‘I don’t care whetherthey’re upset or not as long as they agree,’ said Miranda.
‘I didn’t hear thatMiranda. I know that you’re upset. Please don’t repeat it,’ saidQuab, and he started to pray to the Lady. Miranda also prayed.
‘Write down exactlywhat you want me to request of Lithgala. Make it clear, explicitand as unambiguous as possible so that there can be nomistake.’
Miranda got someparchment and a pen from Quab’s cottage and spent several minutesworking out the exact words she wanted him to say, then gave it tohim. He read it but didn’t comment.
‘All right, here wego,’ he said, and started singing the words of the scroll.
The sky covered withcloud and lightning bolts crisscrossed it from horizon to horizon.The fog in the sanctuary glowed with a greenish light andFeatherdown found himself involuntarily teleported back to histower. Twenty-one lightning bolts shot down from the sky and turnedthe bodies of the dead druids to ash and a gentle breeze dispersedthe ash. Quab sang Miranda’s request to the goddess and theywaited.
After a few secondsAquitain’s body turned green and became a cloud of green mist, thenit reformed into a much smaller body. There was a tremendous rollof thunder and Aquitain opened his six eyes, but was verydisoriented.
‘By the Powers, I thinkI’m alive again,’ he said using mindspeak.
Miranda looked at himin shock. ‘Why has she done this Quab? she asked. ‘I just wantedhim to be the same as me. I just wanted to be really able to lovehim.’
‘Why has Lithgala madehim a spider?’ said Quab astounded. ‘I have no idea! In fact I havenever seen this type of spider on Mudrun.’
Miranda looked at himclosely.
‘He’s a Llanllean likeAllalanllea, my mother’s wizard. They are a type of shape changerthat only live on Moonmist. They have two forms, a spider form anda newman form and can change at will between the two. WhenAllalanllea changes shape to her newman woman form you would neverknow that she’s not a newman.’
‘That is very peculiarthen,’ said Quab.
‘The rule forreincarnation is that the person is only ever changed to a speciesthat lives on a world. Why then would she change him to a speciesthat doesn’t live here? Then again, we didn’t ask for the Lady toreincarnate him. We asked her for a miracle. She has done that, butin her wisdom has changed him to something strange. Perhaps we willhave to wait to find out why.’
Miranda stood wonderinghow she had got it wrong. She had carefully and specifically askedthe Lady to make him the same kind of creature as her. That waythey could fulfil the second condition for lifting her cursedtattoo. Then something dawned on her. Aquitain had examined hertattoo and said that it was very complex and seemed to be a weaveof two or three different magic effects. One was a death word, buthe couldn’t be sure of the others.
She tried to rememberwhat Alpha had said. It said they could never be the same kind. Wasit because she was different, not him? She never knew her father orher real mother as her mother had been reincarnated. What if hermother wasn’t a newman before she was reincarnated as a nymph? Whatif her mother had been a Llanllean? What if the unknown effect inthe tattoo was to stop her from changing into a spider form? Itmade sense. The goddess was telling her what she really was bychanging Aquitain to the same form.
She wondered how hewould feel, being a Llanllean spider. What would he think of her?Would he still love her? Did Llanlleans really love each other?Would she have to lay eggs to have children? Would her hatchlingsfight and cannibalise each other like other spiders? She washorrified at the prospect. She would have to face her mother andfind out. Allalanllea had been her nanny and was like a secondmother to her. Maybe she was her real mother. She had so manyquestions her head ached.
‘We’re leaving,’ shesaid suddenly. ‘I need a charged teleport ring. Let me swap minefor yours,’ and she held out her hand. He opened a small leatherbag held by a leather thong around his neck and swapped rings withher. She gently picked up the dizzy, confused and tired Aquitainwho was about as big as a medium sized dog, gathered in his legsand tucked him under her arm, and glared at Quab.
‘Find out who is behindthis foul attack, Quab. We will have their heads!’ and sheteleported away.
If ever Quab had anydoubts that the Time of Chaos had come they were now dashed. Fortwenty-two druids to band together to assassinate anyone in asanctuary of the Lady was a crime beyond imagination. Miranda hadindeed fulfilled the letter of the druid’s law and delivered thedeath sentence to all but one of the perpetrators. However, perhapsit would have been better if the Council had delivered the deathsentence rather than Miranda.
The repercussions ofthis deed would herald outrage and trouble throughout the land. Hefell to his knees and prayed to the Lady to have mercy on Miranda,for he was terrified that this deed could transform her from thebeautiful carefree princess that he secretly loved to a Queen ofVengeance.
End of Book 1
The revelationscontinue in The Divinity Seeds Part 2 as Aquitain in his new guiseas a Llanllean spider travels to the dark world of Moonmist, whichis magically linked to Mudrun through a mysterious gate worldcalled Astaria.
GLOSSARY
People (book1)
Aquitain (Rob),a young mind wizard and magic item maker, the hero.
A.G.,Aquitain’s missing father, a powerful mind wizard.
Allalanllea,Queen Snowbelle’s female Llanllean (spider) wizard
Alin Amber, amystical Yith druid and agent of Aquitain’s father.
Alpha,Aquitain’s sentient memory crystal, a walnut sized construct.
Beatrix, Queenof the Crin.
Belloe,mercenary fighter, leader of Zephira’s expedition.
Bhopingar,Barra herder from the great swamp little people.
Curbut, SeniorWizard, Featherdown’s second in charge, Unity spy and assassin.
Daisy Theolaur,Aquitain’s grandmother, a weak mind wizard.
Erastius,chaotic spirit mind wizard inhabiting the Mask of Chaos.
Facit Dodecoid,Logicon spy and Aquitain’s shape change trainer.
Featherdown,Archwizard and Lord High Wizard of Mudrun.
Gaston theGreat, wiry old wizard in Zephira’s expedition.
Goth, a largemetal construct used by the Theolaur family.
Granddad, SolTheosaur, Aquitain’s grandfather, a powerful wizard and mindwizard.
Granwell,Archwizard and Conjurer, friend of Featherdown.
Ishteth, Yithhigh priest.
Jacintra, theChaos
