[Mkguild] Amaretto's First Story, "Ties to Past Enemies" Part 2

[John Foley]

707CR August Southern Midlands

    "What do you think it means Miles?"
    "Falling stars mean many things. Personally I think the star dust looks
pretty."
    "My father thought they were bad omens. People say that the gods are
raining down arrows upon us from the skies."
    Miles sighed half annoyed at the superstition and half tired from the
journey, "Vi, this happens every year about this time in this part of the
world. It means summer is coming to an end soon."
    "How can you be so sure?"
    "Because If I was a god, I wouldn't hurl some rock through the sky and
hope it it's target. I would leave no room for interpretation."
    "There were all these legends of people being struck down by such
things."
    "With a proper planning and preparations a good mage can make any
assassination look like an act of god. You just need to know the right
calculations. Not all feats of great magic are large rituals, detailed
etchings, bloody offerings and lengthy incantations."
    "For somebody that knows so much about magic you rarely use it."
    "Magic is usually a overkill for most applications. A little physical
discipline, quick wit and martial preparation go a long way."
    "My father said that you knew a cure to my ailment. He said the bones
told him to leave me in your care. I have yet to see you work but the most
basic of spells."
    Miles looked at his companion and spoke softly, "You're cure is
complicated. The problem is that your body is of two beings."
    Vi half heartedly mocked him, "Yes, yes, the heart of a dragon and the
body of a human. Neither can exist apart from the other. I was told the
story a thousand times and have told my self it a thousand more looking for
a solution. The heart produces more energy than the body can handle. I am
slowly burning up. While magic is a temporary outlet the heart is still very
young and will only grow stronger. This heart will kill me in a few years."
    Miles looked at her carefully. He wanted to tell her everything. Why
they were going where they were going and why he knew it was the only cure.
In the past few years they had grown close yet he worried that one wrong
word, one poorly timed revelation could easily shatter their bond. So he
spoke with the utmost care, "Vi, do you know where we are?"
    "Southern Midlands, a day from Giftum. You told me yesterday."
    "And what direction are we headed."
    Her head spun around as she looked at the sky for direction and spotted
the moon, "North, we're headed north? Are we going to your home in
Giantdowns?"
    "No, that home was destroyed long ago."
    "Are we going to see the Lom Shi'Un in the north lands? I know you
trained with then when you were younger."
    "They might be able to cure you but I doubt you would pay their price. I
trained under an exile not in Lom proper. Our destination is a bit further
south."
    "I still don't get it."
    "I was part of a great and terrible spell many years ago. With the
reagents I've been gathering over the past few years."
    "Wait, you helped cast that spell?"
    "Yes, I helped with the curse."
    "I think you are the biggest liar I have ever met. The northern lord
would only use the strongest and most loyal of wizards."
    "Perhaps I am a big bad dark wizard taking you to ritual sacrifice to
some elder god."
    "Evil wizards don't protect the honest and the weak. I've seen you
protect both. Then again, you kiss with far to much skill and passion to be
all good."
    Miles rolled over onto his side trying to get some sleep. The worry and
anxiety of the truth seemed to slip away. He could almost hear the quiet hum
of his sword. A parting gift from the keep he joked to him self. The sword
functioned exceptionally well as a magical focus and as a combat weapon.
Intricate inscriptions all along its length played against its dark and
light patterns. He had thoroughly researched it materials and found out it
was a rare form of steel exceptionally strong and light. The inlays infused
with platinum and Mithril to conduct magical energies.
    It the weapon seemed odd in the sense that it had been built up over
time. The blade, inscriptions, inlays and spells all had a distinct flavor.
While it held a less than average edge the magical properties of the weapon
made it a mute point. The sword while not self-aware contained a unique
persona with a wealth of knowledge and insight. The favorite spells of its
previous owners, sword techniques and even a few decent recipes for cooking
wild game.
    "Elise, why is Vi so dense on this one?"
    The sword's avatar responded in its typical ineffectual analytical
style, "My observations of your interactions would point to denial. From
your descriptions of the curse it is generally a stigma or difficult
transition if not both. This is nothing you do not know. Why can not you see
this?"
    "Smart ass."
    The sword's avatar made several mockingly rude gestures then left Miles
to rest.
    Night gave way to day and their travels resumed to the north. The summer
weather had started to yield to fall so the oppressive heat they had
experienced further south did not hamper their travels.

