[Mkguild] Amaretto's First Story, "Ties to Past Enemies" Part 3

[John Foley]

**** Several Days Pass *****

    While messengers and spies scurried about Miles lay unconscious in a
coma. Little could be done for him as every mage; cleric, healer and deity
that took a look at the spells came to the same conclusion. He stayed
unconscious because of the lack of magical energies. Any mana that he
generated or flowed into him instantly became absorbed into the strange
spell that had in bedded its self into his chest and arms. The treatment the
same, it would resolve on its own in a few days or kill him.
    Quiz found herself in front of Andwyn's desk giving a detailed report.
The fruit bat carefully combed the reports filed by the various persons that
had first interacted with Miles and Vi. Andwyn closed the files and put down
his quill, "It has been three days and everybody from the Lothanasi, the
Marigund Mage Guild and even Sathmore has gotten a report. I wouldn't be
surprised if even The Pyralian's have heard. It word is that this guy is
some catch. Seems our Lothanasi friends have a leak in their information
circles. I wouldn't be surprised if the elves have an envoy coming to speak
with this character."
    "One problem, he's still in a coma."
    "Lets just say, the thought of Metamor amassing a draconic unit or
controlling the curse has a lot of people in a panic. Everyone wants to know
how he did it. If she is stable, and if she is as powerful as the legends
have them to be."
    Quiz stood up and stretched, "He barely pulled off one casting and
barely survived it. We don't know if it wasn't just the curse running its
normal course either. Seems like everyone is jumping to conclusions."
    "Regardless, agents representing other interests will be arriving in a
few days asking a lot of questions. I would prefer to know those answers
before they do."
    "Just what do you want to know?"
    "Everything."
    "That will be a bit difficult to do. He seems to be quite intimate with
the girl in the egg."
    Andwyn's patience began to wear thin with Quiz's antics, "I know that
your skills go far beyond petty seduction and flirting. Protect him too once
he wakes up."
    "I doubt he'll need it once he wakes up." She moved out of the room with
a movement far faster than any normal person.
    George shifted his weight in the chair he was sitting in and produced
Miles' white knife, "We found this in his pack, we both know what it means."
    "I got a good look at a few of those last Yule. The Lightbringers
gathered them up and burned it with all the other stuff we got off of those
dark casters. Wessex and Posti pulled one off of a dead caster a few years
back, one of Nasoj's men. Called it interesting."
    Andwyn asked, "Have you showed it to the mage guild yet?"
    "Called it a good knife, with an excellent edge that didn't absorb
anything. Used the word pure with a bit of disgust as he said it was
probably used in ritual sacrifice. Far to brittle to be much use in combat."
    "They say anything else about the spell?"
    George regretfully continued, "Only good things words like art and
magnificent."
    "The man isn't even awake and it seems that he has a following."
    "Damn gator was right its getting worse." An annoyed look crossed
Andwyn's face.
    "Always does in this line of work." George nodded in agreement as he
left the room.

    ****
    Miles woke in a cold sweat. His skin burned and his muscles ached. His
throat felt like it had been lit on fire it was so sore. He felt around the
dark room he was in looking for anything to drink. As his eyes adjusted and
started to function again he moved for the door and more light. He reached
for the door handle expecting it to be locked but found it quite open. His
legs moved him with a great deal of uncertainty. Miles tried to sly out of
the sanctuary yet ultimately failed. The heavy door on the meditation
chamber let out a loud groan as he opened it just enough to stick his head
out. An acolyte cleaning the temple quickly rushed over to him, "You
shouldn't move about sir, your wounds are not to be taken lightly."
    Miles braced himself against the wall, "How long have I been here?"
    "Four days, since they found you."
    "What did they tell you about me?"
    "Not much, everyone is being rather tight lipped on the subject. Just
that you were to be escorted to Andwyn once you woke up."
    "I see, perhaps you have something for me to wear in front of the local
officials?"
    The acolyte gestured to a small trunk that sat outside of the meditation
room he had occupied. Miles found a clean tunic, pants and his boots. His
satchel and other sundries were not there. The acolyte did not stray more
than a few feet from Miles the entire time. Once dressed Miles turned and
asked, "So how do I look?"
