Welcome to Gaia! ::

Green-skinned and yellow-eyed, the hulking, winged mass known as Cergos leaned on his gigantic poleaxe and heaved a sigh that stirred the entire foyer. The sound resonated through the place, and the large demon felt a difference in the way something fell to the ground with a clanking in the dark just outside the light of the two torches at his sides.

"Who comes?" the voice rippled through the place.

The beast recognized the sounds of something putting itself back together. It was one of those animated puppets that inhabited the zone so close to his territory. That they lived so close was just little enough of a threat that he could tolerate it. But to enter his domain was pushing it, and a foolish idea.

"Puppet, be gone. I am not in the mood to shatter you into pieces and then count them until it bores me. It always bores me. You bore me."

The tiny, scared voice of the puppet rose up to Cergos' large, flaring nostrils.

"Sir, we--"

"WE?!" Cergos roared out.

"a-ah...I, sir."

Cergos bellowed out a laugh.

"Too bad. Maybe if there were more of you...but probably not."

The puppet seemed to be trying to muster his strength.

"I, sir. I, on behalf of my people the animated...um, I came to ask yet again that my people be allowed entry to the tower you guard, um, if that's ok with you, sir?"

The blade of Cergos' poleaxe rang as he raked his claws across it.

"Any may enter who so desire."

Silence. Then...

"R...really?"

"Any who wish to do battle with me. BEGONE!"

And the last word blew the puppet out of the room and into the West Wing, where he lay disoriented and in several pieces.