Dennizon reached down to pick up the crystal and was stayed by Albertus with a warning breath. Quickly he muttered many strange words and all watched as the smoking stopped and the crystal was coated with a thin layer of ice. Dennizon then picked it up and held it towards the moon to examine. In his hand lay a crystalline looking rock made of a mineral that he didn’t recognize. “What in the world is this?” he inquired has he scrutinized it more closely. “Some sort of rock it looks like” said Caerial. “It is an odd rock.” Voiced Freedom as he leaned closer to examine the rock aside Dennizon. “It isn’t just odd,” said Albertus, “it isn’t even natural to this planet.” “How can you tell old friend?” Asked Dennizon not taking his eyes from the strange rock. “I am well versed in sorcery as you know, and that study has lent me sufficient knowledge of all known rocks and sediments.” The old man replied, “And this is not of any origin that I know.” “Well that is just as well,” said Dennizon with a humorless chuckle, “because otherwise I would have to assume you had conjured this flaming herald to save your hide in light of what was to be the final blow in our game.” Albertus returned the chuckle with one of his own. “How can a rock that is not of this world, be set aflame and plummet with such velocity into our camp?” Asked Freedom slowly.

Before anyone could answer Kitana came rushing into their camp looking out of breath and excited. “There is something I think you all should see.” She said loudly. “What is it?” Dennizon asked startled at her disheveled demeanor. “I cannot explain it, hurry though, the whole camp has stirred and is nervous. You must see for yourself!” Without another word she turned and ran off into the night again. Dennizon, Albertus, Caerial, and Freedom all jumped off and ran after Kitana weaving precariously between makeshift tents, fires, and cooking utensils. More than once Dennizon nearly tripped on a few who had not yet woken and slept on blanket rolls out in the open without the shelter of a tent. When they finally caught up to Kitana it was well outside the main camp. The light of the fires was gone since they had left the camp behind and Phoenix was there looking into the distant. What he saw was both beautiful and terrifying. As he looked he saw fire raining down from the sky lighting the entire horizon in a ghastly red, green, purple, and blue haze. Some of the balls of fire seemed as large as castles and the explosions, though miles away, could be seen with great intensity. “What do you think it is?” Asked Kitana not taking her eyes from the sight. A gust of warm air blew against Dennizon’s face and he heard the faint sound of screams carried in its harried wake. A shiver ran down his spine. “Whatever it is, it doesn’t look good” he said, mesmerized by the sight before him and haunted by the screams carried on the winds; human screams. “Rouse the camps.” Albertus said quietly. He turned to look Phoenix in the face. “Rouse the camp and tell them to pack and to be quick about it.” “But where will we go? Why do we leave? That chaos is miles away.” Freedom began to object. Just as he finished a fist sized ball of fire erupted two miles away into the ground. The five of them stared, not speaking and the night seemed to grow immediately quiet. Suddenly another ball if fire plummeted into the ground directly across from the party, and another. Then one small piece of rock fell right in their midst. “Ouch!” Yelled Dennizon clutching at his arm where a small burn was already being tended by Caerial. “That’s why!” Shouted Albertus. “Rouse the camps! Tell them we move NOW!” He shouted already running back towards the camp. Without further adieu the five of them sprinted back as fast as their legs would carry them with more and more balls of fire falling around them, some now as large as a small dog.

Dennizon reached the camp first along with Phoenix and dodged another ball of fire that landed directly in his path. The camp would not need stirring, it was already up and people ran to and from frantically gathering their things in a frenzied panic. As Dennizon weaved through the people a meteor the size of a horse erupted a tent into a spray of fire, rock, and various cooking tinsels. Shielding his eyes from the blinding light Dennizon tried to search if anyone needed help in the wreckage. He grabbed a nearby pole and tried to lift an edge of burning canvas when another meteor landed nearby and knocked him to his feet. Suddenly Freedom was there, pulling him to his feet and urging him to run. Dennizon heeded the call and set off at a dead run, trying to dodge flying debris as meteor after meteor bombarded the camp.

All around women were screaming, children were crying, and men were trying to gather their senses after being taken by surprise. Dennizon watched with horror as a meteor struck a wagon with its horses still attached. The horses were lit afire and went wild with panic and started to stampede, pulling their burning wagon load directly towards a small crying boy who was frantically looking around him screaming and sobbing. Dennizon faltered, and realized he was too far away to help. Just as the burning wagon reached the boy a purple shield appeared around him into which the crazed animals and burning wagon collided in a huge smash of fire and wood. In an instant Albertus was there taking the little boy to safety. With a yell of relief Dennizon started his own run again. Twice he pulled a countryman to safety as the fiery meteors came down on them from all sides and angles. But for all his efforts and the efforts of those around him more than once he watched man, woman, and child succumb to the fires and explosions around them.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Dennizon and Freedom reached their camp. They quickly grabbed what pieces of armor they could, their weapons, and began to run with the flow of people away from the carnage.

The flow of people was maddening. As people’s panic grew there was crowding, pushing, shoving and no doubt more than one person fell to the stampede of people trying to escape the explosions that threatened to overtake them. Someone began to yell and point. The crowd began to change its course and Dennizon strained to see what they ran towards. “Can you see what they are running to Freedom?” Dennizon shouted in the din to the Count still running at his side. Freedom tried to look over the heads of those running ahead of him and had to blink and close his eyes at the burst of light from yet another explosion. He shook his head and strained harder to see through the smoke, darkness, and chaos. “I do!” He shouted, “It’s a waterfall, and the people are running behind it!” A cave, thought Dennizon with relief. “Well, let us hope it is a big cave for all of these people!” Freedom shouted and Dennizon agreed.