    "You need to shave."
    Miles rubbed his chin, "Ah yes, no time for that now."
    The small boy acolyte looked up at him and asked, "Why are they afraid
of you?"
    Looking the acolyte over Miles thought up a clever little response,
"Truth is, I'm more afraid of them than they are of me. Much work to be done
now lives to save monsters to slay. Perhaps there is a way out of here that
doesn't go through the constables office just yet."
    The little boy looked up and joked, "Which ever door you open will take
you to where you need to be. If you should be there that is."
    Miles frowned as he remembered that anyone within the keep remained at
the keeps mercy when it came to finding his way. He focused his thoughts and
directed them at the keep, "I don't mean any harm to these people but I have
to help Vi. Please let me out and I will be back." Miles moved quickly to
the next door and opened it. He found him self at the stables where A black
snake morph woman had readied two horses.
    "So you're awake." She cooed.
    "And you are?" Miles asked in a cold combat ready voice.
    "Quiz, and you can think of me as your little sister until we return."
She moved with supernatural speed so that she was in front of Miles and had
both her hands on his waist. She whispered in his ear, "Don't even think you
can get away in your current condition."
    He moved to kiss her and she moved back in a swift motion, "My you are
an aggressive one."
    "Just wanted to know your limits." Miles mounted and urged the horse
into a good walk.
    The horses moved south with good speed. Without the mud and water the
trip there took less than previous trips.
    Quiz decided now was a good a time as any to start her interrogation,
"You know these questions are coming."
    "I figured as much, should I just start talking or do you have something
specific to ask?"
    "The big question is can you control the curse."
    Miles took several moments to gather his words carefully, "She did not
have human blood, that was key in this spell. I can change a mouse into its
child hood state, switch its gender or turn it into some other animal. Such
an academic exercise would be very expensive for me to perform. Nor is it
controlling the curse."
    Quiz nodded the next question came just as frankly as the first, "Your
notes."
    Miles was very quick with the answer, "They are safe and no, you'll
never get a look at them."
    "That will be very troublesome."
    "My notes are not to lightly be taken. There are spells to go to places
and summon things that could prove very disastrous. There are recipes for
plagues not just poisons. There are even instructions on rituals of human
sacrifice to create the most devastating of spells. I am not some lovely
dove guild mage.  As for notes on the curse, I don't trust anyone not to use
it against me I am cursed with the gender variation of the spell."
    "Interesting, they were wondering why you hadn't changed."
    "Question for you lady Quiz, you are an intelligence officer?"
    "You really don't miss a step do you?"
    "I've done this dance before let's hope that I'll have to answer these
questions one fewer time then."
    "Whom are you working for?"
    "Me, myself and I, am a free man."
    "No guild, or lord?"
    "Mercenary for the last eight years."
    "How did you do it? She claimed to be human before the spell."
    "Oh good the telepathy spell worked. Secondly, don't make me repeat
myself; she did not have human blood. Short version, for a single moment in
time I made her completely human then let the curse take her and returned
her heart to its original state. Tricked the curse into thinking it had
already started the change and let it do the rest of the work. Canceled out
the age regression curse by reverting her into an egg while she was fully
grown.  The egg then fueled the finishing touches on the transformation.
Tricked the gender curse by removing her gender and making it think it was
already changing her into a woman. The terribly simplified version."
    "So is she cursed?"
    "I don't think so, she never had human blood. Again with the repeating
my self" Miles trailed off as he slumped off the side of his horse from
exhaustion. He fell to the ground and did not get up.  Quiz had to restrain
a laugh as Miles confirmed his mortality falling in the most amusing
combination of a moving dismount and conversation.
    She led the horses to a nearby clearing and pulled Miles over to the
side of the road. She let him rest for an hour. She put a small bit of water
on her hand rubbed it onto his face. The cold water produced an immediate
reaction as Miles moved with a start.
    Quiz teased, "So the great terror is just a mortal."
    "I never claimed anything more. I imagine god hood is very stressful,
all those worshipers, and always some force working against you. I mean
seriously, it must be like baby sitting for eternity and having the neighbor
trying to kill the kids. You wouldn't happen to have any food stuffs in that
satchel your carrying?"