******The three days pass, Miles and Vi arrive in Midtown. *******

    Vi shuffled back and forth in the inn. The rain had forced them inside.
While dry and warm within the room Vi succumbed restlessness and boredom.
Miles was nowhere to be found either. She removed her staff from its case
and set it across her lap. The staff slowly began responding to her touch.
The staff was not some simple piece of wood carved from any branch. The core
of it contained a five crystal cylinders each etched, enchanted and aligned
carefully to allow maximum amplification and storage. Bound by Mithril and
stacked on top of each other the crystals were then held in place as a
special plant is then grown around the disks. Other spells and enchantments
are laid upon the unfinished staff while it still has roots in the ground.
The spirit of the tree is then sealed within the staff and plant is up
rooted. The roots and any extra branches were trimmed. The remaining living
cells then feed off of the charge the mage must keep in the staff.
    Vi began the ritual casting to put more reserve energy into the staff.
Quiet words turned into energy that flowed into the staff. The staff seemed
to resonate in appreciation. She then smiled and asked a simple question,
"Where is Miles?" A faint blue line extended from her staff through the
roof. She knew all two well what it meant. Forming yet another spell a small
ball of light formed in her hand. It moved away from her hand then out the
window. The ball moved up to the roof where it gave Vi a clear view of Miles
laying out in the rain. The ball darted quickly to him he projected a
magical curtain over himself keeping the rain away. "Why are you up here?"
    "Perk of being a thief, I can be."
    Thorough her orb Vi pressed the question, "I understand why you do it
when you can see the stars but it is raining."
    Miles avoided the question, "Shield and endurance practice."
    "You're avoiding me."
    "Only because you're being thick headed."
    "Fine then, spell it out for me."
    Miles gave into his frustrations, "Your heart is too much for your
body."
    "We already went over that."
    "How would you go about fixing that?"
    "Change the heart."
    "We went over that, alteration of the heart interferes with the primary
binding spells."
    "So that leaves the body. Greater transformation magic."
    "But, transformation magic will not hold with the secondary spells
supporting the binding spell."
    "So what's left, reality alteration?"
    "And where did I say we are headed?"
    Vi went terribly quiet and her orb vanished. In a swift motion Miles was
through the window and into the room. He caught Vi before she could collapse
to the floor and placed her on the bed. Minor details of the past four years
came rushing back. Obscure acquisitions Miles had made, little things like
local roots, stardust, elemental water and ice.  A hundred other things that
he had used a stasis spell and stored in his pack. Rare and difficult to
find reagents things that would only make sense to a mage with a lot of
training and would have to be gathered in person to ensure purity.
    "You aren't just some hack are you?" She stammered.
    Miles looked away, "I have done great and terrible things. This next
feat will be a great one."
    Vi started to object knowing only rumors of the spell and its three
consequences. Then Miles asserted him self again, "I worked on the curse for
five years before it was cast. I have had another eight to study the
interaction of the counter spell. While I cannot undo it I can guide and
manipulate it with the reagents I have gathered. While your blood is that of
a dragon, a spell converts it into a human blood facsimile. You would not
