Duran slung his greatsword over his back and straightened up. It had
been a long time since he had last worn this sword. Normally he used ordinary
practice swords. This one hummed with the power he had granted it.
He stepped outside.
"Stella, I'm leaving. I'll be back as soon as possible. Take care of
Wendy."
"Duran?" Stella appeared in the doorway. "Are you sure Wendy will be
safe?"
"The demon's after me and the rest of the Mana Warriors. If I find
them, we can defeat it together." Duran said carefully. That was
his theory. It might be after Wendy. If it was . . . Duran
shuddered slightly, and whispered a small prayer under his breath.
"All right. Goodbye. Take care of yourself." Stella said.
"I will. Don't worry." Duran turned and started to walk down the street,
whistling a jaunty tune. He had just gotten out of the gate when he heard
someone yell "Duran!"
"Wendy?" Duran spun around. Carlie was staring at him and waving madly.
"I don't think you''ve grown a bit." Duran said cheerfully.
Carlie stared at him indignantly, and started to protest. Duran broke
into a grin and scooped her up in a bear hug. "It's so nice to see you
again, Carlie!"
"Yeah!" Carlie said, after Duran set her down and she could breathe.
"I thought I'd never ever see ya 'gain!"
"Why'd you come here?"
"Heath got munched on by a big, ugly wolfie."
"Oh." Duran studied the ground for a second, and then glanced back
up. "Is he okay?"
"Yeah, Heath is getting better real fast." Carlie looked up at the
sky. "What's that?!"
Duran followed Carlie's gaze. "Um . . . that little white dot in the
sky?"
"Yeah!"
"I have no idea."
"It's gettin' bigger." Carlie said suspiciously.
"That it is. Hey, it looks like. . ."
"Flammie!" Carlie and Duran yelped as the huge white dragon landed
on top of them.
Or at least she landed on top of Duran. Carlie stood a little ways
away and laughed until her sides hurt.
"Could you get off, please?" Duran gasped. "You're a bit big to be
sitting on people."
Flammie nodded in apology and moved.
Duran sat up and rubbed his back. "Ow."
Lise leaned over Flammie's head.
"Hey, stop messing around and get up here."
"It's nice to see you too, Lise." Duran grumbled, and stood up. Carlie
was already on Flammie's back.
"Hey hey, It's nice ta see ya 'gain!" Carlie chirped at Flammie, who
blinked and nodded happily, and then purred. Duran climbed on, using Flammie's
fluffy mane as a ladder.
"Well, since you're in a big rush to get going, let's go."
"To where, though? Where would the demon be?" Lise asked aloud.
"Navarre?" Duran asked.
Lise shook her head as Carlie capered around on Flammie's head.
"It was already there. Hawk left."
"The Beast Kingdom." Duran looked up and met Lise's eyes.
They both nodded.
"Flammie!" Lise yelled. "The Beast Kingdom!"
Flammie launched into the air. The Molebears that had been peeking
out of their holes vanished at the air-shattering sound of her four wings.
Angela glanced behind herself. What was that noise? Were
those voices?
No, nothing. Angela sighed. She decided to leave the castle
and suddenly she was all paranoid.
Of course, she had a reason to be paranoid. Not this "demon wolf"
that everyone had been chattering about. That was just a bunch of
rumors and gossip.
Her mother had sent soldiers after her. She had just barely made
it out of the Sub-Zero Ice, and they were still on her trail. Of
course, she had set them back a few days, thanks to the flute she had wheedled
out of Hawk.
Angela patted the flute, which was hanging off her belt, and smiled.
Where would she be without Buuskaboo? Well, she knew that already.
Castle arrest. With Koren in the castle.
She shivered.
Another twig snapped, and now she could hear voices plainly.
"She went this way!"
Angela swore quietly and crouched near the base of a tall, well-foliaged
tree. The voices came closer.
"I knew I shouldn't have stayed at that inn for breakfast." Angela
muttered at herself, and scrambled up the tree. Her knapsack caught
once on a branch but she wrenched it free and continued up. She reached
a large branch and lay there motionless.
Just in time. The soldiers were below her.
"Dammit, I know I saw that ugly bright color that she uses for clothing."
Okay, Angela thought, lose the clothing. It was awfully cold,
anyway.
"It could have been anything, Mark. Let's check over here."
"It was that color!"
"Over here."
"Sir, I saw it too."
"Probably a flower."
From her viewpoint above, Angela saw dark movement in the brushes beyond.
"What's that dripping noise?"
"Sounds like rain."
"It's just water. Come on."
Angela remembered vaguely that the demon-wolf was said to have blood
dripping from it's mouth. She clutched the branch tighter.
"Please, please," she whispered, "Please, just wild gossip . . ."
With a frenzied roar, the daemon leaped into the midst of the soldiers,
it's huge claws ripping deep, rusty furrows into the ground.
The soldiers stared for one frantic moment, and then drew their swords
and began to chant spells. The daemon was extremely outnumbered.
It howled in rage, the voice of a million death screams.
The soldiers released their spells.
The battle was over very quickly.
The ground was soaked in blood, stained crimson from the soldiers and
the demon's dripping jaws.
The ground was also littered with quivering pieces of soldier.
(Warrior of Mana!) the daemon screamed wordlessly. (You
are not among these! You are hiding! Show you to us! Coward!
Coward!)
Angela did not move. She barely breathed, and tried not to let
her eyes wander down to the nauseating carnage below the tree.
Rumors said the wolf was blind. The stench of blood erased her
scent. As long as it could not hear her, she was safe.
(Angela! Coward! The weakest! You do not even
try to defend them. You have no courage. You have no strength,
weak one! We will rip you and let the sweet blood stain the earth!
We will tear . . .) The wolf faded even as it spoke, its voice
still strained with raw anger. When it was gone, Angela closed her
eyes and lay in the tree, breathing.
After a while, she climbed down slowly.
Carrion birds and insects had already started their feast.
Angela turned away in revulsion and horror. She walked over to
a bush and threw up. Repeatedly, until her stomach was empty of everything
and anything.
It was all her fault.