    She handed him what looked like a small loaf of bread, "Rations."
    Miles looked at the loaf with even more skepticism before taking several
bites out of it.
    "Where will you go after this is over?"
    "Well, hiding would probably be the best bet. I'm sure everybody within
a thousand leagues knows about what I did here. At the very least Marigund
knows and it is no secrete that they want to get their claws into any mage
they can. Since I woke up in a temple the priests will want to have a word
with me. Sure I'm quite the prize right now. I got a few pirate friends if
you can get me to the closest port." Miles jokingly pleaded.
    "Yea, not going to happen.  Its not every day a mage of your caliber
turns up. Especially northern mages not trying to kill us."
    "Lets go, I'm still not finished."
    A few more hours of riding and they arrived at the perimeter. Quiz
flashed several sets of papers to the guards. Guards weren't even really
guarding anything, most were sitting around a camp fire a few others took to
playing cards a spit had been setup over the fire and large chunks of deer
meat was being cooked for dinner. More attention was being paid to the outer
perimeter and any other attacks rather than keeping anything in or out of
the room.
    Miles stepped into the room where he had cast his spell and gawked in
awe of his own handy work. He observed how the wall charred where the
lighting bolt hit the roof and how the spell folded perfectly around her. He
even stopped to admire how the egg looked like that of a real dragon's egg
just larger and more circular rather than oval. He placed his hand on the
side of egg and concentrated.
    He directed his thoughts towards the egg, "You awake Vi?"
    A giddy cry of relief came from within the egg, "You're alright! Saroth
said they took you back to the keep."
    "What can I say, I needed a nap. How are you holding up in there?"
    "I think I'm alright. I can feel ten fingers, toes, legs arms and
apparently I have two wings and a tail of some kind now."
    "Good to hear. Sorry about the casting."
    "Why would you be sorry did something go wrong?"
    "No, you were screaming the entire time."
    "It was no worse than you getting hit by that lightening bolt."
    "I'm impressed you remembered that. You know I would never do anything
to hurt you."
    "Miles it wasn't a question of you hurting me. It was a question of you
saving me."
    "I know it's just my magic so rarely helps people."
    "I'm old enough to know that not everything can be fixed with quick
witty remarks or well thought out arguments. Some times we sweat and bleed a
little."
    "How much longer do you think you'll be in there?"
    "The magic is getting pretty thin in here, once I have trouble breathing
I plan on breaking the shell. Maybe an hour or six. What does it feel like
to you?"
    "It feels like I got hit with one hell of a stun spell, I haven't been
able to feel or use sight much since the casting. The feed back from the
sealing was deafening."
    "Sounds like you had it worse off than me."
    The room shuddered for a moment the lighting fluctuated.
    "You doing ok in there?"
    A clear note of panic entered Vi's thoughts, "It just got harder to move
in this fluid. It's getting harder to breathe. Back up, I'm going to try to
break out."
    Miles backed away from the egg and held his breath. Several moments
passed and nothing happened. Miles' thoughts reached out again, "You can do
it."
    "Anti-Entropy=85 causing petrifaction=85" her voice had grown weak.
    Miles took a look at the egg to see it slowly turning to stone in
certain spots. He bolted from the room going straight to a guard he had
seen.
    Shouting, "Sorry I need this!" he grabbed the large mace the solider was
carrying. His strides moved him back to the egg in seconds. The mace slammed
into the petrified portion of the egg. The petrified area shattered allowing
energy to flow again. The shattered areas reformed. The spell began to
function correctly again. Miles moved about the room rubbing certain symbols
off the walls. The natural flow of energy returned to the room.
    Both Quiz and Saroth had followed Miles into the room. The whole room
reverberated with energy. Waves of presence filling the room exploded into
notes of sound then into a shock wave. The egg shattered in intricate
patterns and expanded ever so slightly to reveal a naked Vi standing in the
center of light and movement. The egg's components aligned then collapsed
into elaborate spells all across her scales and into the tissue below. The
spells were at first large and occupied most of the surface area of her body
then they began to shrink into tiny unperceivable lines except for a few
larger lines along her arms, legs, wings and tail.
