((Not to worry, Sterling....
I think we're all on hold for a few days...))((Oh- and you backup crew menfolks....*grin* I didn't include you in the lil' summary because Zak doesn't know about you guys....if you made it out, Zak will also probably see you- either you could have fought your way out with us through the front doors, or you could have taken one of Iris's portals which will have appeared next to you all as you run...I believe they'll all dump out in the same area, within sight of the fortress but safely out of range. Also, other escapees- guards and animals and such- will also have escaped through these portals. Up to you whether they fight you or not...))
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Zak remained silent, dispite Sterling's question, mostly because she hadn't the spit to speak with at the moment. That, and she hadn't an answer to give, which freed her of the compuslion to answer immediately anyway.
Zak sniffed at the sulfur smell hanging in the air and had a sudden idea of where Bubbles might have vanished to. Then she saw Amain appear and whisk Rose off to safety. That left just the three of them, and whomever was in the backup rescue party, though Zak still didn't know who those people were.
The shaking of the fortress had knocked one of the great stone doors ajar, allowing them to squeeze through the narrow crack and dash to safety from the disintegrating building. Once clear, Zak fell to her knees again, trembling with adrenaline and exhaustion and fear. But they were safe. The book was safe, she could feel it. Someone else had it- over there, the other performers looking at them from not too far off, Fay, Iris, and Zanthia.
Zak squinted into the darkness of the night sky, lit only by starlight and the light of a few of the smaller moons. She blinked--was that the shadow of a dragon circling above the fortress? (She wondered why the name of "Lydia" suddenly popped into her head, and shrugged inwardly, unable to explain it...). As she watched, another black shadow, smaller and barely visible against the stars, also streaked silently off into the distance. Shadowdemon had escaped, thought that was hardly surprising...
She wondered whether they were in danger of attack from the remaining soldiers, but they didn't seem very interested in them. Ovbiously their powerful master had deserted them, and between the benadryl, the spirits, and the caffeine, none of them looked very interested in fighting.
"Are-" Her voice sounded too hoarse for her liking, so she cleared her throat and started again. "Are you ok?" she asked again, looking at Kimmy and EO with concern. Now that they were out, the pain in her head was returning, and now her arms were getting sore from where she'd been wrenched and dragged along. Which only reminded her of all of Sterling's mistreatment, which reminded her of the humialiting state of her garments....
"And you..." With as much dignity as she could muster, she stood, and looked at him haughtily, demanding, "Now untie me. At ONCE."
((If he's wearing any kind of cloak, she also demands that he hand it over, 'cause it's cold out. *lol*))
