The Zulnaret pups arrived first.” The parents believe us to be easy prey! We will show them different.” Yes, I believe we will.” As Rowen finished his comment, he tore a rip into the air itself, and out of it clambered a Dehekon. The Zulnaret pups were suddenly confused at the appearance of the third presence and suddenly halted their attack. They stared at the monster and as they were staring, the Dehekon jumped at them and closed its maw around the first of the two Zulnaret pups, ripping its body in tow and spraying blood onto the bubble around Rowen. The blood ran down the bubble, as if being chased off by some presence. The second pup yelped and spun around, but the Dehekon was on it in one pounce, tearing off its head and devouring the rest of it in one gulp."You fool! The Dehekon cannot be controlled! It will attack us, if we are the only ones left standing!" Shendron shouted at Rowen and saliva drooled from his mouth in his anger.” The Dehekon will buy us time! We need as much of that as we can possibly get now. Besides, it cannot see us. A Dehekon is too blind to magick to see through our invisibility, so it will lie in wait for the parents of the Zulnaret." Rowen was soothing in his tone, but resented the implication of Shendron's words; that he didn't know what he was doing. A deep rumble vibrated the air, making the two companions take two steps back, involuntarily. Huge shadows dimmed the light from the crystal in the roof beyond, and smoke of a strange dark purple wisped itself around them. Flames shot out of the patterns on Shendron and Rowen, as the Fire Elemental powers burnt at the thick substance around their ankles. The smoke turned thick and concrete, making it difficult for them to breathe again, and the world around them wanted to change somehow. Shendron spoke, "This is the Fog of the Shadow Giants. It will try to fool your eyes and change the appearance of the world, but we both have the ability to see through this now. Your magick has given you some of my power and this will help you to resist it. Now we can see them and fight back when they attack. If we are lucky, that litter belonged to only a pair of parents, if our luck has run out, there will be a nest, with a minimum of six Zulnaret, all fully grown. If it was a nest, pray there are no others close by."The fire patterns grew brighter as the fog grew thicker.Shendron shouted "Close your eyes, this will blind you if you look."Rowen shut his eyes and covered them with his hands. A crack like thunder burst into the air and a searing heat scorched the air. Rowen could see the bones of his hands through the darkness that had been there a moment before. The heat and light was gone almost instantly, allowing Rowen to open his eyes. The fog was gone, but he could not see this yet, as his vision was still adjusting itself to the blinding ray of Shendron's Elemental fire that had purged the rooms around them of the stifling magick of the Zulnaret.
"Here they come." Warned Rowen, and they both stood at the ready, with talons and potions, with Fangs and magicks. Suddenly the Dehekon attacked the Zulnaret, with a few powerful leaps; it jumped at its prey, which were a few stories tall. There were only two of them, but the nearest was faster than the Dehekon, moving out of its way, as it was in mid-air with the jump. The Dehekon landed heavily and its eyes flickered at its opponents. Realizing these would not be easy to kill, it swayed its body of smoke and fire in a decided rhythm, trying to confuse the Zulnaret, and looking for an opportunity to jump and sink its teeth and claws into one of them. The Zulnaret closest to it moved its head slightly to the side, exposing a weak spot. The Dehekon jumped and was only inches away from its much larger prey, when the Zulnaret pulled its head back, fast as lightning, to slam its deadly jaw shut on the Dehekon. The Dehekon struggled fiercely and the flames on its own body burned higher, but as extinguished quite suddenly, as a dark shadow snake ripped through its body and killed it instantly with its venom. The Dehekon would at least not bother Rowen and Shendron, if they survived this.
The Zulnaret filled their vision and the room beyond was a cold darkness from their presence.
A voice hissed from the shadows and the sound was frightening, as though a volcano's magma was turning an ocean into steam, "Why have you come here, son of Zel-urr. You have no business here, and we have no wish to let you pass." The Zulnaret could see them, as they possessed the same Lycan vision Shendron had, which could pierce magick's illusions.
Rowen and Shendron looked at each other, and saw that both were equally surprised to hear the beasts talking. "Who is Zel-urr, and why would that stay their attack?" Rowen whispered to Shendron.
"Be quiet a while, this will be our only chance to keep a fight at bay." Shendron whispered this to Rowen and then said loudly to the Zulnaret, "We are here on a mission of secrecy. As this place is old and ancient, so is the tome which we seek. It contains a power which our employer is in dire need of, and we are the agents to collect it." Shendron spoke in growls and hisses, but Rowen could understand what he was saying, and understood the menace in his voice, as if threatening the creatures to stand aside, though not in words.
"We are intrigued then; why did you kill our children, if your mission is only one of knowledge gathering?" The voice sounded hungry and aggressive in return to the veiled threats in Shendron's snarls.
"We are not the cause of the demise of your pups. The first was killed by its own brother, by the Selnaret in its mouth. The second and third were both destroyed by the Dehekon, in which case, you have already had your revenge. We did not destroy your litter; they were merely over-eager and young. The sadness in my heart mourns your loss."
"Clever words Shendron-urr, but your friend summoned the Dehekon and thus he is responsible for two deaths, and your own kick was the cause of the other. You are responsible for it."
"Then why do you stay your fangs from revenge? Do you fear the knowledge of the Old Lore? Your kind is mentioned there, as a plague. You are the only cross breed of the Lycan seed and as such; you cannot stand against the will of a Lycan. You are my slaves, as well you should be, but I will not let you endure this fate. Let us go unhindered and we will not subject you to a terrible death."
"Fool! Coward and fool!" The Zulnaret screeched, and advanced. "You power to control is limited to only one fully grown Zulnaret, and if you control the mind of one, you will not be able to face the other. We will have your head before the day is done!"
Shendron quickly said to Rowen, I will take control of one, you will face the other, my control will not be complete for a few minutes; keep me safe till then, because we cannot face both at once. Once I control one, we can kill the free one and then the other at our leisure."