CHAPTER IX "Greetings, Firemane." I found myself floating in a vast, black emptiness, facing a bearded old man in voluminous blue robes. He was fairly tall, standing only a few inches below the level of my eyes, with white hair that wreathed his face almost the same way my mane wreathed my own. From within what little of his face showed through his beard, two eyes of withered blue seemed to drink in every detail of my features, as though I were being evaluated in some manner. He didn't seem afraid of me, rather, he seemed confident of himself, and like Mikhal, he gave the impression that though many years had left their mark, they had hardened him, not bent him. "Who are you?" The feeling of standing on solid nothing was more than a bit disconcerting. It must have shown on my face, because the old man gestured, and a room wavered into existance around us. "Is that better?" He asked, and I nodded. "There is a friend here who wants to meet you." Another form came into being beside him, and in a moment, resolved into a spectral image of Mikhal. "Mikhal! I thought you were dead!" My friend laughed. "Hells, son, it takes more'n angry mob to kill old Mikhal! But what about you? The wizard said some strange things about what you've been up to lately." "You mean Diana." "Aye, lad. I guess I shouda warned ya about those redheads!" We shared a laugh, but the robed one cleared his throat meaningfully. "Oh, right. I've found me way to this feller's tower, and he agreed to send this... whatdyacallit?" "A dream projection." The wizard supplied. "Right. Well, I'm here with him, and if you'll come a'callin, we can find somewhere to settle again. I've been thinking about showin' ya how to fish." "That's nice, but what about..." "Hells, son, of course she can come too. In fact, you'll need her to find your way here. You have her sniff out this tower, and you'll be here in no time. The bloody place must reek of magic!" I had quite a few questions I wanted to ask, but Mikhal vanished before I got the chance. "Wha...?" I looked to the wizard for explanation. "Bringing him into your dreams is very exhausting. But there will be plenty of time to speak once you get here. Sleep well." I told Diana about the dream the next day, and she seemed less than happy to hear about it. I asked why she was so unenthusiastic. "Firemane, my sister was a sorceress. Trust me, Mikhal doesn't have to be alive for someone to send you an image of him. For one thing, how did he know about me, and the fact that I can smell magic?" I realized that she was right, and my feelings must have shown on my face, judging from how she continued, "I'm not trying to kill your hope, but just don't rush into his headlong. It could easily be a trap, and we just got out of one cage!" Unfortunately, she made some good points, and I was forced to review the vision I'd recieved. "You know, there was something odd about Mikhal... He didn't sound quite like himself. Even the way he talked was a little off, now that I think about it." Diana nodded. "Definately sounds like a trap." "If you want, you can stay behind," I offered, "This is my friend, after all, and I'm pretty sure I can handle anything that comes up." She just laughed. "Don't be silly, of course I'm coming. If it's a trap, I don't want to miss out on the fun. If it isn't, I'd like to meet your friend. In any case, how do you plan to find this place without me? Since when can you smell magic?" Again, I was forced to admit that she had a point. "Come to think of it, how am I going to find it? It's not like tracking a person, since you can't just look at where it's been. This could be harder than... ugh!" Her forepaws went up to cover her nose. "Never mind," she said, "I think I've got it. Great Gaia, but that stinks! The breeze that's carrying it is coming from the East." We both set off in that direction, and covered quite a distance before Diana suddenly stopped. "Firemane, doesn't this seem just a little bit too convenient? I mean, I mention that I might have a hard time finding it, and suddenly a breeze comes up, which just happens to carry the scent?" "Well... perhaps you're right. Could it be that the wizard is helping us?" "Yes, but why not just take us there? If the wizard is really that powerful, then teleportation should be fairly simple." "I wouldn't know, I'm afraid. I haven't had much experience with magic, you know." "Well, you can take my word for it, because I've had more experience with magic then I've wanted." "Then what do you think we should do?" "What else? Keep going, and keep on your toes." I laughed at her joke. The way our legs were built, we both stood with all of our weight balanced forward on our feet, so that our stance somewhat resembled a human standing on tip-toes. I continued to follow her as she followed the scent. Eventually we passed near a village, and at one point we came out into a large meadow. Children from the village were playing in the field, kicking a large red ball back and forth. When the spotted us they turned and fled, their shrieks of joy replaced with terror. Diana and I were in a more melancholy mood after that. It hurts in a way I can't quite describe when children run in fear of you. We moved on quickly after that, to avoid meeting the children's parents, who might be inclined more to anger than fear. Diana was convinced that we were getting closer, and from the distasteful look on her face, I'd have to agree with her. I remain grateful that I cannot smell magic as she can, although the ability has come in handy on many occasions since. From what she tells me, magic generally doesn't smell good. After a week of traveling, we came to the edge of the forest. Before us was the great Eastern Plain. Neither of us had considered that we would have to leave the forest, and we were both uneasy about it. The forest had provided shelter and solace for us, hiding us and feeding us. We hesitantly left the forest, walking out into the bright afternoon sunlight. The plains were a beautiful sight. Waist high grasses waved and rippled in the wind as far as the eye could see, in an ocean of gold. Once I got used to being out of the forest, I quickly grew to like the plains. It felt as if I were meant for the terrain. Following instinct, I crouched down, and bounded away through the grasses. I turned and watched Diana. She had turned away to look back at the forest, and had missed seeing me hide. When she turned back around, she did something I didn't expect. She screamed. She started trembling and she fell to a crouch, crying. I jumped up and ran back as fast as I could to see what was the matter. For all her crying, she was not pleased to see me. "Diana, what's wrong?" "What the Hells did you think you were doing?" She cried. "You scared the blasted life out of me, that's what's wrong! I thought you had left me, or... or..." I licked her nose so she didn't have to finish. "Diana, I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd be that upset, or even that you wouldn't be able to see me. I acted without thinking, and I apologize." She was still trembling, so I knelt down and held her until she stopped crying. I felt horrible for frightening her. "I'm sorry too, Firemane. I overreacted. It's just that I was alone for so long before I met you, and I don't think I could ever live like that again." We both sat there for a while, and the sun moved lower in the sky. Diana finally brushed the last traces of tears from her eyes, and we started following the scent again. We stopped again for the night when the sun started to sink below the horizon. We lay in the tall grass, watching the sky above us explode with purple, pink, and orange hues as the sun set. It was one of the most beautiful sights I'd ever seen, excluding the one laying beside me, of course. I looked at Diana and told her as much. She brushed her face across mine in a gesture we found to be much more intimate, and practical, than trying to kiss. We fell asleep together, hidden in the deep grass. The next day I woke up to the feeling of Diana's sun-warmed fur next to me. I looked over at her, and was struck again by the exotic beauty of my companion. Sadly, we needed to get moving, so I gently nudged her to wake her up. She yawned and stretched, and promptly buried her face in my chest- fur and tried to go back to sleep. She looked so perfectly content that I didn't have the heart to try to wake her again, so I just lay there while she slept. She finally stirred to wakefulness and blinked sleepily in the late morning light. I chuckled, and she asked what was so funny. "You are, silly. You look so cute when you wake up." "Cute?" She didn't remember me trying to wake her the first time, so I filled her in. She looked slightly embarrassed. "I thought the ground was a little too warm and soft. You make a great pillow," She teased. I brushed faces with her, and she pushed me away. "We do need to get moving, I take it? Then stop trying to get side-tracked!" We both laughed, and started toward the tower again. After a few more days of this, we came to a hill, which stood out from the otherwise flat landscape, and we decided to bed down there for the night. I stood on the top of the hill, and found that I could see for amazing distances all around. I could see the forest behind us, now far in the distance. I could also see something else, to the east. A large herd of animals was heading slowly toward us. I figured this could take care of our food needs for a while. I pointed them out to Diana, and she noticed something else. Not far from the herd there was a group of smaller creatures. This group seemed to be heading for the herd. I shrugged, and said that