Sitting cross-legged on her bed, Nina spoke the words of magic, moving her fingers in the required patterns, honing each part of the spell over and over again. Though the few tricks Aryn had shown her were but of the simplest of the Art, even pronouncing necessary words gave the princess difficulties and required constant practicing. And that wasn't even the hardest part. She also had to add the exact gestures in order to shape the flow of power into her liking, to weave the spell she wanted to cast.

Magic was not easy. It never was.

After many hours of practicing with Aryn, she had finally learned to keep two lights shining at the same time. She had also learned how to change their colors into her liking. Now that you thought about it, it was kind of funny. Every time she summoned her own special little magic lantern, it was always azure blue. With Aryn, it usually seemed to be green. Because of what, Nina wondered. She decided to add it to the list of "Things to be asked from the bodyguard when Silen is not pestering him".

Again she had let her thoughts wander too far. No matter what she did, how hard she tried to compensate her absent-mindedness, the two lights above her fingertips faded away. Muttering a strange word she had heard the sailors use every time something went wrong, Nina threw her hands up with frustration. Just how long Aryn had studied to even cast those few spells he knew? Or even better, how long someone like Essar Shoo had studied magic to gain such a control over it?

Letting out a sigh, Nina answered the question herself: "Probably all his life". A slight shiver ran down her spine as a new thought occurred to her. What if devoting one's time to the arts arcane would eventually turn the student's mind cool and calculating, always in a total control of his or her emotions?

Deciding to give up the magic lessons for today, she stood up in her little cabin and stretched. Another bad side of spellweaving was that practicing it tended to make her neck stiff and sore. But still, she had to do something, anything, or else her thoughts would trail back into that place, the place she wanted so much to ignore.

"How much more?" She asked aloud. "When will this end?"

Enough. Enough of bad thoughts and dramatic words.

Taking off the light, sea-blue cotton cloak she had found packed among her things on the day they had left Capitan, Nina tried something she hadn't dared to do before. She spread her black wings and inspected them in the lantern's gentle glow. Outsider who had never heard about the prophecy would perhaps have considered them beautiful. To Nina, they meant only sorrow and grief. However, wings were wings, no matter what color.

Making use of muscles she never had utilized before, Nina flapped her wings down. Then she drew them up again and repeated the move. She could almost imagine herself lifting up from the ground, catching the wind, soaring to the skies, among the white clouds…

Though feathers of the members of the Wing Clan grew surprisingly quickly after they had first sprouted, Nina's were still years away from their full size. But now, she couldn't hope to get even an inch above the ground without jumping. All she managed to do was to blow a little of dust around.

The legend had it that generations ago, the Brotherhood of the Wing had been the supreme ruler of the skies. The powers in the blood of Nina's Clan had been much stronger than what they were today. Her ancestors' wings must have been larger, stronger and more capable of carrying their burdens through soaring winds. The legends also told that once, the members of her Clan had even been able to change their shapes into the ones of mighty birds. But today… the powers of the Brotherhood had started weakening. Nobody, no wise man nor woman, no seer, no sage had ever succeeded in cleansing out its reason.

She flapped her wings some more. She had to exercise their muscles if she ever wished to be able to lift herself off ground even for a moment.

Today, it was said that only the Royal Family of Windia held the secret of the Great Bird. Whether this rumor was true or not, at least Nina knew very little about it. A few times King Kenny had mentioned something about the power being hidden away into the basement of the Castle of Windia, but nobody had dared to venture down there for decades.

What would it feel like to be a real bird, riding the singing winds, watching all the lakes, towns and forests, everything so small and far below?

A quiet thud from outside drew Nina back into the reality. Somebody was in the corridor, just on the other side of the door of her little cabin. It wasn't Aryn, she was quite sure of that. The bodyguard's footsteps were much softer. It couldn't be Silen either, the soldier's every step was always accompanied by faint jingle of his ever-present chain mail. She couldn't think of any reason anybody else would be there in this hour.

