Hey all, part five it is.. The plot is going places now, so let’s get ready to rumble! To recap; CrossSlash is heading back to Kerning City, and Blast is with Riella, heading to Ludibrium. They’re hoping to cut the XDarkStriders off at the pass, and prevent the fiends from freeing the three legendary beasts; King Slime, Alishar, and Zakum. We’ll join Cross now.

—
CrossSlash tossed a kumbi into the air, let it sail in a graceful arc just below the plush ceiling of the taxi, and caught it in a gloved hand, then clicked it back into his claw. BlastMage had let him hold onto the set after their fight in Perion, said he might be needing it a bit longer… And he believed the mage, no doubt, the young rouge was off to rally forces to kill the largest slime in existence.
“Hey, would ya stop poking around back there kid? If you put a hole in my interior, you’re paying double fare.” the cab driver said, turning around as the taxi mowed down a green mushroom and several stump monsters –barreling through the dungeon at this speed, nothing could touch you.
“Yeah…” Cross said, putting the stars away, “sorry.” He didn’t want to pay even more, his wallet had been neigh empty in the first place, and he didn’t want an angry cab driver to dump him in the middle of the Victoria Island. He kicked back and examined the ceiling for the remainder of the ride.

Stepping out onto the streets of Kerning again, Cross looked around carefully for DarkStrider troops, they’d be out to get him yet, and he’d be cursed before he let them catch him off guard. Deeming the deserted cement sidewalk safe, he stepped out beside the red taxi sign, and the cab driver closed the door with a slam, putting his vehicle in park and pulling out a worn newspaper.
“You planning on paying kid? I’ll be here all day if you want to just stand there.”
“Thanks, I may have to leave in a hurry.” Cross said, handing him the mesos through the window.
“No problem. I’ve got nowhere to go.”
“Just watch out for… erm. Slimes.” Cross said, harking off before the man could ask him to elaborate. Making way to his apartment complex, he stopped short to see a guard at the door. The wizard tried to act casually, leaning back against the building’s cracked brickwork and tipping back the brim of a tall creased hat, but by the way he watched the crowd, Cross didn’t even need the guild tag to tell he was looking for someone. And, to make matters worse, the arc staff propped against the wall beside him placed him over twenty levels above the thief. Grumbling, CrossSlash concealed himself again, and slipped by into the building, if the XDarkStriders wanted him enough to watch his apartment, they’d undoubtedly be watching for his attempts to hinder them today.
“But,” he reasoned, “they didn’t account for these…” he though, raising a transparent hand to touch the cool blue disk medallion hanging under his shirt. Returning to his rooms, Cross found the majority of his belongings untouched, with the exception of what had been smashed into or through during his fight before.
“Very professional assassins,” Cross said aloud, closing the door and reappearing, “they tried to smash me, but none of my stuff. None of it’s even missing! Makes for lousy thieves in my opinion.

Slipping behind the shadows again, Cross vaulted out one of his broken windows (he’d have to have them fixed…) and landed more or less gracefully below, beside the magician he’d spotted before, still unaware of his presence. A moment later, the wizard pulled out a communicator, it’s light flashing for attention, and punched a few buttons. Checking his darksight, Cross confirmed he was effectively hidden, and leaned in to read over the man’s shoulder.
“All units in the vicinity move in to party quest entrance, tracks 1, 2, and 4 are out. Plan commences in thirty seconds.” it read, the tone urgent. Heading off past the subway entrance to the nearby sewer drains, Cross tailed the magician as his darksight flickered out and he was forced into view again.
“Odd,” Cross thought, “normally there’s only a ten second delay for the party quest to restart. And there’s always people vying for positions… the DarkStriders must have done something disruptive to buy time I’m sure.” Nearby was Lakelis, dressed extravagantly in fairy garb and holding beside her a tall jeweled staff. She looked over the crowd below fretfully, kicking and clawing at each other, shouting
“Mage joining PQ!” or “Buying trak!” and the like.

