Lady Bethany slowed as she began laughing, "Really Cavalier? You want to challenge me?"

She stopped and jumped off her charger and began stalking up. "Do yourself a favor and tell me who this Paige is and then remove yourself from this situation while I settle a score with her."

"Hey, look what the slut rode up on, where did you get the horse?" Happy asked.

Lady Bethany looked over at Happy as she walked up to stand close to Sir Cabe, "You've smarted off to me for the last time blacksmith, Lord Walter might value you but you have no value to me."

"I may only be a Cavalier, but I will defend our Lady with my last breath." Sir Cabe told her.

"As will we all," Happy stood next to him with her hands out in front of her.

Lady Bethany laughed, "Wing Chun, seriously?"

Allie's eyes went white and her arms rose up along her sides as she felt deep down into the Earth. "Fine, we'll do this the fun way then," Lady Bethany told him and she flung her hammer towards Sir Cabe.

"Now," Allie said and from deep in the ground the roots that were still living rose up and broke through the ground and grabbed and captured her hammer. The roots pulled and pulled against it. Slowing it and finally stopping it in mid air and dragged it down into the Earth.

Lady Bethany growled, "A witch? Paige is a witch? Lord Walter would debase himself with an abomination?"

Happy ran out once her hammer was neutralized and she jumped up in the air and came down and slugged Lady Bethany across her face. Lady Bethany reeled from the blow and fell backwards. She stood and looked at Happy and brought her hand up and touched the back of it to her mouth and saw a small amount of blood. "You are so going to pay for that."

Happy jumped up and scissor kicked Lady Bethany in the chin while her left leg wrapped around her neck and as she fell forward she pulled Lady Bethany over her and threw her several yards away. Happy danced back to the horses. She continued to dance back and forth staying limber.

"Sister, you just bought yourself all kinds of trouble." Allie growled as her eyes glowed brighter. Lady Bethany drew her sword and stood as she turned towards Happy.

Paige came running out of the tree line, "Sir Cabe?"

Sir Cabe looked back and only saw Paige, "My Lady, retreat to our Lord, quickly." He ran forward prepared to engage Lady Bethany when roots burst forth and grabbed at Lady Bethany's feet. Kaylee launched two arrows in rapid succession and Lady Bethany dropped her shield as an arrow sunk through her breastplate and lodged into her left shoulder. Another arrow sunk into her left knee as she fell.

Lady Bethany saw Paige come out of the trees and with Sir Cabe's warning she now knew who her adversary truly was as her eyes went wild. "Whore," she screamed at Paige as she gestured. Happy screamed, "Paige, look out." Happy sprung out between Paige and Lady Bethany and was struck by something and she went flying backwards.

"Happy," Paige shouted as she ran up to her.

Allie had learned something about Paladins after they had to fight Lord Walter while he was controlled by the Nymph and the roots instead of trying to tie her up above ground had began pulling her down into the Earth like her hammer. This time she wasn't concerned with not injuring this woman. Lady Bethany kicked and whacked at the roots as her feet disappeared into the ground. She saw Sir Cabe coming up and she reached for her shield.

"Not on my watch," Allie said and roots burst forth again and wrapped around the shield and dragged it deep into the Earth as Lady Bethany fought unsuccessfully to grab it. She screamed and focused and the green fire burst forth and Sir Cabe had to retreat as the roots burst into flame.

"Wise Lady," Sir Cabe gasped at the flames.

Paige saw Lady Bethany was about free of the roots and she inhaled and focused and sang a steady note. Directed solely upon Lady Bethany, the sound caused her dropped her sword and grab her head. Lady Bethany bent over, beating her head to the ground as Paige continued to hold the note. The roots grabbed her sword and pulled it deep into the Earth with her shield and hammer.

Lady Bethany had nearly passed out when Paige had to stop as she began breathing heavily. But the effects of the note had ruptured both of Lady Bethany's eardrums and she had double vision as her brain reeled. She puked several times as she struggled to climb out of the Earth but the ground held her fast. The last time she fell over into her own vomit soaking her face and hair in it.

As Paige was breathing hard she tried helping Happy who was thrashing around on the ground holding her stomach.

"Can I go ahead and have the roots pull her under the ground?" Allie asked still pissed at her words.

Sir Cabe smiled, "Don't tempt me."

"Allie, Happy needs help, quickly." Paige called to her.

Lord Walter came running out of the trees, "Paige?" He saw her bent over Happy breathing hard and he ran up to her as Allie ran over to check on Happy, "Are you okay my Love?"

Toby saw Happy on the ground, "Happy?" He ran over and working with Allie began to try and examine her.

Paige smiled and nodded, "Thanks to Happy, and everyone else, I'm fine."

Lord Walter nodded as he looked to the road and walked out towards Lady Bethany. He paused as his nose wrinkled from the smell and decided he was close enough. "What is the meaning of this rude visit?"

Lady Bethany shook her head, "I heard some harlot was trying to take you away from me and I came to face my rival."

