[Vfw-times] MK Pennance and Retribution, last part

[Oren Otter]

Chapter 8
Evil remembered

	Nerr did his best not to squirm as Light ministered her healing herbs to
him.  "You're lucky to be alive." she said.  "Now hold still."
	"I'm trying."
	"I still can't believe what those people did to you." said Oren.
	"They've done a lot worse.  Take the baby Felice rescued.  Used as a power
cell and starved almost to death."
	"I'm just happy you're alive!"
	"And hope to be for a long time, yet."
	"WAGON TRAIN AHOY!"
	Oren stuck his head out of the mobile sick bay to see who was shouting.
It was an old woman standing by the side of the road.
	"Can you spare room for a weary traveler?" she asked as the wagons pulled
up.  "I can work for my passage.  I see you have wounded.  I am a healer by
trade."
	Seeing no harm in it, Oren helped the old woman up.
	
	* * *

	"Lost!" Moaned Sujan.  "All is lost!"
	"All is not lost." said Kayrok in a reproving manner.  "We are alive,
every one of us, save the unfortunate torch.  We know much about the enemy
that we did not before.  And we have something else."
	"What?"
	Kayrok pulled the cork from a bottle.  It gave off a heavy, almost
sickening peppermint scent.  "Seemings exchange potion.  When two people
are splashed with this potion simultaneously, followed by a generous amount
of water, any clothing, hair styling, make-up, even appearance- altering
spells are instantly transported to the other person."
	"So what good does that do us?"
	"Several of our enemies took plunder from the Strand.  Among them was a
bottle of this extract.  By this time, Norebo will be aboard their caravan,
telling them...

	* * *

	This is a powerful potion.  When used at the stroke of midnight under a
full moon, it can break even the most powerful curse, for a very short
time.  Would you like to be a man once again, Mister Oren?"
	"I... I would..."
	"Just pour this over you at the stroke of midnight under a full moon, then
splash yourself with water.  But tell no one what I have told you, for
everyone will want to break their curse, and they will fight over the potion."
	"Of course."

	* * *

	Ku smiled smugly.  He had witnessed the destruction of the valley where
Devil's Strand had once been through the eyes of Desuka.  What's more, he
had managed to save the images onto a magic viewing crystal.  With a wave
of his hand, he teleported the crystal away to the warlord Aqualo.  It
would be good for his overinflated ego to witness the destruction of a
stronghold of evil.  With any luck, it would find its way back to Qor.  The
images would serve as a slap to the back of the head to the evil conqueror.
	The fox emperor strode out of his gardens and into the temple where a
celebration was in full swing.  It was a red letter day for the side of good.
	
	* * *

	The moment the caravan reached the Keep, Oren raced in and found his way
to Healer Coe's.  The raccoon met him at the door.
	"I've got it!" he cried.  "I've got the antimagic!  Let's get it to her,
quick!"
	The healer did not move. 
	"Come on, Coe, I've got the stuff! Let me in."
	"Oren..."
	The otter's blood froze in its veins with realized horror.  "No!"
	"It happened last night, while you were still on the road.  We did
everything we could, Wessex and I.  It just... it wasn't enough."
	The vial fell from Oren's paw.  He couldn't believe it.  As he stood
there, shrinking, he tried desperately to convince himself that it was all
a nightmare.
	A gentle paw touched his shoulder.  "I with her, Oren." said Vitra's soft
voice.  "Achin here too.  She not die in pain."
	Turning his muzzle to the sky, Oren screamed in rage, in anguish, and in
despair, until his voice was completely spent, and nothing was left but a
small, sobbing little creature.
	All the rest of that day, and all through the night, Vitra stayed with
Oren and held him, sometimes her.

	* * *

	Understandably, Oren did not attend the celebration of the salvation of
the Keep.  He stayed inside and kept to himself.  It was mostly Jesse who
helped to get the Hipocci refugees settled in.  They would stay in Oren's
tower until they'd had sufficient opportunity to build their own houses.
He also took it upon himself to arrange for military training for the able
bodied.  As a race of people accustomed to war, they would make excellent
minutemen.  Their resistance to magic wouldn't hurt, either.
	It was Nerr who was the first of the Hipocci to be changed by the curse.
His weakened state had left him more vulnerable to magic than the others,
but the curse quickly healed all of his injuries as it transformed him from
a man into a talking dolphin.  Felice was next, owing to her time spent at
the Keep, most likely.  Before long, she was tuning into some kind of
winged manticore or sphinx.  The others soon followed, almost all of them
displaying some sort of mixed transformation as Oren did.
	It wasn't until a few days before Christmas that anyone but Vitra saw
Oren.  It was surprising enough that he had come out of hiding.  It was
even more surprising what his first words were.  Having made his way to the
follower cathedral, Oren located Father Hough and said "Vitra and I wish to
be married."


-Oren the Otter
8=-3
tlhaQ biQ Ha'DIbaH
The Changing Workplace: http://www.geocities.com/duster_skunk/strips.htm