Perhaps she had become too nervous, expecting dangers around every corner. There was no other explanation for the foreboding, which slowly started to form inside her. Some sailor was just looking for something in the prow's storeroom. Not a big deal.

Nina had just noticed with horror that she had forgotten to bolt her door as it suddenly opened, letting an unknown, bony-built man inside. Dressed in a dark cloak and a hood, it was impossible to determine his features. However, the simple dagger gleaming in his hand was a message enough.

"Who are you?" A tiny, cool part of Nina's mind noticed that her voice was high-pitched.

The stranger replied with his left fist, which slammed against the princess's cheek, causing a red-shaded pain explode in her head. Quickly the man stepped across the cabin to where Nina had staggered and pressed a palm against her mouth. "Shut up".

* * * *

Aryn, this is urgent. The Golden Auria is a trap. The real Captain Sandell is dead, killed here in Capitan. I do not know how or why, but you are in danger. Run while you still can.

* * * *

Ignoring the girl's little fists beating both furiously and vainly his arms, the stranger pushed Nina against wall. The back of her head hit against wood, causing dozens of yellow and red spots dance under her eyelids. Her scream, turned into a murmur by the man's palm, was rewarded with another slap, this time with the dagger's hilt. "I told you to keep your mouth", the stranger hissed into her ear. "One more peep and I'll have to hurt you. Understand?"

Nina understood. Far too well. She wanted to scream, to shout for help, but it would have been impossible even without the stranger's hand on her mouth. Her heart raced as if seeking to break out from her chest. Nobody had ever, ever, purposefully beaten her.

With deftness that told of skill in these matters, the man flipped Nina around and forced her arms behind her back. He was just starting to tie a rope around her wrists when a sound of hasty footsteps could be heard from the stairs. Without a pause or hesitation, the stranger quickly moved Nina so that she stood between him and the door. The dagger he had put out of way to better tie his prisoner was now pressed against her neck.

"One step more and you won't have a girl to protect".

Aryn, a very angry, dangerous-looking Aryn, halted into his tracks just outside the door. Silen, who had been running just behind the bodyguard almost bumped into him.

The soldier's reaction for the sight was very predictable. In the lantern light Nina could see how his face turned red with anger, how he clenched his teeth. Only the worry of the princess's safety and Aryn's restraining hand prevented him from headlong assaulting the stranger. "Bandit! Let her go!"

"I don't think that it's your place to give commands", the man hissed calmly, moving his dagger so that the Windian soldier could see it clearly. "We, me and this girl, are going to leave now. Let us go freely, and she won't get hurt. I promise you that".

"Where are you planning to go?" Aryn asked, slowly taking a step backwards. "This is a ship! You can't run anywhere. Soon everybody aboard will wake with all this noise and come to see what's going on. This is not going to work".

The man chuckled. "You really think I was born yesterday, huh? Nobody's going to disturb us. I can get off this little boat anytime I want. Now back off and she won't get hurt".

Aryn took another step backwards, forcing Silen to retreat as well. A glint of understanding entered his eyes. "That booze?"

The bandit grinned. "They'll be snoring for some time, now. Too bad that neither of you got a chance to have a sip. Now move! And keep your hands out from your sleeves! I know damn well what you've hidden in them". His dagger flashed dangerously.

Surprising both Silen and the stranger, Aryn didn't move. Instead he shifted his weight to one leg and lifted his hand to run it through his hair. "Look, I've got no time for this. What has she ever done to you, anyway?"

Though Nina's heart was bounding wilder than ever, it skipped one beat. Even through the paralyzing fear, a little seed of anger and disappointment found its way into her mind. He has no time?! Now what kind of thinking was that? He was her bodyguard and now he was leaving his job?

"Shut up and move", the bandit replied. "The girl's leaving, and you're not going to do a thing! Understand?" Slowly he took one step forward, pushing Nina before him.