    As if on queue her hair grew out again from the top of her head just
behind a large ridge on her fore head. It filled out to the base of her
skull then grew in length to the middle of her back. The magic had ended and
Vi collapsed. Miles and Saroth all moved to catch her. She fell into
Saroth's arm for only a moment. She regained her balance just in time for
Saroth to realize he was groping her breast. Vi looked up at him with a
mischievous smile. Then Saroth realized just what he had a handful of.
Quickly removing his hand he took a step back turning his head away. Vi
moved in close and whispered, "Thank you for keeping me company." She closed
her eyes as the extended spectrum caused her a bit of confusion at first as
her mind sorted it out she slowly opened her eyes again.
    Vi turns to Miles seeing his reaction to her face and body. After
pondering his reaction, "Well it seems you still find me attractive."
    She walked over to an empty space on the wall and placed her hand on it
concentrating for a moment the surface turned it into a reflective surface.
She inspected her new form for several minuets. Fine scales covered her
face, hands, knees, feet and elbows. Small scales covered the arms, tail and
legs where fine ones did not cover the joints. Her back and chest were
covered with fewer larger ones. Her wings emerged from just below her
shoulder blades and ran to her hipbone. The wings were covered in a tough
leathery skin.  She gained about six and a half inches in height and now
stood at eye level with Miles. Her face remained mostly the same retaining
the features she was born with except for a forehead ridge that pushed her
hairline back. She admired the deep blue green skin tone.
    Vi put her hands on her hips and posed in the mirror. Then put her hands
on her waist. She cupped her breasts and turned to Miles, "You're a real
pervert you know.  These weren't even a handful before. Now look at them my
hands are not much bigger and they are clearly a lot more than a handful."
    Miles tried to dodge away from the accusation, "You know magic is a very
difficult thing to predict."
    Quiz burst out laughing at her accusation. Vi turned to Quiz, "What do
you think, are they too big?"
    She looked Vi over for several moments, "For someone your height they
look about right."
    "I hadn't really thought about it that way." She said as she turned back
to the mirror and sized up her physique for a few more moments. Vi walked
over to Miles and gave him a passionate thank you kiss, "Thank you, your
work is perfect. Now if you were just a bit taller."
    Miles laughed, "Actually=85"
    Quiz scalded, "Watch your bandages. Shifting will mess them up." She
rolled her eyes, "Saroth go get your cloak so she can cover up. We need to
get back to the keep." The young dragon quickly obeyed moving out of the
room to retrieve his rain poncho.
    Saroth handed his cloak through the mostly closed door and Vi did what
she could with it. Once outside Vi walked over to a small hiding spot in the
ruins to retrieve her pack and a few of Miles' things. Then moved over to
the tree line where she retrieved her staff from an illusion of a much
larger tree.
    The guards all focused on Vi as she approached the encampment. Seeing
dinner on the fire she asked the Lieutenant watching the food, "Do you mind
if we join you for diner?" The guard paused and looked at Quiz for an
answer.
    "I'd feed her, snakes and dragons are very similar creatures, happiest
when fed."
    Though in command the Meerkat had to overcome his instinct to flee from
three very large predators. He collected his sense as Quiz's voice
identified her has familiar.
    "It should be ready shortly ladies. Will you be joining us Sirs?"
    Saroth looked at deer on the spit and replied telepathically, "I should
be returning to the keep. I'm sure the cook there will have more food to go
around. I'll see you at the keep lady Quiz, lady Vi, mister Miles."
    Saroth undresses and places his things into his pack as he gracefully
shifts into his full dragon form. Picking up his pack in his rear claws he
flies off to the keep.

    ****
    Saroth found George waiting for him just outside of the dining halls as
he was exiting. George got straight to business as they walked the halls,
"What happened?"
     "The egg hatched and she seems fine." Saroth responded telepathically.
    "Is she sane?"
    "We talked about a lot of things for the last few days. She was a bit
uninhibited."
    "What about their relationship."
    "They are definitely a pair. She was quite affectionate towards him."
    "Good, did you learn anything more about the spell?"
