Twenty minutes latertwo guards with healing ability and a crate of healing potionsarrived and took charge, and the High Wizard visited the Inn tocheck out the damage. He was fuming. He walked over to Quab, andsaid:
‘It looks very muchlike a druid was involved here. I hope this is not Miranda’s doing.I want a full inquiry tomorrow into how dozens of cats and boars,which are known enemies, could come here and attack thesetownspeople. If we haven’t got ready answers we’re going to have arebellion on our hands, and you are going to be blamed.’
Two hours later,several groups of armed guards were roaming the streets checkingfor animals and injured people. The toll was seven dead andthirty-four injured at that stage, but three more were dead bymorning and another six were found with injuries. Chantalot tookZephira aside and thanked her for looking after him. They both hada couple of stiff drinks and discussed the situation.
‘Do you think Mirandawould have done this?’ asked Chantalot. ‘She was very upset whenshe came here this afternoon.’
‘I don’t know her wellenough, but if I was her I wouldn’t have done it. Why harm thetownspeople? Surely they weren’t responsible for Aquitain’s death.Only three of us knew where Aquitain and Miranda were, and if shehad a grudge then it would be those three who would pay, notinnocent people. There is also the question of the fear-inducingmagic. From what I’ve learnt, druids don’t use fear; only a wizardwould use that type of tactic. I think a wizard was involved,perhaps together with a druid.’
A few minutes later sheleft Chantalot to return to her quarters for some rest, butsomething kept her mind quite alert. She had come to the conclusionthat the attack had been made by a team of two, a druid and awizard. Aquitain and Miranda were the only wizard and druid duoaround that she knew. She couldn’t believe that it would be them,until suddenly she remembered the mask.
‘By the Powers, I’llbet it was the mask. She didn’t have it with her when she came hereand told us about Aquitain’s death, but it might have dominated herwhen she returned. It might have also got Aquitain and she had onlybeen faking his death, and they both might have come here tonightunder the influence of the mask. If she had come to thisconclusion, she reflected, then surely Featherdown and Quab couldfollow the same line of reasoning.
Instead of heading toher quarters, she diverted her path to the High Wizard’s tower andmet Quab.
‘Are you thinking whatI’m thinking?’ she said to him.
‘Probably,’ he said.‘Let’s discuss it with Featherdown, but be careful what you say.I’ve never seen him so annoyed.’
**
After most of theentertainment was over Erastius had Jaz teleport him to their nextdestination, where he planned some more fun. They arrived at anancient temple in the jungle, several leagues from Snowbelle’splace. Erastius had Jaz take off the mask and hold it under her armwhile she walked calmly down the side of the temple, and into acleared doorway. A few steps inside she was confronted by a Yithwarrior.
‘I’m here to see HighPriest Ishteth,’ she said. ‘I have a gift from the master.’
The warrior nodded andtook her to another warrior, who escorted her deep within thetemple. After descending several levels down into the bowels of thetemple she finally arrived at a door, and after knocking wasinvited in.
High Priest Ishteth wasan enormous greenish blue lizard-like Yith, that stood nearly threenewman paces tall. He wore a loose scarlet robe held tight againsthis stomach by a golden belt, which designated his status. He had alarge jaw filled with razor teeth, and when angry could lookterrifying. However, he was normally quite even-tempered, andwell-liked by his followers.
‘Ah. Jaztrix it’s verynice to see you again. I’m sorry I can’t offer you a hot drink atthe moment. It’s a bit primitive here. I don’t think anyone’s beenin here since the Great Storm. My guard said that you had somethingfrom the Master for me.’
Jaz said nothing buthanded the mask to Ishteth. He took it from her, looked at it, wentto say something and Erastius mentally attacked him. It wasn’t afair fight, for if it were then Ishteth would have won. Jaz cast asphere of silence around them, this stopping the High Priest fromusing any prayers or calling for help; then Jaz stabbed the Yith inthe leg with a potent poison that only affected reptiliancreatures, weakening both his mind and his body. A moment laterafter a silent mental tussle he dropped, with Erastius in charge ofhis mind.
‘Oh what joy,’ saidErastius, ‘Jaz, you and I were such a wonderful pair and now we area threesome. Imagine the possibilities. It’s going to beglorious.’
‘Now Ishteth get up andshow me a map of the surrounding land and where the little peopleare. Those damned cat people had me locked up for nearly twentyyears, parading me around once a month at each full moon just fortheir entertainment. They never used me once for anythingworthwhile. It’s time for me to show them what they were missingout on. Perhaps we can create a little squabble between the tribes.Yes, that would be fun.’
Chapter 23 A Visit fromGranddad
Granddad appeared atthe teleport marker outside Twin Towers. Three paces behind him wasGoth, his large construct. Goth was equipped with a backpack and ahuge two pace long greatsword. Granddad was dressed well for theclimate; he wore local clothes, sandals and a wide brimmed flatconical hat woven of palm leaves. In fact, most people would havethought that he was a local, except for one thing: locals didn’thave three pace tall black metal constructs following themaround.
‘Ah. I love thisplace,’ he said to himself. ‘The smell of the jungle and thefeeling of nature all around is just fantastic. I’ll have to retirehere when the time comes.’ And he strode off down the road towardsthe town. When he arrived at the edge of the jungle he saw ahead ofhim near the first dwelling a troop of six guards sitting along theedge the road. They