I guessed there were enough of the animals to go around. Diana agreed, and we curled up together and fell asleep for the night. The next day we were awakened by a sound like thunder. Unlike the previous mornings, Diana was wide awake and alert almost instantly. We looked to the sky, prepared to get soaked by a storm, but the sky was clear. Confused, we looked around for the source of the sound. "Sweet Shani!" I exclaimed when I finally located the noise. The slow moving animals we'd seen before were running straight for us. In the distance behind them, the other group was feasting on several of the beasts that they had killed or had been trampled by the others. We prepared to defend ourselves as best we could, but fortunately the creatures parted around the hill we were on. Up close they were quite ugly beasts, and they had a foul, stale odor about them. I counted us lucky that we hadn't had to deal with them up close, because although they looked like fairly dumb herd animals, they had nasty looking horns. In fact, they resembled oversized, shaggy bulls. As slow as the herd had been moving the day before, it took only a few minutes for them to rush past us now. When the dust finally settled behind them, we decided to move on, but be more cautious. I lamented that we couldn't have caught the herd before it decided to run like that, since hunting for a decent meal among the grasses was difficult, considering the size of the game. After we had been traveling for a few more hours, Diana pointed out that the other group of animals was moving toward us. I had noticed that too, but I didn t see what we could do about it. It's not like we could hide from them in the open plain, or find anywhere to run to. All we could do is meet them head-on and hope that they were either reasonable or sated from their earlier feast. As we drew closer, we finally got a good look at what we were up against, and this time it was something we both recognized. Lycanthropes, a whole pack of them. Two or three of them seemed to be in their light phase, almost human, but most of them were either half-phase or in full phase, which meant that this could be trouble. A were-wolf in its full phase of the moon was not a good thing to tangle with. However, Lycanthropes can usually go a few days without a meal, and this group had just gorged itself, so I was hopeful that we could come away from this without bloodshed. When the sun was a bit farther along in its path, we came close enough to talk. We stood apart for a moment, each side sizing up the other. I decided to start the conversation. "Hello, I'm Firemane and this is Diana. We are on our way through the plains and have no quarrel with you." Their leader, who must have been nearly full phase, listened and grinned. I saw that it was going to be one of those days again. "I am Rr'ral. You are prey." And with that simple pronouncement, they rushed forward. They took us by surprise, and Diana and I were separated. They maneuvered us apart, and then encircled me. "Cowards!" I spat. "Rr'ral!" I called out as they rushed toward me, "Are you brave enough to face me without a mob at your back?" They all stopped, and froze. Then Rr'ral broke the stillness, and howled. They didn't attack, but waited for Rr'ral to come into the circle. The others moved back, making a wide ring. I began to understand. Rr'ral and I would fight alone first. I guessed it was some sort of territorial tradition. I quickly glanced around, and saw Diana standing outside the ring, wondering what to do. I motioned for her to stay still for the moment, and see how things went. I had a strange feeling of having done this before. Rr'ral began moving to the left in a slow arc, and I had to move with him, to keep him in front of me. We both made small feints and jabs, testing each other's defenses. After a few minutes of this, he snarled and leapt forward, and the fight began for real. He was strong, fast and vicious, and he had no compunctions about trying to bite. However, he tried that tactic less frequently after I started slashed his muzzle open. The third time he snapped at me, I opened a large gash across his nose, and saw his eyes begin to water from the pain. He tried a different approach, slamming into me and knocking me down. I was back up instantly, and we grappled hand to hand. I noticed that when I'd gone down, the circle had started to close in. I got the impression that if I fell and didn't get back up, the entire pack would lay into me. That was not a pretty image. Going hand-to-hand was a mistake on Rr'ral's part, since I had a greater arm-strength. His only advantage was that his hands were more human-like, and had a better grip. I managed to twist my right arm out of his hold. There was no way for him to defend against my next attack, since I was already inside his guard, and I drew a deep, long slash across his chest. He literally howled with pain, and lunged toward my throat with his jaws, intent on ripping out my throat. Fortunately, having seen Diana fight, I was expecting him to try this, so I ducked under his snapping teeth, and slammed upward, pouncing into his chest, knocking him onto his back, with me on top of him. The Pack started closing in, and from the waves of fear I could smell from Rr'ral, this time they weren't after me. Crouched on all fours on my prey's chest I raised my head and ROARED my victory, the fury of battle rousing my instincts. The Pack howled in response, and dove in to finish Rr'ral off. "NO!" I blazed, barely understandable through my bared teeth, "HE'S MINE!" I saw something, just before I would have begun savaging my fallen foe, that brought me back from the edge. Diana was standing there, just looking at me. Everything seemed to freeze, so that we were the only people still moving, and she just slowly shook her head. I looked down at Rr'ral, lying helpless beneath me, and I was suddenly ashamed. I'd almost let myself become the animal others accused me of being. I climbed off of Rr'ral, thinking to show him mercy, and the Pack suddenly rushed in, intent on killing their fallen comrade. "Stop!" I yelled, not expecting them to listen. Much to my surprise, they did. They formed into a circle around me, and bowed. "What's going on?" I demanded. One of them spoke. "You have bested the Alpha in a challenge. That makes you the new Alpha. We follow you now." This was slightly more than I'd bargained for. "I don't want to lead your pack! I just wish to pass on my way!" The whole Pack began muttering and growling softly in confusion. I guessed that this sort of thing had never come up before. The one who spoke earlier led them away to discuss the matter, leaving Rr'ral lying battered on the ground. This gave Diana a chance to question me. "Firemane, what happened to you? Even when you were fighting Shaloc, you never acted like that." "I... don't honestly know, Diana. Maybe I'm just sick of being attacked for no reason, and I got caught in the Pack's frenzy." I brushed my face against hers, and drew her into my arms, "Thank you for stopping me. I would have regretted killing him." "Just please try not to do that again. You frightened me." We sat to wait for the Pack's decision as the sun sank into an explosion of light. Amazing, that one could grow accustomed to such beauty so quickly. The stars were just beginning to emerge when the Pack returned. "We have decided that this shall be as a fight in which both challengers die. You are a friend of our Pack, and if ever you require our assistance, it will be yours. Rr'ral will be left where he is. Do not try to help him. If he survives on his own, he may rejoin the Pack. If he accepts your help, he is an outcast forever. Fare well, Pack-friend." They turned as one to leave. I called to them to wait. "Rr'ral said that we were the ones you were looking for. Why were you looking for us?" The one who had acted as speaker for the Pack began to answer, but a snarl from within the crowd stopped him. He made submissive gestures to the one who had growled, and let him answer me. "The Pack's concern is hunting. Often, we hunt not only for food but for coin. Rr'ral was offered a reward to find you and bring you to a place." "What place? Who offered?" "That is not for us to know. The Alpha knew, and we followed. Now he has fallen, and a new Alpha must arise. Now we will leave." They turned again and loped off, some upright and some on all fours. "Great," I muttered to Diana, "We know someone wants us dead, and I just knocked the only one who knows who unconscious." "Well, why don't you ask him when he wakes up?" "You mean if he survives." "I'm sure he'll wake up eventually, with a little..." "Diana, you remember what they said." I warned, "If we help him in any way, he's an outcast. I wouldn't do that to him." "He's going to die, Firemane! I can't just stand here and watch him die, can I?" I looked at her, and saw that she had the answer already decided, and was being rhetorical. "You don't know that he's going to die. I have a few scratches that say he's tougher than you think. Besides, he's a lycanthrope. As he nears his full phase, he heals much more rapidly." She just stared back at me. I sighed loudly. "No, I suppose you can't just watch him suffer. And as long as you're going to help him, I might as well help too. Just don't be surprised if he doesn't thank you for it." She just looked at me strangely, and I saw that she still didn't understand. "I hate to disillusion you, dearest, but he may not want to live, not without the Pack. Remember how lonely you were when you were alone, the only one of your kind?" She frowned, but nodded. "Well imagine if instead you had a small group of