    "It definitely had an Anti-Entropy component within it. It overloaded
during the final moments and Miles had to take actions to fix it. Luckily he
arrived in time."
    "I thought he was tapped."
    "He didn't have to use magic to fix the array it was more of a physical
thing."
    "What does that mean?" George asked with a note of frustration.
    "He took a hammer to shatter the petrified egg sections and used a wet
rag to erase a few specific inscriptions on the walls."
    "Why didn't you say that the first time?"
    "Sorry sir."
    "So is she cursed?" George asked with authority.
    "Miles says probably not, there were so many spells jumbled on her now I
couldn't tell for my self. It could be either way at this point. Get another
mage to take a closer look in the next few days. I would do it my self but I
have other duties to attend to, "Anything else we should know?"
    "Quiz was with Miles when he arrived. I was expecting him under closer
guard."
    "Apparently the keep let him out. I'm not going to question its
decisions. Andwyn will want to talk later. Don't worry too much about it, he
has Quiz informing him of events."
    "The sooner I can return to my normal weather duties the better. Electra
will have my head if I get any further behind in my studies and duties with
the equinox coming."
    George left the young dragon to return to his normal activities. Though
it was late he knew that Thalberg and Andwyn would want a report. Making his
way to an out of the way meeting room he found Andwyn and Thalberg already
discussing other matters at hand.
    "Nice of you to join us George, any new news?" Andwyn asked in a dry
tone.
    The tired jackal took a seat and poured him self some water. "She is
apparently hatched and remains sane, the spell seems to have been a success.
No news on if she is cursed or not. Saroth says that there is too much
interference for him to tell."
    Thalberg and Andwyn nodded in consensus, "Then our official story for
anybody that asks is that the spell was a failure, she was simply lucky to
end up as a dragon."
    George turned to his counter parts and asked the  "That is a good plan
except what if an outside mage gets a good look at her."
    Andwyn answered quickly, "Two fold, first, we keep them away from anyone
who could possibly tell, preferably we keep them in the keep where Kyia can
help us control access. Secondly, we get them to play along."
    Thalberg moved the topic, "Have we had any luck on pinning down who
exactly he is?"
      "The mages I paraded through the room to get a look at the
inscriptions say that there were at least five different schools of magic on
the walls and the wards around the building had some distinct lutin
features." Andwyn continued his report, "Most likely they said he is a
northerner, moon elf magic formed a distinct base for the spell. While the
other schools of magic served other purposes."
    Thalberg became decidedly worried at this revelation, "I don't like this
at all. Malisa and Thomas will want more detailed reports."
    George responded, "If he is working for Nasoj then the Lothanasi will
know. The keep wouldn't have let him in much less out if he were. That
doesn't mean we should let our guard down. We just make sure that envoy gets
a nice long interview with him tomorrow."

    ****
    The next morning Miles finished removing the spells from the walls of
the room he and Vi created for the casting. Quiz gave the guard lieutenant
permission to break camp once Miles finished cleaning the room. The march
back the keep became a brisk movement. The party arrived at the keep in good
spirits without any incident. Quiz led both Vi and Miles to Thalbergs office
per her standing orders.
    A clerk greeted the three and Quiz left. Neither Miles nor Vi knew what
to expect both were keenly aware that they were in deep trouble but neither
knew the depth or resolve of the local authorities. The clerk came back
before either had much time to sit and contemplate their situation. The
large bovine cow morph led them into a meeting room where the alligator
steward sat behind a lunch table.
    Thalberg greeted them with charm and a pleasant voice, "Welcome to
Metamor Keep. I'm sorry that Duke Thomas Hassan King of the Northern
Midlands is unable to receive you. Please sit and have lunch with me."
    Miles tended Vi's chair and then seated himself, "We apologize for our
intrusion into your lord's holdings. We also apologize for our current
dress.  If I had time to pursue the proper channels I would have."
    Thalberg grinned at the thinly veiled lie, "Of course, I'm sure if it
wasn't a matter of life and death all formalities would have been observed."
    Though dressed in little more than an oversized poncho Vi sat very lady
like and remained quiet while eating the food presented to her.
