Time seemed to stop. Hemumbled arcane words and his eyes took on a golden glow and heviewed the spirit auras of all those around him. Every one of thespirit auras of the druids had a strong blue colour, whilstAquitain’s body had no spirit aura but floating a pace above it wasa green spirit aura. He pulled out his dagger and looked at theglow of his own spirit aura reflecting off the blade. It wasorange.
He reached into hisgown and pulled a small packet of red powder from one of the manysmall pockets there, and a marble from another. He glanced down anddropped the marble near his feet and then quickly moved to stand infront of Curbut, and blew the red powder into Curbut’s eyes; thenhe strode back to his marble, turned and carefully said a word ofpower, and waited a few moments thinking about the red powder.
It was powdered chili.An old wizard friend had told him about it ages ago. It temporarilyblinded and burnt the victim’s eyes. It couldn’t be dispelled orhealed using magic. The victim could only wash it out and wait tenminutes for the effect to wear off, and usually by that time anymagic fight was over.
Time seemed to beginagain. Curbut was suddenly blinded with the most intense burningpain in his eyes and was totally unable to do anything but scream.The word of power suddenly cut off the scream as all hearing itwere paralysed.
‘You are all underarrest for attacking the High Wizard, desecrating a sanctuary and adozen other reasons,’ then walked over to Curbut pulled out aknife, forced Curbut’s mouth open and cut his tongue out. ‘Youwon’t be using verbal magic for a while.’
Miranda arrived ineagle form, landed a few paces away, changed to her newman form,raced to Aquitain and immediately sang a healing prayer over him;then she checked the pulse in his neck to see if he was stillalive.
‘Nooooo!’ she screamed.‘They’ve murdered him!’ and she leant down and picked up ascimitar, only to drop it quickly when it burnt her hand.
‘It’s started Miranda.The Time of Chaos has started. I never guessed what Alin Ambermeant when he said that all sentient people would have to choosewhich side they were on. He meant they would have to choose betweenorder or chaos. I never thought I would ever choose chaos but Ihave, and so have you. The weapon burnt you because it was designedto cause extra damage to chaotic people and creatures. You willneed to find a chaotic weapon.’
He turned to theparalysed bears, assuming one of them was their leader and said.‘You’re right. I’m sorry but this is druid business,’ and vanishedas Miranda fished around in Aquitain’s leg pouch, pulling out therod. She pushed a button on its side and it turned into a scimitarwith an orange flaming blade. She pushed another button and ittransformed into a short spear with an orange burning blade andsmiling, plunged it into the heart of the nearest rigid bear.
Five minutes later Quabregained consciousness and staggered to his feet and was shocked bythe sight. Around him lay twenty-one dead druids and wizard Curbut,half of them headless. A naked blood and soot covered Miranda stoodholding the hair of the only druid left alive, a young female thatwas now on her knees pleading for mercy as Miranda asked her whowas behind the attack.
‘May the Lady havemercy on you Miranda. You’ve killed them all!’
Miranda looked up atQuab and said,
‘It is the law. If youhad not been unconscious you would have done the same. Theydesecrated the sanctuary and killed Aquitain. I saved this one tointerrogate and bear witness to the fury of the Lady.’
‘There has been enoughkilling here, Miranda. Let her go. Let Featherdown interrogate her.You are too personally involved,’ Quab told her firmly.
‘Perhaps you’re right.I have more important things to do.’ And she pushed the woman tothe ground and held her there with her foot on the woman’s headwhile she removed a small vial of buff coloured powder from her legpouch. She grazed the woman’s arm with the spear tip causing bloodto flow, then sprinkled some of the powder on the wound. Thewoman’s eyes bulged and she went rigid.’
‘What did you do toher?’ asked Quab fearing the worst.
‘Don’t worry it’s astrong poison used by the little people on their spears and arrows.It’s one of the few poisons that will work on druids. She’ll sleepfor a few hours and then we can interrogate her properly. In themean time I want you to do something for me, Quab.’
‘Anything Miranda, justname it,’ he replied, a little afraid of what she was thinking.
Miranda stood up andfelt around the back legs of Aquitain’s body until she found thehidden leg bag again and removed it. She opened the pouch andpulled out the scroll. ‘I want you to sing for this miracle. I wanthim back again.’
‘That really belongs tothe High Druid. I’m not sure I can cast it properly,’ saidQuab.
She looked at him withferal threat in her eyes and commanded using words of immense power‘Do it NOW, Quab!’
He looked at the deaddruids scattered all around him and decided not to argue.
‘All right! All right.Let’s set up a circle of torches around us so that I can seeproperly since it’s getting dark. I don’t want to make a mistake inpronouncing the words.’
They dragged away theirprisoner and several of the bodies and set up the circle oftorches. Featherdown had placed guards near the entrances to thesanctuary with orders to let no one in. He stood invisible on theroof of Quab’s cottage and watched silently. Quab collected twoscrolls from inside his cottage and cast them. The first conjuredthree bears, which he commanded to patrol the grounds and chaseaway any intruders. The second scroll created a thick fogthroughout the grounds of the sanctuary.
Finally he brought asmall table and two lamps out of the cottage and stood them besideAquitain’s body to hold and illuminate the scroll.
‘Are you sure you wantto do this Miranda? The prayer in this scroll will demand anaudience with the Goddess Lithgala. It will demand she fulfil yourwish. She may not like it and might