people like you, but they refused to have anything to do with you, and all because someone helped you. Imagine how much worse that could feel." I saw that she was beginning to see my point, but she still felt she had to help. "I understand that, Firemane, really I do, but I just can't leave him like this. I just can't!" "I know you can't, Diana, and I love you for it. I realized that from the start. I'm just trying to keep you from being hurt when he turns on you. But, so be it. Let's see what we can do." She nodded, and perked up, and we did what little we could for Rr'ral. "I still don't understand the way the lycanthopes acted, though," I commented as we worked. "What do you mean?" "That business with the circle, and killing their fallen leader. It doesn't make any sense." Diana shrugged. "They're like wolves that way, I guess. Just like I'm a fox and you're a lion." "But normal wolves don't act like that." I protested, "They're acting the way humans assume wolves behave... the way the Wolf acts in all the children's stories Mikhal used to tell me." "I always thought wolves DID act like that." Diana replied, "When did you become an expert on wolf behavior?" I shook my head, puzzled. "I don't know. Now that I think about it, I don't know that I've ever actually seen a wolf. Maybe you're right." Despite our best efforts, and the natural healing abilities of a lycanthrope, he was still unconcious when night fell. Diana and I decided to take turns at sleeping, to make sure he didn't wake up while we slept and kill us in our sleep. I took the first watch, then woke Diana when the night seemed about half over. It didn't take me long to get to sleep. ******************************************************** R'rall stood before me, broad shouldered and proud, defying me. The rest of the pack stood behind him, laughing, mocking my authority. I strode forward, looking for a sign of submission. I found none. "We will not yield to you, Stormsinger." The wolf spoke, and I knew then that this was not R'rall. "We are wolves, proud and free. My men obey me, for I am the Alpha. And I don't obey anyone." My hand shot out, as if by its own will, and I lifted him off the ground. My hand twisted, and I heard a sickening crack as the wolf I held went limp. I released him, and he crumpled to the ground. Throughout the pack, silence reigned. "I am Alpha." I declared, and none dared to contradict me. "You will obey me, or you will die." I felt their eyes on me, their fear, their unwilling respect. A part of me was sickened by what I'd just done. The rest of me wanted more. ******************************************************** Diana shook me awake, and nodded to where R'rall was beginning to move again. Shaking away the last of my nightmare, I stood and joined her as the werewolf opened his eyes. He saw us standing above him, and he jumped up to attack us. His knees gave way beneath him, and he hit the ground again. He snarled at us, and we respectfully kept our distance. He noticed that his wounds had been licked clean. He growled, saliva dripping from his jaws, and demanded to know what had happened. "I won." "Then why aren't you with the Pack?" "I have no desire to lead the Pack. I just wanted you to leave me the Hells alone, but you couldn't do that, could you?" He ignored that. "If you aren't with the Pack, who is Alpha?" "They are choosing a new leader, and they consider us both to have fallen." "Then... My cuts, you cleaned them?" "Yes." He sank back to the ground, a look of anguish crossing his face. "Beating me wasn't enough?!? You had to dishonor me, exile me, as well? Damn you!" Diana stepped forward in my defense. I tried to stop her, but she was already speaking. "I cleaned your wounds. Firemane only helped me after I'd already begun. If you need someone to be angry with, let it be me." Hearing this, he jumped back to his feet. "I'll kill you, then, and to Hells with the wizard's payment. This is a matter of honor.." He broke off as he struck the ground, with me on top of him, claws already extended into his throat. "You'll do no such thing!" I roared, "If I ever so much as smell your shaggy hide near her, I'll rip you open, and you'll wish I'd let the Pack kill you! I don't know about your honor, which didn't stop you from trying to kill us, but I do know that thanks to her, you live. Now if you have a death-wish, I'll oblige you. Otherwise, you had better...not...ever...touch her!" I punctuated the last five words by smacking his head against the ground. I retracted my claws from his flesh, and jumped lightly off of him, allowing him to stand. He felt his neck, where he was bleeding from small punctures. He growled softly at me, and I growled back. We locked gazes, and after several minutes, he glanced away. Diana cleared her throat loudly, sounding thoroughly disgusted with our posturing. "If you two are finished with the male territorial thing, Firemane, we really should find out why he was looking for us. Unless, of course, the two of you need to sniff each other, or mark trees or something." She looked at me and rolled her eyes in exasperation. I realized she was right, and reluctantly nodded. "All right, then, why were you looking for us? We already know you were hired as mercenaries to kill us, but who hired you, and why?" I saw that Rr'ral wasn't going to be cooperative. I was going to force him to answer, but Diana intervened. "No, Firemane, don't. This has gone far enough. You," she nodded to Rr'ral, "Go. Don't bother us again, or I won't stand in his way next time. In fact, I'll probably help him. And if you meet the man who hired you, tell him we're coming." Rr'ral seemed confused, but realized that he was outnumbered and probably out-classed. He ran off, without a backward glance. "Firemane," Diana began. I held my paw to her lips to stop her. "I know, I keep acting strange. I honestly don't know why, but R'ral puts me on edge. I did warn you, didn't I, that he wouldn't be happy?" It was her turn to sigh. "You did, yes, and you were right. But, as I said..." "You had to do something, I know. I understand, and believe me, I do love you for it, but I doubt Rr'ral feels the same way. Why, for gods' sakes, did you let him go?" "Because I already know who most likely sent him." "Who? Not Shaloc again, I hope!" She smiled at that, and shook her head. "No, not Shaloc. Like I said before, he has enough problems without worrying about us. Aside from the two of us, who knows where we are going, or why, or that we even exist?" Feeling rather dense, I had to admit that I couldn't think of anyone. "Well, where are we heading?" "To see Mikhal, at the wizard's tow... Oh." She licked my nose and brushed faces with me to make me feel better. "You were a little too caught up in yelling at Rr'ral to notice, lover, but he mentioned getting paid by a wizard." I nodded. "I was a little too caught up in yelling, period. When he threatened you, I got angry... I know you can take care of yourself, of course, but..." I stopped, because I didn't know how to explain, and the look on her face said that no explanation was needed. "Remember when Shaloc had you, and I had to wade through half his people to get to you?" I nodded. "Well, I told you I 'sorta lost it'. I've never felt quite like that ever before, and I never want to feel like that again. I frightened myself almost as much as I did them, and I was afraid for a minute that I wouldn't be able to stop, that I'd have to keep on killing, and killing, and killing..." she shuddered, and I hugged her to give her comfort. "Ever since I've been worried, worried that, even though we aren't beasts, perhaps we could be. Perhaps we're already on our way there." "Darling one, I wish I could say you were wrong. It's true, though, that I've been acting without thinking lately, just going on instinct. Ever since we got on these damned plains, come to think of it." She pulled back from my embrace, and looked up at me. "Lions do often live in the plains... perhaps this, and not the forest, is you natural setting. Maybe you are simply remembering things from... before." "Much as I'd like to believe that, I can't see why I'd start remembering things now. However, you may be right, this place does seem very natural to me. Even my fur blends in." She dropped the subject and we continued for a couple of hours before finally lying down for what remained of the night. ******************* I lay low against the ground, letting the tall grasses hide me from view. I could see my prey in front of me, one of the large striped horses, caught away from the herd. Not the best taste, but it was all I could find, and at least it was warm and on the hoof. I crept slowly forward, pausing occasionally as the prey looked up. I finally got close enough, I was about to pounce, and then it jerked its head around, and I could see that it smelled me. Strange, I was downwind, and he shouldn't be able to. Not that it mattered, I was ready for it anyway. I leapt out of hiding, and slammed into the side of the beast. It was fairly sturdy, since it wobbled yet stayed upright. I realized I was going to have to do this the hard way, so I latched on with my claws and began trying to knock it down. Suddenly the entire situation felt strange... why not simply stand up and attack it that way?... but then it passed, and I was left with the task at paw. It might have escaped, if unexpected help had not arrived. A young lioness ran out from grasses on the other side of the animal, which explained what it had scented earlier. Of course, now was not the time to chide her for being a sloppy huntress. Together, we easily took down the striped beast, and we eagerly began