[Ghostlily]

Lucian's added weight started to pull Technic down. The Hydrolisk let go of Mindle, then started attacking the Kuhna. Yelling, Technic said between breaths, "Well--you could--give me a hand here!" Technic made a swipe at Lucian with his claws, then pushed away, swimming toward the edge. He crawled onto the rocks, to the flowers that grew there. Then he tore away at them, crushing each petal, waiting for Lucian to react.

[Kittyms]

Managing to reach the surface again, first the Kuhna checked for Mindle. She was the most important thing. Then, he looked to see where Technic had gone to. Horror clutched at him when he saw the Hydrolisk shredding flowers. "N-no, don't!" he cried, paddling desperately over to the shore. "I'll do anything, anything!" He said this foolishly, in the spur of the moment, not knowing if he might regret it later.

"Anything you say?" Sadira said, walking up behind him. She blocked his path to the water, grinning evilly. "Maybe even, say.. pay a huge fee? Or even better, let me drown your friend!" She glanced over at the Learf.

[Lucian: 20, Sadira: 24 -- level up for Lucian]

[Ghostlily]

Technic stopped for a moment, turning to glance back at Lucian. Finally, he'd gotten the little twirp right where he wanted him...
"Now, now, we can't have any drowning, now can we? Keystones was more what I had in mind. How much are you willing to pay, to save your precious little flowers? And if my ears heard correct, you need them to save the little Learf's friend's life."
Technic grinned. He was in his element here, in ways more than one.

{19}

[Kittyms]

For a moment, Lucain hesitated. He didn't have much money in the first place and had been intending to use it for publishing his book. But if it was a matter of life or death for Mindle, there could be only one choice. "Whatever you ask," he said, lowering his head in submission.

Sadira cackled. "You're weak, Lucian, and always will be. You could have been like me, strong, and let your friend die. Still, if that's the way you want to be... hand over all your KS."

[Lucian: 21, Sadira: 25 -- level up for Sadira]

[Roxianna]

Mindle surfaced, gulping in breaths of air.  "Don't-don't do i-it, Lucian" she stuttered.  Mindle glared at Technic and Sadira.  She grinned myscheviously.  "We can fight them off.  THey may be stronger, but we're faster and smarter."  It was a total bluff, Mindle knew.  SHe had no idea how fast or smart Technic and Sadira were, but...she risked it.  This wasn't Lucian's problem, it was hers.

[Kittyms]

Sensing that Mindle was bluffing, Lucian went along with the flow. "Yeah, you're right," he said, looking up and staring Technic right in the eye. "We can take you! You're not having one keystone!"

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you," Sadira said, moving over to the walls, and holding one hoof threateningly over a cluster of small flowers. "If you want to save Mindle and her friend, you'd better produce the goods."

[Lucian: 22, Sadira: 26]

[Roxianna]

Mindle laughed.  "Who are you to stop me from just walking up there and taking one for myself."  Okay, this lie was carring on to far.  Mindle dived into the water and stood on the shore next to Sadira, daring her to stop her.

[Roxianna]

Mindle stared Sadira in the eye, begging her to make the first move.  It was a total bluff, of course, walking up to her so boldly, but it was one she felt was absolutly nessicary.  What was the worst that could happen?  Mindole just hoped that if Sadira attacked, Lucain would find a way to grab enough of the flowers to make sure they got one of the real ones.  But she just needed Sadira to attack, or better yet, run away.  But that wasn't happening.  It was up to Mindle to make her angry.  "What," she began, "aren't you afrain I'll just walk up to your presious flowers and pickl one?" Mindle edged closer.

[Kittyms]

"What?!!"  Predictably, the ticking time-bomb that was Sadira, exploded. "I'll get you that for that, you insolent little creature!" She charged Mindle, dragon's tail lashing furiously. Her aim was to drive the Learf into the water, so that she could drown her, as she always did with her victims. But trampling and tearing to bits was still a pretty good option.

Seeing what Mindle wanted him to do, Lucian dashed over and snatched up a fistful of flowers, hoping that they were the real ones. "Let's go, Mindle!" he yelled, making to leap into the water. But then, he realized the truth. They were trapped. Both Technic and Sadira could swim better than he could, hands down. And they couldn't go anywhere in the cave. They were totally and completely trapped.

[Lucian: 23, Sadira: 27]

[Ghostlily]

Technic let out a strangled cry. "No!" he yelled, leaping after Lucain. "Forget the Learf! Just give the idiot a few good wounds, and make sure she doesn't get any more of those stupid plants!"
Technic leaped after Lucian, diving into the water. Then, the Hydrolisk, when reaching the bottom, used his legs to push himself up, up, towards Lucain's unprotected belly. Oh how he would love sinking his teeth in the Kuhna's flesh. Oh, what pleasure he would feel!

[Roxianna]

Mindle dodged out of Sadira's way, glad she was able to make her plan work without getting hurt.  But then she saw Technic dive in the water after Lucian.  Diving in quickly, Mindle was surprised to see Technic at the bottom of the lake.  But she soon understood his plan when he bounced back up.  He was going for Lucian's stomach!  Knowing Lucian couldn't swim well, Mindle forced her head into Technic's side, hoping to force the air from him and knock him off course.  It hurt!  Her eyes blacked out for a good ten seconds before she was able to surface and force herself back to the dry land.  SHe only hoped she had had the same effect on Technic.

[Kittyms]

Frantically Lucian paddled back to shore, using his claws to grip the slick rock and haul himself out. But Sadira was waiting. "You're trapped," she said gleefully, reveling in that fact. "There's nowhere to run, so why don't you just surrender?"

Now that the fact had been told to him by the Penticorn, it now hit Lucian full force. There was no escape. They were doomed. "There's no point, Mindle," he said quietly, all hope fading from him. "They've got us."

[Lucian: 24, Sadira: 28]

[Ghostlily]

Technic let out a muffled growl. Idiot. But he quickly dived down, into the safety of the water. He could easily see Mindle's dark form. He would get her this time.
The Hydrolisk pushed off from the bottom of the rock cave, aiming for the Sun Learf. He could see what he had to do, and it would be hard. But still, he swam upward. Closer, closer, yes! Technic felt claws grip fur, as he leaped from the water in a wide arch, landing on top of Mindle. Before she had time to react, he bit her scruff, using his claws to hold her down.

[Roxianna]

Mindle felt her eyes grow dim, and she started to fade out of consiousness.  She shuttered, felling herself being dragged under, as if she was falling down a bottomless pit.  It was a scary feeling, one she was worried that would never go away.  But then she realized she wasn't falling.  She was drownding. With the last of her stregth, she swam down, pushed off the bootom of the lake, and surfaced.  She took big gulps of air, and shouted, "Run Lucian, run!  Go without me!  Find the village.  In a hut, yo-you'll find Ian.  I'll catch up with y-you!"  Something was wrong, Mindle realized for the first time.  She was awake, but something was different from when she was first dragged under.

((I added the ending to you can decide whether or not Technic hung on.))

[Kittyms]

"Mindle!!" Lucian said. "It's no use! We're trapped, we'll never escape! We would be better to just surrender.." He hung his head again, and closed his eyes, trying to stop the tears of bitterness from leaking out. Why did it have to end this way?

"That's right! Nowhere to go, you little whelp! You're trapped.. forced to watch as your friend dies," Sadira laughed. She wasn't really in it for the money, just the fun of watching Lucian's world fall apart. And then killing him. But that would come after everything he loved and held dear was stripped away from him.

[Sadira: 29, Lucian: 25 -- level up for Lucian]