'll work... Yeah, and I'll magically avoid being hit as well. Oh, I sure hope this works!

Confident that Max was dead Malistyrax turns a glowing red eye toward Mira. "Disappear," Malistyrax hisses spitting a stream of his normal red dragonfire at Mira.
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Meanwhile the hellfire continues to incinerate the tower, creeping precariously close to the unconscious Zanek.

Mira moved out of the direct line of fire quickly, holding the lantern out so it was just within Malistyrax's attack to catch a bit of the dragon fire.

The tower is falling... We must end this.
Max saw Mira with the lantern. Obviously she's doing that for a reason, but why?
He saw Zanek out of the corner of his eye. Finish the threat first...
Max jumped on top of Malistyrax's snout and unshielded. He put out both of his hands. Surprise, he said. He shot two orbs of NX, one into each of Malistyrax's eyes.

magine jumps onto malistyrax's snout just when max's nx spheres strike him. she accents max's attack by thrusting her sword inbetween malistyrax's eyes.

turning this into a tripple team attack, mhantra bites malistyrax where the neck meets the head, blasting ice, and holding him tight so he doesnt shake off max and magine

The dragonfire aimed at Mira is immediatly absorbed by the lantern which glows with bright red light.

Though blinded by Max's NX spheres, his eyes are unharmed. Magine's sword breaks upon striking his hellfire burnt scales.

"Enough!" Malistyrax yells. Easily double Mhantra's size he throws the smaller dragon off. "I shall crush you, ONE BY ONE!" Malistyrax knocks Magine to the floor, and stomps his forleg down on Magine's leg savoring the sound of her leg breaking.

Malistyrax's tail wraps around Mhantra's neck and lifts him straight up. "I'll kill you and absorb your power just like I did the rest of our kind. After dealing with the rest of the vermin."

Turning toward Max Malistyrax inhales deeply, and this time he spits a cloud of highly corrosive acid at Max.
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Extinguish the lantern NOW! The voice commands Mira somewhat frantically.

((Lexi, post after Revan and Nitrox please?))

That's one thing I can't deal with... thought Max.
He disappeared only to reappear next to Zanek. "Let's get you outta here," he said to the unconscious man. He hoisted Zanek upon one shoulder and his claymore on the other.

The castle's going to crush us all... he thought briefly, but looked to see what the others did.

magine struggles crawling away from malistyrax

mhantra struggles around and grabs malistyrax's tail, clawing at him

Mira backed up a bit, a bit relieved she wasn't burned, and tried to blow out the flames inside the lantern. Okay, voice, but I want to know who you are when this is all over.

((Thank you))

The lantern extinguishes and then it realeases a massive cloud of sulfurous smoke. It is in the smoke that the heroes find themselves in the lair of an old wizard.

"Do you idiots realize what you've done?!" The old wizard yells at the group.
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Thus closes the mystery behind the origins of Light and Darkness.