normally be affected by the curse because it is blood magic directed at
human blood. I am going to use the curse on you. I am going to turn you into
a dragon. Well at least part of the way."
    The two starred at the ceiling for several hours few words were said
after Miles had explained his plan in great detail. The conversation
eventually trickled to nothing as they exchanged looks. Neither wanted to
discuss the plan any further. Vi changed the subject to more entertaining
memories,  "Remember that night in the Desert of Dreaming."
    "I remember that we nearly died crossing the Sea of Yajiit. Because of
that fiasco"
    "What about all that treasure we ended up finding in the eastern
ranges."
    "Then the dragons that decided they wanted it back."
    "It was fun while we had all of it, we managed to keep a good part of
it. That escape was great, only better one we pulled off was with those
knights in the holy land."
    "Yea two mages in a dead zone was really fun. That knight commander
nearly fainted when I made that fire ball." Miles replied with a bit of dark
sarcasm
    "How did you pull that off?"
    "A bit of animal fat, salt stone and a pig bladder. I still got the scar
on my left hand from the burn."
    "Do you think I'll be the same after?"
    "I'll be sure of it."
    The next day became slow traveling. Rain pelted the valley and created a
lot of mud.  Vi decided that freezing the ground as she walked would be the
best solution. Miles laughed a bit at her solution. He decided on using a
shield spell on his feet to stop from sinking. Following his scrying crystal
off the road they moved away from the well-worn mud paths and into the
forested areas where the mud abated as the trees absorbed most of the rain.
Several more hours into the day Miles found the location he was looking for.
The secluded spot where he recovered from the three gates battle, a
partially ruined villa along the southwestern range. The sun started to set
behind the western as they setup a small camp. The next days were a flurry
of activity. Miles had Vi reconstructing a large room of the villa while he
started setting up perimeter defenses. Elemental, stasis and misdirection
traps lined a large circle around the hall that Vi had been reconstructing
walls from stone rubble and harvesting local trees for the roof.
    Using magic, stone and timber moved slowly into place. Three days passed
and the construction was finished. Vi griped to Miles, "Why did you make me
do all the heavy moving. We got a small fortress in between your wards and
the walls."
    "Because for the next five days you get to sit and meditate while I
prepare to forge a spell that will muck with a blood curse that bends the
very reality it effects."
    "Well at least we have a roof to sleep under tonight."
    "Nope, can't have any thresholds form in it, we sleep in under the stars
tonight."
    "You mean the clouds." Vi frowned as she carried her sleeping pad back
under the tent that had been protecting them from the late night rains.
    The next day came and Miles was up before the sun lit the sky taking
careful measurements of the starts and planets. Then cleaning every surface
of the room that Vi had constructed. Intricate inscriptions and shapes
slowly took shape on the ceiling then walls. Items stored in stasis were
retrieved for ink and incense purifying and collecting any ambient magic in
the area.
    "When will you start the spell?" Vi asked with quiet trepidation.
    "We can begin tomorrow night. The stellar alignments and mana currents
should be best then.  Any later after that and the fall alignments will be
too strong for another year. We need to rest up for a while."