eating. While we ate, I was thinking. A female implied a pride nearby... which was just what I was looking for... wasn't it? I shook my head to clear it, and the entire landscape took on a surreal cast. ************************* I jerked awake. It was mid-morning, and Diana was asleep beside me. I looked over at my drowsing beloved and found myself ashamed for dreaming of another female. I then stood and stretched to clear the haze from my brain. Another female? That was a lioness, a honest-to-gods lioness, not a woman! At any rate, the dream was strange enough without worrying about things like that. Still, I found myself both glad and slightly let-down that the dream had ended so soon. Instantly, I chided myself for being unfaithful, even in my strangest dreams. My self-beratement ended as Diana rolled over to wrap me around her for warmth, and didn't find me there. She glanced around, squinting, with her fur rumpled and in disarray. I quickly forgot all about wayward lionesses and sat down next to her with a soft chuckle. I expected her to put her head in my lap and fall immediately back to sleep, as usual. This time, however, she stayed awake and pulled herself into my lap, and we sat there for some time, just enjoying each other's presence, while I groomed her touseled fur. Finally she got up and we made our way once more toward the tower. After a few weeks of uneventful travel, the plains gradually gave way to wooded hills and some small habitations. Again we passed near a village, and some playing children caught sight of us. They stopped their game and ran, all except one boy. We saw the children running back to the village, probably to summon their parents, but I couldn't resist. I walked a few steps closer to the boy, waved, and wished him a good afternoon. His jaw dropped considerably, and then he heard someone from the village call him, and he too ran, although perhaps not in fear. We quickly continued on our way. Diana was certain that we were only a few days away from the tower. Unfortunately, the scent was so overwhelming that she could no longer tell which direction it was coming from. We seemed to be at a standstill for the time being. Fortunately, I came up with an idea, which, while dangerous, had a slim chance of working. We only had to wait to find what I was looking for. Finally, we passed a clothes line where a woman was hanging out her laundry. I gently approached her from behind as Diana walked out in front of her. She started to scream, but I put my paw over her mouth. She became very quiet very fast, although that may have been more from the fact that she saw that my paw actually was a paw, and quite furry. Diana began to talk to her in a calm, perfectly reasonable voice. "Good lady, we mean you no harm. We are in need of assistance, and we thought that perhaps you could help us. If you agree not to scream, my friend there will take his hand off your mouth, all right?" She nodded, and I let go. She turned and saw me, and I did my best to look friendly. "Y..You aren't deamons?" she quavered. "No," I answered, keeping my voice as low as possible. "We are just people traveling through. We are looking for a wizard's tower. It's possible that a friend of mine is there. Is there such a tower nearby?" She nodded, and I tried to think of some way to show my appreciation, but I couldn't think of any gestures that wouldn't frighten her. "Can you please tell us where?" She gave us general directions on how to get within visual distance of the tower. She described what she knew of the tower, and I noticed that if the tower were as tall as she described it, we should be able to see it by now. I asked her about this. "I know, you're right. None of us have ever been able to figure it out either. Of course, he is a wizard!" "He who? Do you know his name?" "Well, maybe I should say was, you see his name is Jolan Iccarus, or something like that, I'm horrible with names you see, and nobody's seen or heard from him in months, ever since he left to talk to his wizard friends. There are lots of rumors about his tower now, but none that I'd trust, if you take my meaning." We thanked her, and turned to leave. "Wait!" she called out. We stopped to see what she wanted. "You can't go about looking like that! You'll scare anyone who sees you half to death!" We looked at each other. She waved her hands at us as if we'd spoken, "No, I mean people who don't know you, of course." We admitted she had a point, but we couldn't do much about what we looked like. "Well, here, take these." She ran into her house and came out with a bundle of cloth. "These are our spare winter cloaks, my husband's and mine. They probably won't fit right, but they should cover your heads and most of your body, so people might not stare." Again we thanked her. "You are the only decent human being we've met so far, excluding my friend Mikhal. It pleases me to know you." Unable to find any other gesture of respect, I bowed. She laughed and curtseyed back, and told us to get going. We followed her directions, and were thankful for the cloaks, since several times we were forced to pass human travelers, which would have been... awkward otherwise. We rounded a turn in the road, and suddenly a tower stood over us, not too far distant, it's base lost in a thick grove of trees. We exchanged puzzled glances, and backtracked a few steps. The tower faded out of view. We stepped forward again, and the tower re-appeared. We were so absorbed in our study of the mystery of the tower that we didn't notice that we had company. "You must be new here," he remarked, causing us to nearly jump out of our furs, "You can always tell the new folks, 'cause they always do what you just did. They see the tower pop up, they back away, and they walk toward it again, just to see if it would go away and come back. I say it's just a trick of the light, but then, the guy that lives there is a wizard, right?" We both nodded, and he continued his monologue. "You two sure are a quiet couple. Not that I'm one to complain, mind you, I like quiet folks well enough. Here, why don't you pull back your hoods and let a fellow talk to your faces?" I looked over at Diana, but thanks to her cloak I could see nothing of her expression, so I decided to try the direct approach. "Very well, good traveler, but remember that you asked." I pulled back my hood, and he gasped. "You see, we have a reason for wearing the cloaks." "D-D-Deamons!" he stammered. Diana took offense, and tossed back her hood. "No, we aren't deamons, but we get that a lot. I am Diana, and this is Firemane. We were on our way to see the wizard." He calmed, and nodded, as if he were unsurprised by this further revelation. "If you aren't deamons, then you needin' to see Mister Occarius is understandable. Which is it, you askin' him to put you back the way you were, or you gonna fix him for putting you like you are now?" "Neither, I assure you." I replied, "We are merely meeting a friend of mine at his tower. You wouldn't happen to know how you get in, would you? I'm afraid I can't see an entrance from here." He gave a short laugh, and nodded. "That's because it's hidden, just like the tower was hidden. You gotta get to the trees before you see it, but it's on this side. Local legend has it that there's a test or somethin' that you have to do before you get inside, but that's not from the most solid sources, you understand." We thanked him, and put our hoods back up. We waved to him, and then he rounded the bend in the road, and was gone. "Two humans who haven't tried to kill us in one day. Now what are the odds on that, do you think?" Diana smiled. "Probably a few million to one, but maybe our luck is improving. I sure hope so, anyway!" I ran my hand lightly along her jaw, and we walked paw-in-paw down the remaining stretch of road, until the road turned away from the tower. Just as the traveler had said, as soon as we entered the grove, a set of large brass doors became visible. Not knowing what else to do, I walked up and knocked lightly on the door. A beam of light burst forth from a small silver skull set above the door, and Diana and I were momentarily bathed in a soft, silver warmth. Then the beam stopped just as suddenly as it began, and the doors swung ponderously inward. We stepped into the dark portal, and found ourselves in a large torchlit foyer. At the far end of the foyer was a stairwell, and doors led off to either side. We decided to explore the floor we were on as well as possible before ascending, just to be cautious. Making a random decision, we decided to open the right-side door first. Inside, we found a dining room, with places set for nine. In front of each chair, we found a placard bearing a name. The head of the table was reserved for a Master Jolan Occarius, and to the left and right of that seat, respectively, Diana and I had seats assigned to us. We glanced over the other placards, but, as expected, we found none that we recognized. "Well, my dear, it seems that we are expected. Perhaps Rr'ral beat us here?" I said to my beautiful companion. "Not likely, loved one, but possible. More likely, though, that the Wizard either left this table like this awaiting our arrival, or that he simply detected us earlier. As people around here are fond of pointing out, he is a wizard." As usual, I conceded that she had a point, and we left to check the door on the left. Inside we found Nothing. What we had assumed to be a dark room was simply non-existent. I stuck my arm into the pitch- black doorway, and we had to jerk it back out quickly, as the darkness eagerly began to suck me into itself. We closed that door, and decided that we should