Lord Walter's face darkened and he ran the rest of the way over and grabbed her by her throat and picked her up. Almost with ease he pulled her free of the remaining roots and the earth that had closed over her legs. He held her up a full arms reach over his head. "Paige is no harlot. I was never yours, and you could only dream that you were on Paige's level to be considered a rival." Lord Walter shouted in full commanding voice. Lady Bethany tried to struggle as she could no longer breathe. "You are forever banished from my lands on pain of death. You ever try to do something to my wife and I will destroy you." Lord Walter pulled her down to his shoulder and then thrust her hard up and away from him.

Lady Bethany crashed into the ground and whimpered. She struggled trying to get to her charger but as she finally reached it the charger refused to allow her to touch it.

Lord Walter was looking at his hand he held her aloft by, rubbing his wrist. He nodded as he thought he must have strained a tendon in his wrist. But something gnawed at him about the feeling, "She crossed a line somewhere and the wise Lady has rebuked her."

Sir Cabe nodded, "She used a power like an Amatan uses."

Lord Walter spun to face him, "Do what?"

Sir Cabe nodded, "Remember when you were fighting the Amatan and it gestured at you and your shield buckled and your arm broke?"

Lord Walter nodded.

"She did the same thing to Paige but Happy jumped in the way of it. And she used her consecration power but instead of the white fire of Athena it was green," Sir Cabe told him.

Lord Walter followed by Sir Cabe ran to Happy. Lord Walter knelt down next to her, "Hold still Happy." He put his hand down to her stomach where she was holding it and touched her.

They saw his skin begin to wither. Happy pushed his hand away, "You got to protect yourself."

Lord Walter looked at Sylvester as he continued to use the spell to dig the grave. "Sylvester, stop what you are doing and get over here."

Sylvester ran over, "There is nothing I can do about this magic, see if you can dispel it." Lord Walter told him.

Sylvester nodded and opened his spell component bag and dug an iron bar out of it and holding it between both of his hands as he began murmuring. As Sylvester finished, "I need to see the point of impact."

Allie pulled Happy's tunic up and exposed her stomach. Sylvester nodded and laid the iron bar on her stomach. There was a large flair up magical energies and the iron bar disintegrated. Lord Walter put his hand back to her stomach but this time his skin remained normal. "Praise the wise Lady, thank you Sylvester," Lord Walter said gratefully.

Ralph and Kaylee still stood beside the road watching Bethany, they saw her skin darkening and a green energy seemed to start rising off of her. Kaylee nocked two arrows and fired them rapidly. The first struck dead center of her chest and the second one she batted away. "My Lord," Ralph screamed.

Lord Walter looked over and then looked to see what Ralph was staring at. "Wise Lady," Lord Walter murmured in disbelief.

Sir Cabe looked, "Are you kidding me? How is this even possible?"

Everyone looked and saw Bethany looked like she was halfway through the transformation to becoming an Amatan. Kaylee told Ralph to go to his Mother while she began firing arrow after arrow at Bethany.

"Elf filth," Bethany said in that horrid voice that still sent chills down most of their spines. She gestured towards Kaylee and Kaylee dodged as whatever it was struck a tree not far behind her and the deadwood of the tree gave way as the tree toppled over pinning Kaylee in its branches.

Lord Walter stood and drew out his stone head hammer and gave the sack to Paige. He raised the hammer over his head, "By the grace of Athena." The hammer began glowing. "For life and the wise Lady," Lord Walter said as he hurtled the hammer. The hammer transformed into a bolt of lightning and struck Bethany and she went flying backwards tumbling and rolling along the ground.

"Garrison," Lord Walter said and the hammer flew back to his hand. He threw the hammer again and once again it transformed and crashed into Bethany as she had begun to get up and knocked her back another ten feet.

"Garrison," Lord Walter said again just as Bethany grabbed the handle and it flew back carrying her with it and she slammed into Lord Walter knocking him down.

"Walter," Paige screamed.

Lord Walter was clearly stunned and Bethany grabbed him by the neck and began choking him. Lord Walter's skin began withering before their eyes. "You were to be mine and you dare to replace me with a slutty Bard?" She focused and the green fire erupted around her again and Lord Walter began smoking.

Kaylee could just barely make Lord Walter and Bethany out. She pulled her bow free from under the branch and began firing arrows at Bethany. Bethany pulled the smoking hot Lord Walter over and used him as a shield as a number of arrows flew by, three of which pierced through the chain mail that gave his limbs more mobility.

Lord Walter's eyes opened wide at the pain. Sir Cabe stood back the unholy ground she'd just consecrated caused him pause. Ralph ran through the unholy ground and he could feel the fire licking up his body but he pressed on before he shoved his long dagger into Bethany's neck. "Ralph," Paige screamed.

Bethany screamed and went to hit Ralph and Lord Walter grabbed her hand and pulled it back into a wrist lock. Bethany screamed from the pain of the wrist lock and tried to throw Lord Walter but he wouldn't let go and so they tumbled away from Ralph.

Kaylee used her augmented strength and finally broke free from the branch.

Ralph ran back to where his Mom was with Happy while Sir Cabe scrambled towards Bethany as her concentration was interrupted and the consecration spell broke. Lord Walter struggled to grab the long dagger sticking out of her neck. Sir Cabe took a moment and then thrust his sword through the gap of Bethany's breastplate under her arm and deep into her chest. Bethany let go of Walter and tried to grab Sir Cabe. Lord Walter got hold of the long dagger and wrenched and twisted the blade and severed her head from her body.