"I understand pretty well", Aryn said, stepping backwards and stopping again, spreading his arms in a shrugging gesture. "I already said this: I don't have time for this. If she hasn't done anything to you, then why don't you let her go?" As he spoke, he lifted his hand to scratch his neck.

A horrible mixture of feelings raged inside Nina like a tornado. Her arms were limp, her legs could hardly stumble forward. Her stomach had tied itself into so many knots that it would probably never work properly again. A sickening feeling of weakness slowly spread inside her. Nina had been afraid many times earlier. During these latest weeks of her life she had faced many things; Kimotos, pirates, a terror of losing one friend more, the list was not short. But this was something that surpassed everything, it was something she had never felt before. She had never been directly in the danger's path herself.

So, this was fear.

But even through all this, a tiny part of her mind remained angry. No time and no time! She had hardly recovered from one abandoning before she had to face it again. She had trusted Aryn. Life was just so unfair! Why can't he throw a dagger or something –

No time?! The bandit is too fast, Nina suddenly realized with clarity that surprised her. He can't take the risk of a knife being too slow. With this, everything in her world collapsed. No chance. She had absolutely no chance to survive this.

"I'm warning you", the stranger hissed, brandishing his dagger. "Move!"

Still scratching a seemingly relentless itch in his neck, Aryn obeyed one step more. Keeping another hand before Silen, the bodyguard glanced at Nina and then fixed his eyes back to the bandit. "At least you could explain why you are doing this".

"You don't need to know", the stranger said angrily. He was clearly starting to lose his patience. The point of his dagger waved before Nina's eyes. "This is my final warning! Let me go, and she won't get hurt! You don't want to see what I can do with this dagger. Back off or I'll – "

Nina's hand shot upward in a quick gesture. A bright, multicolored flash of light slammed against the bandit's eyes, causing his words to turn into a startled yelp. The hand he had used to grip the princess's shoulder slackened, the dagger flitted past her face, dangerously close to her nose.

Instinctively Nina leaped forward and stumbled hard onto wooden floor. Closing her eyes tightly, she waited for a kick, a sting of blade, anything that would punish her. There was a sudden gasp of pain, several thuds as boots hastily pounded the floor, a few grunts and then… nothing.

"Hey, girl", Aryn said quietly. "You can open your eyes now".

It took a moment from Nina to obey. Slowly, reluctant to see the sight that could be before her, she opened her eyes into slits. The bandit was lying on floor. Crouched above him, Aryn was currently tying his hands with the piece of rope meant for the princess. "Looks like we know this bandit", the bodyguard said as he worked. "Isn't this the same sailor who prompted you to spar with me, Silen? Sam's the name, isn't it? Wanted to see our fighting techniques back then, no doubt".

Breathing heavily, Nina started crawling away from Sam. No matter how she tried, she didn't manage to get up before Silen hurried to help her. "By… the windy sky", she whispered, holding her chest, "It's beating so… hard!"

"Are you alright, Nina?"

She managed to nod. "I think so".

"That was a great trick, girl", Aryn remarked as he drew out a knife from a wound in the bandit's palm. Wiping the blade clean of blood, he returned it into a sheath hidden just below the back of his neck. "You surprised me, too. Didn't think that you could do that". He favored the princess with a little smile before starting to search through Sam's pockets.

"Yeah…" Nina smiled a little as Silen helped her to get up. "Me neither". She didn't resist as the soldier took her to sit onto her bed and started to check the bruises on her cheeks.

"That was incredible, princess", Silen said as he worked, his face beaming with pride like that of a proud father. Reaching into a pouch tied to his belt, he drew out a little jar and uncorked it. A rich smell of herbs filled the cabin as the soldier started to spread the healing salve onto Nina's bruises.

"Hm? What's this?" Aryn's search had yielded a little pouch of money, several flasks of colorless liquid that probably was the sleeping drug Sam had used, and finally, a scroll, which the protector was currently rolling open. His eyebrows lifted as he glanced at its contents. Then he turned and spoke to Silen with a serious tone: "Take her away from here. Look for a little boat or something, I bet that's what this guy was going to use to get Nina out of here. And be careful up on the deck, this fellow may not be the only one to chase us".