probably explore elsewhere. We entered the stairwell, and discovered that we were not on the lowest floor, which gave us an interesting dilemma. Should we proceed up, or down? We decided to climb up, since we really didn't relish finding what our erstwhile host might have in his basement. We climbed the stairs until we found a heavy wooden door mounted in the wall. It had no lock, and we soon found ourselves in a large hallway, with a row of doors on both sides. A quick but cautious inspection revealed that the rooms were bedrooms and closets of a very mundane nature. It seems that our host had luxuriant tastes, to judge from some of his linens and the massive canopy bed he had. Pleased to find nothing perilous on this floor, we returned to the stairs and climbed to the next level up. On this floor, too, we found a heavy door which led to a hallway, with rows of doors on either side. We opened a few of the doors to discover that this floor was quite different from the one below it. Each door opened on a different landscape. The first revealed a mountainside view, but from above the mountain. While I am not, by nature, afraid of heights, I found it extremely unpleasant to see a vast gap between the floor of the hallway and the mountainsides. Closing that door, and opening another, we found ourselves staring at a forest meadow. Another door led to a pitch-black cavern, from which we could hear the flapping of leathery wings and the dripping of water. Yet another door showed the bottom of a lake, gloomy and dark, which was quite interesting, as it appeared that we were facing a wall of water, held rigidly in place. Leaving that floor, and climbing upwards again, we came to another floor so identical to it that we thought we had been transported backward by some magic. However, upon opening the doors, we found different landscapes than before, this time a castle, the plains we had just crossed, a smithy, and a busy marketplace in a large city. Not quite daring to step through any of these doorways, especially following our experience on the ground level, we climbed for a final time to the top level of the tower. At least, we assumed it to be the top level, since the stairs met the ceiling a few meters farther up. Inside, we were momentarily blinded, as the room was filled with warm, bright afternoon sunlight. When our eyes adjusted, we saw a man in blue robes reclining in a chair in the middle of the room. He noticed our arrival, and welcomed us. "Ah, there you are at last! I have been waiting for you. We shall embark on a grand journey, we three." I didn't like the way this was starting out. "Where is Mikhal? Is he here?" I demanded. He looked surprised and taken aback for a moment, but then a look of understanding dawned on his face. "Oh, yes, I almost forgot I sent that. Sorry, a minor deception, but I had to get you here somehow! Anyway, that's not important now, and... what's that sound?" He finally noticed that I was growling. At least this time, I was able to restrain myself from rushing forward. "Oh, I see. You're upset. Perhaps I should explain?" "You'd bloody well better explain!" Diana snapped, before I could reply. "Do you have any idea what we've been through to get here? Do you know just how putrid this place smells?" "Smells? Oh, yes, I forgot... wait, let me get out of this light." He walked out through a small door set in the wall behind him. We followed, determined not to let him out of sight. "There now." He continued, noticeably more coherent, "As to the smell, I can fix that." He spoke a few words and gestured in Diana's direction. "What was that?" Diana asked, sneezing heavily. "That was me removing the magical trail that led you here. I must apologize, I was in the middle of something when you arrived, so I was slightly unfocused. Now that we have left the Solarium, I can concentrate more on conversation. If you didn't already know, I am Jolan Occarius." I grew more than a little bit impatient. "Where is Mikhal?" I practically snarled. "Hmmm? Oh, yes, that. As I said before, a necessary deception. Your friend Mikhal isn't really here." He must have realized that I was about to turn vicious on him, because he hastily added, "He is alive! I know where he is. That's one of the reasons I brought you here. I had to see if you were as powerful as I believed you to be." Diana broke in again. "Then you did send Rr'ral after us?" He nodded. "I'm afraid that worked out very differently from what I expected." He turned to me. "Whatever possessed you to challenge him to personal combat?" "Well, truth be told, that wasn't my intention. I just wanted to point out that one against twenty wasn't exactly an honorable fight." "Yes, well, I had hoped that having them overwhealm you would give me another chance to observe your latent abilities." "My what?" He looked sidelong at me, and smirked. "How do you think you escaped from that cage?" "I assumed it was struck by lightning," I answered, "At least, it seemed that way." "Well, in a way it was, except that the lightning didn't come from the sky. It came from inside you." "What?" Diana and I exclaimed at the same time. "You have a latent magical ability, which for some reason is suppressed except in extreme situations. This means that you build up an amazing amount of raw Power, and then release it in a large burst, hence the appearance of a lightning strike." Diana was looking at me oddly. "Then Firemane is a.. a Magus?" Jolan laughed. "Hardly that. His power is similar in nature to yours, in that it isn't a voluntary thing. Just as you can smell magic, he stores and releases it." She still looked puzzled. "Then why couldn't I smell his magic use?" I answered this one. "Because the burst of power burned my fur, and because you weren't in the most attentive state at the time, remember?" She accepted this, and our host attempted to turn the conversation to other matters. "I believe you've explored downstairs?" We nodded, and he continued, "Then you've seen the dining hall arrangements, and you know that I expect a few more people to show up. As I said before, we are to embark on a quest of great importance, but we must wait on the others. Until then, consider yourselves my guests." We gave him minimal attention as we whispered to each other. When he finished, I signaled Diana that I was ready, and I picked Jolan up by his throat, keeping my claws retracted. Jolan closed his eyes for a moment, and Diana snorted. I half- extended my claws, just enough for the Mage to feel them. "None of that, Magus." I growled, "Now that you've finished your little speech, we'd like a few real answers. Don't try anything, because, as you are well aware, Diana can smell your magic. Her nose so much as twitches and you get a few new ways to breath, do you understand?" He nodded, quite painfully, I would imagine, and I lowered him slowly to the ground. As soon as his feet were on the ground, he began trying to surreptitiously gesture with his fingers, mumbling as softly as possible the words of a spell. Even if Diana hadn't sneezed, I would have guessed he was trying something, so I gave him a light swat on his shoulders, not even hard enough to knock him over. "I said none of that, Wizard! Now, you said Mikhal lives, and you know the place. Tell us!" Jolan shrugged. "Certainly. You merely had to ask. Your friend is being held in one of the dungeons of the Thenic Republic, far to the south-west of here." "How in all Hells did he get there?" "He was tried and convicted of consorting with deamons." The look he gave me was the most sardonic I'd ever seen. "I'm sure you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" "How did he get to the Thenic Republic? That's far to the south of his village." "Well that's the funny thing about that border. It has a habit of moving wherever it pleases. He and several other refugees from the fire were picked up by a scouting party, who took them captive as spies." "Spies in their own land?" "Well, the Republic is that kind of place. Now," he motioned to my paws, which were still loosely wrapped around his neck, "If you would be so kind as to remove those, I'll tell you what I had in mind for rescuing him." Reluctantly, I released him. After making such a journey following a false trail, I really wanted to hurt something. Preferably him. "Thank you," he said, after rubbing his neck. "Now, the problem here is that the Republic is very sensitive about people using magic inside it's borders. Magi in the area tend to vanish in the night. For that reason, I'm a little hesitant to go and get your friend myself. However, since he's your friend, I thought that maybe you could help him. Here's the deal. Since I brought you here under false pretenses, I feel somewhat obligated..." "Somewhat obligated?" Diana mocked in disbelief. "Yes, well, I feel obligated to help you. I hope that, afterward, when the time is right, you will be amenable to an exchange of services." "What kind of services?" I asked suspiciously. "Nothing you haven't done before." He assured, "There is someone I wish to assist, and the two of you would make a most valuable addition to that effort. In return, I could give you something that you want." "What?" I prompted. I must admit, I was very intrigued. "That is a matter for later, I'm afraid, and don't bother trying to beat the answer out of me. You took me by surprise once, but I wouldn't count on you doing it again." "How can we trust you?" I asked, "You've already dragged us halfway across the continent chasing shadows, what's to say this isn't more of the same?" He shrugged. "I can offer you no real assurances. However, I will tell you that there are easier ways for