“Lakelis, what’s wrong, shouldn’t a party have gone in by now?” Cross asked. She frowned at him and answered;
“I’m not sure… someone, or something seems to have jammed the time barrier. I can’t open it for the next party. That man over there might have something to do with it, but I can’t leave my post. I was hoping it’d be resolved when the last session ended. There’s five minutes left on their clock, although they’ve already exited. I think that he may be the one responsible.” She pointed one delicate finger to a wizard standing atop one of the sewage pipes nearby. A man with a familiar face…

“Erik! I knew he’d show up!” Cross growled, “It’s him alright, I’ll check it out Lakelis!” The man in question was largely ignored by the squabbling crowd, but holding his staff above his head and shining a deep red, he was certainly the obvious suspect for the holdup in the party quest rotation. Gathering around below him was his guildmates, the XDarkStriders were out in force. He spotted Shard, Achoss, and Cerusk in the crowd, as well as Imlye and Devin, along with the wizard he’d followed here. But.. he didn’t have time for them, and as he approached the crowd he slipped behind the shadows again, and climbed up the sewer pipe behind the glowing lightning wizard.

Appearing from the shadows behind him, Cross grabbed the man by the collar and spun him around, shouting
“Erik, you won’t get away this time!”
“Ah, CrossSlash,” the magician answered, “nice to see you could make it, but I don’t have time for you yet, I’ve got to go and invite a mutual friend to party as well.” Smirking, the wizard lowered his staff, and the glow around him faded, suddenly, the crowds below were knocked back, as a portal tore open into the party quest area beside Lakelis. Teleporting out of his grasp, the wizard landed beside the woman, who’d been knocked off her feet as well.
“DarkStriders inside! Move!” was his command, and the guild surged forward, riding over the crowds and Lakelis’ feeble cries of
“Wait, just four at a time!” Once they’d all pushed and jostled their way inside, the portal snapped shut without a trace, leaving the crowds, and Cross, who’d jumped at it just a moment too late, locked out to wonder what’d just happened.

Walking over to help Lakelis to her feet, Cross told her
“They’ve gone to draft the King Slime into their schemes. We’ll have to rally forces if we’ve going to stop them. Will you help me?”
“Well, it doesn’t seem like much of a choice to me.” She walked to the edge of the stairs to look over the crowd below, then clapping her hands, she shouted for attention. “Who wants to fight King Slime?!” This brought a roar of approval from the crowd. “Well everyone, he’s making a special appearance for you soon enough, now if I can anyone who doesn’t intend to fight to stand well back, and everyone else to form a tidy circle around the portal we just saw, we can get started!

—
“Forward! All of you! Get organized, Zakum crush you!” Erik cursed, as the guild moved into more or less orderly rows. Marching forward, Erik took the lead, and they moved swiftly across the swampy forest terrain to find Cloto, another party quest attendant, waiting. She was visibly irritated to see such a crowd, and knew as well as they that they weren’t supposed to be there.
“What is all this? I won’t be helping any of you until you cut the party down to four members!”
“That won’t be necessary.” said Erik sternly, pushing her out of the way.
“Hey!” she exclaimed, as the wizard flicked his staff, opening another portal.
“Keep moving! I don’t have all day!” He shouted, and the guild stormed past a bewildered Cloto onto the next stage.

—
Closing his eyes, Blast sighed contentedly, reclined comfortably in a nitch between two cargo boxes below decks, the wizard cozied himself in while his warrior companion paced the deck impatiently. boat rides to and from Orbis bored him normally, but today, the rest was welcome. Riella, irritated, walked up beside him and rapped her knuckles on his skull.
“How can you sleep at a time like this?” she sighed, “I’m tired as well, but you don’t have to be a sloth about it!”
“Ooh, a little to the left.” he murmured.
“Are you listening to me!?” this exclamation motivated a grumbling BlastMage to sit up and look at her intently.
“What? Why are you so agitated?”
“Well,” she said, “I’m a little worried about CrossSlash okay? He’s not strong enough to be taking on King Slime, let alone the DarkStriders, party quest has that level limit for a reason.”
“Oh, please, I’m sure he’ll be fine. Here, we can contact him now if you want.”
Blast said, pulling out his communicator. He located Cross with little difficulty, the rouge was indeed in Kerning City, and then pushed another button to bring up a messenger.