***** Two hours before midnight, half a mile from the ruins. *****

    Isaac Seaborne signaled to the rest of his squad to gather up. The light
rain had made it slow going. He wanted to push just a bit further for
shelter in a series of ruins that he knew would provided some extra shelter
from the rains. The patrol orders were to sweep the southern valley for
anything suspicious. Bandits had been raiding the southern roads over the
summer and had become quite the problem so all known ruins were to be
searched.
    "Bryan, Kindle how are you holding up?"
    Bryan responded slowly as the serpent morph had been loosing heat to the
rain all day and had become very lethargic. Kindle responded for him, "His
amulet is loosing charge to the water faster than normal for some reason it
isn't pulling in mana correctly."
     Quiz looked at a small lodestone she was carrying and realized that it
was spinning incorrectly. She pulled a small crystal rod from her pack. It
streamed a series of colors and patterns reacting to the many styles and
forms of magic Miles had employed around the encampment.
    "Boys, we have a problem." Quiz shouted to over come the other various
conversations, "There are either a lot of little problems or one big one."
    Isaac came and looked at her crystal, "What does it mean?"
    "It measures different things to figure out if mages are working near
by."
    "So what's it telling you?"
    "Somebody is pulling a lot of energy that way." She pointed north east
of the ruins.
    "Korri!!!" Isaac called out and the gull morph came to the for front, "I
know its cold but I need you to double time it back to the signal tower."
    Korri shed what gear she could carry on her small frame and removed her
clothes. Quiz placed a small warming charm on her ankle as the
transformation completed she then flew off.
    A patrol of five became four cold, wet and nervous keepers. Kindle
pulled out a bit of paper and graphite and cast a small spell on it.
    Isaac, "What are you doing?"
    The mouse keeper answered in a small voice, "Tracking our movements. We
may be in an illusion if these mages are as strong as she thinks."
    Isaac yielded to Kindle as he took the crystals and began to follow the
flow of the magic. The company moved slowly and nervously as they expected
the worst. Images of lutin shamans and human rogues filled their
imaginations. The march continued for nearly an hour as the group found
their guide leading them up the western mountain slope.
    Kindle paused for a moment and consulted his enchanted map. We are being
lead in a circle he concluded. Cursing under his breath. Taking measurements
on his map and then of the magical currents he put away his other trinkets
and bobbles and redirected the party. Isaac called for a halt, "What's going
on?"
    "They have the currents in an eddy, who ever it is less than a half a
mile from here and in that direction."
    "Are you sure?"
    "I can get us within twenty or so paces of the center."
    "Ok take fifteen here, get ready for the worst. Loose any extra rations,
sleeping gear and double check your gear." Isaac called out. Though his
voice commanded confidence he hoped that help would arrive before they moved
out.

    **** Midnight ****

    Korri had pushed herself to the limit, with a head wind and the cold
rain she had exhausted the warming stone and the gull body weakened but she
had made it to the signal post.
    The flying wet keep flew right through a window into the arms of the
shift commander. Her telepathy spell instantly warned the shocked the
keeper, "Red patrol reports, Engagement, codes, Paladin Blue, Dragon Black.
I say again, Paladin Blue, Dragon Black."
    The child-morph turned a terrible pale color then screamed, "Signal man,
priority message for the keep, Paladin Blue, Dragon Black, Messenger
Incapacitated."
    The message flashed from relay post to post. Within five minuets the
keep had received the code.