me to get what I want. With the magic I possess I could simply enslave you to my will, more powerfully and effectively than any paltry Sorcerer, simply by using a Pleasure spell." He turned to Diana, "You of all people should understand the addictive quality of some Pleasures, I would think." I saw Diana's face contort at the memory. He went too far with that snide comment, and I jumped at him, intent on teaching him a degree of respect for her. I was caught by a blast of wind and held in mid-leap. Jolan hadn't even broken into a sweat. "Ah, I see a brief demonstration is in order. I won't use Pleasure, since I find that a bit... distasteful, but here's something else within your comprehension; Agony." He mumbled a few arcane words and made a few gestures, and suddenly my body felt as though my skin had been peeled back and someone was dragging a coarse cloth along the raw, exposed nerves. The pain increased, until my vision was blotted out with tears, and my hearing diminished to a dull whine. Just when the Agony became unbearable, it stopped completely, and I fell to the ground. I heard soft padding footsteps, and then felt Diana doing what she could to stop my shaking. When I could finally open my eyes, I saw her looking down worriedly at me. I smiled to show her that I was fine, and soon her warmth had dispelled the chill of the pain. Finally I stood up, and looked around for the source of my torture. I found him crumpled in a ball, along the far wall, his robes somewhat blackened. I looked to Diana for an explanation, and she drew my attention to my fur, which was smoking again. "I'm afraid what he said about you was true, Firemane. I saw you do it. He stopped you in the air, and suddenly you started quivering and your entire body went tense. You started to glow blue, then white, then blue again, and you had this big halo of energy around you. Then a huge ball of blue power blasted from around you, and slammed right into the wizard. He put up a shield right before he got hit, so I think he'll live. You know, you didn't have to try to jump him for my sake. He could have seriously hurt you." She smiled, and added, "I am glad you blasted the Hells out of him, though. He did have that coming." "I wish I could say I'm glad I did it, but I feel horrible right now. While he held me up like that, I felt pain like I've never known before. It was... indescribably unpleasant." "Well said, Firemane," Jolan muttered, as he stood up. "I was wrong, it seems. You did, indeed, surprise me a second time. It would not be wise to count on a third, of course, but then again, after such a display of power I promise that I won't push my luck anymore." He came closer, and turned to Diana, "Your friend here was right, I was completely out of line, and I owe you an apology. It was impolite, to say the least, to bring up a subject so obviously painful. I beg your forgiveness." "I accept your apology, Wizard. Now, if you don't mind, I, for one, am hungry, and we have had quite a journey to get here." Jolan bowed his head slightly in concession. "Again I must apologize, this time for being an ungracious host. Please, follow me. I've done my best to meet your tastes, but I wasn't sure what you'd like, so I guessed. I hope the arrangements are to your liking." He led us out through the Solarium and led us up the stairs, which suddenly extended upward for several more floors. When we questioned our host about this, he just shrugged. "This tower confuses even I. It has a sort of life to it, you see. I inherited it from the wizard I was apprenticed to, and he from his father, who acquired it gods only know how. I don't know who built it, or how, but it has more floors than it should possibly be able to, and sometimes they move around. Usually if I find my path blocked, I just teleport to where I want to be. It's been a while since I've had guests who weren't Magi, but I should still have some teleportation medallions, which will allow you to move freely within these walls." "What about the floors below, where the doors lead to different places?" "They are sometimes handy, but unfortunately they only work one-way. For me it's relatively easy to get back, since this is my home, and I have a strong attachment to it, so teleportation is fairly simple. For you, however, I wouldn't recommend wandering through them. They change destinations on a fairly random basis, so you might find yourself somewhere most unexpected. Imagine, Firemane, if you suddenly appeared in the middle of a crowded city square, how much panic that would cause. The sight of it might even be worth getting trampled to death, which is probably what would happen." "All right! I wasn't going to try them anyway, you didn't have to be so bloody graphic about it." "I'm sorry, but others have had unfortunate experiences, and I bear their deaths on my conscience. That's one of the reasons I so rarely invite non-Magi to my tower." We lapsed into silence, and continued our climb. Finally, Jolan stopped in front of a door which looked almost identical to every other door we'd passed. However, when he opened it, it led to a suite of rooms, which Jolan indicated were our chambers. "As I said, I hope I've arranged things to suit you. I wasn't sure if you would be more comfortable with an open, vaulted room, giving the illusion of being outdoors, or softer, more... civilized furnishings, but I finally decided on this. If you don't like anything, please, don't hesitate to mention it." The room was spacious enough, with a comfortable looking bed, and large, bowl-shaped chairs. Jolan showed us where everything was, and told us that we would find food downstairs, in the kitchens. He reached into his pockets, came up with nothing, frowned, and blinked out of existence. Seconds later he reappeared with a loud popping sound, and handed us small medallions. "To work these, you simply say where you want to go, and then visualize it. They have a few locations that you can go to without visualization, since you haven't been to most places in the tower. The kitchen, the solarium, although you've been there already, the library, and the gardens can be reached simply by saying them while holding the medallion tightly. Feel free to go where you please, but be careful. There are some things in here that are best left alone, so don't touch something if you don't know what it is." I nodded in agreement, remembering my experience on the first floor. Jolan waited while we got settled in, and then excused himself to go do wizardly things. We explored our rooms, which included a lavatory, sitting room, and a bedroom, and found them to be quite comfortable. I'd never experienced such luxury before, and a soft bed was a most welcome change from sleeping on the ground, once I got used to it. Diana discovered a door off from the lavatory which led to a large bathing pool, which had knobs you could turn to produce warm and cold water from a vent in the wall. We took turns washing each other's backs, and we found oils and soaps set out for us, which Diana used to scrub my fur quite heavily, to remove both the singed smell and any lingering traces of the magical scent. After shaking ourselves dry, and patting off the remaining moisture with towels our host had thoughtfully provided, we decided to postpone eating until the morning, and retired to our bed. I awoke sometime the next day, and stared uncomprehendingly at my surroundings for a few minutes, until I realized where I was. As usual, Diana was still asleep, and I playfully nuzzled her face to wake her. She mumbled something unintelligible, and snaked her body closer to me. She sleepily put her arms around me and I lay there silently as she clung to me. I imagine I looked quite a bit like an oversized child's doll. After a while she let go of me and stretched. I brushed my face against hers, and wished her a good morning. "'Morning, Firemane," She yawned, "What do you say we hunt up something to eat? I'm famished." "I doubt if we'll have to hunt anything in the kitchen, dear, but knowing this place you can't be too sure. Well, let's try these medallions." We picked up the necklaces from where we'd taken them off the night before and slipped them on. Grabbing the medallions in our paws, we both said "kitchen". Instantly the room blurred around us, to be replaced by what was obviously the kitchen. We were both quite impressed with this trick, especially Diana, who liked the fact that she couldn't smell it. We started rummaging through the pantry, and we found a couple of slabs of nearly raw beef, a rare treat for both of us. We found some plates, and sat on nearby stools while we ate. Our only problem with the food was that it was cold, and not as fresh as what we were used to. On the other paw, we didn't have to stalk it and fight it to the ground either, so we didn't complain. After breakfast Jolan joined us, and led us on a tour of the tower. After the sixth floor, I began to get a little impatient. "When can we go rescue Mikhal?" I asked, tired of hearing Jolan's descriptions of the ever-changing architecture. "Patience, Firemane, Patience. We must wait until the time is right." "When is the right time, then? I want him out as soon as possible." I saw that Diana was in complete agreement with me. I guess once you've been locked in a cage you come to dislike the idea of other people being there, simply as a matter of sympathy. "Very well, then, I suppose. My other guests won't be arriving for some time, so you have time enough to get there and back. I was, however, hoping that I could have time to prepare you. The Thenic Republic is not the best place for either of you to go." "What do you mean