"What?" The soldier looked puzzled. "What is in that scroll?"

Aryn waved with his hand. "Never mind that now! Just get out. I'm going to have a little chat with this fellow, and then we'll be off this damn ship. We're going to simply disappear from the tracks they are following".

The weeks of army training kicked in Silen's mind. Without another word, he nodded, took Nina carefully by hand and led her out, stopping only to pick up her things. When their footsteps had been gone from the stairs, Aryn bent down and slapped the sailor – a bounty hunter disguised as a sailor, no doubt – a few times, invoking a moan.

"Good, you're awake", the bodyguard said quietly. "Now I don't have to do anything nasty just yet. Behave yourself, so I don't have to anything at all. Got it? Good. Now tell me, Sam, just what the heck is this?"

With those words, he unrolled the scroll and placed it before the sailor's bleary eyes. It was a picture, quite skillfully drawn. Whoever the artist had been, he would probably have no troubles at earning his pay in any marketplace. The picture illustrated a young girl in a beautiful dress. However, it looked somehow unfinished, since only two parts of it had been colored: one was the girl's long, golden hair. Another was a pair of black wings in her back.

* * * *

The deck was quiet. True to the words of their attacker, even the outlooks were in a slumber, inspired by whatever drug had been added to their drinks. On another night, they would probably have enjoyed the silence, listening to the quiet lapping of waves. Now, all this lack of noise harassed them, making them to expect to encounter assassins around every corner. Never releasing his hold of Nina's hand, Silen led her along the rails, following Aryn's orders to look for something that would allow them to leave the ship.

Suddenly, the Windian soldier halted. Quickly he drew the girl behind him and lifted his spear. "Show yourself", he commanded the enemy he sensed lurking in the darkness.

After a moment, a single shadow moved away from others. It approached the soldier majestically, without any fear. "Meow".

Silen's long, relieved sight revealed how nervous he really was. "Cat! How can it do that every time?"

Very easily, Nina imagined Cat to reply smugly. Then the animal turned and started heading very purposefully across the deck, pawing like a stalking shadow.

"Aryn would never forgive me if I left that here, too", Silen muttered as he strode after the cat. "Now come here, you little devil…" He bent down, attempting to scoop the animal into his lap.

Cat evaded both easily and gracefully.

"We don't have time to play with you!" Silen hissed as he tried again to get hold of the animal. Again he failed. "We're going to leave this ship!"

"Silen", Nina whispered, pointing at something Cat was clearly heading for. "I think it knows that".

"What?" The soldier stopped his chase and looked up. Indeed, the animal clearly had a certain destination. Supported by a complicated system of ropes, its dark, bulking shape hung on the other side of the ship's rail, ready to be lowered down into the sea with a moment's notice. "By Windia", Silen muttered, scratching the back of his head.

Nina couldn't help but to imagine that Cat was laughing as it leaped into the boat, elegantly and gracefully as always.

* * * *

Sam gasped as he fell to hard floor again.

"Answer me!" Aryn snapped.

"I know nothing", the bounty hunter replied through clenched teeth. "I was just hired to capture that girl!"

"Yeah, right", the protector hissed as he grabbed Sam's shoulder and jerked him up to his knees. "And I was born and raised in Prima. Where were you hired? Why are they chasing her?"

There was a moment of silence. Then Sam drew breath and spit onto bodyguard's face. An instant later, protector's fist rewarded him with a punch.

"Why do the kinds of you always have to do that?" Aryn asked as he wiped the spittle off his cheek and drew the bounty hunter up again. "You won't get anything by doing it. Now speak!"

"I told you, I don't know anything!" Sam snapped back, "I was hired in Capitan to capture that girl. They used a middleman, I know nothing of my employer. I don't care, either".

"Anything else?"

"Nothing. I swear it!"

