I stood on the hill overlooking the crescent moon Pattern. The battle than was about to take place was a strange on for me. I would cast no spells. I would lead no men. I would plan no strategy and lend no advice. What was my part in this? My spells had been unable to tell me. I was just another sword. In retrospect I should have developed some sort of tactical plan. Save for Jessica leading her troops we all fought nearly the entire battle in a disorganized every-man-for-himself manner that normally loses battles.

Unknowing as I was of the conditions in this shadow I had equip myself with an uncharacteristically large number of weapons. I had an energy blaster, a shotgun, a liquid gun full of blood, a crossbow and pitch, and the longsword I found at Ygg. Yes, I was totally out of my element.

Jade appeared on the pattern and we all rushed into place. I and many of the other Amberites sprayed blood on the pattern as planned. Sure enough Eric showed up. He was highly impressive, standing head and shoulders above us in his billowy black robes. He summoned a small army of undead with a simple gesture. It looked as through he had no intention of joining the fight himself. How odd. Had Benedict himself not predicted we would need Deirdre's sword to balance him out?

Jessica's troops attacked the undead immediately. They held a line at about two thirds of the length of Eric's Pattern and began pushing the undead back. I worked in unison with Locke. He destroyed what few threats came though the line towards us as I continued to spray blood on the Pattern. Locke made several distance attacks on Eric, but Eric sent them to the sides harmlessly.

Then Eric called out above the din

With that, I saw a portal near us, and possibly two others, open up. Four figures lumbered out towards us. I recognized one of them to be an undead version of Martin. Soon I realized another was Gerard. To my knowledge Gerard was still alive so these had to be fakes from Eric's universe. Locke quickly formulated a plan to cut off the slow moving Martin first and then go after Gerard. It worked. Locke coordinated our attacks masterfully and fought Martin with a zeal as though it was the real Martin. He fell quickly and we moved on to carefully battling Gerard as we led him away from any assistance he might get. Before Locke could kill him too Darien came to our assistance with his glittering sword. I took time to survey the field. Jessica was finishing off what looked like Oberon. Her troops had the upper hands on the remains of Eric's troops. Now that Oberon was down the true Amberites had felled all of Eric's lieutenants. Eric's Pattern was all but ruined. I felt very optimistic. Eric couldn't possibly stand up to the combined might on the field against him. Would he retreat? Was escape even an option now?

Eric walked right onto the ruined Pattern, ignoring the breaks and lines, and met Jade in the middle. Jade looked pretty shaky. She was pale and was just snapping out of her pattern erasing 'trance'. Just before Eric struck her down she flung the Jewel of Judgment our way. Locke caught it and held it a moment before tossing it to Random. Jade had burst into flames. I grabbed a liquid gun full of water and sprayed her, but it was far too little. Locke pulled Jade off the Pattern with a polearm. While Random engaged Eric in Jewel combat. I watched as Random fought. At first I could tell anything was happening, but soon Random began to quiver and moan. He looked like his life was being squeezed out of him before my eyes. I had to do something. I ran to his side hoping that I could lend my mind to the mental battle taking place. As I touched his neck I was overwhelmed by a crushing pain unlike anything else. I my vision blacked. Sound departed. I lost all other sensation. I tried to focus and block some of the force on Random's mind. It was like battling the wind I could only shield I could make attack upon it. I'm not sure how much time passed as Random fought for his very life, but eventually I felt others join in. The psychic power built and built until we were greater than Eric's power. Even now there was a flicker of doubt in Random bewildered mind. Eric seemed to be taunting our efforts even as we turned the tables on him.

My vision returned abruptly just in time to see colored steams shooting off where Eric had stood. I collapsed. I wanted them to let me lie, let me rest, but someone pulled me to my feet anyhow, and we departed the field of battle.