about the Republic? Is it simply because they don't like magic?" "Let me think for a minute. I need to find a simple way to explain this... not that I mean to insult your intelligence, but a clear example usually saves time." He pondered the matter for a moment. "How about this. Imagine a country where all the laws were written by people like this Shaloc you knew." "Oh, come on!" Diana protested, "Even the Republic isn't that bad. No country could be so stupid or short-sighted as to allow such a thing!" Jolan looked surprised at her vehemence. "One would think that with all your bad experiences with humanity, that you would have a darker opinion of them." "Them? Since when did you stop being a human?" I pointed out. "Sorry, I should have said 'normal humans'. Most normal humans see me much the same way as they see you; as an abomination, or a deamon. Few non-magical humans really trust my kind, either from jealousy or fear. I'm afraid that in some cases they are right, for many of my peers misuse their powers." I shot him a pointed look. "You mean like by enslaving people? Perhaps with sorceries... or with Pleasures?" "I already said that I found that sort of thing distasteful. However, as you well know, there are times when people must do things that they don't like to. After all, do you like killing people?" He smirked, and corrected himself, "Wait, sorry, bad example. Perhaps I should choose something you actually don't like doing!" I stiffened at this, but I had to admit he had a point. "I never kill unless my life is threatened." I said defensively. He laughed sarcastically. "That's not what I asked. You only let yourself kill the people who threaten your life, but honestly, there are a good many more you would enjoy killing, aren't there?" I started growling softly. The blasted wizard was arousing my anger again, most likely because I couldn't say he was wrong. Jolan was oblivious to this, of course, but Diana noticed and quickly intervened. "What we feel is not subject to moral judgment, Jolan. The way we act is. Firemane has nothing to be ashamed of." I could see that she was thinking of her own actions, and that she was feeling guilt for taking revenge for her transformation. I promised myself that we would talk about this later. For the moment, however, the talk turned again to the task ahead of us. "I will give you Shadow Cloaks, which will hide you from normal sight. However, even though the Republicans professes to hate magic, they aren't above using it themselves, and they might be able to detect you. If that happens, I won't be able to do much to help you. I can outfit you with the best magical protection and enchantments, but you're going somewhere where all but the least of magics will be detected and destroyed. That's why I wanted more time, to see if I could come up with something better. I can give you potions of many varieties, which should be unnoticeable, but given your past experiences, I thought you might be somewhat leery of that. I could offer you enchanted weapons, but you have the weapons you are most effective with built onto you. One of the few things I can offer you is this." He pulled a piece of rolled-up parchment out of thin air. "This is the layout of the prison, and it shows where your friend should be, as well as pointing out where the guards are and other important information. I could sit down and work out a way for you to get in, but I doubt if it would hold up in practice. I find that despite the best planning, most often you simply have to improvise. However, you both seem fairly adept at that, so I have the utmost confidence in you." I was beginning to notice that Jolan tended toward speech-making. "So you can't simply teleport us there, or just teleport him out?" I asked. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. They thought of that, you see, and they have the entire area blanketed with a barrier spell. As I said, for people who hate magic, they seem to use it quite a bit. However, there is something I can do. If you time things just right, you can use one of the gateways upstairs to take you in the general area. The nearest destination is still a week or two away, but it would save you a month or more of journeying, and trying to sneak across the border. However, as I said before, it's a one-way trip, so getting back is a problem. I can give you a magic beacon, which you can use when you are past the border, so I can simply teleport you back here from there, but while you are in the Republic, I can't do anything. I wish I could be more help, really." "Why? I still don't understand what your stake in this is." Diana asked. "As I said, I feel obligated for deceiving you, and I want to make a gesture of good will, since I would like your services later." "Well, if we live, then it becomes a subject for debate. If not, we won't worry about it." I said, and Jolan agreed that if we died the point was moot. That brought up another unsettling question. "You aren't a Necromancer, are you?" The idea of someone reanimating my dead body was extremely disturbing to me. "Well, no, I am... was a Master Wizard, and I should be an Archmage, but the Consulate Prime decided to make my life more interesting." "The who did?" I asked, unsure who he was referring to. "The Consulate Prime. He's the chairman of the Council of Magi, head of the Guild. I'm surprised you haven't heard of him." Jolan paused and looked at me for a moment, as if just realizing who he was speaking to. "No, actually, considering who you are, I suppose I'm not surprised, after all." "Why does this person hate you? You didn't fool him into walking across half the continent, did you?" He smiled at my bitter sarcasm. "I don't want to go into detail, but let me say that I interfered with some of his pet projects. Do you know that he was planning to have the Magi generate a static weather pattern over Ombal, to keep the weather sunny and warm throughout the year?" He noticed that we didn't see anything terrible about that, so he decided to explain. "When you play with the weather in one place, it changes the weather everywhere else, and distorts the natural course of the system. That's why weather control is such an advanced magic. Creating and maintaining a weather system in one place for any extended period could have disastrous effects for weather everywhere else!" "So if he did what he wanted, everyone besides Ombal would suffer?" I said, understanding at last. "Yes, exactly. It has the potential for massively destructive consequences. However, Ombal was willing to pay quite handsomely for the service, and that blinded many to the real dangers. I'm afraid my protest didn't earn me many friends. However, back to your original question, no, I'm not exactly a Necromancer, although I do know how to perform the spells. I don't do so, however, because that sort of magic is addictive and dangerous. It's never been absolutely proven, but there are nasty rumors of the side effects of Necromancy and Sorcery, and none of them are fates I'd wish for myself. So no, I'm not a Necromancer." If I'd known it would take that long to get an answer, I wouldn't have asked. However, it was a great comfort to know that if I died, at least my corpse would stay where it was supposed to. I had no desire to become one of the living dead. The talk then returned to our upcoming rescue attempt, and we began discussing minor details. I asked what the game was like in the area, and the general layout of the land. Diana, to my surprise, began asking about which plants grew nearby, and then she asked what kind of opposition we might be facing. Jolan looked as surprised as I felt. "Why, what makes you think you would have any special opposition, aside from what's marked on the map? No one knows that you're going! As to the herbs you mentioned, yes, several of those do grow nearby. The only ones I've never seen in the area are Blueroot and Chimera's Tongue, but I have some of both on store, naturally." He turned to me, "As for your questions, Firemane, the local wildlife is rather sparse. Things have not been going well in the Republic, and hunting the woods has been deemed a crime, unless you have a special permit, which is quite expensive. I don't recommend you get caught hunting. As for the land, well, from the Gateway drop-off, it's mostly woodlands such as those you have been used to. Fortunately, the prison is far from any other habitation, mostly because the prison was built to house local criminals, which was, at the time, everyone. After the local villages were cleared.." "You mean they arrested and imprisoned everyone?" I interrupted, incredulous. Both Diana and Jolan looked at me with surprise. "Yes. You see, the villages were rumored to be housing non- human fugitives. That was enough to earn many a quick and violent death, and everyone else a life in captivity. I thought everyone knew this?" "Well I am hardly everyone, now, am I?" I retorted. "You'll have to pardon my ignorance, but my knowledge of history is rather scanty. I know a few old legends, the sorts of things minstrels sing of in taverns, but as for actual events I know almost nothing. I am practically a stranger to the world!" Jolan shot me an arch look, and mumbled something distractedly to himself about "this world". I glanced at him sharply, but he didn't seem to want to elaborate, so I let the subject slide, but only for the present. He cleared his throat and spoke up. "However, what you have said is true, and I'm afraid that both Diana and I have you at a slight disadvantage. If you will give me leave?" He looked askance of us both, and we nodded, so he began. "You see, several years ago, about