Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1998 11:01:56 EDT Title: Shard Author: Teri The T'aoli lay stunned on the granite floor of the chamber, covered in blood and gasping for breath. His normally granite composure had dissolved, reducing the head of the A'oli religion to uncontrollable shivering and whimpering. But there was no one now to see him. The Jiy master's body hunched over his chair, limply oozing the last trickles of blood from the air- exposed neck. The chunks of gore covering the chamber and the T'aoli had long lost any resemblance to Bill's head. The backlash explosion from the Clear had filled the room with a terrifying flux of power-- two powers fighting each other, a panicked red and a godly white. Bill's corrupt spell did nothing but set match to fuel. Now Steve was without a scryer, and without means to watch over the small, interesting group. He didn't like being reduced to normal means of information-- but would have to deal with the circumstances for the moment. "Krang." He barked, pulling himself to his feet as his face once more assumed immobility and his limbs stopped shivering. The pinch-faced attendant that had greated Shinji, Teri and Rohan almost a week earlier, seemed to melt from the far wall and stood waiting in the chamber, blood staining the edges of his grey robe. "Yes, T'aoli?" "Krang, I want you to have Llorin and D'Jor meet me in the office after my bath." "Yes, T'aoli." "Oh-- And Krang. Do something about this mess." The T'aoli turned, and melted through another barely-visable doorway, leaving Krang to survey the chamber. The pinched expression darkened to open hostility against the T'aoli's turned back, and then to a visable snarl as the T'aoli left the room. Looking around at the mess he would have to delegate, at the rust-red stain spreading up the stiff wool of his robe, he cursed and kicked the trickling torso of the scryer. The headless body fell backwards, and Krang's narrowed eyes caught a bright gleam on the chest-- Reaching forward, he curled his fingers around a long shard of glass, and slid it free from the dead heart. Looking at the slight curve to the shard, Krang smiled-- and pocketing the shard, whiping his bloodied hands on his already stained robe, Krang melted from the room on his own errand.