Enter, Orcus. Exit, Heroes

"Kauvra!, " Orcus called out," the battle is nearing it's end. Prepare your mount, we Gate in 12 seconds."

The Demon Lords' Vampire minion ran up his favorite Red Dragon en guided it towards the Sigils.
Focusing his arcane energy the selfproclaimed God of Undead opened a conduit between Thanatos and the Prime.

Stepping through the Gate he saw the Paladin and Sourcerer closing in.
Kauvra flew out and up, ready to execute his last orders; Take both human heads for interrogation
and grab the Dragon for the Ritual.

"Meddlesome Mortals, you have proven your worth and are granted the opportunity to aid me.
What say you?" Orcus telepathically demanded.

Sharing a glance worth several sentences both Coop and Nihlus agreed on the next action.
Quickly Coop weaved an incantation, then both he and Nihlus were gone.

Orcus turned his gaze unto the other two approaching figures; Xander and Shadow.
Seeing there companions flee the scene, they did the same.
The cleric cast a spell of Plane Shift and they too were gone from this Plane.

The Paladin and Sorcerer arrived on a desolate rock drifting through the Astral Plane.
The Teleport had failed and now they were stranded..
Nearby a Gate appeared and Orcus stepped out.
"I really hate to repeat myself, and I'd rather not follow you around.
If you won't abide my request, then at least allow me to guide you home."
And with that he pointed behind him, there some hundred feet beyond an other Gate opened,
from Thanatos to their homestead in the dales.

Seeing no other option the heroes complied and ran through.
Without looking back and without even glancing sideways, they emerged unscathed.

Orcus watched them leave.
His spell had affected at least one of them..