the year 103, by the New Solar Calendar..." He stopped when he saw that I didn't have a reference to place dates. He sighed and commented that this could take a while. "This year is 137 by the New Solar Calendar. You count the years forward after the New Solar calendar was instated, and backwards from there. Example: The destruction of Altia was supposed to have taken place in the year 230 O.L., or by the Old Lunar Calendar, which means that it happened 367 years ago, you see?" At the time I wasn't terribly sure if I did or not, but I nodded so he could continue. "Good, so about 34 years ago, there was a great famine. Neither of you are old enough, I think, to remember it, but then, it's difficult for me to judge your ages, inhuman as you are. It was a dark time for Eol, and the south-western portion, on the far side of the river Then, was hardest hit. People were starving, and they wanted someone to blame. That part of the world has always been known for being suspicious of non-humans, so when a young man by the name of Androjo Lance began spreading a story that the other races and magic-users had conspired with the king to poison the crops, thousands flocked to his cause. Word spread like fire in dry grass, and soon Lance led his followers to revolt. This is referred to by scholars as the Famine Rebellion. Many of those who weren't plain, ordinary humans were either forcibly deported or killed outright, many burned alive to satisfy the people's deluded need for justification. It always amazed me how quickly the rebellion became an organized force. Lance, after consolidating his hold on the south-west by having all dissenting voices silenced as traitors to the 'people', created a brutally effective system for keeping things in line, and spread his area of influence all the way to the River Then, after which they named their so-called Republic. Any objections or complaints were quickly and fatally silenced. He selected eleven of his most devious cohorts, supposedly deserving, patriotic heroes of the Rebellion, and together they formed what is known as the Quorum, which is the official governing body of the Thenic Republic. They demanded autonomy from Cosan, and the king, seeing that he would be forced to fight his own people otherwise, granted it. "The bitter irony is that the people suffer all the more under the new rule as the did during the Famine, although Cosan recovered shortly thereafter, which Lance simply declared to be proof that Cosan was responsible for the blight. This was because the Quorum cares about only one thing, maintaining it's authority, and they overworked the land and the people, forcing quotas and punishing all who did not meet the expected yield. They began a program of 'redistribution' in which they apparently thought to make themselves look like brigand-princes from old legends, the kind that rob from the rich to give to the poor. The only problem with that was that after a short while, there were no more rich people, and the poor were mysteriously no better off." I started to interupt, but Jolan continued, apparently speaking more to himself than to me. "Meanwhile, the people's children were taken from them, supposedly for education. I've seen the first batch of 'scholars' they've turned out, and I can't say that I like it. The children are drilled and trained into a fanatical loyalty to the Republic. There is no victory, no honor, in fighting them, because they honestly believe that they are doing what is right. I once, briefly, attempted to undo the bitter hatred that they instilled in one young man. I spirited him away, at the behest of his parents, and I tried desperately to show him that what he had been taught was evil. I almost succeded.. He listened, and finally understood, and I made him my first--and last-- apprentice, since I discovered in him a strong talent, although extremely repressed. He died the first time he tried to cast a spell. The magic consumed him, bright blue flames... I couldn't save him... " Jolan looked distant, reliving the horror of that moment. After a few seconds of this, he came back to himself, and continued after an embarrassed pause. "He believed what I said in his mind, you see, but they had poisoned his heart. And the heart controls magic much more than the mind does, especially for the beginner." Jolan paused again, and suddenly seemed to shake off his melancholy. "Anyway, that should cover all you need to know about the Republic. The people are enslaved, and the Quorum remains in power. The army, once little more than a well-disciplined militia, is now made up primarily of fanatics, mercenaries, and petty thugs. You should stay off all roads, shun any humans you may encounter, and get out of there as quickly as possible." I was a bit overwhelmed with this tale. I had imagined that my experienced at the villager's and Shaloc's hands had been the depths of human depravity, but they at least had the excuse of hating me for what I was. For humans to be cruel to other humans, with no cause... it seemed inconceivable. However, Diana had no corrections to offer, so I assumed that this tale must be true. I still had one question, however. "Why are they holding Mikhal prisoner, then? If they are truly as fanatical as you say, wouldn't they have killed him on the spot?" "I've wondered that myself, and I have dark suspicions about some of the practices in that prison. It is possible, not necessarily true, but possible, that someone is using the prisons as a feeding grounds, for magical purposes. If that is so, it would explain why they are so eager to keep the prisons stocked. I hope, however, that I am mistaken. I'd like to believe that the gods would not permit such an affront to exist." After that, the conversation went poorly, as we were all occupied with our own thoughts. We decided to leave late the next evening, when the Gateway would be open to our destination, and when we would have the cover of darkness. Jolan bowed stiffly, and took his leave of us, and we were soon whisked back to our chambers by the medallions. Diana flung herself on the bed, and looked up at me invitingly. Smiling, I lay down next to her. However, instead of letting her sleep, which was what I believe she had in mind, I brought up the earlier subject of conversation. "Diana, if you want to talk about it, I'm always willing to listen." "Talk about what, Firemane?" She said, looking slightly puzzled. "When Jolan was... baiting me earlier, you said that people are judged by their actions, and not their thoughts, and that I had nothing to be ashamed of. But that's not all you were thinking, was it?" She sighed softly, and shook her head. "No, it wasn't. I killed a man, Firemane! I killed him not to save myself, but as revenge for making me like this! It was murder, plain and simple, and I'm guilty of it, and... and I'm ashamed." "Darling, it is my belief that no one ever deserves death, not even repulsive slugs like Shaloc. However, this man manipulated your sister, tried to force you to marry him, and, from what you say, taught your sister the evil art of sorcery. I would also mention that he tried to turn you into a fox, but I'm afraid I can't hold that against him, under the circumstances. Not that I wouldn't spare you the suffering, but I would most likely never have met you otherwise." "Now that makes me feel better, Firemane! If he was truly responsible for bringing us together, then I have repaid that kindness with death!" I licked her nose, and brushed my face against hers to lend her comfort. "Now don't twist my words, dearest! My point was that you felt justified at the time, and you were upset, with good reason. And as for your transformation, from what you say it seems that was a strange accident, and not the true intention. He meant to turn you into a real fox, not the beautiful creature you are now but a simple woodland animal. He would have killed you as certainly as if he had plunged a dagger in your chest, because I don't think that you would have retained your mind in that form, and all that was ever you would be lost. While you did not act totally in self-defense, he did do you harm. He was not completely blameless. But then, I'm not the one who has to forgive you. You have a much more harsh judge than that." "You mean the gods' judgment?" I laughed. "No, I mean your own judgment. You must be able to forgive yourself, or nothing I saw will have any meaning." I saw that she wasn't quite convinced. "Look, did you think you were doing something wrong at the time?" "Well, no, actually, I thought I was doing the world a service." "But you don't feel that way now?" "No, I feel guilty. I feel like I've committed a crime." "Thus, if you were given it to do again, you wouldn't?" "Not knowing what I do now, no." "Can you change what you have done?" "No." She seemed to be picking up on where I was leading this. "Then your guilt is pointless. You were working under a false assumption. You were mistaken, and therefore you acted wrongly. However, I think you've punished yourself enough. Maybe someday you'll think so too." "You're right, and I know it, but it's like the wizard said, knowing something in your mind and believing it in your heart aren't the same. Come on, lover, lets get some sleep. We have a dangerous journey ahead." She turned to sleep but, once again, I stopped her. "That reminds me, dearest, why did you think we might have extra trouble on this trip? Jolan's right, no one knows we're coming, so why should anyone be waiting?" She looked at me with a slightly wry smile. "There's always been extra trouble so far, so why should this be any different?" I had to admit that she had a point.