    "You must know formal envoys from various groups have been asking for an
explanation most notably the Marigund Guild and the Lothanasi."
    "If we are to be presented to envoys would you allow Vi to meet with a
clothier? I will not stand for my lady to be presented in such a manner."
    Thalberg got the message and motioned to a man at arms that then
escorted Vi out of the room. Once the room was again sealed Miles began,
"She is innocent in this matter; a victim from childhood. Do what you will
with me but grant her sanctuary. She is a kind soul and an educated lady."
    Thalberg knew that Miles wanted to no longer play diplomatic games and
to speak frankly he dismissed the guards leaving the two men alone in the
room, "Answer carefully because I will decided both of your fates from your
answers."
    Miles nodded in consent. The questions came quickly and directly, "Where
were you born?"
    The question hit him hard; he winced and answered, "Giantdowns south of
Kelm."
    "Your parents?"
    "Loyal to the people and justice. Executed when I was young."
    "Your masters then, who were they."
    "Many, numerous and powerful. The most influential was a Moon Elf who
taught me in my teens. He served Nasoj out of necessity rather than
ambition. He had me address him as Master Treys."
    "Where did you serve? What is your combat experience?"
    "I served in the Arabarb campaigns, various local suppressions, the
battle of the gates where I defected, got the nice Adam's apple, the
evacuation of Ksaka and several other skirmishes over the years."
    "I see, what did you do at the battle of the gates, how many of my
comrades and friends did you kill."
    "I killed two men at arms a knight and five archers. My deeds were far
more insidious than simple killing. You can ask Kyia or Magus for the
details, they know the rest."
    "No I want the truth from you!" The alligator erupted in an uncommon
show of emotion.
    A sadistic look came across Miles face that left no doubt that the next
words were the absolute truth, "I laid the spells that allowed the targeting
of the inner gate. The Magus and Kyia then forced me into the depths of the
keep where they convinced me to help. I gave aid too them. I condemned my
sisters, the few friends the north allowed me and gave up my immunity to
save you. I weaved the spell that spearheaded your counter spell. I
condemned you to this twisted existence."
    For several moments Thalberg's interrogation ceased. The confession
though extraordinary and absurd had shaken him. He wondered just how twisted
the tale would become. Thalberg looked at him with a deep gaze then asked,
"Why?"
    "It is what my father and mother believed in. There was no justice, no
reason only madness of power. I saw what happened in Arabarb, a vibrant
country reduced to the rule of lecherous and corrupt scum. We burned so many
books in that country. My parents were believers in education. We burned
temples. My parents believed in tolerance. Lastly we destroyed families. My
family was destroyed, my sister warped into a force willing to do anything
to protect my younger sister and I. My younger sister too young to remember
our parents grew into a twisted and methodical sorceress." The speech
descended into a terrible recount of what they did to the northerners that
managed to resist, tales of sieges and magical bombardments, scorched earth
tactics that left famine in its wake. Thalberg closed a small notebook he
had been keeping.
    "You still haven't answered my question."
    "Revenge and redemption run so parallel here I did what I did because in
the chaos and in total anonymity I chose to do the right things."
    "I see." He paused and contemplated his response to what he viewed as an
enemy. Then spoke slowly and deliberately, "The official word is that the
spell failed and the curse ignored your actions." Thalberg tossed his small
notebook into the fireplace where embers quickly consumed it, "The Lothansi
have summed a justicar and a priest to speak with you. Please speak with
them honestly. The civil government will comply with them." Thalberg left
and Miles was escorted back to the temple where he had spent days in a coma.
    The interview continued again for several hours, their questions leaned
more towards his spiritual belief rather than political motivations and
loyalties. Vi was brought in and the pair examined her for another hour
while Miles waited outside. Her examination and interrogation lasted only an
hour, as they were mostly interested in the spells wrapping her body rather
than the motivations. Miles was then summoned again to speak. The taller of
the two the Justicar asked, "Why should we believe you, many followers of
the dark pantheon are cunning and devious. They have proven to be most
resistant to most forms of interrogation and truth spells."
    "They are also insane and wretched. Power mad fools."
    The smaller priest then retorted, "You have given that girl all the
Moranasi seek, extend life and power."