—
Cross’ comm buzzed irately until he pulled it from his pocket to answer the call.
“Yeah, what’s up.”
“Hey, Cross, it’s me Blast. We were wondering how you’re doing.” said wizard over the comm channel.
“Oh, yeah. Peachy BM. What must’ve been half of the XDarkStriders just forced their way into party quest, and now we’re waiting on needlepoint for them to show up with King Slime in tow.” as finished speaking, a roar could be heard, and the wind whipped up, the portal was opening again!
“That’s them now man, I’ll call you back when I’m done here!” he flipped off the communicator, and a protesting Riella on the other end, to slip back on his garnier and shout to the crowd. “Warriors and bandits in front, archers in back! Mages and assassins go for mid range! Clerics ready! Good!” The portal blasted open then to full diameter, and King Slime, THE King Slime, bounded out, sending people sprawling with a rumbling earthquake. Warriors and bandits rushed forward to slash and jab at the beast, as XDarkStriders filed out under a rain of arrows, stars, and magic.

Startled and pummeled, the great slime fell back leaking slime and whimpering.
“Healers now!” shouted Imlye, emerging from the crowds of DarkStriders, and on her mark green pinpoints lit up throughout the mass. King Slime leapt forward on the attack again, fully rejuvenated. It summoned slimes to hassle it’s opponents, and was aided by the DarkStriders’ forces. Blades and daggers crossed on the front lines, and the grounds were littered with stars, arrows, and the wounded. Clerics sprang forward in the defending side, healing and firing blasts of holy magic. The attacking force was pushed back, the DarkStriders bested by sheer numbers, and the King Slime pushed back by a hail of pointed objects and magic attacks. But it still wasn’t enough, as the XDarkStriders forces dropped back to defend the flanks, a core group of healers kept King Slime alive as he surged forward, crushing some and sending others flying.

“It’s no good, we’re losing too many.” Cross thought, then shouted “Fall back! All forces fall back!” The groups were all to happy to oblige, falling back out of the way as the seemingly invincible slime bounded forward to smash them flat.
“Hold, King Slime!” Erik commanded, stepping forward to walk casually in front of the slime. “What now little thief, how do you intend to thwart our plans? With this, and the other great beasts, your precious islands will fall to our new reign!
“I won’t let that happen Erik! This isn’t over yet, a thief always has a few tricks up his sleeve!” Cross said, stepping forward to meet the wizard, even as his own lines fell back to escape the great slime. “Get out of my way, I can handle your overgrown pond scum!”
“Have it your way. Goodbye pesky insect.” Erik said, teleporting behind the King Slime again, who, happy to be given the right of way, leapt forward to crush CrossSlash, alone on the battlefield.
As the monstrous creature descended on him, Cross took a deep breath and darksighted again, becoming insubstantial and, dove through the slime’s hard protective membrane, into the beast itself. Becoming visible and solid again, the slime’s oozing innards ate at him and his armor, crushing and suffocating him. He ignored it and closed his eyes to concentrate, building up energy.
“NOW!” he shouted, tearing his medallion from his neck and throwing it into the sludge above him, he and spun about in all directions, loosing stars and thrashing about in the great slime’s delicate insides.

Shrieking and thrashing about in pain, the King Slime bounced backwards, staggering and trying to escape an attack that came from within. It rumbled through the XDarkSiders, crushing and killing blindly in it’s madness. With a final dying shriek, the creature exploded, and leaving a damp CrossSlash to fall sputtering to the ground. As the medallion fell to the ground beside him, it fell as though water, and the tattered King Slime was sucked in pieces back into his dimensional prison. Nearby, Lakelis touched fingertips to one temple and closed her eyes.
“The party quest is back in order, we did it! Now somebody get that thief a cleric!”

Jumping up onto a stack of big pvc pipes, Shard shouted at the crowd below;
“We’ll get you yet CrossSlash. Next time! I only need attend other maters for so long!” He finished, throwing flash powder to the ground, leaving the defending force to cough in blindness until the smoke cleared, the XDarkStriders gone again. Fumbling in his pocket for his comm, CrossSlash paused to cough up some slime and punch a few buttons as a cleric helped him up and attempted to go about healing him.
“Yeah, a cleric. Thanks, just a second. Need to finish something.”
“BM buddy,” he coughed again, “your man CrossSlash just bagged the King Slime, how ‘bout them apples?” The wizard on the other end was ecstatic, and Cross clicked off his comm shortly after, entirely satisfied, to look at his healer.
“Ooh, a pretty female cleric.” he said, putting a badly slimed arm around her shoulders, which induced a frown on her part. “I could get used to this… what’s your name girl?”