    **** 12:05 ****
    The watch commander Sergeant Brea scrambled to find a superior, Dragon
codes meant that an enemy caster had been found and black left nothing to
interpretation. Paladin codes meant to describe the condition of the squad.
He found Laura of the Longs. In a panic the sergeant stammered his
conversation, "We have a situation Sir."
    Laura rubbed her eyes as the early morning hour had dulled her
considerably as it was just the end of her shift.
    "What?"
    "We have a situation." He handed her the coded note, "Ok sergeant, I
don't know why you decided to bring this to me?"
    "Sir, I don't know who else is a wake."
    Laura scratched her head and reread the message, "So some part timers
got what?"
    "I don't know the messenger was incapacitated upon arrival."
    "I'll rouse a few people, go find some regulars and another damn mage to
confirm this report. Meet in the lower armory in fifteen."
    Laura went off to rouse her squad; protocol dictated that what ever
commanding officer was found first would be tasked with initial response
efforts. So she summoned more messengers and began to pull her self
together.
    The sergeant managed to find a mage next, Teria swayed down the hall on
arm of Ferwig. Still wearing their uniforms from their previous shift they
were clearly identified "Sirs, your presence is."
    Teria slurred out, "Aww isn't he cute=85hic=85 Would you like to come b=
ack
to our room with us."
    Ferwig laughed as the sergeant clearly expressed a look of embarrassment
even for a squirrel.
    "Sorry sirs, I see you are off duty." He ran down the variable geometry
corridor looking for a sober mage. The next mage he found though a bit wet
was far more sober. In the keeps ramparts he found Saroth enjoying the light
rain. "Sir!" The sergeant shouted making sure the dragon heard him.
    Saroth turned and faced him and nodded.
    "I need the help of a mage to confirm a code." The sergeant paused
waiting for a response.
    "Well?" Saroth asked telepathically.
    Startled he explained the situation as quickly as possible.
    Saroth reached out with his mind to feel the weather in the valley.
    "The rain tells me that there are two very powerful mages to the south.
It knows not what they do. The wind tells me not to interfere. So yes, magic
is a foot but I doubt I can help you. It is not a form of magic I
understand. I suggest you find another mage while I get myself ready." He
began to shift out of his full dragon form into something that could pass
through the keeps corridors.
    The sergeant cursed his luck on the magical front. In a tiny stroke of
genius he decided to go to the sparring room and ask for volunteers.
    The sparring and practice population in the middle of the night
consisted of very few residents. Several morph types often found it hard to
sleep nights being nocturnal in nature. Ringing a bell he called the area to
attention. The handful of people in the gym at the time quickly moved to
collect combat worthy equipment.
    Laura finished rousing her scouts and set out to tell somebody where she
was going. Several raps on George's door confirmed that he was either passed
out or else where. The winding corridors of the keep were kind and Laura
found Misha's personal apartment. Several knocks on his door and the fox
morph pried opened the door.
    Misha looked over Laura in her scouting gear, "I didn't hear any alarms,
where is the war?"
    Laura gave her report in a dismissive manner, "Sir, there has been a
call for reinforcements. I think some people called up for their patrol duty
overreacted or something."
    Misha rubbed his eyes, "Do you have enough people to take care of this?"
    "My squad should be enough for anything that could have slipped past
from up north. I have a sergeant rounding up some more nocturnal
volunteers."
    "If I don't hear back from you by morning we'll."
    Laura cut him off before he could finish, "We'll be back by breakfast,
probably just some tribe trying to slip into the south."
    Misha paused for a moment. In a show of confidence he gave her
permission to leave, "You seem to have this under control."
    "Thank you sir." Laura turned and left for the lower armory.
    The sergeant then dispatched other messengers as he made his way to the
rally point. Laura and her longs were prepared and ready to move out within
their drill window of six minuets. Saroth arrived a round the ten minuet
mark with a small pack and walking stick.
    Brea arrived shortly there after with the irregulars trickling in until
the fifteen-minuet mark. A fox morph; a cat morph, Garulf a giant of a bear
morph, a knight Sir Saulius and finally Danielle of the first long squad
arrived as a magical advisor.
    Laura gave a word of thanks as she saw Danielle approach, "Thank the
gods you're here, is there any truth to this mess or are we just going for a
long rainy walk."
    Danielle responded with a bit of trepidation, "I wish Teria was sober
but I can feel something out there. At the very least they are tampering
with the curse, I know that much but as to the details we are too far away.
Judging by the amount of energy moving around he has many hours of casting
to go."
    Sir Saulius spoke up quickly, "We best sortie quickly as we haft a long
way to go." Laura nodded in consent, "Would you like to take command Sir?"
    "You haft summoned more warriors to the field, I yield to you."
    Laura caught Brea out of the corner of her eye, "Oh do you dare scamper
off sergeant you're joining us on this little nature walk."
    Laura organized her eclectic group into two squads dividing her normal
squad across both groups after leading a gear check and procuring any needed
equipment from the armory.
     On horseback they made quickly to the south.

    **** 3:30 AM ****

    Isaac and his squad grew anxious in waiting. They had moved to within
visual distance of the ruins but a series of wards lined the perimeter.
Kindle examined them from a distance but could not conclude what their
effects were without tripping one.
    Isaac started to pace as Kindle and Quiz became increasingly agitated
with the slow escalation of the spell. Kindle and Quiz started to pool their
limited magical knowledge to better assess the situation.
    Kindle spoke first, "I think he will cast at sunrise. In about three
hours. He seems to be channeling a lot of stellar energy."
    Quiz thought about it for a moment then offered another assessment, "It
could be a lunar casting and it might finish closer to nine."
    "The moon is neither full or new, awfully risky using the moon in a
transitory state."
    "True but this is a very massive spell any way, could be using the lunar
energy as a shield of sorts from the other energies."
    The novice mages continued to run circles in their argument neither
knowing the goals, intentions or planning of Miles.
    Isaac took the prudent course of waiting until somebody better versed in
magic answered the call for help. He decided to move his encampment to the
eastern edge of the perimeter. So when help arrived they did not ride into
any hidden wards.