Aryn glared at Sam for a moment. His eyes sparkled with anger. "Why don't I believe you?" he asked. "You're not that stupid. You had everything ready: means of escape, drug to keep the sailors out of your way, everything. There are others with you, aren't there?"

The bounty hunter forced himself to take a deep breath. The protector certainly knew where a hit hurts most. "They said that Captain would be helping me. Nothing else!"

"Hmm". The bodyguard released his grip and let Sam fall hard to the floor again. "I suppose you don't know anything about this picture, either? Are you supposed to take her all the way back to Capitan? What are they going to do with her?"

"They ordered me to take her to Windia". The bounty hunter had wisely chosen to talk. "It's not my business what they are going to do with her. I don't care".

"You don't care?" Aryn gritted his teeth. Usually so relaxed bodyguard simply couldn't help it. That – that scum simply made his anger swell inside him into measures he couldn't hold back. His eyes flashed, his features darkened even more. Quickly he aimed a kick into Sam's side. "Just how many kids have you captured? How many have you killed? And you say you don't care!"

The bounty hunter gasped as the bodyguard's boot landed. "I don't know anything else!"

Aryn didn't seem to listen to him. He lifted his foot to kick again. "It's the scum like you I hate most. Don't you have any kind of decentness?" he asked, his voice trembling with anger. Another kick hit Sam's side. "Killing people in a fight I can understand. You don't get much choice, usually it's you or them. But to hurt her… Goddamnit, she's just a little child!"

As the protector shouted, another kick came down, harder than earlier ones. This time, Sam didn't gasp with pain. He screamed.

"What has she done to you?" Aryn hissed, kneeling next to the writhing form of the bounty hunter. "What? Answer me! You got any idea what she's had to go through? No, you don't care! Probably because this isn't your first, is it? You've done this before, haven't you? Haven't you?" His words were accompanied by a punch aimed to Sam's ribs.

Again the bounty hunter gasped. Pressing his eyes tightly close, he tried to wriggle and crawl away. "Don't…" he hissed through his teeth. "I'll talk. Just don't do it… again".

Aryn, who had already lifted his fist once again, halted. He had wanted to kill this scum. He had been ready to tear him into pieces with bare hands. Realizing with horror how angry he actually was, the protector forced himself to inhale deeply. He had made the cardinal mistake in a situation like this. Pooka would beat his apprentice into a bloody pulp if he knew.

"So", Aryn muttered, standing up and retreating away from Sam. He was still clenching his fists. "Talk!"

* * * *

Both Silen and Nina swallowed as Aryn finally climbed to the deck and made his way toward the boat, carrying several bags with him. They knew him well enough to tell from the protector's moves that he was on a bad mood. The look on his face, illuminated by a little light hovering above his fingertips, reinforced this impression even further.

The bodyguard was angry.

"Do you have everything you need?" Aryn asked gruffly as he finally reached the boat and started handing his bags over to Silen. "The sooner we get out of here, the better".

"I think we have enough to survive", Windian soldier replied as he worked, passing the smaller bags to Nina, who arranged them into the bottom of their little vessel. "Did you get anything from that thug?"

"Very little", Aryn said. With quick moves he untied the ropes. With Silen's help, they started to lower their boat to the sea. "She's being hunted. Someone is offering a bounty for her living head. Listen, Silen, Nina, both of you", he halted their work and gave the princess a serious glance, "From this point on, you will never be alone. At least one of us, Silen or myself, will always be with you. You've got to realize, it's for your own safety".

"I know", Nina replied. She nodded curtly.

"Good". Even in his bad mood, Aryn couldn't help but to smile a little. Then his face turned serious again "From what I understand, that bounty isn't very large. With luck it won't attract any of the more skilled hunters. But that doesn't change it: remember that anything, anything, can happen".

"We will protect you, princess", Silen assured, doing his best to sound confident. The bodyguard's mood had swayed even the young soldier's trustful mind.

