'I've heard these types of creatures create an aura of fear as a weapon,' Evaine continued.
'Oh, sweet child,' Painel said, 'If you allow yourselves to be protected by my clerics, fear will get no hold over you. Perhaps you should reconsider our offer.'
Evaine disregarded his words, further irritating Ren.
'Um, Acer, can you do anything to locate the beasts that might be preparing to attack us?' The sorceress hoped desperately that Andoralson would catch on to what she and Gamaliel already suspected.
'I can try. If only my cousin were here-she had the chalice whose mist could locate such creatures.'
Ren gave the sorceress and druid a confused look, but then gripped his huge sword with both hands, finally understanding the deception. Miltiades stood ready, ancient blade in hand.
The druid quickly spoke the words of a spell. Bluish purple fire poured from his hands and flowed toward the clerics. One by one, the false men evaporated into the magical mist until only three clerics, among them the two leaders, remained in the clearing.
'Now!' Evaine screamed. 'Before they transform!'
The flaming stream of energy cast by the druid bent and curved, bathing the three figures in an outline of turquoise light. The three clerics shrieked unearthly screams as their flesh began to peel away.
Their presence discovered, the three creatures writhed and thrashed to free themselves, revealing a green, a black, and a red abishai. Miltiades and Ren landed solid sword blows on the red and the black fiends before they could complete the transformation. Gamaliel bounded around behind the green abishai, leaping on its back, tearing with all four clawed paws and ripping with enormous fangs. The monster let out an unearthly shriek as black ichor flowed down its back.
Even so, the red and the black abishai were able to leap into the air on huge bat wings. The green creature tried to take to the air also, but Gamaliel's hold was firm. Two hundred pounds of cat made flight impossible.
The druid's swirling blue fire continued to outline the creatures brightly, blinding them slightly. As the two monsters circled about the camp, hissing and spitting, Evaine and Andoralson continued to lob powerful spells at the fiends. The abishai screamed in pain as flashes of greenish white light burned into their wings and bodies. Yet the pain barely slowed them.
The red beast dropped out of the air onto Miltiades. The horrible creature's talons and fangs ripped into his plate mail armor as if the metal were soft cheese. Its tail flailed wildly. In the struggle, the illusion around the paladin failed, revealing the skeleton's true appearance. But his unnatural attacker barely noticed.
Evaine spread her fingers and shot eighteen white-hot jets of energy at the fiend grappling with Miltiades. Its shriek of pain pierced the air, spooking the horses. The abishai maintained its hold on the paladin, but Evaine could see that its wings hung in tatters. At least this monster was grounded.
Meanwhile, the black fiend flew straight at Ren. The ranger swung vigorously with his sword, but the abishai's wings pounded him, allowing only one swing to find its mark. Black ooze spurted from the fiend's thigh. Ren was dizzied by the attack but held his ground, gripping his weapon tightly.
Andoralson chanted loudly, trying hard to maintain his concentration. With a snap of his fingers, a searing white jet streaked toward the black abishai, landing squarely between its eyes. The monster roared in pain as its eyes were charred and blinded. It thrashed wildly, one of its claws raking Ren's shoulder. The ranger's chain mail tore open, blood spurting from the wound.
The green abishai spun and whirled, lashing with its tail. But Gamaliel couldn't be shaken. Four enormous paws with razor-sharp claws dug in deeply. Gamaliel alternated tearing and gouging. The fiend's wings hung limp and torn. The cat's ivory belly was stained black with foul-smelling blood. The feline's great jaws opened wide, clamping down on the monster's neck. Gamaliel shook his head with all his might, trying to break his victim's neck, yet the abishai was too large and strong. In a desperate maneuver, the green abishai hurled itself backward onto the snarling cat.
But Gamaliel's lightning reflexes took over, and he managed to vault away. Yet the fiend raked the cat before he escaped. Gamaliel landed solidly on his feet with a loud snarl of pain.