    **** 5:30 AM ****

    A horn sounded in the distance and Isaac's squad roused to alert. Isaac
reached into his pack and threw a small red pouch into their campfire. A
plume of red smoke drifted into the air.
    Minuets later Laura and her two squads arrived at the campsite.
    A tired and wet Laura called out, "Report Patrol."
    "We have observed the encampment for the past six hours no movement
outside of the structure. We have detected a perimeter of wards that we have
not breached ten yards from here."
    The party dismounted and the new mages began examining the wards. Saroth
listened more to the weather around him to give him clues to the situation.
Danielle recognized many of the wards as being basic 'stun' and 'look that
way' creations best for keeping animals and other pests away. Slowly moving
past the outer layer a second layer of 'turn you around' wards lined the
circle she disarmed a pair of them and moved into the third layer. The third
layer perplexed her for a moment, as it wasn't actually a layer, just
illusions of wards creating illusions within illusions designed to confuse
and slow an intruder down if not just scare them.
    The last layer wasn't as nice as the outer layers; electric elemental
totems shocked her before she even detected them. The first ward detonated
and knocked her back and out cold.
    The Garulf moved quickly to pull the fallen mage out of harms way before
they could even order him to stop she was back safely beside the camp fire.
    Laura looked to her company and asked for suggestions.


    **** 5:45 AM
    Miles voice grew horse as one incantation flowed into the next and other
incantations repeated completely out of reflex. Spell reverberations
repeated previous incantations with complete precision.
    The entire time Vi screamed in agony as a symphony of spells danced
across her body. Bound to the floor she thrashed against the magical
restraints. The spells that allowed a dragons heart to exist with in her
body played against the curse, counter spell and Miles' manipulations.  A
swirling symphony of magic encased her and the space around her manipulating
her and her reality.
    Miles remained steady with waves of spells and counter spells circling
around him ready to be used at a single thought. Yet he grew concerned he
did not have enough strength to seal the spell. His calculations contained
an error in the amount of spells he would have to simultaneously manage. The
incoming power just wasn't enough.

    **** 5:45 AM
    "I say we spike him." Kindle proposed. Quiz and Saroth looked at him for
an explanation. "Give who ever is casting more energy than they can handle;
make them stop casting or blow themselves up."
    Quiz was the first to object, "You realize how much energy he is moving
right? I doubt we could move even a fraction of that together."
    Danielle moved slowly, "We could use his own wards as a power source,
and a channel."
    Saroth suddenly interrupted, "The storm agrees with your plan. He has
asked the storm to help him and the storm wishes to."
    Laura quickly shot back, "Why should we help this rogue."
    "The storm says if we don't the spell will implode with a terrible
ripple effect if we don't."
    The party grew tense as Saroth approached the electrified wards and
picked up the one that detonated on Danielle. Pulling a small crystal from
the ward he began to chant and disarm the remaining wards. Taking the
crystals from the strongest wards he handed one to each member of the party.
Giving a terrible crash course in, group casting, Kindle instructed, "Focus
on Saroth as you repeat after me." A slow flow of magic left the crystals
and flowed into Saroth who then passed the energy into the gentle storm
above. The electric energy Miles had harvested earlier in the week returned
back to the lingering storm.
    The storm slowly responded gathering the energy into a single bolt that
struck the edge of spell surrounding Vi.