"Thank you", Nina smiled, doing her best to mirror Silen's familiar tone. She certainly wished to have the same amount of self-reliance as he did. "Aryn… Who can be doing this? Who wants to have my head? Has it something to do with…" She paused for long enough to swallow, "my… wings?"

The protector sighed and shook his head. "I don't know, girl. I could throw in good guesses, of course. Somebody back in Windia has learned about you and wants to make sure you will never harm the kingdom. Or Captain Rajen could be wanting for revenge. There's something to this that stinks. Badly". He sighed for a second time, "To be short, your guess is as good as – if not better – than mine".

He lifted his gaze to the moon. Good, they still had most of the night left. The dawn would find them far from this ship. "To be short", he repeated so quietly that Nina had to lean forward to hear it, "I don't know".

* * * *

It was the time of shadows, just before daybreak. The sun was preparing to peek over the horizon and welcome a new morning like it had done countless of times. The sea had already been colored purple in the direction of dawn.

The first light was greeted by two men on the deck of Golden Auria. Both of them were leaning against the rail and watching a shore rising from the sea a little south from the ship.

"So they actually managed to escape, eh?" Captain Tarkus Sandell grumbled.

Hain, who was standing next to him, nodded. The tan-skinned man had deep dark circles around his eyes. With slow, tired fingers he started to untie the fiery red scarf he kept around his neck. "Lowered a boat and rowed to that shore. Are probably a good distance from here now".

"Do you have any idea how they did it?" Sandell asked and took a sip from a water cup he used to wash the bitter taste of rum from his mouth. After rinsing for a moment he spit over the edge.

Doing his best to stifle a yawn, Hain shrugged. "Don't know. Sam moved earlier than we had planned. That damn bounty hunter had to fumble. He's not a beautiful sight right now". He turned and dipped his scarf into the Captain's water cup, ignoring Sandell's mild grumble of protest.

"And where you happened to be during that time?"

Again, Hain shrugged. "I'm not exactly stupid, Cousin", he said and started to moisten his forehead. "You were asleep, the crew knows nothing about this and there were three of 'em. The girl isn't a problem and I think I can handle that soldier, too, at least had he been alone. But that Nyra – that Aryn – isn't the one to start playing with". The tan-skinned man shook his head. "No, it was best to hide".

Letting out a groan, Captain Sandell turned back to the shore. "Well, they're well beyond our grasp now".

Hain yawned and nodded. "The Boss's not gonna love this".

Sandell smirked before he took a sip from his mug. After another mouthful of water had splashed into sea below, he said: "We've got a ship, don't we?"

Hain's features brightened with this new thought. "You're right, Pavin. The cargo should be worth of our efforts over this". Then yet another thought crushed quite cruelly his happiness. "The crew's already suspecting something. How long do you think you are able to hold the illusion?"

Pavin shrugged. He put his hand inside his shirt and drew out a simple stone amulet. "I'd say long enough to sail to Coursair and unload the goods", he said, inspecting the stone. Then he tucked it back under his clothes, grinning. "After that, this thing will be useless, but then, very unfortunate accidents could occur to this ship. And maybe that cargo could be a bit carelessly stored".

Chuckling, Hain slapped the Captain's shoulder. "That's going to be some joke!" He squeezed the water from his scarf and started to retie it. "But I don't think that the Boss will leave that girl be. Normal bounty hunters and cutthroats are not going to do the job here. We're going to need some help".

Captain Sandell gave him a side-glance. "You're suggesting…?"

Hain gave out a little laugh as if what he was about to say would be a good joke. "Let's hire someone from the Shadow Society".

With the tan-skin's words, Captain Sandell almost dropped his cup. "An assassin?!" he snapped, "Do you have any idea what they demand for their services? We do have a limited supply of money for this, mind you!"

"Yeah, but we also have an ace up in our sleeve, mind you".

"You're crazy, Cousin", Tarkus kindly informed him. Suddenly, without a pause, his baffled look turned into a cunning smile. "How quickly do you think you can meet with them?"