    "And I didn't even get her soul. Damn, really need to get a new esquire
to write my contracts."
    The Justicar glared at Miles and his defiance, "You have a backbone
child but are dealing with powers without a sense of humor."
    "Am in the presence of the mighty dragons, are they going to be the
Aedra's hammer and smite me down?"
    The Justicar scowled and the priest called for peace, "It is very
apparent that you have no regard for us or our ways. That is of no
consequence here, where did she get the heart?"
    "Her wretch of a father put it in her at birth. I had the honor of
cleaning up that mess."
    The priest and Justicar conversed for a moment and then the priest left.
The Justicar spoke slowly and directly, "Yes you are in the presence of
dragons. We do not like what has happened here. Once our children were
twisted and warped into the mindless draconic beasts. Entire clans lost
generations to darkness."
    "I was taught by a Moon Elf that told me of that horror."
    "Lilith abused this spell in the past. It is good that it has found a
noble use. We both know that the complete spell would require a dragon egg.
I will not allow any egg to be used in such a manner. Though your mate is
sentient she is one rather than two."
    Miles replied, "I do not seek to harm the innocent. You can either
choose to trust me or strike me down."
    "We will see Millie Still-wind, even the most noble make falter; even
dragons." The old man seemed to look of into the distance will looking right
through Miles debating the past present and future.
    Miles returned the gaze looking directly into the man's eyes, "The
steward has asked that I tell you the spell failed. The curse claimed Vi in
on its own accord with out my intervention."
    The Judisticar left, "Understood our reports will reflect his wishes as
they are parallel to ours.  It serves all interests better than the truth in
our opinion."

    ****

    Vi had waited outside the chambers for the duration she sat quietly in a
meditative position adjusting to her new body doing the smallest magical
exercises that she had first learned when a young child. Miles and the
Judisticar came out of the room and went their separate ways. Miles and Vi
quietly made their way to their assigned quarters.
    Morning came quietly no pain, no exhaustion and no interrogations. The
sun edged through the window as the knock of a sounded messenger at the
door. A small note was slipped under the door.

*    Miles Black you are here by summoned to appear before the royal steward
Thalberg by the fourth morning bell. *

    Getting dressed Miles paid little attention to what time it was and made
his way to Thalberg's chambers. George, Andwyn and Thalberg were already
assembled and speaking about other matters. A clerk sat him down just out of
earshot of the meeting. Several minuets latter he was summoned.
    Thalberg spoke first, "Our Lothanasi counter parts have cleared you of
Daedra worship and other questionable activities. You should refrain from
any further disrespectful comments in public. They did call you a
non-believer but that is outside of our jurisdiction. You may stay until you
have recovered without fear of punishment. Should you decided to stay you
and your companion will register and test as mages. You will also register
for militia and patrol duty. Most importantly the duke will require an oath
of loyalty."
    "I supposed after all I've done, I cannot claim that I am unfit for
military duty."
    George let out a good laugh, "You might table a good insanity plea."
    Andwyn looked over Miles then slid the white dagger on the table, "This
hinges on the condition that you tell me what this is for."
    Miles let out a laugh, "So you took my saving razor."
    "We all know that isn't what this is."
    "I haven't practiced the kind of magic that kind of knife is used for
since I was a small child and had a very twisted master. My later masters
called it desperate magic and magic for the weak.  Since it doesn't conduct
ambient energy it is a fine tool for making inscriptions. The knife stays
clean, sharp and easily repairable. Yes, the darkest of casters know how to
make them but it is not inherently evil."
    Andwyn took the explanation in, "Alright here, are the rest of your
things. Be sure those lock picks stay out of our locks."
    Miles looked through his things, his journal book, charcoals, pens, ink,
daggers, blasting rods, crystal navigation pendant, flask and other sundries
were all there. Miles looked again in the bag and asked about his sword. It
wasn't recovered was the answer they all gave. Miles frowned the thought of
his sword being out in the rain and mud for the last week. The table
dismissed him and he walked back to the small room where he and Vi spent the
night.
    He crawled back into bed still exhausted from everything. He draped his
arm around Vi pulling her warm body close and went back to sleep.
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