The sorceress's reflexes were at their best also, and before the monster could rise, a green stream of energy surged from her hand and formed a faint jade-colored hemisphere around the fiend. The green creature pounded and clawed at the invisible barrier, but the magical field of force was unyielding.
Ren now battered the black fiend. With his victim blinded, nearly all his swings found their mark. The monster howled an unearthly wail and flailed at its unseen attacker, but Ren was quick to dodge. He escaped injury while chopping at the black monster
Miltiades swung valiantly at the red abishai. Several claw swipes rattled his bones, yet the warrior was unharmed. As Evaine looked up, Andoralson released a spell to blind the monster, but the energy fizzled as it touched the fiend. Evaine loosed her own blinding spell. The energy found its mark, searing the beast's red eyes.
Gamaliel was now clinging to the back of the black abishai, clawing and raking. Its leathery wings hung like shredded paper, its black blood splattered on the ground. With his sword Ren was whacking at the blinded creature. The cat's weight slowed the monster, allowing Ren to deliver a mighty thrust through the fiend's ribs. The blade sunk in deep, and black blood spurted in all directions. The abishai howled and thrashed, striking Gamaliel. The feline snarled in pain and leaped off the monster. Ren drove his sword deeper and the fiend fell backward. In moments, the horrid creature ceased its twitching.
Evaine panicked. 'Poison! That thing's tail is probably poisoned!'
Gamaliel calmed her fears despite his snarls of pain.
The druid was already springing across the clearing toward Gamaliel, one hand fishing for a vial in his pocket. Evaine called out to Andoralson. 'Gamaliel's ring, the one Miltiades gave him-it's cured the poison! He says he's out of danger!'
Andoralson pressed his hands to the cat's head. 'He's right. The poison is nearly gone.' The druid dropped the vial into his pocket and returned to the battle.
Ren and Miltiades were still fighting the red abishai, the toughest of the lot. The green one was still trapped under the magical sphere.
The sorceress turned toward the red abishai. Green eyes blazing, she uttered the words to one of her deadliest spells. Her long, red braid bobbed and swung as she gestured and chanted. Her face fairly glowed as she summoned incredible transformation energies. An emerald sizzle left her fingertips and streamed toward the fiend, encircling it in hissing energy.
Ren and Miltiades backed away from the glowing abishai, now writhing and thrashing. The top of the ugly creature's head turned ash gray, then the dull color spread down the monster's body. Red, leathery flesh turned to charred ash as the spell worked its way down the creature's body. Tattered wings withered and crumbled to the ground. Teeth and claws cracked and dropped off. Limbs bent and twisted like tree roots. Unearthly howls and screams filled the air, further spooking the already terrified horses.
Ren, Andoralson, and Miltiades watched, gasping for breath, as the once-powerful creature turned to a dry, gray husk. Gamaliel looked up, blinking, still too weak to move. The green swirl of energy spun around the dying abishai, sucking out its life and energy. Finally, the dry husk of the fiend dropped to the ground with a whump, sending a cloud of ash into the air.
The companions looked at each other, panting. Evaine ran to Gamaliel's side. The big cat purred at her touch, despite his pain. 'I've got something that'll fix that gash right up. Andoralson, why don't you see to Ren's shoulder? We still have a minute or two before the magical shield wears off and that other abishai is free. We must be ready for him when he breaks loose.' Evaine dashed to her horse to find an ointment in her pack.
The druid hurried to Ren's side and quickly began a healing spell. As the ranger's wound closed, Andoralson looked over at Miltiades solicitously. 'Are you hurt?'
'No. I'm a bit shaken, but I'm not injured. Slashing claws don't harm bones much,' he said wryly. 'I'm going to watch the remaining fiend. If Evaine is right, it'll be free any minute.' With a creaking and clattering, the bony paladin arose and strode across the clearing. He assumed an attack posture, sword held high, ready for the first strike.
Ren did the same as soon as his shoulder was healed. He took up a position about ten yards away, prepared to launch his magical daggers, Left and Right, at the first sign of the force field weakening. Andoralson stood next to him, ready to cast a spell.
