Soul Reaver listens carefully to the discussions of his companions as they contemplate escape.

"Indeed, destroying the gem would restore our powers to us. And the gem itself is not THAT powerful. A sufficiently forceful blow would be able to destroy it. However, how to deliver such a blow with the gem on top of the tower is beyond me. I would guess that it would not be a simple task. To be completely honest... even if I escaped, I am uncertain as to how I would destroy the gem."

In response to Shenba, he merely shrugs.

"I am sorry, Shenba, but I do not know what will happen to Kanshisha and Kese- Kawanua. Though I doubt it will be good."

Soul Reaver then listens to Asaki's outburst.

"Actually, although we haven't seen Stavarus, I know he has been here. I have seen his trail, but it disappeared down a side-street upon entering the city. I would guess that he succeeded in being more discreet than us, and avoided the attentions of the OGHRUN. Unless we escape, however, we will have greater concerns than finding Stavarus."

Soul Reaver jumps slightly at the sudden appearance of Quats on the domed roof of the cage. He narrows his eyes in anger as Quats speaks of him, but he does not reply.

Apparently Quats was hiding his presence from the eyes of the OGHRUN, for the riders make no move to capture the new intruder. Instead, they simply ride on, apparently bemused by the strange antics of the Sorcerous Ones in the cage.

Their bemusement however quickly disappears when Soul Reaver leaps to his feet, whipping out Blooddrinker, and sends it crashing against the bars of the cage, in response to Quats' attack. Unfortunately, Quats has already made good his escape. The riders growl menacingly as Soul Reaver kneels beside Shenba, who has now collapsed onto her side. Despite Asaki's efforts, the blackness is still slowly pulsing up the veins in Shenba's arm.

"Hmmm... I do not know what this toxin is, but it cannot be good for her. I will make an attempt to stem its progress for a while... but it will hurt."

Soul Reaver takes Shenba's arm, and using Blooddrinker's edge, carefully cuts around the top of her arm, above the infected area. He then tears a strip of cloth from his cape, and ties it just above the cut. This widens the cut and impedes the flow of blood upwards, hopefully causing the black liquid to flow harmlessly from the wound. Soul Reaver realises it is a long shot, but it may also be the last hope he has of stopping the spread of the vile blackness.

At about this time, the wagon enters beneath a huge gate, entering a vast, dark hallway - by the sounds of battle ahead, they have entered the huge domed arena building. As the gates shut behind them with an ominous boom, it becomes clear that, one way or the other, the companions will soon be fighting for their life.

Soul Reaver steps back as the wagon doors are thrown open by a massive guard. Others stand carefully back, ready to attack if necessary. It seems that the wagon has been brought to some sort of huge holding-cell. An enourmous steel gate blocks any access to the outside world. By the looks of the number of guards outside the gates, trying to escape this way is not advised.

As Soul Reaver walks out, he is grabbed by the guards. A huge hand closes over Blooddrinker's hilt, and draws it from the scabbard on Soul Reaver's back. The OGHRUN guard steps back, holding the large sword much like a toothpick.

"Curses!"

Blooddrinker, return to me!

Soul Reaver waits for a moment, then to his frustration, sees that Blooddrinker is either unable to, or refusing to, act. Before he can try again, a guard seizes him and leads him off through one of the corridors radiating from the central room.

The guards search the companions thoroughtly and seize any weapons they can find, gathering them in a pile at the rear of the room, before leading them off towards the same corridor Soul Reaver was sent down. They do not, however, find Asaki's ring, although unfortunately its effects here, so close to the gem, would be very negligible.

The companions are led together into a large cell. The far wall curves slightly, and is largely one huge, barred window. Soul Reaver is already standing before it, hands on the bars, looking over the scene outside.

The cell's window overlooks a vast, circular, sandy arena, completely enclosed by a domed roof. Thousands of the huge OGHRUN citizens are seated watching the red-stained sand. They are chanting loudly in their guttural language, shouting for blood.

Soul Reaver waves his friends closer to the window. He virtually drips cynicism as he talks.

"Behold the KOHAL TREGO. This is how the OGHRUN celebrate their freedom."

Outside, what appears to be an slim, elfin sorceress has been chained up high onto a wall of the arena. Even at this distance, the companions can see tears glinting on her cheeks.

An OGHRUN announcer steps up to a huge trumpet-like amplifier, yelling through it loudly. Soul Reaver, still not looking away, translates for his companions.

"Behold, our peoples. The Sorcerous Ones have come to be consumed by the hounds of war. Let them pay for their crimes against us. Let the weak be relegated to the positions they were meant to hold."

As the announcer finishes, the crowds burst into cheering. Four barred gates open at the side of the arena, and eight huge, dark blue, hound-like creatures emerge from them. Each is the size of a human, with red, bristling spines running down their backs in a straight ridge. They bound from their gates, salviating and roaring. The elfin sorceress is obviously crying as the hounds approach her.

With a shrill scream, the manacles holding her click open, dropping her four metres down onto the dust of the arena. Scrambling to her feet, she begins to run, but doesn't get more than a few steps before the hounds are upon her. One of them leaps on her back, slamming her down onto the ground.

The other hounds arrive in moments, growling and snarling. They dive at the sorceress with wild abandon, turning the entire scene into a brutal frenzy, obscuring the sorceress herself with the growling, snarling, snapping visages of the hounds. Screams can be heard at first, fading off into desperate sobs and finally disappearing as blood begins to stain the hounds' snouts. The hounds fight with each other of the ragged strips of flesh beneath them, while the OGHRUN roar and cheer.

Soul Reaver averts his eyes.

"I find it hard to believe that the downtrodden slaves I saved could turn into such things."

Just as he speaks, a platter of clay gourds is shoved through a slot in the steel door - there is one gourd for each companion. Soul Reaver walks over to them, and inspects one of the gourds, unstoppering the top and sniffing it.

"It is a healing draught. We are fortunate at least - they want us to fight, not to merely dispose of as happened to that woman outside. We can live on for a short while at least."

Soul Reaver drinks down his draught. A comforting warmth fills his muscles, filling him with new strength. The cuts and wounds on his body heal in moments.

"Take them... we'll need them."