Interlude

The huge undead red dragon reared back, beating furiously three times as it and its rider came to rest on a giant stone tongue sticking out in a symbol of mocking. Upon stone that had never seen the sun, shaped into the face of a great demonic face floating in mid blackness. A single green lantern on a post illuminated an otherwise black vista.

A figure in dark robes, slides off the back of the dragon and pulls the cowl back from his head. The gaunt gray green of his skin, his unwavering eyes, mark him as githyanki, but something isn't right. The skin is to tight to the bones, and seems to shimmer as if moving.

The dragon and the githyanki exchange glances.

"This has to be it." a dry wispy voice speaks,"I'll head in and come back soon."

The dragon grunts his approval and he rears back on his haunches and stretches his wings again, revealing not the bright red scales but grayed white at the tips for a somewhat mottled appearance, and the eyes are just glowing red. He launches into the blackness and circles the great demon face and finds that it indeed has only one entrance through the mouth with naught but the back of the stone facade floating in the black. Then the dragon falters in flight. Then again as something overtakes his mind.

Then as the dragon rights itself and effortlessly comes back in for a landing and takes up a catlike stance and waits.

After some time the githyanki mage exits walking over to his 'companion' who promptly opens up by blasting him with the furnace of his breath. The huge cone expands for a second and running its course and seeing the mage still standing, the dragon rears back and unleashes claws, wing attacks, bite, and a tail sweep that sends the mage flying against the wall where he lies in a heap for a moment. 

"So glad you could join me here servant of the Lich Queen! Whatever your 'angle' here, it will be for folly," the voice does not sound the same as the dragon did previously.There was also a condescending hint to the entire statement.

The dragon slowly walks up to the crumpled form of the mage who by now is slowly trying to get up from being prone. 

The mage barely raises a finger when a jolt of electricity shoots forth directly into the dragon then a sphere of and explosive force bursts forth sending the dragon up into the air high above the landing tongue.  Easily righting himself, the Acererak dragon dives in a flyby attack flinging his breath down upon his foe. This time the fire is sticky and makes a fire carpet that continues to burn. The mage takes the attack, quickly casts another spell then disappears and reappears out of the flames. The dragon turns again coming back in for a attack. 

"ACERERAK! If that is you why can we not work together to destroy the Lich Queen. Stop this at once so we may discuss like civilized entities!" the mage yells, his tattered robe nearly burnt from his body and his flesh scorched and charred.

"I don't need you!" diving in for the attack.

The mage thinks for a moment of the day he found Abalathrax and readies a maximixed, empowered Cone of Cold. He could raise him later.

The powerful blast of cold and ice shards hits the dragon Acererak instantly snuffing out all as the huge mass of undead dragon flesh impacts the terrace crushing the mage underneath only to become a gas on impact.  The mage quickly stands and casts a wall of force and contains the gas. Then casting another spell that he has had saved for just such an occasion. He unleashes the power of the sun. Inside the forcecage the gas dissipates.

The mage walks in through the archway and disappears.

All goes silent.