Finally satisfied with his scarf, Hain made a prodigal wave with his hand. "Send them a message now and they'll be waiting for us by the time we bring this floating bathtub to Port Coursaran. That girl and her guardians are probably heading for Coursair, too". He pointed at a line of trees which could be seen growing in a some distance from the shore. "It's the closest town they can get, so they're likely to cut through Tagwoods and head south. Do you think that we can get there before they do?"

"With the right wind, easily". Putting his cup away, Captain Sandell smiled and clasped his hands together. "You go to write and send that message. I'll go and kick this crew up from their skinny butts. We have a ship to sail!"

Hain performed a salute. "Aye-aye, Captain".

* * * *

Near the town of Capitan, there was a high, steep and dangerously slippery cliff. The pitiless sea had fought against the unyielding stone for centuries, carving little bits of its gray armor away with each strike of wet fists. But no matter how cruelly the waves or its allies, winds and rains, bruised their opponent, the battle was still far from its end. However, the sea was well known for its patience; it wouldn't be the one to give up.

His heavy, red robes fluttering and flowing in the wind, Essar Shoo stood on the peak of the cliff and watched how the distant, gray clouds gathered in the horizon. It looked like a brewing storm, a big one, to be exact. Essar was no weather forecaster, but even to his eyes the clouds promised a very wet fate to any captain foolish enough to let his ship too close.

How small we are after all, the snake-wizard thought. We think we are the lords, the rulers of this world, yet nature has to lift but a little finger and down we fall. Crushed like bugs.

Now where had he read about that philosopher who had been one of first to put such things onto paper? There was a chapter that Essar had found especially interesting, but how did it go? The snake-wizard skimmed through the depths of his ordered and tidy memory.

Ah, of course.

A squawk of a crow drew Essar up from his musings. Its wings fluttering furiously as it fought its way toward its master, the bird circled into the line of sight. Nodding a little, Essar extended his arm and called the crow to land. The bird obeyed quickly, carefully setting its talons around the slim, scaled wrist. Then it turned its dark eyes, dimly glowing with unnatural and unsettling intelligence, toward the snake-wizard.

"Well?" Essar asked. "Did you deliver it? You certainly took long enough".

The crow answered.

"Good", the snake-wizard said with a simple nod. "Did he heed my warning?"

Again the bird replied, its words hearable only to its master.

"Ah, most ssatisfying. Or sshould we even ssay excellent? We cannot let Aryn, that ssoldier nor Nina of Windia get hurt, can we? I am far too tired of losing alliess over thiss little matter". His cloak shuffled as he dug out a tiny, multi-edged crystal shard. Lifting it up before the bird's beak, Essar's eyes narrowed as he commanded: "Leave the bird and return into crystal!"

Suddenly, the crow shuddered. Its eyes bulged, its wings fluttered and its beak opened. But instead of a squawk of pain, a stream of shimmering, dark-purple mist poured out from its throat. Completely ignoring the wind, it calmly formed a little cloud and floated toward its destination. There was no hole in the crystal held by Essar. No crack, no cork to keep its possible contents from spilling. This, however, didn't stop the mist from streaming inside its vessel, filling it with its unnatural presence like the finest of wines fills a bottle.

Within moments it was over. With a quick jerk of his hand, Essar threw the crow into air. The glow vanished from its eyes, a completely ordinary bird squawked and beat air with its wings, fleeing away from the snake-wizard as quickly as it could. The crystal and its purple contents Essar hid back into the depths of his cloak, leaving it to wait for the next time he would need help of a demon again.

"Well", the snake-wizard said to himself as he started heading back toward Capitan and the certain warm chair in the certain inn there. "Lookss like my place in thiss… drama… iss quite clear then. Drama… aye and yesss indeed".

In the distance, the first bolt of lightning split dark-gray clouds in two. Could it be an omen for the future?

Previous: Chapter IX
Next: Chapter XI
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