Koren bolted upright. He had heard a sound outside his window.
Koren took a deep breath. I am no longer in the wilderness.
I no longer have to fear attacks in the night. He laid back down,
but fear had awakened him and he lay trembling in his room.
(Mage of the Red Lotus . . . . you had served your master
well, despite your attempted retreat into death . . . now you shall help
us in our vengeance . . .)
Koren buried his head in the pillow and tried to will himself
to sleep. He was not hearing that voice.
He was probably going crazy, which was preferable to the alternative.
A horrible, low chuckle filled the room, and two white-laced
eyes blinked open into the darkness.
(Do you doubt us, Mage? We wish you to keep something
for us. Keep it safe and undetected. We chose you because you
were faithful, despite your attempt at release from life. Only our
power kept you alive then . . . . .)
The creature moved closer, its fetid breath filling the dark
room. Something wet and sticky dripped on Koren.
He smelled it. Blood.
Koren backed into the wall, shaking. "The . . . but . .
. you were a dream! No . . . no . . simply the product of a fevered, starved
mind . . . you can't be here! You can't be!!"
(We are. Now accept our job . . . stop your ranting,
Mage.) Now gleaming fangs shone against the darkness as well.
"What is it you want me to guard?"
(Hawk's mate.)
Koren paused, confusion warring against fear and winning.
"His . . . wife?"
(We have no caring of the exact classification. We want
you to hide it, keep it, store it away until we return for it.)
"I'll . . . try . . ." Koren shuddered at the daemon wolf's disturbing
presence.
(Good.) The demon vanished abruptly, and Koren was left
alone in his room with Jessica.
Koren got up slowly and picked her up very carefully. He
opened the door and walked out into the hall silently.
His robes trailed blood.
Lise strolled down the hall, humming slightly. She was going
to see Eliot before meeting with the king of some tiny country in the middle
of nowhere.
"Your highness?" A guard ran up to Lise. She looked worried,
and was fidgeting slightly.
"Yes?" Lise said.
"There's been some disturbing reports from other kingdoms. A
demon-wolf has been attacking."
"Attacking?" Lise stiffened. "Attacking who?"
"Attacking the relatives of the Warriors of Mana." the guard looked
at Lise again. "I think that you should–"
A young boy's scream pierced the flat air of the castle.
"Oh, Goddess!" Lise swore, and ran towards Eliot's room, down long
stone corridors. "Eliot!"
(Come and find us, Lise . . . come for revenge . . . sweet revenge
. . .)
Sickening laugher echoed through the castle.
Lise shoved the door open and picked up Eliot. The room was covered
in blood. "Goddess . . . Eliot, Eliot . . . you're going to be all
right . . ."
The guard stared down at Lise and Eliot in horror. "Is . . . is that
all his blood?"
"Tell me . . ." Lise said, tears running down her face, " . . . what
does this daemon look like? Tell me . . ." she cradled Eliot in her arms.
"Eliot . . ."
"It . . . it . . ." the guard stammered. "I'll get a more detailed
report-"
"What are you waiting for? Get a healer!" Lise snapped, anxious now
for Eliot's safety.
"Yes . . . yes, sir!" the guard turned and ran back down the hallway.
"Hurry, please . . ." Lise looked back down at Eliot, lying in her
arms fainted from shock and blood loss. "Eliot . . ."
"Eliot is recovering. It seems most of the blood in the room was from
the demon." the healer glanced up at Lise. "He needs rest more than anything.
My magic helped a bit, but he still needs sleep to heal fully."
"Thank Goddess." Lise breathed, then sat up sharply. "The other Mana
Warriors? What is happening to them?"
"I don't know, sir." the healer said, covering Eliot with a light sheet.
"He needs to be kept warm."
"Lise! Sir! Sir!" the guard from before halted in front of Lise and
bowed quickly, her golden hair flying about. "Information on the demon,
sir."
"Thank you. Rhi, thank you for your help."
"It's my duty, sir." the healer said, and bowed her head. She turned
and left the room, white robes flowing about her as she walked.
"The demon, Tris?" Lise said, looking down at Eliot.
The guard cleared her throat. "Yes. The demon first attacked Wendy,
Duran's little sister. It then attacked Heath, a priest of Light."
"Heath? Why would it attack Heath?"
"Carlie was outside with him."
Lise nodded.
"After that, the demon attacked Navarre. Jessica is now missing. The
demon hasn't been seen in Altena or the Beast Kingdom."
Lise stood up. "Thank you, Tris." She walked out into the hall. After
a moment of waiting, the guard followed.
Eliot was left alone in the room, sleeping peacefully.
"Flammie." Lise muttered, when she was finally alone in her room. "I'm
sorry now that I insisted on returning the Wind Drum to her. It'll be a
long hike . . ." She stood up and took the spear by her bed.
"It's been a while since I've had a spear in my hands. I feel a lot
better now. More complete." Lise mused aloud, and stepped out into the
hall. She successfully avoided the inhabitants of the castle that were
up at such a late hour in the night, and stretched when she was finally
outside.
"Now for the hike." Lise sighed, muttered something about the Wind
Drum, and started up the slope, using her spear as a walking-stick.
The sun dawned slowly, staining the mountains orange and red, and spreading
blue across the sky.
Lise was still walking. By the time the birds starting chirping to
each other, she was almost at the summit. But still, not quite there.
A very large, fluffy, white thing dropped out of the sky and began
to rub itself against Lise like a very large winged cat.
"Flammie! Flammie, stop it! Please! I can't breathe with all these
feathers! You're not a cat, Flammie!"
Flammie blinked and withdrew, and then sat a few feet away, staring
at Lise with happy blue eyes. Her tail hung off the edge of the cliff.
"Yeah, it's nice seeing you again too." Lise reached out and petted
Flammie on the head.
Flammie purred.
"I think you've been spending too much time around cats, Flammie. You're
a dragon."
Flammie nodded, and spread her huge angel-like wings. Lise jumped on
Flammie's back and buried herself in her mane.
"To Forcena, please." Lise said, into Flammie's ear. Flammie nodded
and leaped into the sky with a loud boom of displaced air. She circled
over the mountain once, and then soared towards the Molebear Plains.