Lord Walter could feel his life slipping away, he'd been too close to Bethany for too long and he began trying to crawl slowly away when Kaylee ran over and grabbed his breastplate and lifted him and dragged him quickly away back to where Paige and Ralph were with Happy.

Toby moved over and examined the points where the arrows had pierced his chain mail as Paige knelt down next to him running her hand through his hair. "We need to cut these arrow shafts so I can move the chain mail and get the arrowheads out of him."

Kaylee reached down and holding the arrow as close to the chain mail as she could she snapped the shaft of each arrow. Toby smiled, "That will work." He quickly got the arrowheads out of him.

Allie looked at Paige, "Happy doesn't have any broken bones if you can sing to heal them."

Paige looked up from Walter and nodded as she got up and got her lute. She began playing and then started singing. And Happy and Walter began to slowly heal.

Allie stood up and walked over to Cabe and she put her arm through his, "Black blood?"

Cabe nodded, "Pretty disgusting."

Allie nodded, "You were very brave Cabe."

Cabe smiled, "Thanks to you I didn't die."

Allie smiled, "It was a team effort. I know you held back before because she is a woman, please don't do that again."

Cabe nodded, "You got me on that one. As part of my code, fighting women isn't very chivalrous."

Allie bumped his hip, "I understand, but when they are a threat, regardless to gender, you've got to act to protect everyone. What about her now?"

Cabe shook his head, "I'm not sure. I've never heard of spontaneous transformation into an Amatan. Everyone has always said the body was taken to some other plane where it was empowered with a half life. We'll all need to write about this. People are going to want to know all about it."

Paige looked up, "Sir Cabe, please come bless this land, the blight seems to be restricting the healing."

Sir Cabe turned, "I should have thought of that myself." He walked over and took out the small owl on his necklace and prayed and the power flowed down and out over the land purifying it. Happy and Lord Walter began to heal much quicker.

Allie looked down at Bethany's body and saw that her blood was no longer black but red again. "Cabe, her blood is red now."

Cabe walked back over and saw where her body and blood lay within the blessed area it had reverted back to normal but outside it was still changed. Cabe nodded, "Well isn't that interesting. Not that I would want to us to face another Amatan but if we did, I'd love to try a dedication prayer to sanctify the land it stood on and see how that would affect it. That would give people a huge advantage in future encounters."

Happy finally sat up and with Toby's help stood up while Lord Walter was still lying unconscious. "Please don't tell me we are going to have to go through another spell in a scary place with our Lord unconscious again," Toby said looking around.

Happy shook her head, "Seriously? Why is it that every time I start to see you in a different light you start acting wimpy or stupid and ruin it?"

Paige stopped singing for a moment to stand up and hug Happy, "Thank you for protecting me."

Happy nodded as she turned her head, "You're welcome."

Paige smiled, "Happy, its okay to feel something and enjoy it. We're not going to make fun of you over it."

"Thanks," Happy said. "Is the squirt okay?"

Ralph smiled, "I'm fine Happy."

"Speaking of which," Paige turned to him. What did Walter tell you?"

Ralph looked down, "That I wasn't suppose to get involved in any of the fighting."

Paige nodded, "And yet that is exactly what you did."

Ralph nodded, "But he did say it was for a last resort, and it sure seemed like a last resort moment to me."

Paige shook her head, "You're splitting hairs. You know good and well that he meant if you were in a position where you had no other choice. If something had happened to you, Walter would have been devastated, so no more heroics kiddo."

Ralph nodded.

"Please don't be too hard on him my Lady," Sir Cabe said as he walked back over. "If he hadn't done what he did the Lord might have died. That consecration of hers was enough to give me pause."

Ralph smiled at his words.

"Speaking of obeying directions," Sir Cabe grabbed Toby by his tunic and pulled him in close. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't kick your ass for endangering our Lady? I told you not to let her come here without the Lord with her. If it hadn't been for Happy getting in the way she could be laying here dying right now. Is that what you want?" Cabe yelled.

"Sir Cabe, it wasn't his fault but my choice." Paige told him.

Sir Cabe shook his head, "No, he had my order to bring you both at the same time."

"And I ordered him as the Lady of Scorpion Keep to go get Walter," Paige told him with a smile as she pulled his hands off of Toby's tunic.

Sir Cabe looked at her, "That was very foolish my Lady. I'd warned you before about Lady Bethany. We were lucky we stopped her as long as we did without the Lord. A Paladin who knows their power is simply a force no single combatant could ever hope to face and win. I've seen Paladins who took out whole regiments alone."

Paige's smile faded, "I get that Sir Cabe, but she was challenging me. Not you, not my Lord, she was seeking to replace me in my Walter's life and I am not going to back away from that kind of challenge from anyone. Besides, what would you have done if I hadn't of been here and stopped her?"

Sir Cabe reached out and pulled her in and hugged her, "Silly child, I would have given my life to keep you safe if need be.