It wasn't hard for the archmage to find his Tor Demon target...the beasts seemed to know when they were being sought and had a habit of giving their seeker what they sought. They seemed to be fearless...and vicious. Hence they were called 'demons', but no one knew for sure if they were true demons. Many said they weren't...simply insane draconians that had no self control so they rampaged aimlessly.

It was the evening of the third day of Darreon's search when he found the Tor Demon. The archmage had been searching in his "trueform"...a thirty-foot-long golden-scaled winged Asian dragon. Between wings each as long as his body and levitation powers the dragon-mage had no problem flying, it was very nearly effortless. The dragon had far better eyesight than the Green Archmage's human form making it easy for him to spot the large black shape on the horizon.

The Tor Demon flaired its wings and settled down to land on the ground. ~You seek me?~ it asked indignantly. This golden dragon half its size could hardly be considered a threat! Perhaps a nuisance at most.

Darreon remained in the air, his large wings keeping him aloft. ~Yes, and I know that you know that I am and why I am here.~

~Then enough of whatever conversation this is!~ the monster bellowed, leaping straight at its opponent.

Darreon flipped backwards folding his wings and going into a dive allowing the black beast to pass straight over him its razorsharp claws catching nothing but air. The Tor Demon snarled angrily and swooped back around roaring loudly at the smaller golden dragon. Darreon roared back challengingly.

The demon snorted and charged again and again Darreon dodged skillfully only this time curling his neck around and unleashing a beam of magical energy. The Tor Demon shrieked in pain as it felt the energy burn its scales. Then, to Darreon's surprise, it turned away and seemed to tear at the air creating a huge gash...and through that gash the archmage could see another world!

~No!~ Darreon yelled, latching his jaws onto the black draconian's tail. He wasn't able to stop it, though. It drug him along with it through the rip in space the sky closing behind them...

The Tor Demon realized it had the Green Archmage attached to its tail too late. Angrily it whipped its tail back and forth managing to dislodge the golden Asian dragon and send him flying. Darreon grabbed hold of a treebranch in his foreclaws and managed not to take the full force of the lashing. Instead of fully colliding with the ground only his tail thumped against it. Pain shot along his spine, it had hit hard enough to do a little damage. It wasn't likely much, but it was painful.

Darreon pulled himself up arching his sinuous body up so he could get a firm footing then launched himself up at the demon managing to catch it by the neck with his fangs; but not managing to penetrate the armorlike scales around its neck. The Tor Demon flung him again and this time the archmage landed flat on his back in the dirt below. The black dragonlike creature snorted irritably then tore another hole in space and disappeared.

The dragon-archmage lay on his back for a while, eyes squeezed shut. He'd lost the battle, and lost track of the Tor Demon! Impossible! He hadn't lost a battle in years, and now he had lost so easily to one of the black monsters!? It was getting to him...he was an old, lonely mage. He hardly saw himself as a great warrior anymore, and that had effected his fighting... Slowly he drug himself to all four claws and sat up on his haunches gazing at the sky before shifting back to human form...Ay'Raishas were given to shifty mood swings and falling into deep depression.. He needed to find a way out of this slump...

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