    **** 6 AM
    Miles pleaded with the storm for just a little more energy rapidly
consuming his personal reserves. Consciousness began slipping away yet he
struggled to hold on. Then a miracle happened, a single extraordinary bolt
of energy coursed into the spell exactly where he needed it. The energy
burned through him stripping away his protective wards. Causing him to cry
out in pain. In a flash Vi's body became encased in a sphere forcing her
body into the fetal position floating a few feet off the ground.  Her
screaming came to a halt as the components realigned then the outer layer of
the spell too shape, forming a large egg around her body. The energy
congealed as the various spells moved into a new state of balance.
    Miles slumped over and the new egg came to rest on the ground. His life
hung in the balance as his personal energies neared fatal levels. He leaned
against the wall completely motionless. His heart did not appear to beat and
his breath was slow and shallow.

    **** 6:10 AM
    With the chanting completed Laura ordered her squads to arms. The wards
combusted leaving nothing but ash and crystal in their place and the squad
slowly advanced. Within the room they found one apparently dead man with
burns up and down his arms and torso and what Saroth identified as a
dragon's egg.
    Laura wanted answers, "So all this to summon a dragon?"
    Quiz spoke first for the mages, "No a summoning wouldn't have taken
nearly as much energy. Assuming it was a willing target."
    Kindle looked at the results of the spell in awe and fear, he had seen
the keeps elders cast a many complex and terrible spells yet this spell was
some how infinitely more complex. "I don't think he summoned a dragon so
much as create a draconian. I cannot be sure because I don't feel any
infernal energy. I saw a similar ritual once in my masters notes."
    Miles coughed weakly from the corner and blades, staves and arrows
turned to him, "Don't hurt her I beg you."
    "Eli's grace, he lives." Saulius let out in shock.
    Laura shouted out, "Get him in shackles now! Gag him too. Alteration of
the curse is a capitol offence. Who knows what's going to hatch out of that
egg. It could take out the entire valley for all we know." Consciousness
left Miles, his last energies spent on a desperate plea for mercy.
    The orders started coming out in fast pace. Orders to preserve the
scene, to get a cart for the prisoner orders to set up a campfire for
breakfast all happened with in moments. Laura dispatched a messenger to the
keep for a senior mage and a senior commander to relieve her.



    ****

    The remainder of the morning filled its self with waiting. Without any
other business the group split between watching the perimeter and napping.
Several observed morning prayers or exercises to pass the time while more
official persons arrived. Laura consented to tending to Miles' wounds once
it was clear that he needed medical attention in order to prevent infection.
    Quiz had removed his shirt to get to his wounds.
    "Good thing he wasn't wearing chain mail, he could have cooked him
self."
    Kindle looked on with a bit of awe though he was supposed to be guarding
him, "That tunic we found in his pack has enough layered enchantments to
stop just about any arrow or glancing sword blow."
    "Too bad we are going to kill him, he is pretty cute." Quiz joked as she
finished his bandages.
    The tent door opened and two uniformed regular military guards swept in
through the door. "Is this the prisoner?" the large and imposing alligator
morph interrogated.
    "Yes.... sir." Kindle stuttered out.
    "Why isn't he chained?"
    Quiz stepped in for the intimidated mouse, "He is in a magical coma. He
can't lift his eyelids much less run away. The wounds needed to be dressed."
    "His wounds are dressed now I want him in mage irons."
    "That may kill him. He needs magical energy to recover."
    "I want him restrained. If he escapes it is on your head." Thalberg turn
and left the tent with an air of authority. The two guards remained with
Quiz and Kindle.
    Thalberg turned to George, "Please tell me these people are less
insubordinate to you and you know what is going on here."
    The old jackal thanked Danielle for her report and faced the imposing
alligator, "The mages are working on it but they can't make heads or tails
of it. What ever he did he is done doing it and we'll have our answer when
he wakes up. Danielle says that he didn't use lethal force against anyone
but just kept them out of the room where they found him. It looks like they
have been here about a week maybe less, they built the room from the ruins
and some trees they cut down."
    "A capitol offense, tampering with the curse. Add another petty crime to
add to the charges, stealing the duke's lumber. I want a look in that room
now."
    George tried to rein in Thalberg's temper, "Calm down, nobody is trying
to do any thing funny here. Everybody that knows anything is saying we got
off easy. If he wanted to harm anything he easily could have. Just put
anything magical in that crate before you go in the room. We don't want
anything going crazy on us."
    The alligator begrudgingly complied, as it was George's scouts that were
currently posted on the door of the room. Once free of any magical trinkets
the alligator cursed the cool morning.
    Stray magic steadily illuminated the walls and crackled to life at
irregular intervals. The light blue hue of the light looked almost like the
sky on a clear day. The gator took a firm look at everything in the room
trying to make sense of it. A giant egg and walls crackling with residual
energy added to his confusion. The twisted scene induced a sense of vertigo.
Thalberg stumbled and fell onto Saroth. A smile cracked crept across Georges
face seeing the gator trip. Saroth let out a yelp of pain as the gator sat
on his tail.
    He scrambled to get on his feet before saying anything. Looking at the
imposing dragon morph he demanded a report. Saroth formed his thoughts very
carefully and quietly into his telepathic message, "She says that they were
looking for a cure for her. She was dying, something wrong with heart. He
used the curse to change her body into something that could handle its
magical output. She is a very polite young lady by the name of Vi."
    "Can she hear me?"
    Saroth gave a nod.
    "Who is your master and to which nation are you loyal. Are you trained
in magic?" The interrogation questions came in a flurry.
    Vi in turn asked, "Is he always this angry?"
    Saroth gave a little laugh, "She says you ask too many questions."
    "It is my duty to ask..."
    George grabbed Thalberg by the shoulder and pulled him to a stand,
"Well, I think that answers most of the questions now. Should we move her
egg or must it stay here."
    Vi gave instructions to Saroth and the reasoning behind it and he
relayed to George, "She says, she must not be moved from this array until
the egg hatches. She guesses it has four or five days to go judging by the
energy moving around."
    "We will leave a set of guards here, please stay with her until the
spell is finished." Saroth nodded and resumed his conversation with Vi.
    Leaving the room Thalberg turned to George, "Your insubordination will
not be tolerated here. These two have committed major crimes, trespassing,
theft and tampering with the curse."
    "Would you have done any less to save family, friend or ally?"
    Thalberg retorted, "And if they failed, there is a settlement a little
over a mile from here. For all we know that spell could have..."
    "The problem is they didn't fail. You have leverage on one very powerful
mage and something dear to him. My whole life I have been picking my battles
and this is not one I would pick. Let them recover and see what they are.
Throwing them into the dungeon over petty crimes seems like a waste."
    "The cannot go unanswered."
    "We leverage him not force him into a corner. If we cage them they will
run."
    "Fine, I'll leave it to you. If only because I know this is going to get
worse before it gets better."
    Orders were given and the companies organized. Laura, her and her
company were relieved George citing that a Long Patrol would be over kill.
The irregular conscripts Brea found in the gym were sent back to the keep as
well. Saroth opted to stay with Vi give her some company. They loaded Miles
into a cart and hauled him back to the keep.
    The healers at the keep redressed his burns. They then sent him to the
clerics, as the burns had been getting worse as the energies still played in
his skin. Being unsure how to proceed, the healers sent him to the clerics.
The clerics far more versed in magic determined that it was still a spell
still burned within him. The head acolyte Celine sighed, "I've seen this
injury before with mages, too much energy, not enough control. He has a good
bit of what ever he was casting caught in him."
    "That could be very bad, he made some kind of draconic using the curse
and who knows what else." George informed her.
    "The best I can do is put him a meditation chamber and changes his
bandages. Should he get worse I will attempt to negotiate divine
intervention. If you will excuse me draconic creations are not to be taken
lightly, he could be in the service of Lilith. Did he succeed?"
    George sighed, "We don't know, the field mages couldn't make heads or
tails of the egg."
    "Egg, I must inform my superiors in this matter where is the egg I must
see it."
    "This guy really knows how to make an entrance. The egg is to the south
I'll have an escort take you when ever you're ready."
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